The forecast for Republican Senate candidates in this year’s midterms again has exposed differences between Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.
McConnell last week said the GOP had a "50-50" chance of taking control of the Senate in the November midterm elections.
Then on Friday, the Senate Leadership Fund, which is connected to McConnell, said it was cutting ad buys in Arizona and Alaska to move resources to other highly competitive races.
Scott, during an interview on Fox News, disagreed with McConnell's prediction. He was asked if he agreed with McConnell that Republicans had a better chance of winning control of the House than the Senate in November.
"No," said Scott, who chairs the National Republican Senatorial Committee. "We've got great candidates. Look at the background of these people. These are wonderful individuals that believe in this country. And they believe in the right things. We are going to win, but we've got to raise our money."
Scott then gave his assessment of the senate races.
"Let's go through them. Ron Johnson's running a great race against a radical in Wisconsin," he said on Fox News. "Ted Budd's running a great race against a soft-on-crime North Carolina Supreme Court justice. Herschel [Walker's] running a great race against Warnock down in Georgia. We've got J.D. Vance running a great race against Tim Ryan [in Ohio]."
McConnell and Scott previously differed over a GOP agenda for 2022.
Scott in February released a 31-page plan, named "Rescue America," for Republicans to use as a blueprint if they take control of the Senate and House in the midterms.
Politico then reported that McConnell, who has declined to release a party agenda, told Scott during a GOP leadership meeting that the plan gave Democrats ammunition for millions of dollars of ads in the midterms.
The leader particularly took issue with Scott's proposal that everyone should pay some amount of income tax, and the suggestion that federal programs be sunset every five years unless reauthorized by Congress.
Scott responded by defending the plan in an opinion column for The Wall Street Journal.
"I have committed heresy in Washington," Scott said. "I've been in the Senate for only three years, and I have released an 11-point plan with 128 ideas on what Republicans should do after we win the coming elections and take control of the Senate and House.
"In the real world beyond the Beltway, Republicans and independents demand bold action and a plan to save our nation. They see no point in taking control of Congress if we are simply going to return to business as usual."
Despite their differences, Scott earlier this year said he will support McConnell for majority leader.
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