Durbin endorses Chuck Schumer for Senate leader, easing path for New Yorker to succeed Reid

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: Washington Post

Sen. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) on Friday endorsed his rival, Sen. Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.), to become the next Senate Democratic leader, clearing the path for what is likely to be an easy transition in leadership when Sen. Harry Reid steps down from the job.

Durbin, the No. 2 Democrat in leadership for the past decade, said he has decided to back Schumer for the top position and will instead seek reelection to his current post.

In an interview with The Washington Post, Durbin said that a 2 a.m. conversation with Reid, the Senate minority leader, led him to believe that the Nevada Democrat was about to announce his plan to retire at the end of 2016. As the Senate continued in its marathon budget debate, Durbin found Schumer and pulled him to the side of the chamber.

"I don't think Harry's going to run," he told Schumer, according to Durbin's account Friday. "I think you've earned this."

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2015/03/27/durbin-endorses-chuck-schumer-for-senate-leader-easing-path-for-new-yorker-to-succeed-reid/

[Thinkingabout]

1. To the dismay of some the Senate Leader needs experience in senate procedures.

Schumer has been there for a while and knows the procedures.

[PoliticAverse]

5. Yeah, 1 - take wall street money. 2 - protect wall street.

No one is more qualified than 'the senator from wall street'.

[Thinkingabout]

6. Who would you suggest that hasn't taken money from Wall Street?

[InAbLuEsTaTe]

2. Not sur Schumer's the right choice 4 Minority Leader. If Elizabeth is serious bout not runnin for Prez - still confident she'll change her mind - she'd make a much better choice.

[Thinkingabout]

7. How much does she know about senate procedure?

[seveneyes]

11. All Senators should know Senate procedures

All the procedures are well documented and can be looked up if needed.

[Thinkingabout]

13. Would have, should have, could have. There are many well qualified senators who would be a very

Good senate leader. Patti Murray comes to mind and I like her record also.

[seveneyes]

14. As Senators are .0000003125% of our USA population

"Should" should be a given. It doesn't take a genius to figure that out. 8-)

[A Simple Game]

3. I don't know about New York but Schumer could be the best Democratic Senate minority leader

Israel ever had.

[totodeinhere]

4. This is good news for Israel. There is no Democrat more supportive of Israel than Schumer.

As we know Schumer is cosponsoring a Senate bill opposed by the Obama Administration that would require Congressional review of a nuclear deal with Iran. Of course any such requirement would doom any deal with Iran and of that is what the bill's sponsors want to happen.

[City Lights]

8. Disappointing.

I prefer Durbin over Schumer.

[cascadiance]

9. Senator Merkley would make a better choice!

He understands Senate rules quite well too, and has exercised GREAT leadership the last two Senate sessions in advocating for the proper way to reform the filibuster rules too! Someone like him in charge in 2016 would hopefully keep the Senate from being a filibuster mess for a new Democratic president then, like Obama's had to deal with for 6 years, and hopefully by the Democrats the coming two years.

He's also certainly a lot more supportive of progressive viewpoints and traditional values of our Democratic Party constituents. He spoke heavily against the Koch brothers trying to buy the election against him last election, and won handily doing so. We need someone like that to take on the Koch brothers and other big money people in the Senate in 2016!

It looks like Schumer is trying to just now try to appeal to the left and cover up his support of outsourcing of American jobs like his support of H-1B program expansion over many years, amongst other similar bills by having a petition just started the last 24 hours to state his new stance against Fast Track of TPP here.

http://www.prioritizejobs.com/#schumer

I'm thinking that the timing of this isn't coincidental.

[BlueMTexpat]

15. I like Merkley too.

Anyone BUT Schumer, IMO. He is too beholden to AIPAC, for one thing. For another, he is a first-class caver to GOPers! You have stated other good reasons.

Durbin himself would make a much better Leader. Why won't HE do it?

[DLnyc]

10. As a New Yorker who's been familiar with 'Chuck' Schumer's behavior over the years, I say "NNNOOOOOO

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Terrible choice!

Chuck spends more time worrying about the needs of big bankers and of rightwing Israeli politicians than he does thinking about anything remotely connected to the concerns of the rest of us.

Fuck Chuck and the horse he rode in on!

[swilton]

16. ++++

Totally agree - although I'm not a NYer - for the reasons you mention and the fact that when he wears that hat he is representing more than NY.

[BumRushDaShow]

12. He's certainly more combative than Reid

Let's see if he is going to jump in McConnell's face.