Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, the leader of his Republican caucus, said two things in the wake of the Senate’s narrow vote early Saturday approving a budget resolution.

He called the Senate debate and vote “one of the Senate’s finest days in recent years.” But then he described the budget as a “rehash of the extreme policies that continue to hobble the economy and crush the middle class,”

I guess McConnell enjoyed the debate, but didn’t like its outcome.

Here is how The Hill reported the final vote:

http://thehill.com/blogs/on-the-money/budget/289989-senate-passes-first-budget-in-four-years

The 50-49 vote goes to show that whatever good will President Obama has sought to build with both houses of Congress apparently isn’t getting traction yet.

From my perspective, the Democratic plan presents the kind of balance needed to help reduce the deficit and the debt. The alternative is too drastic and worrisome to too many in the middle class that McConnell said are being “hobbled” by the economy.

As for the “extreme policies” that McConnell said are so bad for the economy, I’m still curious as to just what he’s talking about. Those extremes have produced significant job growth in the past two years, although admittedly not as quickly as we would like to help bring down the jobless rate.

But on the plus side – which McConnell and his GOP brethren won’t acknowledge – the housing industry, the one of the economy’s key drivers, has come back. McConnell ought to take a look here in Amarillo at all the home construction that’s occurring.

Come to my neighborhood, Mr. Republican Leader, and I’ll show you how “extreme policies” are hobbling activity around here.

Congressional Republicans accuse the president of being in constant campaign mode. They might have a point. But they also ought to look at their own view of the world and wonder if they, too, aren’t engaging in the same kind of politicking. And we wonder why we can’t bridge the partisan divide on Capitol Hill?