Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) weighed in on the Republican presidential race Friday, noting that some candidates are just in it for the fame.

“I think several of the candidates — I won’t mention the names — are kind of in the celebrity business, and they get invited to the debates and it improves their speaking fees and their book sales … but they’re probably not going to be the nominee unless lighting strikes,” McConnell told WHAS in Louisville, Ky.

The Senate minority leader noted that he does not “have a dog in the fight,” explaining that while he thinks there are viable presidential nominees in the race, he has not backed a particular candidate.

McConnell was also asked about comments that actor Morgan Freeman made recently about the senator and President Obama on the issue of race. Freeman appeared on CNN’s Piers Morgan last week accusing the Tea Party of racism in their criticism of the president.

“I don’t know what race has to do with it,” McConnell said. “I don’t think it’s particularly surprising that the Republican leader of the Senate would like to have a Republican president. I wanted Bill Clinton to be a one-termer too — we didn’t succeed.”

