Paul can ‘count on’ McConnell if he runs

Fresh off a reelection victory, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) suggested he would support a presidential run by Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.).

“Whatever he decides to do,” McConnell told the Lexington Herald-Leader. “I don’t think he’s made a final decision on that. But he’ll be able to count on me.”

{mosads}He did acknowledge that Paul would be in a “complicated” situation because he would be running for both his Senate seat and the White House at the same time. He said that negative attacks associated with a presidential campaign could make a Senate race more difficult.

The Republican lawmaker also defended himself against low approval ratings, citing his repeated electoral victories. And he said he takes pride in being a boogeyman for Democrats and progressives.

“It doesn’t mean anything to me to gain their approval,” he said. “That’s not how I measure my work, by what they think.”

The comments came just days after Republicans retook the Senate majority, with McConnell easily defeating Kentucky Secretary of State Alison Lundergan Grimes in one of the most watched races. Currently minority leader, he is likely to be the next majority leader. 

McConnell’s relationship with Paul has not always been so supportive. When Paul was running for his seat in 2010, McConnell backed his primary opponent.

But as McConnell began his reelection effort, it was clear he would need Paul’s conservative supporters to fend off a Tea Party challenger and win a tough general election. McConnell enlisted a top Paul aide to be his campaign manager, and Paul endorsed his Senate colleague earlier this year.