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Sen. Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) campaign manager, Jesse Benton, appears to have reluctantly signed on to the senator's campaign, as he characterized his work for the senator as "holding my nose" in a new phone recording obtained by EconomicPolicyJournal.com (audio at http ://www .youtube .com/watch?v=60TGUNwHDtw)

Speaking to conservative activist Dennis Fusaro in January of this year, Benton sounds less than enthused to be working for McConnell.

"Between you and me, I'm sorta holding my nose for two years," he says when asked by Fusaro about his future plans, noting that his work for McConnell is "going to be a big benefit to Rand [Paul] in 2016." http://thehill.com/blogs/ballot-box/senate-races/316191-mcconnell-camp
aign-manager-holding-my-nose-to-work-with-mcconnell#ixzz2bP5JUAKM]

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The backstory here is that Benton, who in addition to being Rand Paul's political guru is also Ron Paul's grandson-in-law and managed Paul's 2012 presidential campaign, now faces questions about whether he played a role in a payola scheme to boost support for Ron Paul's 2012 presidential campaign. On the call, he denied knowledge of the scheme and asked Fusaro to send him evidence of it. But the most interesting part of the call is certainly Benton's disparaging assessment of working for Senate Minority Leader McConnell. When Benton signed up to manage McConnell's reelection campaign, it was widely seen as an effort to insulate McConnell from a tea party challenge as well as a move by Rand Paul to suck up to the GOP establishment ahead of his 2016 presidential campaign. And at least according to this audio tape, that's exactly what it is—unless Benton meant Rand's 2016 Senate race, which is highly doubtful. http://delong.typepad.com/sdj/2013/08/jed-lewison-mcconnell-campaign-m
anager-on-working-for-mitch-im-sorta-holding-my-nose-for-the-next-two-years-noted-for.html

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