Republican Leaders Promise To Work With Obama After Election

McConnell: “We Do Have An Obligation To Work Together On Issues Where We Can Agree.” In his victory speech, incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) said, “Some things don't change after tonight. I don't expect the president to wake up tomorrow and view the world any differently than he did when he woke up this morning. He knows I won't either. But look, we do have an obligation to work together on issues where we can agree. I think we have a duty to do that. Just because we have a two-party system doesn't mean we have to be in perpetual conflict.” [ABC News, 11/5/14]

Boehner: “It's Time For Government To Start Getting Results And Implementing Solutions To The Challenges Facing Our Country.” In a statement released on election night that invokes the hope the president will take “bipartisan steps” to address the economy, Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) said, “It's time for government to start getting results and implementing solutions to the challenges facing our country.” [Speaker.gov, 11/4/14]

Republicans Have Engaged In Historic Amount Of Obstruction

GOP Has Filibustered Massive Number Of Obama Nominees. A 2013 People for the American Way analysis of Republican-led filibusters of Obama nominees projected that 45 nominees would be filibustered by the end of Obama's second term, compared to 7 such filibusters against President George W. Bush and 9 against President Clinton. [People For The American Way, 11/18/13] 

Boehner Refused To Go To Conference On Immigration Reform. From the New York Times:

Signaling an end to the push for major immigration legislation this year, Speaker John A. Boehner on Wednesday ruled out negotiations between the House and the Senate on an expansive immigration overhaul similar to one approved by the Senate with bipartisan support in June.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Boehner said that while House Republicans were working on a “common-sense, step-by-step approach in terms of how we deal with immigration,” they were unwilling to enter into talks with the Senate on a broad bill that would include a path to citizenship for the 11 million immigrants already in the country illegally. [The New York Times, 11/13/13]

In 2010, McConnell Said Main GOP Goal Is To Make Obama A “One-Term President.” In 2010, McConnell said in an interview with National Journal that “The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president.” In remarks to the Heritage Foundation after the 2010 midterm elections, McConnell said that the GOP's “top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term in office.” [Politico, 11/3/10; Think Progress, 10/25/14]

McConnell Told Senate Republicans To Obstruct Everything Leading Up To 2012 Election. Business Insider political editor Michael Brendan Dougherty said in 2012 that an unnamed Republican Senator told him that McConnell had indicated to the Republican caucus that "'We're not doing anything, we won't make a single move between now and the election, because any move could be risky, and all of the shit is sliding down on President Obama.'" [Mediaite, 6/14/12]

Conservative Media Call For Obstructing Obama, Pushing Aggressive Conservative Agenda

Hannity: Promise Of “Cooperation and Compromise” From McConnell Proves He “Is Misreading The Election.” On the November 5 edition of his radio show, Fox News host Sean Hannity said McConnell was “misreading the election” if he is promising “cooperation and compromise.” He added, “They ought to take every one of those bills and lay it out right on the president's desk and dare him to veto it.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Sean Hannity Show, 11/5/14] 

Limbaugh: Republicans Have A Mandate “To Stop Barack Obama,” Not To Govern. On the November 5 edition of his radio program, conservative host Rush Limbaugh said Republicans ended up with “the biggest, and perhaps the most important mandate a political party has had in the recent era ... to stop Barack Obama” and “the Democrat Party.” He added, “Republicans were not elected to govern.” [Premiere Radio Networks, The Rush Limbaugh Show, 11/5/14]

National Review: “The Desire To Prove Republicans Can Govern Also Makes Them Hostage To Their Opponents In The Democratic Party And The Media.” In an editorial, National Review argued that Republicans should ignore the “conventional wisdom” that they should concentrate on proving the party is capable of governing. Instead, National Review wrote that “The desire to prove Republicans can govern also makes them hostage to their opponents in the Democratic party and the media.” National Review went on to argue that “Republicans should also advance conservative ideas on taxes, jobs, energy, higher-education subsidies, and much else. For the most part that won't involve either battle royale or deal-cutting with Obama; it will involve putting up legislation that Senate Democrats filibuster.” According to the magazine, the “main political goal over the next two years” should be electing a “better president” in 2016. [National Review, 11/5/14] 

Redstate: “Not Only Should” Democrats “Not Be Worked With, They Should Not Even Be Invited To The Table.” Redstate.com front page contributor Leon H. Wolf published a post on the site headlined “Dear Republicans: No One Elected You To Work with Democrats.” According to Wolf, “If voters really wanted people who would work closely with Obama and other Democrats to 'get things done,' they would have just voted for more Democrats.”

He continued, “Not only should they not be worked with, they should not even be invited to the table to be part of the discussion lest their gangrenous, festering and destructive ideas should further infect our caucus.” Wolf concluded, “Working with these people is not what America elected you to do, Republicans. It elected you to stop them.” [Redstate.com, 11/5/14]

Heritage Action Release Signed By Conservative Pundits: “Voters Expect Republicans In Congress To Listen And Fight For The Conservative Agenda They Ran On.” In a press release, Heritage Action wrote that “The Washington establishment is already calling on Republican leaders to capitulate to the Left in the Lame Duck. This means that opportunities to pursue conservative reforms next year will be lost.” Instead, they argue that “Voters expect Republicans in Congress to listen and fight for the conservative agenda they ran on.” The release goes on to list eight conservative policy goals they believe Congressional Republicans should begin working on. The release was signed by several conservative media figures, including radio host Mark Levin, Fox News contributor Erick Erickson, and Media Research Center president Brent Bozell. [Heritage Action, 11/5/14]