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Monday, February 22, 2010
GOP leader rejects obstructionist label
ening to constituents, he says
By Joseph Curl <http://www.washingtontimes.com/staff/joseph-curl/>
Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell on Sunday dismissed the
emerging "Washington is broken" mantra being used by Democratic
lawmakers, strategists and pundits to cast Republicans as
obstructionists to progress.
To make his point, he opened the door to Republicans signing on to a
Democratic jobs bill this week.
"Look, in terms of whether or not we're at a gridlock, I would like to
quote the president of the United States himself, who said just a couple
of months ago, 'If we stop today' - this is the president - 'If we stop
today, this legislative session would have been one of the most
productive in a generation," Mr. McConnell said on Fox News.
"They are trying to spin the notion that we are stymieing everything
they're doing. It is simply not true, based on the president's own
words," he said.
But the Kentucky Republican said his party, along with a sizable
majority of Americans, oppose Mr. Obama's trillion-dollar health care
reform proposal and new global warming legislation, and that Republican
senators have a duty to their constituents.
"We oppose the government taking over the health care system, one-sixth
of our economy, and we oppose a national energy tax, commonly referred
to around here as cap and trade. We think those are terrible ideas," he
said, responding to Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh's claim that he is
retiring because of the futility of lawmaking.
"But my members were not sent here to do nothing, and the president
knows that and he has said it. We have accomplished much for the
American people; it's just that we are unwilling to approve their
partisan agenda to take over health care and raise energy taxes," he said.
Mr. McConnell said that while Republicans were not ecstatic about a
bipartisan $85 million jobs package pulled last week by Senate
Democratic Leader Harry Reid, he added that Republicans "may well"
support a new $15 billion jobs bill, $13 billion of which is for a
payroll tax holiday for companies that hire unemployed workers.
"What was a mystery to us is how the bipartisan bill got shelved. I
thought it was moving along a bipartisan path. Many of my members were
going to support it and, all of a sudden the majority leader decided to
skinny it down," he said.
But disagreement over the health care debate has injected partisanship
into everything that comes before the Senate and the House. Mr. Obama on
Saturday sought to pave the way for fruitful bipartisan discussions on
Thursday.
"I don't want to see this meeting turn into political theater, with each
side simply reciting talking points and trying to score political
points," the president said in his radio and Internet address. "What's
being tested here is not just our ability to solve this one problem, but
our ability to solve any problem."
Mr. McConnell said he likely will participate in the health care summit,
but he expressed pessimism that the session would produce a bipartisan
compromise over the contentious issue.
The president on Monday is expected to publish his health care plan,
which congressional aides say will combine features of the two
Democratic bills already passed in the House and Senate. That move does
not fill Mr. McConnell with optimism.
"Apparently we're going to be there most of the day and have an
opportunity to have a lot of discussion. But if they're going to lay out
the plan they want to pass four days in advance, then why are - what are
we discussing on Thursday?" Mr. McConnell asked.
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Copyright 2009 The Washington Times, LLC
okie
The whole purpose of the gathering seems to be the President knows the
nation has grown worn out of his blame of the Bush Administration for
everything. His new chance because of his failures is to call the
Republicans to a meeting where he can place them in a bad light or force
them to reject his plan. What is most sad is the President appears to
have an addiction to Face On TV and this is the only thing right now to
force all networks to once again broadcast him. I for myself wonder if
the President goes home at night to watch himself on the tube and also
wonder if he writes himself fan letters.
Mark as offensive
<http://www.washingtontimes.com/admin/offensivecontent/manage/add/10/258707/>
Marnies
"Washington is broken", "Republicans are party of No" and the list of
negatives against the Republican Party and the failure of Obama to pass
Health Care. Hog Wash! Those in the media that say this are corrupt.
Facts are the Democrats control Congress by wide majorities in both
houses, President Obama is a Democrat, the American people do not want
proposed health care reform, the stimulus bill so far is a major fraud
and pout the US in debt debt to foreign government for the next 20 plus
years and the list goes on and on. The failure lies with President Obama
and the Democrat controlled Congress of The United States
Mark as offensive
<http://www.washingtontimes.com/admin/offensivecontent/manage/add/10/258793/>
RoBoTech
WHY show up at all, McConnell? Why, to be the Socialist Liar's whipping
boys and the Dems Campaign slogans for Nov. Haven't you GOP idiots in
Congress figured that out, yet?..... You said you wouldn't go if they
didn't start fresh. Where is THAT idea, now? STICK TO IT! Let the Dems
play Circus by themselves! Let them PRAWN the HCR bill. It WILL destroy
the Dem/Socialist party! And that can't be all bad!
Mark as offensive
<http://www.washingtontimes.com/admin/offensivecontent/manage/add/10/258800/>
ssn042
Lesson in math: The democrats had 60 (can you say, filibuster proof)
votes in the Senate, an over whelming majority in the house, the jack*ss
in the White House and they can't get anything passed. Has to be the
republicans fault, couldn't possibly be that some of the stuff Obama,
Pelosi and Reid have come up with stinks so bad even the dyed in the
wool socialists can't vote for it. Let's see, how can we work Bush into
this?
Mark as offensive
<http://www.washingtontimes.com/admin/offensivecontent/manage/add/10/258804/>
nbamron
Just stick with the message and stop defending against slogans. They
should turn it into a counter-slogan, The Party of No to Obama's
Socialist Policies. Can think of a dozen things we're against and ought
to be against. C'mon GOP, get it together. You have the ideas and the
talent (Marco Rubio for VP!), just stay on message.
Mark as offensive
<http://www.washingtontimes.com/admin/offensivecontent/manage/add/10/258830/>
singer23
What a load of crap! This President, and I use the term loosely, has had
a Democratic majority in the House and Senate, even before taking the
White House, don't now say that the Republicans are holding up his
agenda! He can't get his own party to vote his Socialist bills through
congress! He is the: "President Of Excuses!"
Mark as offensive
<http://www.washingtontimes.com/admin/offensivecontent/manage/add/10/258833/>
GrannyRob
How's all that chummy-wummy "working with" the opposition doing for you
McConnel? ... cause it really stinks up the atmosphere for the rest of us!
Mark as offensive
<http://www.washingtontimes.com/admin/offensivecontent/manage/add/10/258835/>
singer23
What a load of crap! This President, and I use the term loosely, has had
a Democratic majority in the house and senate, even before taking the
White House, don't now say that the Republicans are holding up his
agenda! He can't get his own party to vote his Socialist bills through
congress! He is the: "President Of Excuses!"
Mark as offensive
<http://www.washingtontimes.com/admin/offensivecontent/manage/add/10/258837/>
TexRancher
Anybody seen a copy of the Constitution? Must be around here somewhere.
If it's not constitutional then stopping it is not "obstructionist"! Of
course the socialists don't see it that way. To them, the Constitution
is just "that pesky document" that has served our country well for more
than 200 years. But then , they don't teach much about the Constitution
in Indonesia so you can't expect a Kenyan Born, Anti-American Muslim to
show any repsect for it!
Mark as offensive
<http://www.washingtontimes.com/admin/offensivecontent/manage/add/10/258841/>
timbob
Mr. President: We don't want your solution. Get it?!
Mark as offensive
<http://www.washingtontimes.com/admin/offensivecontent/manage/add/10/258850/>
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