This is pretty funny:
What does Mitch McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton really think about working for the Mitch McConnell re-election campaign?
EconomicPolicyJournal.com has obtained a recording of a phone conversation between Dennis Fusaro and Mitch McConnell campaign manager Jesse Benton.
And what does Benton, who managed Rand Paul's 2010 campaign, say?
Between you an me, I'm sorta holdin' my nose for two years. What we're doing here is going to be a big benefit to Rand in '16.
The backstory here is that Benton, who in addition to being Rand Paul's political guru is also Ron Paul's grandson-in-law and managed Paul's 2012 presidential campaign, now
faces questions about whether he played a role in a payola scheme to boost support for Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign. On the call, he denied knowledge of the scheme and asked Fusaro to send him evidence of it.
But the most interesting part of the call is certainly Benton's disparaging assessment of working for Senate Minority Leader McConnell. When Benton signed up to manage McConnell's reelection campaign, it was widely seen as an effort to insulate McConnell from a tea party challenge as well as a move by Rand Paul to suck up to the GOP establishment ahead of his 2016 presidential campaign. And at least according to this audio tape, that's exactly what it is—unless Benton meant Rand's 2016 Senate race, which is highly doubtful.
And Benton didn't mention this part, but I'm sure the fact that he will make tons of money working for McConnell is a nice added bonus.
Please join with Daily Kos and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee by signing the pledge to fight back against Mitch McConnell and end GOP Gridlock in the Senate.
11:34 AM PT: Benton confirms the authenticity of the recording, saying:
It is truly sick that someone would record a private phone conversation I had out of kindness and use it to try to hurt me. I believe in Senator McConnell and am 100 percent committed to his re-election. Being selected to lead his campaign is one of the great honors of my life and I look forward to victory in November of 2014.
Yeah, it's such an honor that he has to pinch his nose.