mitch mcconnell pulled it out there. republicans - they are good signs, for democrats, they were hoping to do better in kentucky. and the clintons spent a lot of time there. >> some suggest north carolina will be the bellwether. if kay hagan pulls out north carolina, it may not be easy for the republicans in the senate. >> absolutely. kay hagan run a magnificent campaign, she is one of the few that localised the issues, not about president obama, but local issues. she has done that. we'll have to see how it turns out. >> dismal predictions, a few states have higher voter turn out. less than half of eligible voters will cast ballots. kansas and maine have high numbers. california has a few hours. reporting is lower than expected turn out. jake ward with a look at the hispanic vote on the elections today. >> john, if republicans lose every single hispanic vote in the united states, they will still hold the house and have a good shot at winning the senate. for democrat, winning the vote strengthens the party's grip on distr

why don't you get a drink with mitch mcconnell. >> are you going to have a drink with mitch mcconnell now? >> you know actually, i would enjoy having some kentucky bourbon with mitch mcconnell. i don't know what his preferred drink is, but my interactions with mitch mcconnell, you know, he has always been very straightforward with me. to his credit, he has never made a promise that he couldn't deliver. and, you know, he knows the legislative process well. he obviously knows his caucus well. you know, he's always given me, i think, realistic assessments of what he can get through his caucus and what can't. i think we're going to have a productive relationship. >> if you were advising the president on how to deal with mitch mcconnell, a man you know on this personal level, have a drinks level, what would you tell him he needs to do now? >> well irng that the schmoozing part of the -- the criticism of the president i think is a valid one. i don't think there's enough, or at least not enough that's visible. at the same time, i think those who make the argument overstate its effect. >> yes

who is mitch mcconnell?> our look at a man in the news this week making headlines, talking about his vision. his name is mitch mcconnell. a simple man, from kentucky. and the minority leader of the united states senate. soon he will be the majority leader. who is this bold new force? >> that voice, his voice, our voice, heard around the nation and nation hungry for change. a nation that had found its oracle, its champion, its man for all seasons. >> on senator mitch mcconnell. >> mitch mcconnell, an unlikely leader from an unlikely time with an unkindly likeness. >> if we will have a senate that actually -- excuse me -- works. >> born to humble roots, little mitch would grow up to be an intern for senator john sherman cooper who would spark the flames of participatory democracy in a young man whose soul was searching for a number of meaning. in 1984 he brought together two of the most powerful forces in modern life, television advertising and man's best friend. he quickly rose through the ranks of the republ

mitch mcconnell mentioned this. it was mitch mcconnell and joe biden who struck the biggest deals in the obama administration, in terms of budgets and government funding. they have done this before. the question is to what michael is saying, how much room will mitch mcconnell give senator ted cruz in the senate in terms of the agenda of holding a series of votes, and mitch mcconnell, the pragmatic senator, he may not think it's worthwhile at this time. is the purpose to set up the republican party for a win? >> absolutely. look at florida, and the republicans controlling florida. with rick scott controlling the operation in florida, and jed bush getting a lot of credit. he lent rick scott his campaign help. in terms of scott walker, it he wants to run, and controlling the legislative agenda, making it the most favourable. >> mitch mcconnell may have set the tone when he delivered the victory speech. >> he did, and he had a more conciliatory tone, but he talked about sending bill after bill to president obama, and ma

harry reid is out, and mit mitch -- mitch mcconnell set to replace him. we have team coverage from around the world and around the country. >> let's begin with lisa stark in washington. good morning. what has been the reaction from what must be overjoyed republicans this morning? >> they are overjoyed. i think they probably even did better than they had hoped for. the democrats are waking up with a big headache, looking at a new political landscape. president obama will hold ta us in conference this afternoon, and we'll get his comments on the election, but it seems clear that voters discontent with the president and the do-nothing congress played out at the ballot box. the ambulance of power in washington has shifted. it now favors republicans who will control both the house and the senate. >> tonight they said we can have real change in washington, real change. [ cheers and applause ] >> reporter: leading the republican route tuesday expected new senate majority leader mitch mcconnell. he easily beat democrat allison grimes who stumbled late in the camp

