(CNSNews.com) - Calling himself the "grim reaper" for bad legislation, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told the conservative Federalist Society on Friday, that the Republican minority in the Senate has been able to "improve worthy legislation or stop legislation that never had popular support."

McConnell said he had a plane to catch shortly after the speech, "otherwise, I'd be happy to stay behind to take a few planted questions." The line brought laughter in light of revelations that New York Sen. Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign had planted questions at an Iowa gathering.

McConnell drew frequent laughs during a speech in which he explained how Senate Republicans had used parliamentary procedures to stop numerous Democratic proposals that he called "radical."

"The Senate is the place where legislation goes to die, and some would say you're looking at the grim reaper," he said to strong applause.

The senator said that 41 Republicans banned together to block legislation pushed by Democrats to appease labor groups, trial lawyers and anti-war activists.

These included efforts by Democrats to eliminate the secret ballot in elections for labor unions and re-impose the Fairness Doctrine that mandates equal time on talk radio and an Internet tax.

Another example, he said, was a Democratic effort to close down the prison facility for terrorism suspects in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and move its inmates to prisons in the United States.

"Folks in Kentucky are not interested in having these folks live in their backyards," McConnell said of his home state. "My guess is that the rest of the country isn't keen on the idea either. Republicans didn't let that happen."

He also talked about Republican efforts to preserve the administration's ability to do unwarranted surveillance on international communications in and out of the United States in which one party to the communication has suspected links to terrorists.

"This is a common sense law that says intelligence officials should be able to listen in on communications between terrorists overseas. Let me say that again: to allow us to listen in on communications between terrorists overseas," McConnell said. "They have a problem with that."

"The law expires in February, and Democrats are trying to water down its reauthorization. We will fight against that," McConnell continued.

McConnell pointed to the security issue as a question for the 2008 presidential election. "If we have this much trouble passing sensible security laws under a president who wants them, what will a security landscape look like under a president who doesn't?"

McConnell also expressed surprise that there were 40 Democratic votes against Michael Mukasey's confirmation as attorney general, even though it was Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) who suggested that President Bush nominate Mukasey.

McConnell argued that Democrats have tried to block too many of Bush's judicial nominees as well, and predicted that this would come back to haunt Democrats later.

"Despite my best efforts and your best efforts, a Democrat will be back in the White House someday, and those lessons they've taught us are hard to unlearn," he said. "Democrats could reap what they sow."

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