Seniority

Colin McEnroe, from the Hartford Courant ...

When you consider the plight in which Harry Reid finds himself, consider this: Lieberman, who has broken violently with his party and engaged in campaigning loathsome fear-mongering against the man he once begged to come and save him, holds a prestigious committee chairmanship.

Hillary Clinton, at the moment, has no chairmanship at all because of the seniority system.