Republicans want Senate control, but won't disclose agenda

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, is being cagey about the Republicans' plans if they win the majority in November.

"I'm not going to lay out what the agenda's going to be if in fact we become the majority. We're still hoping the American people will conclude that they'd like to go in a different direction," McConnell told reporters Tuesday when asked whether he would reverse a rule change implemented by Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada earlier this year that made it more difficult for the minority to hold up judicial and executive branch nominees.

McConnell then said there are "a number of things that we would like to do differently," and listed approval of the Keystone XL pipeline and a repeal of the medical device tax as two issues he would like to vote on.

Last week, Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, who serves as the vice chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said he suspects that repealing the Affordable Care Act will be a top priority.

"I suspect we will vote to repeal early - to put on record the fact that we Republicans think it's a bad policy and we think it's hurting our constituents," he said at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast.

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Asked to analyze the state of the midterm elections, McConnell said, "I think the races are yet to be won. Our friends on the other side are tough competitors." But he said the GOP has terrific candidates and seems optimistic.

Reid, on the other hand, still insists that it's too soon to panic over the possibility of losing his job.

"If the election were today we would be just fine. Election's not today, it's 48 days away," Reid told reporters. "We're doing fine, and I just think any about Republicans taking the senate is really premature and not based upon fact."

Several election trackers, including one from CBS News and the New York Times, say the GOP is more likely to control the Senate after the midterm elections. But the stakes change quickly: on Tuesday, the Washington Post's statistical model put the Democrats' chances of holding the Senate at 51 percent.

"We have much better candidates than they have," Reid said.

President Obama is set to hit the campaign trail this fall to help congressional Democrats, although he is planning a smaller slate of appearances than previous presidents because of his low poll numbers.

The White House seems optimistic about the prospects of holding onto the open Senate seat in Michigan, which is being vacated by retiring Democrat Carl Levin. They also see Democratic Sens. Mark Begich of Alaska and Kay Hagan of North Carolina holding onto their narrow leads, and a possible victory for Rep. Bruce Braley in the race for the open Iowa Senate seat.

With three Democratic Senate seats all but certain to turn Republican in the fall, the Democrats need to prevent the GOP from picking up another three to take control over the Senate. There are nine races where the Republican candidate stands a good chance.