Mr. McConnell has discouraged Republicans from negotiating with the White House on anything, said Sen. Judd Gregg (R., N.H.). “Of course he did,” he said. “Otherwise the rest of the caucus became irrelevant.”…

Mr. Daschle said he hopes that Mr. Obama and Mr. McConnell can improve their “obviously strained” relationship. “If we’re going to find a way to govern that’s going to have to be repaired,” he said…

“McConnell is tough as nails,” said Jade West, a former leadership aide who worked with Mr. McConnell for years before becoming a lobbyist. “Both the Obama administration and to some extent the Democrat majority in the Senate made a big mistake in flat out ignoring him.”