Schumer Pushed For Moderate Sen. To Offset Warren Leadership Role

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senate Democratic Policy Committee chairman, is surrounded by reporters as he emerges from a caucus luncheon at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 29, 2014. As lawmakers race to ... Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., the Senate Democratic Policy Committee chairman, is surrounded by reporters as he emerges from a caucus luncheon at the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, July 29, 2014. As lawmakers race to adjourn this week, the Senate is facing a myriad of problems, including: keeping federal highway money flowing to states with an infusion of billions of dollars; the immigration crisis on the U.S.-Mexico border where tens of thousands of Central American kids are flowing in; funding for Israel's iron dome air defense system; and the growing tension with Russia over the crisis in Ukraine. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite) MORE LESS
Start your day with TPM.
Sign up for the Morning Memo newsletter

When Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) was in talks with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) to create a new leadership position for her, Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), the number three Democrat in the chamber and head of the Democratic Policy and Communications Center, suggested that Reid also bring in Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) to balance out Warren’s liberal politics, according to Politico.

Warner, of course, is considered one of the more moderate Democrats in the Senate caucus.

Schumer also suggested possibly narrowing the scope of the new post Warren was going to get, according to Politico. Warren resisted both suggestions.

In the end though, Reid just tapped Warren to serve as a Strategic Policy Advisor to the DPCC. The newly created post, announced a week ago, includes helping to shape policy for Senate Democrats and acting as a liberal liaison for the party.

Warren and Schumer both serving on the DPCC sets up what appears to be a natural contrast. Warren, of course, has made a name for herself for criticizing aspects of Wall Street while Schumer, who’s often mentioned as the heir apparent to Reid, is closely associated with the banking establishment. He’s often been called “Wall Street Chuck.”

Latest Livewire

Notable Replies

  1. Schumer is Exhibit A for much of what ails the Democratic Party today.

  2. Way to go, Chuck. That’s been a winning strategy for the past 6 years.

  3. Avatar for mantan mantan says:

    Many of us in fly-over country haven’t forgotten what Schumer did to Paul Hackett…

  4. Seems to me Schumer is scared of being left in Warren’s shadow while still coddling the banks and Wallstreet.

  5. Geez, Chuck, look at issue polls. Whatever label people have been convinced applies to them, the stuff people favor and oppose – most notably the economic stuff – is virtually identical to the policy profile of the “far left” of the party, like Warren (and others, but too few of them). Until most Democrats stop being psyched out by the GOP’s demonstrably bogus claim that we’re a “center-right” country, they – and we – are well and truly screwed. K

Continue the discussion at forums.talkingpointsmemo.com

40 more replies

Participants

Avatar for system1 Avatar for lychnus_diogenes Avatar for alice5956 Avatar for gedde Avatar for brooklyndweller Avatar for brainpicnic Avatar for ncsteve Avatar for austinite Avatar for leftflank Avatar for bluestatedon Avatar for Robman2 Avatar for trippin Avatar for enon Avatar for arrrrrj Avatar for eduardoinohio Avatar for mantan Avatar for dont Avatar for blueberrytomatosoup Avatar for daveyjones64 Avatar for johnnyreb Avatar for backlit Avatar for beef_beal Avatar for BlueFranco Avatar for occamsrazor2

Continue Discussion
Masthead Masthead
Founder & Editor-in-Chief:
Executive Editor:
Managing Editor:
Deputy Editor:
Editor at Large:
General Counsel:
Publisher:
Head of Product:
Director of Technology:
Associate Publisher:
Front End Developer:
Senior Designer: