22 politico tuesday, february 9, 2010 McConnell Carefully Picks His W.H. Battles From mcconnell on Page 1 Asked if the GOP leadership should endorse his proposal, South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint said: “I proposal and his plan to shutter the think anyone who doesn’t sign up Guantanamo Bay detention facil- for it is in that group that doesn’t get ity, McConnell has begun attacking it. And we’ll see who signs up for it.” Obama’s plan to try terrorism sus- But McConnell, an appropria- pects in civilian courts — and he’s tor who pointed to pet projects he taking aim directly at Attorney Gen- brought home as he campaigned for eral Eric Holder. reelection in 2008, doesn’t seem to “The core question is whether the have much appetite for making that attorney general of the United States an issue for his party this year. ought to be in charge of the war on “I do fear that if we turn 100 per- terror,” McConnell said. “And the cent of the authority over to the answer is no.” president, the money will be spent McConnell hopes moderate Dem- in Chicago,” McConnell said. “That ocrats will join Republicans in block- may not be my constituents’ first ing funding for any civilian trials of choice.” REUTERS terrorism suspects — a would-be Similarly, with his caucus divided President Barack Obama hopes to enter a bipartison health care summit on Feb. 25 with an agreement on GOP victory the party’s candidates over the fate of Ben Bernanke, who reform between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. could trumpet on the campaign trail was nominated to a second term as throughout this election year. Federal Reserve chairman, McCon- The White House and its allies nell steadfastly refused to take a po- have pushed back hard against Mc- sition, either publicly or in private Parties Dig In Before Summit Connell’s attacks, noting that the meetings with his caucus — until it Bush administration took similar came time for a vote last month. He From health care on Page 1 into parts, arguing that Americans have rejected the tacks with other terrorism suspects was a yes. go-big approach to health care reform. — and that neither McConnell nor “The one thing about leadership Congressional Republicans moved quickly Mon- his Republican colleagues offered is that you never go against your Democrats say, not a chance. day to frame their next debate with Obama after much criticism at the time. troops, or you won’t be a leader very And in fact, Obama hopes to walk into the Feb. 25 their last back and forth with the president — a “Those policies and practices, long,” said Arizona Sen. Jon Kyl, Mc- summit with an agreement in hand between House seemingly impromptu, nationally televised town hall which were not criticized when em- Connell’s No. 2. Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader at the House Republicans’ retreat late last month in ployed by previous administrations, Last month, when the Senate re- Harry Reid on the final Democratic bill, so they can Baltimore from which Obama came away with some have been and remain extremely jected a commission to recommend present a unified front. much-needed momentum. effective in protecting national se- ways to slash the national debt, Mc- House Republicans delivered a letter to the White In the letter Monday to White House chief of staff curity,” Holder said in a letter to Mc- Connell — along with several other House on Monday that included a list of pointed Rahm Emanuel, House Minority Leader John Boeh- Connell last week. Republicans — reversed his posi- political and policy questions that they would like ner of Ohio and Minority Whip Eric Cantor of Vir- McConnell, 67 and in his fourth tion on the measure and opposed it, answered before the bipartisan health care summit ginia pointed out that Republicans have been asking year as minority leader, is much inviting fierce Democratic criticism at the end of this month, such as whether Obama the president for a meeting to talk health care since more free to engage on the issues that the Republican leader was play- would give up on using reconciliation, a way to pass March. this year than he was in 2008, when ing political games. health reform in the Senate with just 51 votes. It is hard to see where the parties can find com- he faced a tough reelection bid of “He was for it before he was “If the starting point for this meeting is the job- mon ground on the current bill. his own. Having won a fifth term, against it,” said Senate Budget Com- killing bills the American people have already Republicans oppose the main pillars of the Demo- he’s liberated to attack wherever he mittee Chairman Kent Conrad of soundly rejected, Republicans would rightly be re- cratic bill, including cuts to Medicare, tax increases thinks it will do his party the most North Dakota, one of the sponsors luctant to participate,” the letter read. on wealthy individuals and the health care industry good — as he did last year, when of the bipartisan bill. So what’s the point? A jaded Washington won- and a mandate on individuals to purchase insurance. he decided early on that the Demo- McConnell said that he wants dered how a single meeting — in front of live TV Not even endorsing a Republican-backed initiative crats’ health care bill deserved “bi- such a commission structured so cameras, no less — would change the fundamentals such as tort reform would change minds, aides said. partisan defeat.” that it’s focused on cutting the ris- of the debate. For example, even Maine Sen. Olympia Snowe, a Texas Sen. John Cornyn, chair- ing level of government spending — Many concluded it won’t. moderate who was the only Republican to vote for man of the National