mitch mcconnell would be a huge leader. has been saying no, send a democrat to washington. 88%, nearly nine of ten of the voters said control of the senate was important to their vote. once all the polls close, we can show you how they break down. that's a fascinating number. let look at the math. we are very early on hear and i'll bet you whatever you want to bet, mitch mcconnell won't win if he wins by 20 points. 2% of the votes coming in so far. if you're the mcconnell campaign, this is not definite, this is not final. this is just 1 per or 2%. she needs to do some damage down here in coal country in eastern kentucky. this has been a major fight. they're small counties. mitch mcconnell will win out hear. we'll show you his 2008 race. mitch mcconnell will run it up here. aware beginning to see some of these votes. she preble needs to do better than that. joe johns just brought us these. these are the absentee votes. 52-47. she needs to stretch pout. the next key place is louisville. she needs to be 55% or above there. us

why don't you get a drink with mitch mcconnell? so will the potential bourbon summit lead to the government doing more or is it more pageantry than practice. dana, this still promises to be a testy relationship. tell me what you heard owl of these dueling press conferences today. >> reporter: it does promise to be a test of relationship, but it also is when it comes to somebody like mitch mcconnell a relationship with the senator who is an institutionalist and knows how to legislate and cut deals. he has proven that mostly by dealing with joe biden who he has a relationship with, but he also is somebody who gets that they have to prove on the republican side that it's not just about winning elections and they have to show that they can govern and this is their chance and it is fleeting and they have to prove it and they're planning to have a series of bills that they'll have to try to push through, but the question, though, is whether or not mitch mcconnell will suffer the same fate as john boehner in that his caucus will not trust

mitch mcconnell should call harry reid.e should say, i want to sit down with you to discuss what we will do in lame duck. there has to be communication. if they start saying, there is no into the possibilities of what we can do. >> i think president obama and mitch mcconnell have had one meal or private meeting. would you urge them to have multiple frequent meetings with mitch mcconnell if he is majority leader? said by no question. >> do you think he will do it? >> no question. >> pete grassley, no one will ever convince president obama to do it, he says. will it be different in the last two years? >> you have a different situation today. you have mitch mcconnell as the potential, and i emphasize potential majority leader. that changes the circumstances and i think that ought to change the tactics. >> you say it would but you think it will, which is the posture of a lot of democrats. the president is unpopular particularly in red states like the one you used to represent, south dakota. why is he unpopular in places like lo

[laughter] >> why don't you get a drink with mitch mcconnell. applause plus [applause] >> mcconnell's staff got a big kick out of that and the campaign tweeted a picture a day later of senator mcconnell at a bar with a beer to @barack obama. something to keep in mind, mitch mcconnell is a dealmaker and understands the process and understands washington better than anybody else on capitol hill. if there are areas there is an agreement, mitch mcconnell is the likely republican leader to find them and unlikely they'll get to the table to start those talks, pimm. >> peter cook, i want you to comment on something phil mattingly said, if mitch mcconnell becomes the majority leader, the white house will have to figure out a way to communicate with republicans in the senate and in the house. from your reporting, are they prepared for that? >> as phil said, mitch mcconnell is a master strategist and master legislator. he knows and sees the field better than anyone else in washington. i heard that in the past couple days from democrats that have done batt

and mitch mcconnell. and campus of lewisville. benefactor here in kentucky long before the big victory. and the sheary breath. and it is next year and beyond. and president is in immigration. and power of the purse could have the executive orders particularly on immigration reform. and new congress law makers come back and republicans will have a majority and things like energy legislation and tax reform and perhaps repealing the affordable care act and in the long-term mitch mcconnell and republicans want to get an undo. there will be repole bills and the president is certain to veto. and they slow it down and change it. and the president is going to have a new's conference and the tone of both of them and how the short term. by july or august of next year the 2016 will be pervasive and the odds of legislation is diminishes. >> when do you get to take time off, carl cameron? >> reporter: i have to call the bosses and find out about the recount for mary landrou. and in virginia. >> vote counting goes on and so does carl. mitch mcc

