Wash Po-McConnell Determined to Thwart President Obama and Dems

Sen. Mitch McConnell/blog.reidreport.com

(Story reported by Paul Kane)

Fresh off his first one-on-one meeting with President Obama, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) gave a spirited defense Thursday of the importance of the filibuster and -- amid expectations of swelling GOP ranks -- vowed to be a more forceful brake on Obama's agenda after November elections

Speaking at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor, McConnell defended the Senate as an institution and rejected calls from junior Democrats to overhaul the chamber's rules. He said Republicans were able to try to essentially grind the Senate to a halt to block the Democratic legislative agenda. 

McConnell pointed to a few areas of potential bipartisan work in 2011, suggesting three Central and South American trade deals could be completed and noting that Obama and Republicans have called for more funding for nuclear power plants. 

Of Obama, he said, "I'm hoping he'll become a born-again moderate."

(click here to read the full story on the Washington Post website)