McConnell: GOP 'got our groove back'

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will put forth his party's case for regaining its congressional majorities this fall during a speech Thursday in Washington.

McConnell will tell members of the Young Republican Leadership Conference that the GOP has "got its groove back" heading into November. In his remarks, the Kentucky Republican will say his party was portrayed as broken and beaten down following the swearing-in of President Obama in 2009, but is ready to lead again in 2010.

“Along the way, pundits in Washington were stunned to find out that ordinary Americans, like you in this room, were rising up all over the country. And those Republicans in Washington — the ones who were supposed to be beaten down, demoralized and despondent — well, we were listening," he will say. "We shared your frustration. And we girded for the fight, confident that we had supporters behind us. We broke out of the Washington echo chamber and fought the government-driven solutions that Democrats were proposing. We got our groove back."

Even though senior Senate Republicans have said their party has a slim chance of taking back the Senate, McConnell made the case for his party, saying it would reduce the size of government and rule competently.

“What Republicans are offering the American people is a pledge, a pledge to do everything in our power to restore government to a size and scope that leads to some semblance of competency," he said. "We’re not going to tell you that if you vote Republican, you’re going to wake up in your dream home with a brand new Corvette outside ready to take you to the best job in the world. You know why? Because government can’t deliver that promise.”

Democrats have railed against Senate Republicans for stalling several key agenda items, such as a long-term unemployment benefits extension, and holding up several judicial nominations. Democrats also complained of GOP obstructionism during the healthcare debate, calling it the "Party of No."

Republicans would need to win 10 Senate races in the fall, three times as many as Democrats. Taking back the Senate is usually more difficult to do in one election cycle because only a third of senators are running for reelection in a given cycle. All 435 House members must run for reelection every two years.

With a 60-seat super-majority for almost a year and a 59-seat majority now, Democrats have been remarkably productive in passing legislation, including a sweeping reform of the nation's healthcare system. On Thursday, the Senate is expected to pass an overhaul of the country's financial regulatory reform apparatus.

But McConnell said Congress's productiveness has not necessarily been a good thing.

"It’s not that the Democrats haven’t been busy. They’ve been busier than ever. But rather than being busy addressing the crises in front of them, they’ve all adopted Rahm Emanuel’s seven-word manifesto for governance: 'Never let a crisis go to waste,' " he said. "For nearly three months, we’ve needed to fix a broken pipe at the bottom of the Gulf. And what we got instead was a proposal from the president for another plank in the far-left agenda — a radical, far-reaching scheme to impose a new national energy tax on every American."

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