he has an ally against mitch mcconnell, and i think that is good for him.t's talk about the loser of the night. >> this is very specific and practical. scott brown. the senate republican candidate in new hampshire. a night when in every contested senate race they won whether they were challenges come incumbents. scott brown the only one to lose. >> if he had one, he would've been the kingmaker for the new hampshire primary. >> now he cannot go back. he cannot really run again in new hampshire. the only option for him is nova scotia. i think he would make a great member of the canadian parliament. >> my loser is harry reid. not only not going to be majority leader, his party was wiped out in his home state including the lieutenant governor's race, which means the current governor is now freed up to run against reid if he does run for reelection. he also loses leverage over the white house because they will still talk to him but now the big deals will be done with the president mitch mcconnell. >> you think there will be a minority contest? >> i don't. you lo

and i knew you, mitch mcconnell, when you were out for obama. i like the new mitch a lot better.od of the country, keep at this new approach, senator, it will win you some fans out there and it won't cost you a single one. that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "all in" with chris hayes starts right now. >> tonight on "all in". >> you play with matches, you're going to burn yourself. >> the president promises executive action on immigration. and on obamacare, john boehner claims a mandate from obamacare. >> we'll ask why the law remains unpopular. >> the president pushes back against criticism from michael jordan on his golf game. >> there is no doubt that michael was a better golfer than

that is mitch's number one goal. mitch has enormous advantage that is not available to most senators. he knows he is not going to be president of the united states sunday. consequently he will focus on the institution and making it work. if i were advising him at this point, do this to get rid of the difficulties that agreed the senate and the house. eliminate the sequester. and appropriators made decisions based on what needed to be done instead of being locked in the straitjacket of a sequester that says we are going to lower the spending, lower the spending across the board without regard to any need. all we are thinking of is the top line number and we are going to force anything, if he can restore regular order and convince john boehner to convince his troops let's get rid of the sequester and go back to legislating intelligently it will be enormously powerful and the best thing republicans can do. and in 2016 the question will be which party is capable of governing. and right now the answer is neither one. if t

with mitch mcconnell. >> so i guess he's rethinking that drink. nbc's tracie potts is live in washington. all right, tracie, today another top republican will be speaking out. tell us about that. >> reporter: yeah, we're going to hear from john boehner today. he's going to do his version of what mitch mcconnell did yesterday which is lay out the republican agenda. now, the president is going to skit down with these republican leaders and democrats too at the white house tomorrow. don't know if they'll do any kentucky bourbon tomorrow but we do know that president obama has said he's not going to allow his priorities to sit on the back burner. jobs and energy. we get a sneak people of what john boehner will say in this wall street journal opponent he'd wrote with mitch mcconnell. >> i hope we can work with the president. >> my hope is that they've got some specific things they want to do that correspond with some things we want to get done. >> reporter: republicans will make a big push to build the $8 billion keystone xl oil pipeline. president oba

now you have a mitch mcconnell blowout. about a year and half ago, many democrats were arguing whether she could beat ashley judd running for u.s. senate. juddsaid, well, if ashley runs, she will get beat by 15 to 20 points. >> phillip bailey, thank you for being with us, freelance journalist in kentucky. when we come back from the break, we will be joined by lee investigatingbeen the money trail. yes, mitch mcconnell was given a run for his money and there was plenty of money. did money win big in these midterm elections? the most expensive in history. stay with us. ♪ [music break] >> this is democracy now!, democracynow.org, the war and peace report. i'm amy goodman. this is the day after. the day after the midterm elections of 2014 that cost $4 billion. our guest now is lee fang, reporting fellow at the nation institute and blogs about money and politics at the republican report. he did a recent investigation titled, "mitch mcconnell's freighted ties to a shadowy shipping company." about how ifogged the gop takes the sen

will he take a look -- here mitch mcconnell. he said there will be a divide government doesn't mean thing won't get done. let's watch him here. this is positive for a republican who could have said something much worse. >> earlier today i got a call from the president, the speaker and ted cruz, too, which i thought you would be interested in. all of whom it have the view that we ought to see what area of agreement there are and see if he can make some progress for the country. i always like the mind people that divided government is not unusual in this country. when the american people choose divided government, i don't think it means they don't want us to do anything. >> he was also very clear about one thing. here he is in his words. >> let me make it clear. there will be no government shutdowns and no default on the national debt. >> mean while the government of the united states expressed confidence that he will be able to find common ground. >> i'm eager to work with the new congress to make the next two years as productive

