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You are here: Home / 2016 Campaign / The Unlikely Mitch McConnell-Rand Paul Alliance

Just dropped · Trial Balloon · Ep. 187

Bad Instincts

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Trial Balloon · Ep. 187: Bad Instincts

The Unlikely Mitch McConnell-Rand Paul Alliance

March 8, 2015 at 7:34 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard 8 Comments

“When Rand Paul first ran for the Senate, he faced a powerful home-state antagonist in Sen. Mitch McConnell . Now, as Mr. Paul prepares to run for president, a five-year effort to bury the hatchet has forged an odd-couple partnership that is an unseen force in both the 2016 presidential campaign and the U.S. Senate,” the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Mr. Paul used his clout among conservatives to help Mr. McConnell, his fellow Kentucky Republican, win re-election last year and fulfill a long-held goal of becoming Senate majority leader.”

“Now Mr. McConnell is helping to advance Mr. Paul’s presidential campaign, and contributed to an important victory for him Saturday. The state GOP’s executive committee endorsed Mr. Paul’s request, backed by Mr. McConnell, to establish a presidential caucus, despite concerns about financial and political costs. This would allow Mr. Paul to circumvent state law that bars him from appearing on the primary ballot both for the White House and re-election to the Senate.”

Filed Under: 2016 Campaign Tagged With: Mitch McConnell, Rand Paul

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About Political Wire

Taegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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