McConnell’s deal-making riles up conservatives back home

Conservatives see McConnell’s shutdown deal-making as a betrayal — and an opening

By Matea Gold, Published: October 18

TAYLORSVILLE, Ky. — Back in Washington, Kentucky’s five-term senator, Mitch McConnell, was being hailed for pulling the country from the brink. The minority leader boasted to reporters about his ability to “step into the breach,” cutting a deal with Majority Leader Harry M. Reid (D-Nev.) that reopened the government and headed off a fiscal crisis.

But here in the scenic countryside southeast of Louisville, conservative voters gathered in a meeting hall at the local farm bureau to slam his deal-making as a betrayal — and to consider the bid of McConnell’s GOP primary challenger, Matt Bevin, who pledged to be their voice in Washington.

“I don’t feel he represents us or that he’s, frankly, even in touch with where we are,” Bevin, a self-made entrepreneur and affable father of nine, told the audience. “I think these last several days have helped to indicate some of that. There’s a certain amount of disdain.”

He added, “There are a lot of naked emperors that are parading around in Washington. These emperors need to be exposed.”

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http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/conservatives-see-mcconnells-shutdown-deal-making-as-a-betrayal--and-an-opening/2013/10/18/ce1f9722-380e-11e3-8a0e-4e2cf80831fc_story.html?wpisrc=nl_headlines