with mitch mcconnell. but mitch mcconnell didn't laugh. >> you've been looking through all these numbers. what is the incentive for republicans to compromise? >> well, the incentive for republicans to compromise that in 2016 the number of the senate seats where republicans are running aa lot of those are in democratic states or states that are battle ground states in 2016. it will be a presidential year. the democratic coalition that didn't turn out tonight in 2014 is more likely to turn out in 2016. which means there will be a lot of republican candidates running in places where it will be tough for them. so they want to show and this is what republican leaders have said. they need to show that they can govern. they need to show they can get things done and that doesn't mean just putting things on the president's desk. it means showing people they are open to compromise for the president and that job begins for mitch mcconnell tomorrow. >> there are more than 30 governor's races up for grabs. let's look a

mcconnell. >> but would mitch mcconnell enjoy drinking kentucky bourbon with you.s now is howard fineman. howard, let me start first with -- there's many dimensions to what happened last night. >> many, many. >> one of the things we were discussing just contentiously a moment ago is the president's lack of contrition here. the notion of saying i was the guy elected by everyone. two-thirds of the country didn't show up to vote. senate democrats seem to have a different assessment of that. they're angry. harry reid's staff is quoted in the "washington post" saying we were never going to get on the same page at the white house, we were beating our heads against the wall. i don't think the political white house was truly up to speed and up to par to truly get done what was needed to get done rchl you surprised by that? >> no, i'm not surprised in the least. the party that gets shellacked starts pointing fingers at people within their own ranks and that's exactly what's happening. it's also true that the president's team and harry reid's team have rarely ever been on th

they'll see what mitch mcconnell can deliver with him. mitch mcconnell will be in a difficult situation trying to carry through with factions. the ted cruz faction, as he gingerly tries to move his way through these different factions in the republican party. >> mike, i'm curious as to how you see this whole discussion over the use of force against isil playing out here. certainly the lindsey grahams of the world and the john mccains of the world have a different view of how this fight against isil should be prosecuted. and in this process moving forward they'll certainly get an opportunity to voice their opinion on this. you know john mccain is on record saying that airstrikes can mitigate, but it can't stop isil. is the president setting up an scenario where john mccain and other members of the republican caucus feel this way will have to make an argument for more u.s. ground forces on the ground for iraq and syria. >> i think its possible that the president is setting that rhetorical trap. i'm not sure that the republicans are shy expr

i think i would rather let mitch mcconnell -- i would rather hear from mitch mcconnell and john boehner what ideas they would like to pursue and we will have a conversation with them on that. on repatriation, i said in my opening remarks there is an opportunity for us to do a tax reform package that is good for business, good for jobs and can potentially finance infrastructure development here in the united states. the devil is in the details. conceptually, it is something where we may have overlap and i'm interested in pursuing ideas that can put folks to work right now on roads and bridges and waterways and ports and a better air traffic control system. if we had one, by the way, we could reduce delays by 30%, reduce fuel costs, and hopefully that would translate into cheaper airline tickets. there is all kinds of work we can do on the infrastructure. this may be one mechanism that republicans are comfortable in financing those kinds of efforts. so that will be part of the discussion that i think we are prepared for on friday and then in the weeks to come leading into the new congress

you heard a little of this from mitch mcconnell.the little bitty things. this medical device thing doesn't work. you do that. from the president said. they mention tax reform. infrastructure. and how mcconnell treats appointees in small bills. >> can i say, just to the point that you were making, mr. speaker. it used to be, in your day, that -- those tough us in the press pool. would sit around in hallways for hours. for days. overnight. waiting for a deal to be hatched. because you were talking. you were trying to -- that doesn't happen now. you can spend a lot more time. >> accentuating my point. if they don't change that if will not get change. >> real change requires real change. so the president is going to make it. the ball is much more in his court. he has got to make a decision. let's assume he can't do it constitutionally. then the republicans need to figuree out. wh which he gave on the senate floor in january. re-creating where every senator has a role. that says to me. mcconnell is going to build bipartisan bills. going

