The gamut…

…from feigned modesty...

"The American people have the right to think what they want to think. It's not my job to tell them."

House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH), quoted by the Wall Street Journal, saying that while he believes President Obama is a natural born American and Christian it was not his job to challenge people who think otherwise.

…to unseemly arrogance...

"The legislative agenda of Barack Obama is over."

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), quoted by the Lexington Herald Leader, declaring that Republicans will only work with President Obama to do what "we think is right for America."

…the Republican leadership covers all the bases. Boehner's "Who, me?" response to the notion that as a person who holds a national leadership position, a Constitutional office, he might tell people who are wrong they are wrong because the truth is the truth. Of course, by basing his own acceptance of the truth on taking the President at his word, Boehner avoids calling out the part of his party's base that rejects the truth. If you think the President is a liar, well, you can dismiss Boehner as a dupe and remain firm in your fantasy. Don't worry about John Boehner pointing to the extensive documentary and historical record that supports what the President says as evidence that you're wrong. He doesn't care if you're wrong, because he doesn't care about the truth.

Mitch McConnell, on the other hand, while a national leader of sorts is one of a different sort than John Boehner. He's not a Constitutional officer, but a creature of the Senate rules. A lesser creature at that, being the leader of the minority. Actually, if Boehner were to declare the President's agenda dead, at least he would be speaking on behalf of a majority of the members of the House and presumably would have the votes to fairly enforce such an edict. McConnell, on the other hand, speaks on behalf of a caucus that most Americans have voted against, and from that platform assumes the role of setting the nation's course. It's not that he's wrong. He may be right. Mitch McConnell, though, is not the one to say it.

Of course, he says it with some degree of confidence not because he speaks on behalf of the American people, but because he speaks on behalf of a caucus that is committed to using any parliamentary trick, holds, filibusters, killing amendments, lies and threats to enforce its will and thwart the aspirations of the administration and of the people themselves.

That's why I keep saying...