Lest the presidential candidates think they are alone in pulling in record sums of money this year, Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) -- aka Big Money Mitch -- has announced he's raised $10.89 million towards his re-election campaign. Today's announcement is designed to show McConnell's strength and discourage challengers, but we have a different perspective on what all that money means.

Public Campaign Action Fund's David Donnelly sees the money as a sign of McConnell's debts to special interests, as evidenced by his actions in the Senate this year:

Mitch McConnell's special interest haul for the final three months of 2007 should not be seen as a sign of strength, but rather as an indictment on the big money status quo he defends in Washington, DC. While McConnell had his hands out to big money donors, he was voting to block health insurance for Kentucky's kids. While McConnell was raising money from interests like Big Oil, he was helping them out with tax breaks. No one in Kentucky ought to see McConnell's fundraising as anything but his mastery of a corrupt political system that places the interests of donors ahead of all Kentuckians."

Considering McConnell is burning through millions defending himself against growing accusations of favoritism towards special interest donors perhaps he feels similar doubts about his own strength on the campaign trail.