he wants to go have a drink with mitch mcconnell. tlink's a helluva lot of liberals in this country last night who couldn't get to the bar fast enough. remember, it was mitch mcconnell who said hit price yort was to make the president a one-term president. i wouldn't hold out hope from the sudden challennge of heart the new senate majority leader. there's one briets spot. all four states with minimum wage on the ballot increased minimum wage. that's fantastic. republicans will just use this as an opportunity to say the issue shout be left to the states. i don't believe that the republicans are going to move on a federal minimum wage. they're going to say, hey, let the states take care of it. now, as a liberal, i are e fuse to play the blame game. can't cry over spilt milk, it's over, we've got to move forward. that, i think, goes nowhere if you say, we didn't do this, we didn't do that. wait a minute. i'm going to focus on the reality and try to change what happened and what's going to hoop as far as the legislative agenda is concern

set the scene what we're about to hear right now from mitch mcconnell. >> you know, mitch mcconnell isinteresting character. he is somebody who is going to be introduced much more to the american people than they ever have seen him before. to those of us who cover him in congress, we have seen the way he operates for some time and it will probably be illustrated in this press conference. he's known as somebody who is one of the most, if not the most, strategic politicians in washington. i think democrats and republicans alike will say that. he's somebody who plans so many steps ahead and for this being the majority leaders he's been planning for for years. he thought possibly he would get this job four years ago and then it didn't happen. two years ago they had a crop of republican candidates who couldn't perform and couldn't get elected. now he finally got the prize that he's wanted forever. he's one of the few senators who doesn't look in the mirror and say i want to be president. he joked about that with me when i was in kentucky. he has a clear idea of how he wants to do it. he wan

likely the next majority leader. -- from mitch mcconnell. it was five hours of smart, insightful analysis. the managing editors of bloomberg politics join me now. i want to start off by talking about the senate races. tell me what you think will happen with mitch mcconnell and his role as majority leader. >> a lot of big decisions to make. the party is united for this pe riod. does he want to do deals with the white house were not? can he afford to do deals at the president adopts the posture of -- i want to work with you but not change the terms of the deal. >> what can we make from the various victory speeches of the republicans? they seem to all be speaking with one voice? are speaking with one voice at this moment. except for ted cruz. he does not want to do what mitch mcconnell is saying he wants live. most republicans are saying let's break that and put bills in front of the president. say let'suz investigate the president and to the president and impeach the president. and balance, how mcconnell boehner manage the more fractious eleme

and i thought mitch mcconnell's tone was a good tone. and i think he's opened the door for that dialogue. you know, we need to be concerned. just listening to the list of the items that boehner and mcconnell have set as their priorities, you know, when you talk about corporate tax reform, that's all well and good, but the american people are worried about the tax pie ler. they're worried about that individual who's struggling for a job or who has not seen their pay raised in years. and so basically what we've got to be about the business of doing is doing what the american people have said. basically what they're saying in this election as i interpret it, as the government we want you to share in the governing and we want all of you to come together to make our lives better. that's what it's got to be all about. >> let me go down the line. here you have this op-ed from mitch mcconnell and john barren. first up, obamacare. how does that play out? >> it doesn't play out very well. they might reconsider that. but i uchbs they've got to let

and i knew you, mitch mcconnell, when you were out for obama. i like the new mitch a lot better.n you some fans out there and it won't cost you a single one. that's "hardball" for now. thanks for being with us. "all in" with chris hayes starts right now. >> tonight on "all in". >> you play with matches, you're going to burn yourself. >> the president promises executive action on immigration. and on obamacare, john boehner claims a mandate from obamacare. >> we'll ask why the law remains unpopular.

