Paul’s Tough Balancing Act

“Since declaring himself the tea party candidate in the 2010 elections,” Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) “has methodically tried to broaden his appeal beyond the conservative grass-roots movement. And nowhere has that been more apparent than in his increasingly close ties to McConnell, the Senate veteran who could be a critical asset in selling a Paul White House candidacy to the party establishment,” Politico reports.

“So as McConnell descends into a GOP civil war with tea party-backed candidate Bevin to defend his Senate seat in 2014, Paul must perform a careful balancing act: Show complete support for McConnell, all the while avoiding alienating the same tea party supporters who helped him in 2010 and whom he’ll need in 2016.”

First Read: “Any political junkie has to LOVE this year’s Kentucky Senate race — now that there’s a GOP primary in addition to a competitive general election.”