Republican not on raising taxes. “Good luck with that,” said New York Rep. An- the bill in the Finance Committee, has said Demo- Senatorial Committee, said McCon- But rather than fight every aspect thony Weiner, playing the role of Democratic skep- crats need to start over. nell’s political instincts “are pretty of Obama’s domestic agenda, McCo- tic to the president’s proposal. “The GOP has been But Stuart Butler, vice president of domestic and close to flawless.” nnell is selecting a handful of issues the ‘party of no’ all year. Republicans have made a economic policy research at the Heritage Founda- Democrats blame McConnell where he wants to engage in head-to- tactical decision not to cooperate, and they’ve even tion, said Republicans need to do more than that — for bottling up Senate business by head combat with the White House. called health care reform Obama’s Waterloo.” and put Obama on the defensive. throwing up an unprecedented num- In part, that’s because he wants to Republicans and Democrats said it was too soon “It is politically dangerous for Republicans,” But- ber of procedural hurdles to stall create a clear us-versus-them con- to lay out their plans for the meeting. But already, ler said. “They have got to come forward with a very action. Still, New Jersey Sen. Robert trast between the two parties, and in their respective strategies seemed to be taking clear vision of what they want to do and why what Menendez, head of the Senate Dem- part it’s because he sees some areas shape, with both sides gearing up to use the summit the president is doing now is not acceptable to the ocratic campaign efforts, says that as ripe for bipartisan progress — in- as yet another forum for political point-scoring. American people.” McConnell lacks the national name cluding offshore drilling, increased For Obama, it fits neatly into his post-Massachu- Republicans should commit to working with recognition needed to make him the nuclear power and a renewed em- setts strategy of painting the GOP as do-nothing ob- Democrats on incremental reform if Obama agrees foil for Democrats’ 2010 campaign. phasis on trade agreements. structionists. The Republicans have spent the year to start over, he said. “I think there’s a real price to be “We were not sent up here to almost uniformly opposing Obama’s agenda — and “That puts the hot potato back in the president’s paid for being obstructionists, and just engage in political strategy; we being rewarded by voters for doing it. lap,” Butler said. at the end of the day, it’s our chal- ought to engage in what we think Now Obama wants to use the meeting to call Butler sees potential for agreement in several ar- lenge to make sure people know the is right for the country,” McCon- them out in public — to question whether they have eas. The Democratic bills include ideas championed difference and what that means in nell said. “I’d be the last one to sug- any plans to fix the nation’s health care system and for years by Republicans, but often not to the degree their lives,” Menendez said. gest that absolutely everything the any willingness to help him do it. that the GOP would like. Under McConnell, Menendez administration does is incorrect. The summit also gives Democratic congressional Obama supports lifting the tax exemption on em- added, the Republicans are “pretty When we think that they’re on the leaders a new deadline to reach an agreement on ployer health benefits, as do Republicans, who would disciplined in just following what- right path, they’ll find Republican their bill, which has been stalled since the Massa- return the money to uninsured Americans through ever message they choose to adopt. support.” chusetts Senate special election. But more than that, tax credits to purchase insurance. Republicans However, some of the members of But McConnell seems to sense Democrats hope the summit could provide them want to empower states to do more on health care, his caucus he just can’t control. And that keeping his party united political cover to go it alone on a party-line vote if which is a provision included in the Senate bill. they take him far afield from even against controversial elements of Republicans say they won’t provide any votes for an But as of Monday, neither side showed much will- where he wants to go.” the Democratic agenda could be his Obama-style health fix. ingness to budge. Indeed, last week several con- key to success this year — even if “The president wants to show his openness one “The only constructive discussions will start servative Republicans introduced the political dynamic shifts in the last time before Congress completes their work on the with a blank sheet of paper,” said Georgia Rep. Tom legislation to impose a one-year next nine months. bill,” said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families Price, a doctor and the chairman of the conserva- ban on the practice of earmarking “Would I love to have the election USA and a veteran health care reform advocate. tive Republican Study Committee who sparred with money for pet projects as one way tomorrow? I sure would,” McCon- And for Republicans, who learned of the summit Obama in Baltimore. “Enacting positive health care to restore trust in Washington and nell said. “Early signs are that this only an hour before Obama announced it during a reform still remains possible, but it will require the tackle what the GOP says is Capitol could be a good year, but we have a CBS interview Sunday, they plan to call on the presi- president to accept that his plan is a nonstarter with Hill’s out-of-control spending. long way to go.” dent to scrap a politically unpopular bill and break it the American people.”