why don't you get a drink with mitch mcconnell, they ask. really? laughter ) why don't you get a drink with mitch mcconnell. >> jon: boom! well, that was the old relationship. this is the relationship now. >> are you going to have that drink can mitch mcconnell now you joked about at the white house correspondents' dinner. >> you know, actually, i would enjoy having some tu kentucky bourbon with mitch mcconnell. >> jon: first of all, no you wouldn't. ( laughter ) and second of all, we all know senator mcconnell isn't a bourbon fan. his prefer drink is an algae and pond water-- and garnished with a refreshing leaf of lettuce. you know, there's actually been a little bit of controversy that we've been likening the presumptive senate majority leader mitch mcconnell to a slow-talking tortoise man. ( laughter ) i want to-- i want to state for the record we are not. what we are doing is asserting that mitch mcconnell is literally, biologically, a tortoise. ( laughter ) ( applause ) specifically a 180-year-old living, breathing, giant tortoise of the speci

mitch mcconnell was the reason why the senate didn't function.verything that he could to make sure that there were no up or down votes. and to do other things. but the bottom line, he is now in charge and he is an institutionalist and he is an inside player. he knows how to play the game if he wants to do so. >> he knows the rules and knows how to do it. what kind of personal relationship do these two men have, mitch mcconnell and president obama? >> mitch mcconnell said today they have a cordial relationship. actually, they have some similar traits. mcconnell is not somebody -- he's the opposite of bill clinton. he's not a back slapper or hang out with his buddies in the senate kind of guy. he doesn't have those kind of relationships, not unlike the president. they both like to put their head down and do their work. so perhaps they could be, if they really want to be, be two peas in pod. >> mitch mcconnell does have a good relationship with the vice president, joe biden. >> he has a good working relationship, but it's not like they go out and dr

but i don't see any senator standing uto challenge mitch mcconnell, so if we win the majority, mitchi believe will be the winner. if for some reason we don't win the majority, then there will be a little angst and we will need a change in leadership. the only way that mitch mcconnell won't be the majority leader is if we don't win the majority. >> senator cornyn told me himself last week on this show, that he's not interested, that he would vote for mcconnell. but you race an issue for what the losing side potentially does, democrat who is might turn their back on harry reid, especially if they were relegated to the minority. >> that would be remarkable. i don't know who would replace him. some people like senator schumer will, but harry reid is quite an interesting character, i have had a chance to meet him personally and his wife. if you didn't know who he was, he's such a delightful friendly sort of a guy. but he gets me very itchy on his policies. >> you're not the only one there, i guess among certainly republicans. among the fields of possible presidential prospects, of course

>> you heard mitch mcconnell. he promised if the republicans were elected, it would mean an end to gridlock. let's be charitable and take him at his word. but there's a force behind that promise, which is that the republicans have seven seats up in the next cycle in states that obama's won twice. so they need to show that they can govern. if it's simply the same old obstruction, they're going to have a real reckoning in two years. the president has two more years of his legacy to deal with. so they have to compromise. it's got to be something. if it's the same old thing, nothing gets done, they both look bad. >> and the looking bad is really an issue, isn't it? there's so much to the optics of this kind of compromised plan. >> there is. incentives may have aligned for both sides in this battle. the republicans are setting the table for 2016. they know if they look like the obstructionist party going into 2016, who's going to vote republican? mitch mcconnell gets that. similarly the president has two years left on

right now even when mitch mccome was in the minority, he wasn't working with the president. >> but mitch mcconnell wants to win. >> i think that's the other factor. mitch mcconnell may want to win, but he has a very unruly senator in ted cruz who already basically was the one that made that -- that signaling what he wanted the house to do and is the one that more or lis can say he's a speaker in charge, by default, of the charge. so mitch mcconnell is not only inheriting more tea party capabilities that won a wave election in the house but also the senate. so i think mitch mcconnell is going to have a difficult time keeping his own party line in order and i don't think the president should wait for him personally. >> yeah. i mean the fact is whether the pretty acts or doesn't act, there are going to be those that say whatever he does on immigration reform is wrong and that you've got to wait until the house does something when they have the opportunity. i mean the senate bill was passed over a year ago and the house went and punted on it. >> that's what the president was saying yesterday

