Should Harry Reid step down in January (so 'Obama's guy' Durbin can step in as Majority Leader)?

[Unsane]

What say you? Dick Durbin is currently the second ranking Dem in the Senate and putatively in line to succeed Reid. Would having Durbin, a longtime Obama confidant, as majority leader (potentially a 60 vote majority) aid in pushing through Obama's legislative initiatives? It would truly be a "Chicago Connection"!

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. *Somebody* ought to replace Harry Reid.

I don't know if it should be Durbin, but just about anybody would be more effective than that lame tool Reid.

[lumberjack_jeff]

2. Clinton should be majority leader. n/t

[Unsane]

4. It won't happen.

Rarely does a Senator outside the leadership win the caucus vote. I'd eat my hat if Reid's successor was anyone other than Durbin.

Doesn't mean Hillary won't assume leadership in the future; I just doubt she succeeds Reid.

[grantcart]

15. Rarely does an African American win the presidency

I expect that an agreement has been made and that Durbin will happily enodrse it.

[BlueIdaho]

5. I would love to see Hillary become the lioness of the senate! nm.

[democrattotheend]

7. Nah, that could have the opposite effect of what the OP was talking about

I would like to see some role for Hillary but the last thing we need is unnecessary tension between the President and Senate majority leader. Hillary is doing a great job campaigning for Obama but that doesn't mean they like each other.

[karynnj]

20. Why?

There are different ways to have power in the Senate. One is heading committees or subcommittees where they have hearings and develop the bigger legislative initiatives. The leader does have a lot of power, but much of his/her job is to get the party together.

Which do you think match HRC's personality? How was her campaign run? I personally think that she is more comfortable with issues and if she decides that the Senate is where she wants to be long term, I can see her wanting to head a subcommittee that she has a huge interest in. This is not a criticism, look at Kennedy who took that route.

I see the pleasant Dubin, who has been the whip and now the assistant majority leader is the better choice.

Why is there this effort to give HRC who was given a huge advantage to get the nomination and failed a consolation prize. No other Senator has been so awarded - and it was the Clinton allied people who went out of their way to start a whisper campaign that Kerry thought he was more than one of 100 Senators. The fact is he had earned the right to be one of the party leaders - just as HRC has. The difference is that he has more seniority and has better committee assignments.

[lumberjack_jeff]

22. Because I want her policies placed on President Obama's desk. n/t

[karynnj]

27. I don't think the majority leader decides this on his own

I think the committee chairs have far more say than the majority leader.

Why do you think her policies will be better than the more liberal Durbin?

[lumberjack_jeff]

28. Point taken. I don't know as much about Durbin's policies. n/t

[Jennicut]

3. I personally can't stand Reid. Durbin would be way better.

[Autumn]

6. Reid should step down NOW, and

he should take Pelosi with him.

[mucifer]

8. YES and us ILLINOIANS will rule the world!!!!!!!

That said I do like our 2 senators much better than harry reid. But, I wouldn't mind Hillary.

[rebel with a cause]

12. Illinoisans should rule the world!!!!!!!!

:tinfoilhat: :rofl:

I love Durbin and he has worked hard in the Senate. He voted against giving bush the power to go to war and has stood almost alone at times against bush. I have seen him stand before the Senate and speak words no one else dare say. He and Obama were both mentored by our great late Senator Paul Simon, and they do work well together.

Hillary may deserve something for her help, but Durbin show get the top spot in the Senate. He has earned it by years of service.

[Cha]

26. If you got the best peeps ..so

be it!:bounce:

[Fluffdaddy]

9. We have won nothing yet. Wait til this is in the books before we start

worrying about People stepping down

[Sebastian Doyle]

10. No question that Reid and Pelosi both need to go.

Don't know about Durbin as the replacement though. I don't really want to hear the words "Chicago political machine" repeated 50 times a minute by the whore media for the next 4 years.

I'm thinking Russ Feingold's a good choice. Or Barbara Boxer. No DLC'ers. They should not run ANYTHING in this party ever again.


For Speaker of the House - Dennis Kucinich would be my first choice.

[Unsane]

11. I want an effective legislator as Speaker

Kucinich is far from that.

[grantcart]

13. My prediction is that Reid will end up with a cabinet spot and Senator Clinton

will become the majority leader.

[Sebastian Doyle]

17. What cabinet spot could Reid not possibly fuck up as much or more than he did the Senate?

Really, we don't need him.

As for Hillary.... I know she has lots of fans here, but we cannot let the DLC set the agenda in the Senate, or anywhere else. We need to be in FDR mode, not that of those who openly renounced FDR and the New Deal (DLC's Blueprint magazine, January 1995)

[OmahaBlueDog]

14. The gig should be offered to Hillary

I think she'll say no, but she should get the offer.

Durbin would be OK. I'd prefer Dodd.

I agree on Reid and Pelosi; both need to step aside.

[liberalpragmatist]

16. To be fair to Reid, having 60 seats is a whole lot better than 51

Especially when one of those 51 is Lieberman. And another few are blue dogs like Bill and Ben Nelson. There's very little ANY Senate leader can do with those numbers.

[Ozma]

18. The Senate Majority Leader is usually both the most senior member or.......

The most middle-of-the-road of the entire majority.

So, Hillary, only 8 years into her Senate career, will only be a Senate whip, at most.

I'd give her that role, or Elevate the Clinton's to some international ambassador status...to help Obama make peace and prosperity in the world.

[JoFerret]

19. No

Not for that reason anyway.

[DeepBlueDem]

21. What about Schumer?

[MasonJar]

23. Reid needs to go and Clinton needs to become Majority Leader.

[RichardRay]

24. Not for the President to decide.

As much as I look forward to the Obama Presidency I'd like to point out that there is a bright line between the Executive and Legislative Branches, or at least there is supposed to be. I'm more comfortable with there being some difference of opinion between the branches and their having to work it out. That said, Barack is such a master at 'working it out' that I don't doubt he'll get stuff done, one way or the other.

If the Senate wants to select a different Majority Leader it should certainly do so, but it's not the President's pick.

[Overseas]

25. I'd like Clinton to be Majority Leader. That would avoid

giving right wing media the opportunity to smear Obama about a Chicago Connection.