Marco Rubio doubles down on his Beltway cred, endorses embedded Beltway pol Sen. Mitch McConnell bid for re-election in 2014. McConnell says: 'I enjoy support of most famous Tea Party Senator in America, Rand Paul,' CNN

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McConnell has been in the Senate since Jan. 1985 but it's not enough.

10/20/13, "Rubio weighs in on McConnell’s election fight," CNN, Greg Clary

"One-time tea party favorite Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, said Sunday he supports Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s bid for re-election in 2014.

McConnell is facing a primary challenge in his home state of Kentucky from businessman Matt Bevin, who was endorsed by the influential Senate Conservatives Fund on Friday.

"Matt Bevin is a true conservative who will fight to stop the massive spending, bailouts, and debt that are destroying our country. He is not afraid to stand up to the establishment and he will do what it takes to stop Obamacare,” Senate Conservatives Fund Director Matt Hoskins said in a statement.

But McConnell said he’s skeptical of attacks from the far-right. "I've endured millions of dollars in attack ads that have called me a right-wing fanatic over the years. I think my opponents in the primary are going to have a hard time convincing Kentucky primary voters that I'm some kind of liberal," McConnell said on CBS’s “Face The Nation.”

“I enjoy the support of the most famous tea party senator in America, Rand Paul,” McConnell added. “I’m supported by Marco Rubio. Pat Toomey. Two other tea party favorites who were elected in 2010.”

The Kentucky senator has faced backlash from the tea party for his brokering of a deal to both end the government shutdown and raise the debt ceiling.

But Rubio, himself facing flak from the far right over his stance on immigration reform, said McConnell is doing a good job in tough circumstances.

"I do support Sen. McConnell's re-election. I think he's trying to lead our conference. It's a diverse conference with a lot of different opinions, and that's a tough job to begin with. And then, of course, he's got to represent his own state,” Rubio said on “Fox News Sunday.”" via Free Republic

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Among Free Republic comments:

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"To: 2ndDivisionVet

Attention Sean Hannity.... Is your man crush on “Marco” finally over now? Ready to unhitch your horse from his wagon?

10 posted on Monday, October 21, 2013 2:47:03 AM by faucetman ( Just the facts, ma'am, Just the facts)"

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