Mitch McConnell Risks Paying the Price of Obstruction An article ($) in Congressional Quarterly today reports on the legislative prospects of a measure pairing the Labor-HHS and Military Construction/VA spending bills. The article indicates that the measure is expected to be filed today. But Republicans in both chambers — along with the administration — object to packaging the bills... Senate Republicans could raise a point of order on the floor to strike the Military Construction-VA section that would take 60 votes to waive... Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said at a news conference Nov. 2 that it was "a reasonable surmise" that GOP leaders would offer the point of order because they oppose the package. The pairing in the package presents a problem for the President because both bills in it bust his budget request. At the same time, McConnell and the administration are mindful of virluent reaction of veterans' groups in the aftermath of articles on conditions at Walter Reed Hospital, articles that garnered reporter Dana Priest and the Washington Post the Pultizer Prize. And to the extent that Senate obstruction of spending bills increases the odds of a government shutdown, Mr. McConnell's fingerprints on such a catastrophe would be indelible -- at a time when polls in his 2008 re-election race show mixed results for him and he can ill-afford to reinforce his redoubtable reputation for obstruction.