Mike Allen on McConnell's campaign manager's resignation. A non event.
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TOP TALKER - Lexington Herald-Leader, 5-col. lead, "McConnell campaign chief quits: Resignation comes two days after ex-Iowa state senator's guilty plea," by Sam Youngman: "Jesse Benton, the campaign manager for U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, will resign his post as a bribery scandal from the 2012 presidential campaign threatens to envelop Benton and become a major distraction for McConnell's campaign. ... He maintained his innocence, faulting 'inaccurate press accounts and unsubstantiated media rumors.' ...
"Benton's name has surfaced in connection to a bribery scandal dating to his time as former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul's political director during the 2012 presidential election. On Wednesday, former Iowa state Sen. Kent Sorenson pleaded guilty to accepting $73,000 from Paul's campaign in exchange for his endorsement and to obstruction of justice for lying about his involvement. Sorenson's guilty plea included two sealed documents, which could threaten to involve Benton. ... Grimes spokeswoman Charly Norton said, 'Senator McConnell owes the people of Kentucky a full account of what he knew and when he knew it.' ...
"In addition to running Paul's presidential campaign, Benton also ran U.S. Sen. Rand Paul's 2010 Senate campaign in Kentucky, and he is married to the older Paul's granddaughter. When Benton joined the McConnell camp, observers viewed it as a ploy by McConnell to quiet a restless Tea Party and win favor with Rand Paul." bit.ly
--PLAYBOOK FACTS OF LIFE: The campaign will be run by Josh Holmes, a senior adviser to the campaign and former McConnell chief of staff. Holmes will retain his dual hat with the NRSC, where he has responsibilities for the national map. So this may be the very rare case where the highest profile race of the cycle lacks anyone with the title "campaign manager."
An official close to the McConnell campaign tells Playbook: "The truth is that Josh Holmes has been doing the top job on McConnell's campaign since April. The staff had been restructured pre-primary; the lines of authority were clear. And everyone close to McConnell says he doesn't make any political decisions without Holmes. The headlines about Benton's potential involvement in an Iowa scandal ?threatened to be a major distraction for a campaign that is largely pulling away from his challenger for the first time.
"Benton understood he was a potential liability and elected to eliminate himself from the equation rather than take the risk of garnering more headlines for McConnell. His departure, while a short term distraction, changes basically nothing inside Team Mitch. Since Holmes already has command and control, the campaign structure will stay exactly as is. But don't be surprised to see Holmes mine one of the talented McConnell communicators like John Ashbrook out of McConnell's leadership office to add firepower down the stretch.Since Holmes already has command and control, the campaign structure will stay exactly as is. But don't be surprised to see Holmes mine one of the talented McConnell communicators like John Ashbrook out of McConnell's leadership office to add firepower down the stretch."
--HOW IT'S PLAYING: Courier-Journal lead story, "McConnell campaign manager resigns: Benton denies link to scandal," by James R. Carroll and Joseph Gerth cjky.it ... Kentucky Enquirer (an edition of Cincinnati Enquirer), cover (used C-J's story), "McConnell campaign manager resigns: Benton denies any link to Iowa caucus scandal." |
