McConnell moves to center ahead of midterms
by Alexander Bolton - 06/28/22 5:10 AM ETSenate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is moving to the center ahead of the midterm elections, backing a gun safety measure and insisting he is willing to work with President Biden on middle-of-the-road proposals if Republicans win back the Senate majority in November.
McConnell’s message is aimed squarely at suburban voters, whom he believes will make the difference in battleground states such as Arizona, Georgia, Nevada, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.
Such voters moved away from the GOP under former President Trump, but McConnell and Republicans feel they can make inroads in a year where the public is frustrated with high inflation and gas prices.
The push for such voters explains why McConnell risked his A-plus rating with the National Rifle Association (NRA) to back a gun safety measure last week that was opposed by a majority of his conference.
It also was reflected in some of the remarks he made Monday at a Rotary Club lunch in Florence, Ky., where he emphasized that if Biden is willing to come toward him, he is willing to make a deal.
“We have pretty big differences,” McConnell acknowledged. “Whether Joe Biden has the dexterity, shall I say, to pull off a pivot or not, I don’t know, but he won’t have any choice. Because if he wants to be able to function the next few years with divided government, he’ll need to come to the middle.”
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https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/3538964-mcconnell-moves-to-center-ahead-of-midterms/
