Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell on Friday bestowed the honor of giving the first radio address after the elections to incoming Tea Party-backed freshman Marco Rubio of Florida. "Senator-elect Rubio embodies an exciting and optimistic message about the future of America," McConnell said in an e-mailed statement, touting the rock star Florida Senator-elect's "principled conservatism."

Many have questioned whether or not the leader could manage the strong-minded, independent conservatives coming to Washington, and this is likely to be seen as an olive branch by the Kentucky senator particularly to those who were not, like Rubio, the first choice of the establishment. McConnell and his GOP colleagues in leadership first threw their support behind then-GOP Gov. Charlie Crist. When Crist lost the primary, the entire GOP party got behind Rubio...