By The Prowler on 11.13.06 @ 12:09AM
How to reward Chuck for a job well done -- and to give him a leg up over Hillary? Plus: Republicans off the Dole. Lott in line.
Sen. Chuck Schumer thinks he deserves something
for the work he did as chairman of the Democrat Senate campaign
committee. Under his leadership, the committee broke fundraising
records, recruited well, and helped shape what appears to be a
Democrat majority in the Senate for the 110th Congress.
Sen. Harry Reid intends to take the podium as
Senate Majority Leader, and his partner in crime, Sen. Dick
Durbin, intends to remain as whip. Rumors within the
Democrat caucus have Reid looking for something for Sen.
Hillary Rodham Clinton to do. "But Reid's heart
isn't in it," says a leadership aide. "He knows he's going to be in
her shadow like everyone else for the time being, at least until
she makes her announcement about running for higher office."
So where can Schumer go? Most of the committee chairmanships are
spoken for, and the only one in question would be Homeland
Security, where Sen. Joe Lieberman was ranking
member.
"I don't see how Lieberman isn't given that chairmanship,
particularly given the lack of an overwhelming majority," says the
leadership aide. "Senator Lieberman is coming into this Congress
from a real position of strength. If I'm Harry Reid, I'm giving him
everything he wants."
According to Senate sources, Reid is mulling surrendering his
post as head of the Democrat Conference, long a position held by
the Democrat leader. Given the political nature of the job, it's
something Democrats believe Schumer would want to undertake, and it
would allow him to bigfoot his junior Senator from New York as the
voice of policy for the party after Reid and Durbin.
EVERYONE AGREES THAT, unlike Senator Schumer, Republican National
Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Elizabeth
Dole was a disaster. "A week before the election she was
toast," says a Republican National Committee staffer. "They were
already looking for new blood before the votes were tallied."
An initial offer for the post went to Sen. John
Thune, but he declined the offer.
This weekend, at the Republican Senate retreat, we're hearing
that Sen. John Ensign of Nevada has agreed to
accept the position, and will be bringing much his senior staff
with experience in campaigns with him.
Ensign is a strong pick, with good ties for fundraising and a
good conservative background.
IN OTHER SENATE ELECTION news, Sen. Trent Lott is
still struggling with whether to pursue the Senate Whip position
over Sen. Lamar Alexander.
Alexander is said to have many of the votes in place, but there
is no question that Lott would be a superior vote counter and floor
strategist.
One knock against Alexander: his willingness to walk away from
core conservative ideals, such as not raising taxes. Alexander has
been one of the most vocal advocates for an Internet sales tax.
Lott, on the other hand, has led on keeping that tax moratorium
in place.
Elections for the posts may come as early as this week.
topics:
Taxes, Harry Reid, NATO
