Sen. Mitch McConnell readies to counter Democrats

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) _ Longtime U.S. Senator Mitch McConnell is going on the offensive in an effort to retain the Senate seat he's held since 1984.

McConnell has already raised over $12 million to bolster his re-election campaign, and ads highlighting his accomplishments on Capitol Hill are running almost nonstop on state TV stations.

McConnell has been targeted by opponents as being past his prime, but the Senate Republican leader says if opponents throw a pebble at him, he'll throw a boulder back.

Seven Democrats will face-off in a primary on May 20 for the right to take on McConnell in the fall.