The Obama-McConnell Dance Begins
The new Senate leader says he’ll seek commonground, but it won’t be easy, given Obama’s ‘view of America.’
The president and Sen. Mitch McConnell (R., Ky.) at the White House in July.BLOOMBERG NEWS
President Obama invited Mitch McConnell , soon to become Senate majority leader, to the White House on Dec. 3. At Mr. McConnell’s insistence, they met one-on-one. They discussed trade, tax reform and infrastructure, the three issues on which they believe compromises are possible in 2015.
This sounds promising. In reality, it doesn’t bode well for a season of bipartisanship and an end to “dysfunction” in Washington. Even on the three negotiable issues, reaching agreement will be difficult. And beyond them, “it’s hard to find anything we agree on,” Mr. McConnell told me in an interview. Mr. Obama has a “different view of America” than Republicans do, he said.