Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/8460
8A – Daily News – Tuesday, March 30, 2010 Sen. McConnell unapologetic for trying to block Dems' agenda WASHINGT ON (MCT) — If it seems as if the political maneuvering over health care legislation has resembled a champi- onship-level chess match, consider that one of the major players, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, is widely acknowledged as a preter- naturally skilled tactician. For his part, the Ken- tucky Republican has been uncharacteristically forth- coming about his strategy on the health care bill — kill it, rather than try to negotiate something more palatable to Republicans — and acknowledges that early on he set about try- ing to block key Obama administration efforts. While Democrats may see such efforts as obstruc- tionist, McConnell _ as the head of a caucus that's clawing its way back to a place of leverage _ makes no apologies for how he navigated his party through the historic health care debate. He vows that Democ- rats will come to rue their efforts on the issue this fall. "I can tell you with regard to the campaign that will continue with the American people, I think the slogan will be, 'Repeal and replace. Repeal and replace,' " McConnell said last week. "No one that I know in the Republican conference in the Senate believes that no action is appropriate. We all think there are things that should be done." What followed as the Senate considered the final piece of landmark health care legislation was a GOP-led "vote-a-rama," a series of nonstop votes that lasted until 2:45 a.m. Thursday. Republicans tried to insert changes, forcing votes on 40 amendments or procedural points, including a ban on using federal funds to pro- vide erectile dysfunction drugs to incarcerated sex offenders. Democrats rejected each on party-line votes Wednesday and Thursday. Later Thursday, the Senate passed the final piece of legislation that's intended to change dramatically how most Americans buy, use and maintain health insurance coverage. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., the Senate's Democratic lead- ership and the White House have felt near apoplectic over what they see as an exercise in blan- ket obstructionism. Under McConnell's leadership during the 111th Congress, Republi- cans have attempted to fil- ibuster — block legisla- tion by defeating efforts to cut off debate — more than 30 times. McConnell, who for years has wielded the fili- buster relentlessly, had worried that the then-60- member Democratic Sen- ate majority would fast- track much of President Barack Obama's agenda through Congress. 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John McCain (R-Ariz.) and Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.), talk at a bipartisan meeting to discuss health care reform legislation at the Blair House in Washington D.C., Feb. 25. once Republican Scott Brown won the Massachu- setts seat that late Democ- ratic Sen. Edward Kennedy had held for 47 years. Democrats now control 59 of the 100 Sen- ate seats, and they need 60 votes to shut off debate. "Whether or not (Republicans) are willing to put aside Senator McConnell's plan to oppose everything and seek to be part of a gov- erning solution, we'll just have to see," White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said last week. Democratic operatives this month stepped up efforts to paint McConnell as an obstructionist for his continued opposition to the health care overhaul and most of the rest of the Obama administration's agenda. A Democratic National Committee memo circulating on Capi- tol Hill advised Democrat- ic lawmakers and staffers to highlight McConnell's tactics and question whether he's interested in reaching bipartisan solu- tions or in scoring points for his party. However, McConnell's laserlike focus on staying on message, coupled with his highly effective efforts at keeping his caucus in line during the health care debate, has helped create a huge opportunity for Republicans this fall, Ross Baker, an expert on Con- gress at Rutgers Universi- ty, said recently. "This is another ques- tion McConnell has to answer: How vigorously does he go out and attempt to undercut implementa- tion? Will he say, 'We lost,' and move on to other things but lead a post-con- flict insurrection against health care reform?" Baker said. "Any effort to undercut the health care reform once it's passed will set up a demand for "It's a giant chessboard, and you always have to think three steps ahead," she said. "Republicans' interpretation of this bill and what it means could mean problems for Democrats, in that they won't have a lot of exam- ples of where this worked out." McConnell is keenly aware of all these facts, and his comments increas- ingly have been directed at the electorate. "With all due respect, you don't pass a bill the American people didn't want, then try to sell them on it. You win their support first, then pass it, on a bipartisan basis, just as we've done on every other piece of major social legislation we've passed over the past 45 years," McConnell said on the Senate floor earli- er last week, just after the president signed the health care bill into law. " ... So Democrats here in Washington can cele- brate all they want, but that celebration is going to be short-lived. The American people aren't fooled." Function Junction Add variety to your workouts, and challenge your body! 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