Campaign Ads For Senate GOP Leader Feature Convicted Sexual Harasser

The past month has not been a good one for Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. The candidate he endorsed in Kentucky's gubernatorial election was trounced by his Democratic challenger. McConnell himself is embroiled in a possible ethics scandal involving a $25 million earmark he secured for a British defense contractor under investigation by the U.S. Justice Department. And the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is openly targeting his seat in 2008.

With polls showing his support dipping in Kentucky, McConnell this week became the first Senate Republican to launch an in-state ad campaign. But now even that is proving troublesome.

In a 60-second clip running in the Lexington market, McConnell is endorsed by Alben Barkley II, the grandson of the one-time Kentucky senator and Truman Vice President Alben Barkley.

"As Majority Leader of the Senate, my grandfather had a tremendous amount of influence and could get a lot of legislation passed which was of benefit to Kentucky," Barkley II says in the advertisement. "Sen. McConnell is a very powerful man in the Senate today. When one is in a position like that they can do great things for their state."

The message: McConnell is, like the elder Barkley, a true Kentucky leader.

The problem: Barley II is not world's best spokesperson.

Back in 1981, the Barkley grandson was convicted of sexually harassing a young secretary. According to an April 7 UPI article from that year:

"Alben W. Barkley II, [then] 36, asked his secretary, Ann Hester, to be his lover, asked to look down her dress on several occasions, once hugged her, and commented she looked 'sexy.''"

At the time Barkely was serving as the state's Agriculture Commissioner. Because he was an elected official, the Kentucky Personnel Board personnel board said it did not have the authority to punish him. The secretary said the incidents "forced her to seek a transfer to another state department."

McConnell's office did not return requests for comment.

Comments

[nyboomer]

This thread is funny. No one seems to differentiate between sexual badinage among equals and sexual talk between a boss and an employee. Surely your boss asking for sexual favors is exactly like anyone else asking for a date. Telling your boss to go f*** himself will have no reprecussions at all. Just like telling off the pest in the next desk if he pushes you around. If talking sex with an underling is such a minor affair why is it forbidden in the military? If you can't tell the difference in this matter you lack anything resembling a working brain.

[sorenmeetsdylan]

Dear Little Sammy,

Learn what you are talking about or find another job. You don't get convicted of sexual harrassment, for it is not a crime; instead, it is a civil matter, meaning this fellow might have been adjudged to have violated the mostly idiotic EEOC rules..

[chuckieboy]

When is Larry Flynt going to our mitch, orrin, lyndsey, and the rest of the phony homophobes?

[PuddyKatz]

Well, at least it was a lady. I was expecting it to be a young man given recent GOP sex scandals. But, wait, I guess Barkley is a Democrat after all!

[helonias]

So when will he trot out death mine owner Murray
and tell us why he is one of the 5 finest Americans.

[Eoin45]

rwe, You're a real person? LOL

[mcearlgrey]

Republicans must be in a bad way when the Senate minority leader is running on his pork earmarks and the endorsement of a former Democrat VP's son.

[philipwitak]

i know its difficult to see, but take a real close look at the 'posture' of that handshake in the featured photo on the front page. kinda looks like craig is discreetly stroking the cupped palm of mcconnell with a 'curled' middle finger. isn't that some sort of clandestine cultural code for 'hey, wanna come over to my place?'

[just a joke at the expense of senator larry 'i-am-not-­gay-i-have­-never-bee­n-gay-but-­bill-clint­on-is-a-ve­ry-naughty­-boy' craig, whose behavior has become something of a joke itself. and for that matter, so has mcconnell's.]

[Not Blind]

Mitch McConnell is another Chicken-Hawk, scardy cat. He had one of his staffers leek lies about Grhram Frost (the 12-year old boy in the ad for S-CHIP), then lied, denying it. He is gung-ho for Iraq, and Iran, but wouldn't serve in the military himself. He defends Larry Criag, (caught on tape and who pleaded guilty) in trying to retract his admission. Now, he needs another friend (convicted sexual harrasser) to help with his re-election campaign.
Let's hope the good, decent folks of Kentucky pluck this chicken's feathers, see through his lies and vote him out of office.

[maxfusion]

Oh my, what a monster, wow, he asked to look down someones dress OOOOOOOOO AAAHHHHH. Now, I invite you to compare that to the antics of the rapist, Bill Clinton.

[mommamia526]

So, the secretary was not wearing a dress with a high neckline! She should have known better. If every guy gets tainted for getting a little excited about a woman, and doing what men do, namely trying to date her, we will have to lock up 90% of the males. And I can tell you it is a strange landscape without men around. I noticed this, even as en elementary school kid, when all the men were transported from my country to Germany, one way or another, to work in the German factories, or to go to other *facilities*. The kind of *harassment* described happens to women all the time. Most of us know how to deal with it, but if it becomes too much, and irritating, even now, most of us have to move to another job. Complaining about this gets another string of comment going, just as Hillary's faux pas on the last debate. And all this made me think I might even be a *harasser* myself. Being old, I have become rather relaxed about guys. Most are the ages of my kids and grandchildren. And I say things like *looking good, dude*, or *YOU are sexy* all the time! Did not think they would get excited or feel harassed. I will mind my manners from now on. Life is so complicated!

[nellieh]

I wish Larry Flynt hadn't said he has information on 20+ more politicians (mainly Republicans)and just dribbles them out. Vitter gets it this month. It is going to be like the centerfold of the month. I look forward to each exposure and watch the hypocrits scurry around like the cockroaches they are trying to find cover.I'm waiting mostly for Drier.

[usingmybrain]

Larry Flynt defends the constitution more in his pinky finger than than the entire lot of thugs currently running the country.
I heart Larry.

[rwe]

Also how about a person of interest in a suspicious drowning incident

[rwe]

If I recall , Hillary has an accused rapist , a sex addict who uses subordinates, and a chronic sexual harrasser as one of her biggest campaigners