and before her th mitch mcconnel mcconnell. the grand 'ol party has seized control of congress and governorship across the country. >> i'm david shoeser. >> and you make me squeal. i'm michael shure. we're watching as the balance of power shifts. libby casey is in louisville, kentucky, where mitch mcconnell will presumably be the senate's majority. and our white house correspondent mike viqueira joins us where the president is scheduled to speak this afternoon. >> michael, let's start with you. it's a new era for the president. what can we expect him to say? >> well, i think you're going to hear cancellation from president obama. no surprise there. is there going to be follow through, and if he's kin sear sincere will consilliatin. one thing that the president won't be able to argue, we heard at 7:00 last night this was not a reflection of the electorate. the senate was going to be decided in arkansas, georgia and other states and west virginia, where the seats were likely to flip from democrat to republican. you can't say that

mitch mcconnell said moving forward on immigration reform is poisoning the well. let's hear what president obama had to say. >> i'm going to keep on doing so. but in the meantime time let's figure out what we can do lawfully through executive actions to improve the functioning of the existing system. >> this is something that president obama deferred until after the election. perhaps too clear deflating enthusiasm as something very dear to his base. he'll move forward with the unilateral reaction. >> any plans in that area? >> well, the president said during a press conversation that they could get together with some kentucky bourbon. the president was amenable to that possibility. any time this happens we saw this in 2006 with nancy pillowcy taking over the speaker of the house, and we've seen this a couple of times since then. there is talk of a more congenial as not fear, the talk of congeniality. it goes by the way side because the underlying specifics and fundamentals go there that go to the two sides in partisan ship. anything above that is seen as a surpris

they're generally lined up behind mitch mcconnell. he is the most hated man on capitol hill among establish many republicans. so i think ted cruz will tray to push republicans in both chambers of congress toward a more obstructionist agenda. of course, mcconnell has his own brand of obstruction. so they'll be able to find that. >> the guy committed to a one-term president obama. >> i think you know, i think ted cruz doesn't have that much influence within the senate caucus. his knew is much stronger. >> there is a general branding problem. you wrote last night that things are about to get hard for republicans. i want to read a part of your column. quote. i like always doing dana to dane. a republicans didn't run on an agenda, other than antipathy toward all things obama. they created a policy vacuum. it is about to be filled by a swirl of competing and contradictory proposals. republicans have set themselves up for chaos, if not outright fratricide. what kind of chaos? >> well, look. mitch mcconnell himself said that he was asked just

i wonder if mitch mccome, as john said in that piece there, if mitch mcconnell, now that he has reachedthat i don't have to tell people more than i know. i honestly don't know mitch mcconnell very well. i don't think anybody does. i think we're now in what they call the hot stove league when the baseball season was over, when that was the only sport and people felt they had time by speculating on things we really don't know the answer to. >> wow. i appreciate that humility. i'm not going to mirror it, though. i think we've to assume past is future. the past evidence we can draw upon is that he's understated, a behind the tactician. i think he will probably approach the job attempt to go fly largely under the radar both for himself and the republican party and keep the focus on president obama. you mentioned ted cruz. ted cruz is much more interested in symbolic fights, flashiness. i think there will be some tension. i think the direction of the republican party most likely will follow mitch mcconnell. small bills, probably even some with bipartisan support. and he doesn't want a shutdow

you and mitch mcconnell get together. i'm not saying. i don't smoke pot.suggestions to foster bipartisan in the senate might not be as easy as he made it sound. here to tell us why, josh barrow. so d.c. voted to basically legalize marijuana. what happens next? >> well, so the thing is that all of the laws that are made in the district of columbia are really basically at the whim of congress. there's a law that was passed in 1973 giving the district home rule. before that, all of its laws were made by congress. and so congress has in many cases over the last 40 years put things in appropriations bills or other pieces of legislations that basically say well, d.c. passed this law but not really. we're going to override it. they did that, for example, with a domestic partnership law that the district passed in 1992 before gay marriage was on the agenda in any of the states. they did that with needle exchange and a variety of other things. even a law on the height of buildings is a federal law. >> and congress can do this whenever it wants? >> congress could re

