Mitch McConnell Goes 'All In' for Thad Cochran

JACKSON, Mississippi — Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is gathering his K Street army to help stop the Tea Party-backed state Sen. Chris McDaniel and re-elect 42-year incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS).

“The National Republican Senatorial Committee sent out an email missive Friday afternoon urging supporters to attend a June 10 fundraiser in support of the Mississippi Republican’s run-off headlined by McConnell,” Politico’s Anna Palmer wrote on Friday. “Additionally, in an NRSC political briefing Friday, senior staff told a packed room of more than 50 in-house and contract lobbyists that McConnell is ‘all-in’ on the race, though specifics were not given, according to an attendee. Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker has also been making calls for Cochran.”

Palmer notes that McConnell–who has said he wants to “crush” Tea Party groups and punch them in the nose–is backing Cochran in contrast to McConnell’s fellow GOP establishment leader Karl Rove and Rove-backed American Crossroads, who have opted against spending money on the runoff campaign.

“Our friend Thad is in a battle in the coming weeks that will have a very real impact on our fight for the Majority. You have helped all of us in the past, and we need your help for him now,” an NRSC email signed by McConnell said, according to Politico. “It is critical that he has financial resources now, and we are going to make sure he has them.”

The McConnell fundraiser is asking “hosts” to pay $5,000 per PAC or $2,600 per individual and “guests” to pay $2,000 per PAC and $1,000 per individual.