| − | '''Mitch McConnell''' is a current [[Republican]] [[United States]] [[Senator]] from [[Kentucky]]. He is currently the [[minority leader]]. He succeeded [[Bill Frist]] as Republican floor leader following the [[2006 elections]]. | + | '''Addison Mitchell "Mitch" McConnell, Jr.''' (born February 20, 1942), is the senior [[Republican]] United States Senator from [[Kentucky]]. After the 2006 elections, he was unanimously elected Senate Minority Leader, previously serving as Majority Whip. He is married to Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao. McConnell was elected to the Senate in 1984 when he defeated two-term [[Democratic]] Senator Dee Huddleston. Since then he has been reelected three times. McConnell has been very involved in Republican party politics. He was chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee during the 1998 and 2000 election cycles. In both, Republicans maintained control of the [[Senate]]. McConnell is viewed as a conservative who is pro-life, supports the war in [[Iraq]], second amendment rights and lower taxes. However, he is one of the few Senate Republicans who is against a Constitutional ban on flag desecration. |