White House official: GOP has failed to 'put any points on the board'

Senior White House adviser Brian Deese applied a sports analogy to the political playing field recently, saying that the Republicans who control both houses of Congress are just playing defense.

Republican lawmakers, Deese said, have failed to put any "points on the board" with regard to President Obama's proposed agenda. Despite an aggressive offensive position, however, the Wall Street Journal reports that "Obama's legislative agenda has gotten little traction in Congress."

The Republican-controlled Congress and the White House have clashed on immigration, the Keystone Pipeline, the budget, and most recently, the GOP senators' letter to Iranian leaders warning of non-cooperation with the Obama administration's proposed nuclear deal.

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Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) spokesman confirmed that tensions are high, saying in response to Deese's comments that it "doesn't sound like a team that wants to work with Congress. We're over here passing bills, not thumping our chest to the press."