[caption id=”attachment_92877″ align=”aligncenter” width=”512″]AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
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Despite sunny pledges from Democratic leaders to work with the new Senate GOP majority, the party hardly wasted a minute Tuesday to lash out at the “divided, distrustful” Republicans.
The Democratic Policy & Communications Center — the Senate Democrats’ policy arm under the guidance of Sen. Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) — issued a memo as the Senate convened blasting the very Republican leadership with which high-ranking Democrats will have to craft bipartisan agreements.
“Republicans start this Congress the same way they ended the last Congress: dysfunctional, divided, and pushing policies for powerful interests over hard working families,” the memo begins. It highlights the minor discord in Republican ranks over reelecting House Speaker John Boehner to his post, and quotes Republicans in both chambers doubtful of their party leadership. It does little to discuss policy matters, making brief reference to the GOP’s efforts to approve the Keystone XL pipeline and redefine the definition of a “full-time worker” under Obamacare.
Schumer, who has taken pride in his ability to strike deals with Republicans while in the minority, spoke in November of his hope to work across the aisle.
“I’m going to keep working in a bipartisan way,” Schumer said at a news conference, according to The Wall Street Journal. “And I think that in the Senate I’m hopeful that the new Republican leadership will want to work in a bipartisan way.”
Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid was also quick last year to extend the typical olive branch to his GOP friends.
“I’d like to congratulate Senator McConnell, who will be the new Senate Majority Leader,” he said in a statement the night of the November elections. “The message from voters is clear: They want us to work together. I look forward to working with Senator McConnell to get things done for the middle class.”
