UPDATE: 14 months later, the Republican dial remains stuck at "NO"

Logo found at Wikipedia (public domain)

As reported in

The New York Times, 2/23/2016

"Him", of course, then being a newly-elected President Obama.

Original 12/23/2014 post, "Mitch McConnell's Christmas Gift to His Republican Senate Colleagues", starts here.

Unfortunately, this title is not available in a stone-tablet format. 

Getting to Yes

The 5 elements that comprise the method of principled negotiation.

1. Separate the people from the problem.
2. Focus on interests, not positions.
3. Invent options for mutual gain.  
4. Insist on using objective criteria.
5. Know your BATNA (Best Alternative To Negotiated Agreement).

McConnell might want to pair this gift with a dictionary, as most of his colleagues are going to be stumped by the adjective "principled".

Mitch McConnell’s New Senate Goal: Turn Republican Dial to Yes.  (The New York Times, 12/22/2014)

Make a difference?  Like your former colleague Sam  Brownback and his real-live conservative-experiment, Mitch?

“There are two kinds of people in politics,” Mr. McConnell said after the recent blowup when Mr. Cruz, the fiery Texan, and Senator Mike Lee of Utah, another firebrand, forced the Senate into a year-end session that handed Democrats more time to confirm dozens of presidential nominees on their way out the door. “Those who want to make a point and those who want to make a difference.

“All of us from time to time make a point,” Mr. McConnell said. “But it is time now to make a difference.”

Not sure how well Cruz responds to "touche!"