McConnell: Hold Obama to one term

WASHINGTON, Nov. 4 (UPI) -- U.S. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell isn't backing off his comment that the Republicans' top political priority is to hold President Obama to one term.

In a speech at the Heritage Foundation in Washington, McConnell said preventing Obama's re-election is the only way to get past presidential vetoes.

"Over the past week, some have said it was indelicate of me to suggest that our top political priority over the next two years should be to deny President Obama a second term in office," McConnell said, NPR reported. "But the fact is, if our primary legislative goals are to repeal and replace the health spending bill; to end the bailouts; cut spending; and shrink the size and scope of government, the only way to do all these things it is to put someone in the White House who won't veto any of these things. We can hope the president will start listening to the electorate after Tuesday's election. But we can't plan on it."

Republicans took the U.S. House Tuesday but Democrats held on to the Senate, 53 to 47. Still, McConnell sounded like someone holding the high cards, NPR said.

"If the administration wants cooperation, it will have to begin to move in our direction," McConnell said, and Democrats will have to get rid of their "big-government policies and out-of-control spending," Fox News reported.

McConnell also predicted more Democrats, shaken by Tuesday's vote, will start voting with Republicans. "We have major opportunities for bipartisan coalitions," he said.

McConnell has said nuclear power, clean coal technology, plug-in hybrid cars and reducing carbon emissions are "areas of potential cooperation" with Obama, Fox reported.