An easy path for President Barack Obama's job plan, which he will outline Thursday night, never seemed realistic, but a key Republican stated his preemptive opposition to the president's proposals even before details of the package emerged. 

Mitch McConnell at CPAC

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, according to Talking Points Memo, said on the Senate floor Tuesday that the president would use the "same failed" approach to the nation's unemployment problem that he has in the past. This "same failed approach" refers to government stimulus. Obama signed into law $787 billion in stimulus in 2009.

Unemployment stands at 9.1 percent nationwide, and the latest monthly report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the had no net job growth in August.

Leaks from Obama's new jobs proposals, reported by Bloomberg, tally about $300 billion in spending, tax cuts and aid to local governments. It also promises increased tax revenue in the future. 

Joan McCarter argues on The Daily Kos that Republicans who offer advance critiques are doing Obama a political favor by appearing to be obstructionists on the issue Americans feel is most important.

Politicians such as Rep. David Camp (R-Mich) and Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) have voiced their early opposition. 

Republican candidates such as Mitt Romney are pushing their own plans, which focus on tax breaks for business and spending cuts. Analyst Michael Linden writes that Romney's plan could yield "approximately $6.5 trillion in deficits from 2013 through 2021."

Reach Ryan Faughnder here.