McConnell confident he can lead a Senate with "sharp elbows and big egos"

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, who will presumably serve as majority leader once Republicans take over the Senate next year, assured reporters Wednesday that he can make the Senate function again -- even with all the "sharp elbows and big egos" to manage.

"I know a lot of people who want to run for president," McConnell said, alluding to the potential 2016 contenders in the GOP caucus like Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky. "Look, I have no problem with people's ambitions. I serve in a body with a bunch of class presidents -- they're all ambitious, or they wouldn't be where they are, a lot of folks with sharp elbows and big egos."

McConnell promised those egos wouldn't get in the way of governing.

"We're not going to be shutting down the government or defaulting on the national debt," he said, alluding to past crises triggered by tea party-aligned Republicans who refused to compromise on their demands.

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It's unclear whether establishment Republicans will be able to resolve their differences with the tea party wing of the party now that the GOP has won control of both the House and the Senate. For instance, conservative Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas has refused to say whether he'll back McConnell's bid to serve as majority leader.

Still, McConnell promised that Republicans in the Senate are ready not only to work with each other but with President Obama as well.

"I'm pretty familiar with our conference including the new members that are coming in," he said. "The vast majority of them don't feel that they were sent to Washington just to fight all the time... I think the vast majority of my members would rather make progress on things that they think the country needs to be dealt with."

He reiterated his call for Mr. Obama to "move to the center" to work with Republicans.

"We ought to see what areas of agreement there are and see if we can make some progress for the country," he said, castigating Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada for refusing to hold votes on bills that passed in the GOP-led House.

"The American people have changed the Senate, so I think we have an obligation to change the behavior of the Senate and to begin to function again," McConnell said. "That doesn't guarantee that the president is going to agree with everything that we do, but we're going to go back to work and actually pass legislation."

McConnell said his personal relationship with Mr. Obama has always been "cordial."

"I think my attitude about all of this at this point is trust but verify," he said.

Also on Wednesday, Mr. Obama said the Republican victories are a sign Americans want Washington "to get the job done" and he is eager to hear Republican ideas for governing together.