Loss of White House Puts McConnell in GOP Spotlight

[babylonsister]

I hope the spotlight burns his retinas. :grr: And it irks me that one of his main responsibilities is to block Dem initiatives. The rethugs did such a bang-up job of leaving this country in great shape...


CQ Profile: Loss of White House Puts McConnell in GOP Spotlight
By Chuck McCutcheon, CQ Staff


Without a member of his party in the White House, Kentucky’s cannily conservative Mitch McConnell will be the GOP’s most powerful politician in 2009. But it will require all of his backroom dealing and parliamentary skills to thwart an expanded Democratic majority that is likely to be intent on pushing President-elect Barack Obama ’s agenda through Congress.

As minority leader, McConnell’s goal for the 111th Congress (2009-10) is to keep his party tightly unified as he tries to block Democratic initiatives while picking up at least a few moderate Democrats to support GOP alternatives. Many Republicans agree he is up to the task, pointing to his talent for both negotiating and playing hardball.

In his first two years as his party’s leader during the 110th Congress (2007-08), McConnell repeatedly resorted to filibusters and parliamentary objections to block bills and conference negotiations. As of November 2008, there were 110 votes to invoke cloture — or end debate — on Senate legislation, well above the previous record of 61 in the 107th Congress (2001-02).

During the summer of 2007, as GOP senators repeatedly objected to amendments relating to the Iraq War, Democratic Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada sent McConnell a letter chastising him for “partisan obstruction that I fear will make us less, not more, secure.” But McConnell was unyielding. “The majority has the responsibility to set the agenda,’’ he said. “If you set an overly partisan agenda, you get . . . what they would argue is an overly partisan response.”

more...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docid=news-000003001831

[LynneSin]

1. Yeah this is the face I want to represent me......

NOT!!!!!

[FSogol]

3. LOL n/t

[opihimoimoi]

9. Warden....is that you from the Shawshank???

[FSogol]

2. Is it too soon to call Mitch McConnell the biggest obstructionist of 2009?

:shrug:

Prepare for his grandstanding!

[babylonsister]

7. Nope. He and Boner will try to obstruct wherever possible, and

their actions do NOT have to make sense.

[Medical Speaking]

4. MCConnell

Why is he still in the Senate, what a piece of shit, I would be proud to have him as my Senator
And we can still see why our government doesn't work. With people like him we can see why we have all these problems. Good Luck and Happy New Year.

[MiniMe]

5. The chinless wonder

I swear, somebody stole that man's chin.

[The Icon Painter]

11. Replacement

Nope. Somebody replaced a somewhat human face with that of a turtle.

[dentucky]

6. my State in it's stupidity put this moron back in

If only the Democratic Party here would have found a better candidate than Lunsford, we might have gotten this jerk out of office. If Ben Chandler had chosen to run, he might have beaten Mitch "The Bitch" as he is commonly referred to here.

[TNOE]

8. Well, not really

Apparently, as I have read it in the press, for some "odd" reason, all the votes of those voting a straight democratic ticket went uncounted. And that was a whole lot of voters. The reason for the "glitch" hasn't been found. Same old dirty repuke tricks.

[Atman]

10. This one line sums up everything wrong with the GOP...

"...McConnell’s goal for the 111th Congress (2009-10) is to keep his party tightly unified as he tries to block Democratic initiatives..."

Doesn't matter what it is, doesn't matter if it's good for the country or not. If the Democrats think of it, it will be his job to BLOCK IT. When will Democrats ever learn? The GOP is all about the GOP first, fuck everyone else. There will be no change with this Congress. I don't expect it will take long before one of the self-important, selfish, grandstanding sons of bitches to open an investigation into Obama over something, anything...just to undercut the president.

These people disgust me.

.