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Sen. Richard Durbin's shot at majority leader post hinges on....
GO Durbin!
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-b...rticleId=33128
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Sen. Richard Durbin's shot at majority leader post hinges on success of his get-tough strategy with Republicans Frustrated by Senate gridlock, Senate Majority Whip Richard Durbin is planning aggressive moves to force more issues to a vote or at least make opponents pay a price for blocking the agenda set by Senate Democrats and the Obama administration.A tougher stance against Republican delay tactics could backfire if the Senate grinds to a halt, hopelessly bottling up legislation. But success over the next few months could push through health care reform and other important initiatives, cementing Mr. Durbin's chance to be the next Senate majority leader. "We're going to pick and choose our fights," says Mr. Durbin, the Senate's second-ranking Democrat. "But certainly on issues as critical as the economy and creating jobs, we're ready to stay all night." While the senior senator from Illinois is gearing up to break Senate deadlocks, his muscle-flexing also must be viewed through the lens of a likely bid to move up the leadership ladder this fall if Sen. Harry Reid, the current majority leader, can't overcome his double-digit deficit in Nevada polls. Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, the No. 3 Democrat, is another likely contender whose knack for cutting deals with Republicans could appeal to Democrats seeking a more pragmatic leader. He has developed ideas such as a payroll tax credit with Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, and an immigration reform plan he and Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., presented to President Barack Obama last week. The outcome of their potential contest is hugely important to Chicago and the entire state. No one else in the Illinois congressional delegation comes close to Mr. Durbin's seniority and clout, which will grow if he moves up to one of the three highest-ranking posts in Washington. "It means more funding, more prominence," says David Wenhold, a Washington lobbyist. "Between Obama and Durbin, Illinois will pretty much have their say on absolutely critical stuff." The majority leader, particularly one who, like Mr. Durbin, is a senior member of the Appropriations Committee, wields enormous power. Witness Sen. Robert Byrd, who brought many new roads and federal facilities to West Virginia in his long career. Or Mr. Reid, who single-handedly blocked a long-planned and partially constructed nuclear waste dump in his home state after he became majority leader. Messrs. Durbin and Schumer are longtime friends and roommates in a Capitol Hill townhouse, and it's possible they could work out an agreement to avoid a contest. Both are ambitious, however, and neither will breathe a word about their unstated rivalry out of respect for the current majority leader, who gets less than 40% support in polls matching him against several potential rivals in his re-election campaign this year. "There isn't any question the race is on," says Jack Albertine, a Washington lobbyist and former longtime Senate staffer. "It doesn't take much for people in Washington to not even let the body get cold." Traditionally, the majority whip moves up to majority leader when there's a vacancy, but most observers say Mr. Schumer's fundraising prowess and aggressive style make any potential race too close to call. As chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee since 2005, he raised money that helped elect almost a third of the Democrats in the Senate today, building up a huge store of chits. EFFECT OF FALL ELECTIONS A lot will depend on how many seats Democrats hold after the fall election. If their 59-seat majority drops closer to 50, as many expect, it could moderate today's hyper-partisan climate and force more bipartisan deal-making, which favors Mr. Schumer. But that's just one of many factors that could be in play. Democrats could favor Mr. Durbin's parliamentary skills if continued floor battles appear likely. The basic question Senate Democrats will ask is, "What can Durbin do for me or Schumer do for me?" says Mr. Wenhold, president of the American League of Lobbyists, a Washington, D.C., trade group. "What are you going to do to make sure we stanch the bleeding here?" This month, Mr. Durbin cheered Democrats when he repeatedly brought up a widely supported bill to extend unemployment benefits, forcing the bill's sole Republican opponent to stay on the floor filing objections for five days before pressure from both parties forced him to back down. Normally, the Senate would have moved on to other issues while Democrats, behind the scenes, lined up the 60 votes needed to cut off debate and bring the bill to a vote. "We ought to make them routinely stand up and let the public know what's happening," says Robert Borosage, co-director of Campaign for America's Future, a liberal think tank and advocacy group in Washington, D.C. "The public correctly holds the party in power responsible for getting things done." |
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