Obama and McConnell, one on one: Can they get business done?
| Washington
At President Obama鈥檚 invitation, incoming Republican Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell heads to the White House Wednesday afternoon for a rare one-on-one meeting to discuss legislative priorities.
For Senator McConnell of Kentucky, who has been bashing Mr. Obama for most of his presidency, it鈥檚 not a matter of like or dislike of the president. It鈥檚 about whether they can do business, and there, the menu of options seems limited: perhaps something on trade or tax reform.
鈥淲e don鈥檛 have any personal problems,鈥� McConnell said Tuesday about his relationship with the president. 鈥淭here is, however, a deep philosophical difference.鈥�
Speaking at a Wall Street Journal forum, the Kentuckian said he was 鈥減erplexed鈥� by Obama鈥檚 鈥渄ramatic move to the left鈥� since a 鈥渂utt-kicking election鈥� that was a referendum on his presidency.
In just a few weeks, Obama has announced a sweeping executive action to protect millions of immigrants from deportation, a climate-change deal with China, and proposed regulations curbing ozone pollution and restricting Internet broadband providers 鈥� all cutting against the grain for McConnell.
鈥淪o I don鈥檛 know what we can expect in terms of reaching bipartisan agreement,鈥� McConnell continued. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 my first choice, to look at things we agree on 鈥� if there are any.鈥�
Actually, the senator has been at the center of several high-profile deals between the GOP and White House in the past few years: a 2010 agreement to extend the Bush-era tax cuts; a 2011 pact to raise the debt ceiling; a New Year鈥檚 Eve bargain in 2012 that averted the so-called fiscal cliff.
His talking partner was not Obama, but Vice President Joe Biden 鈥� a former senator known around the White House as the 鈥淢cConnell whisperer.鈥� Of course, Mr. Biden also needs Obama's sign-off on deals.
A former aide to the vice president, speaking on background, describes McConnell as being 鈥渁ll business鈥� when it comes to negotiations. 鈥淗e鈥檚 very matter of fact. He only negotiates when he wants to reach an agreement,鈥� and he鈥檚 been careful 鈥渘ot to get at odds鈥� with the GOP-controlled House.
The immediate test for McConnell and his House partner, Speaker John Boehner (R) of Ohio, comes next week. On Dec. 11, the federal government runs out of money, and both men have vowed that the era of government shutdowns is over 鈥� despite rebels in their caucuses who don鈥檛 agree.
Besides trade and taxes, one issue that may well be discussed at Wednesday's meeting is immigration. McConnell said on Tuesday that after the new Republican-controlled Congress is seated in January, he鈥檚 inclined to bring up immigration reform in pieces 鈥� starting with tighter border security, expansion of visas for high-tech workers, and provisions for agricultural workers.
These are all areas that have bipartisan agreement, but the White House has insisted that a path to citizenship for undocumented workers already in the United States be part of reform 鈥� which is anathema to many Republicans.聽
At a recent Monitor breakfast with reporters, Dan Pfeiffer, senior adviser to the president, said, "I don't want to rule anything in or out" about step-by-step immigration reform. He said the White House wants to hear from Republicans first before "we start making ultimatums" about vetoing piecemeal bills.
McConnell has also made clear that he鈥檒l be working with moderate Senate Democrats who may not agree with the president, bringing to the floor legislation that Obama could sign 鈥� or veto. That would include changes to the Affordable Care Act and energy legislation, such as approval of the controversial Keystone XL pipeline.
Former Senate majority leader Trent Lott of Mississippi says it鈥檚 crucial that McConnell stay in touch with the White House. The ex-senator recalls picking up the phone and calling President Clinton, and sometimes he would cut deals without bringing his Senate staff into it 鈥� simply working with the president.
鈥淚 can鈥檛 see Barack Obama being able to do that with Mitch McConnell right now,鈥� he adds. 鈥淢itch will have the challenge of running the Senate, keeping the cats in a group, dealing with a president who doesn鈥檛 want to and doesn鈥檛 like to deal with the Congress.鈥�
But if Obama is smart, he says, he鈥檒l take advantage of the Biden-McConnell pipeline.
Maybe the next private meeting will be with the McConnell whisperer.