why don't you get a drink with mitch mcconnell!esident may need that drink. >> i would enjoy having some kentucky bourbon with mitch mcconnell. >> as for mcconnell, after a conservative audience in 2010. >> our top political priority should be to deny president obama a second term. >> reporter: the 72-year-old lawyer and one-time capitol hill intern must focus on showing that republicans the lead, potentially striking bargains on things like tax reform and trade agreements. he also wants to pass the controversial keystone xl pipeline. he said he'll renew efforts to appeal obamacare. >> we've seen emergence of a new leader in washington. mitch mcconnell is likely to emerge as the second most powerful man in the united states government. >> reporter: the president will be meeting with senator mcconnell along with a dozen other congressional leaders from both parties at the white house tomorrow to begin to chart a path forward. with republicans promising to try again to repeal obamacare and the president promising again yesterday that

but mitch mcconnell, if he indeed becomes the majority leader, will not have that advantage. an ocean of people with big presidential ambitions. he'll see his own fellow kentucky senator rand paul. last year it was not clear at all that rand paul would back mcconnell for reelection. so there could be hard feelings about that. in the corner, ted cruz is back there. he gets a lot of headlines that republicans have trouble managing and he didn't even want to jump on board, saying he thinks mcconnell should be the majority leader right now. marco rubio also has presidential ambitions. from outside the chamber there are people like paul rye kran f the u.s. house of representatives. and what about those governors and former governors? people like bobby jindal and jeb bush and chris christie and even sarah palin and muike huckabee? put them all together and what mitch mcconnell is facing is people who have a lot of ideas about what don done with this new found republican power and all those ideas may have more to do with their 2016 ambitions than they do with what mcconnell would li

mitch mcconnell has to tow the road. if i were harry reid, i would say throw as many about how olders on the road as possible. >> same thing for the white house, throw boulders on the road for mitch mcconnell. >> the white house has the opportunity to get things done. they should issue as many executive orders as possible. i have a feeling one will come down on immigration and we'll see what they do. >> thank you very much. on behalf of michael shure, i'm david shuster, thanks for watching. watching. u.s. air strikes? >> i think this is really interesting. >> hello, welcome to a special consider this. blood baath, disaster, drubbing, those are the nicer terms to describe what happened to the democratic party yesterday in mid term elections. coming up, we'll be joined by a man who served for a decade in the house and two big winners to tell us what's ahead. let's start with the big night for republicans as they exceeded expectations, picking up 12 house seats and increasing their control of statehouses, winning governor's

i'm just going to wait and talk to mitch mcconnell instead of hearing you talk to me what mitch mcconnellaid. that was a reason for americans to be helpful. >> i thought the questions at the press conference were so refreshing. it took them six years to be that aggressive with the president is somewhat disappointing, but as a republican i'll take it when it comes. i thought his answer, i'm going to wait and hear from the sources instead of taking your word from it was the first sort of window into how on the fence of becoming peakish he is. he chose yesterday to narrow cast. he had a national audience but only speaking to the people who are still behind him and reassuring them. i think that's where some of the disconnect -- everybody was watching but i think he was only speaking to a very small slice of the country now which is the people who are still squarely behind him which really doesn't even include a lot of democrats on capitol hill. >> again, that makes sense. so, carol leigh, what was your take in there at the press conference yesterday other than the fact that major garrett some

you know that after 30 years, three decades of mitch mcconnell we deserve better. coming down the home stretch. let me tell you, this strong, independent kentucky woman, i got kick left still in me!" [ applause ] i'm not giving up. >> she's got to overcome nine points, though. here now cnn political commentator and democratic strategist hilary rosen and republican consultant margaret hoover. welcome to both of you. >> thank you. >> thanks for being here. sohill rir so hilary, is it over? >> the odds are against alison grimes but here's the interesting thing for me about that race which is a lot of republicans i talk to say that republican senators are furious at mitch mcconnell. that his race has been so close, that he has cost so much money that if other republicans lose their race the fact that mcconnell had to take and divert millions and millions and millions of dollars of gop senate money to save his own race is not going to let him come charging into the senate with any kind of great enthusiasm. so -- >> margaret, what do you think about that? >> the fact tha