In a slightly more impassioned version of his usual monotone, Mitch McConnell addressed the mostly full ballroom at the Marriott Wardman Park for CPAC 2012. McConnell began by recognizing one of his colleagues who spoke at the podium a little earlier in the morning, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), calling him “one of the most inspiring young conservatives in America.”
Reflecting the prevalent election year mood and sentiment at the conference, the Senate Minority Leader wasted little time before attacking the Obama administration. McConnell cited unemployment numbers for different segments of the population and pledged that, come election time, the American people would “know who was in charge…They will know this president’s record.”
The Senate’s top Republican accused the administration of using the resources of government to “reward its friends and punish its enemies,” and he said that the administration’s actions are dividing the country. He attacked the president for his management of the economy, arguing that the recent improvement in jobs numbers happened “in spite of, not because of” the president. In a biting attack on the administration, the Minority Leader argued that the only good thing to come from the Obama administration has been “a resurgence of common sense” and conservatism.
McConnell largely dodged the looming question of whether the Democrat-controlled Senate would be able to advance significant legislation in this election year. He made only veiled references to actual legislative initiatives in the Senate and referenced efforts by his colleagues to investigate political action committees which support a conservative agenda.
Instead, he focused his speech on vilifying the Obama administration and the “liberal playbook,” which he said amounts to “pick a target, freeze it, personalize it, and then polarize it.” He railed against “liberal thugs” but did not ever specifically mention any individuals or organizations.
Recently, McConnell has been speaking out against the Obama administration’s healthcare mandates which compel religious institutions to provide healthcare services like birth control despite their disagreement with religious doctrine. Though he only received occasional smatterings of applause during his speech, McConnell elicited a long ovation when he pledged that Republicans in Congress would continue to fight against these mandates until they are overturned.
Though he was introduced by Brian Baker, the President of Ending Spending, McConnell made relatively little mention of spending and his 2010 pledge to ban earmarks. He did indicate, however, that spending and the size of government are the problem, not the current levels of taxation. McConnell was also explicit in his pledge that Republicans would not be giving any ground on potential tax increases.
