http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/politics/2015/01/no_child_left_behind_republicans_should_use_their_newfound_clout_to_reform.html

Shortly after taking the reins as Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, a man dubbed “Dr. No” for his determined opposition to President Obama’s domestic agenda, told CNN’s State of the Union that Americans “want us to look for things to agree on and see if we can make progress for the country.” This is in keeping with McConnell’s earlier pledge to pass legislation, and his optimistic November declaration that “this gridlock and dysfunction can be ended.” I happen to think that there is much to be said for gridlock, particularly when it reflects principled disagreement. The chief reason Congress has so far failed to pass sweeping immigration or tax reform legislation is that Americans are as divided on these issues as their elected representatives, and there is nothing remotely dishonorable about standing athwart history, yelling Stop. That doesn’t change the fact that if Republicans hope to hold on to Congress and win the White House in 2016, when the electorate will be less old, less white, and less conservative than it was this past fall, they need to demonstrate that they can do more than just oppose. They need to offer a compelling domestic agenda of their own, something they’ve utterly failed to do during the Obama years.