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Biography of Mitch McConnell

Gaynor Borade
Mitch McConnell is a US Senator from Kentucky. After being elected as Minority Leader by the Republicans in 2006, he went on to earn the title of 'Top-ranking Republican' at the 110th Congress, in 2007. A proponent of conservative principles, he was reelected in 2008, winning against Democrat Bruce Lunsford.
This Mitch McConnell biography will tell you all about this popular Senator.

Addison Mitchell 'Mitch' McConnell, Jr.

Born: February 20, 1942
Member: Republican Party
Senator: Kentucky
Highlight: 7th most senior Senator and 4th most senior Republican

Early Life

Mitch McConnell was born to Addison Mitchell McConnell and Julia Shockley, in Sheffield, AL. He was a victim of polio at the tender age of two. Till the age of four he could not walk or run around like other children his age. However, under the dedicated care given to him by his mother, he soon overcame the challenge and was able to lead a normal life.

He did his education from duPont Manual High School, after which, he went to the University of Louisville, from where he graduated with honors with a B.A. in political science, in 1964. McConnell graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Law in 1967. Here, he was the president of the Student Bar Association.
In 1967, Mitch McConnell joined the United States Army Reserve and did six months of active service. However, he was released from military duty with 'honorable discharge', on account of the onslaught of optic neuritis.

Politics

His association with the senate began in 1967. He served as an intern under Senator John Cooper, and an assistant to Senator Marlow Cook, prior to taking up the responsibilities of Deputy Assistant Attorney General under President Ford. He relentlessly served as Jefferson County Judge and Executive till his election to the Senate.
McConnell ran for Senate in 1984. He defeated Democratic Senator Huddleston, becoming the only Republican Senator that year. His first success story was the result of a series of well-planned and executed television-based campaigns, and the Reagan 21-point win that year.
Ever since, he has been a Senator from Kentucky, winning again in 1990, 1996, 2002, and 2008. As a result, at present, he is into his fifth term in office.
His achievements include his tenure as chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and the first elected Majority Whip. He has been an integral part of the Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry; Committee on Appropriations; and Committee on Rules and Administration.
He is also the longest serving U.S. Senator in the history of Kentucky. He is known for manipulative parliamentary tactics and as the 'King-maker' of Kentucky Republican politics.
Even as a staunch conservative, he does not waver in his opposition to the Flag Desecration Amendment and argument against the United States Constitution modification that addresses 'political and social ills of the nation'.
He is an active member of the opposition that addresses the campaign finance regulation specified by the First Amendment of the US Constitution. He has led the movement against the Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act between 1989 and 1994, and is responsible for the Protect America Act of 2007.
The latter allows the monitoring of electronic communication between entities within and outside the United States by the National Security Agency, without a warrant.
McConnell openly supports:
American invasion of Iraq.
Testifying 'under oath' of all White House aides.
Opposition against President Barack Obama's decision to shut down the Guantanamo Bay Detention Camp, Cuba.
As Kentucky Senator and the current Republican Minority Leader, McConnell has proposed a plan for fixed, low-interest (4%) and government-backed mortgages to be extended to any credit-worthy borrower. He is a strong opponent of the President Barack Obama's stimulus package, and believes that the package does not fix America's main problem of housing.

Personal Life

Mitch McConnell was first married to Sherrill Redmon, who is also the mother of his three daughters Elly, Porter, and Claire. Sherrill was the director of the Sophia Smith Collection of Women's History Archives, and led the organization for nineteen long years.
His second wife, Elaine Chao, is the former Secretary of Labor. She served under the George W. Bush administration.
He is an active member of the Baptist Church. He founded the McConnell Center in 1992, a venture partnered by the University of Louisville. He is a speaker for the Leadership Institute in Arlington, VA. He also founded the James Madison Center for Free Speech in Washington, D.C.
The bill that job creators and out-of-work Americans need us to pass is the one that ensures taxes won't go up - one that says Americans and small-business owners won't get hit with more bad news at the end of the year. ―Mitch McConnell