Republicans crow, Dems scramble in wake of Brown victory

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) hailed Republican Scott Brown’s win over Democrat Martha Coakley as a “national referendum” on the Democratic healthcare bill, and called for an immediate halt to Senate action.

“We heard a large and resounding message yesterday in one of the most — if not, arguably, the most — liberal state in America,” McConnell said.

McConnell’s counterpart in the House, Rep. John Boehner (Ohio), criticized any attempt to push a healthcare bill through Congress in the wake of Brown’s victory.

“It’s that kind of arrogance that has the American people about ready to pull their hair out and about ready to throw every Democrat out of here,” Boehner said.

For his part, Brown said in a Wednesday morning press conference in Massachusetts that he expected to be seated as quickly as possible, and would head to Washington on Thursday to begin the process of transitioning into office.

The senator-elect plans to meet with members of the Massachusetts congressional delegation as well as members of the Senate Republican leadership.

He’ll be the only Republican in his state’s delegation.

“I’m going down tomorrow as a courtesy call, then I’m sure it will all work out,” Brown said.

Republicans hope the Bay State win is a sign of things to come in November. They predicted a Republican winning in the liberal bastion, succeeding no less a personage than Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.), would help them recruit additional strong candidates across the country.

National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman John Cornyn (Texas) said Brown’s victory is a death knell for vulnerable Democrats, and House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (R-Va.) said the election “sent a message” that Democrats should listen more to other ideas.

Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pa.) told The Hill that GOP candidates are going to “come out of the woodwork, across America, even in the Northeast and New England.”

“It’s a clarion call to everyone in Washington that the electorate is dissatisfied with this alarming agenda coming out of Washington,” Dent said.

Rep. Greg Walden (Ore.), vice chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), said GOP recruiting “will go on steroids.”

In terms of the legislative agenda, Republican leaders used Brown’s victory to suggest they will push for more inclusiveness from Democrats. Yet, asked which specific issues he would be willing to work with Democrats on, McConnell named only the U.S. missions in Afghanistan and Pakistan, for which he said Obama has made mostly the correct decisions in sending additional troops.

“What we have said from the very beginning is that we want to be a full partner,” he said.

McConnell also thanked Democratic Sen. Jim Webb (Va.) during his press conference. Webb on Tuesday night issued a statement that said, “It would only be fair and prudent that we suspend further votes on healthcare legislation until Sen.-elect Brown is seated.”?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Wednesday said he was willing to work with Republicans, but criticized the GOP for not being willing to do the same.??

“Some elections go your way, some elections go their way; it’s the nature of democratic politics in a diverse nation,” Reid said. “But regardless of their outcomes, as I’ve said many times, the American people demand that we work together as partners, not partisans, to improve their lives.??

He said the GOP “has so far shown far too little interest in working with us.”??

“I hope that in this new year they will resolve to leave their partisan, political motivations behind,” Reid said.?

Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.), ranking member of the Budget Committee, warned Democrats against trying to use budget reconciliation rules to move healthcare, which could allow Democrats to win a simple majority of 51 votes to push a measure through the Senate.??

“Reconciliation would be an extremely difficult lift,” Gregg said.

He promised to use Senate rules to require supermajority votes on any parts of the bill weighted toward policy and not the budget.?

“Whatever went to the floor would end up coming out looking like Swiss cheese,” he said.