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June 14, 2006

Schumer: Dems Have Their 8th

At a briefing for the Washington, D.C. political press corps today, DSCC chair Chuck Schumer was in a mood to marvel and brag. Last night, with the victory of Jim Webb, Democrats finally found their eighth competitive Senate contest. (Chuck always wanted eight; Dems need to win at least six and keep hold of the roughly four Dem-held seats that are vulnerable.)

Pointing to the victories of Webb, a Reagan Democrat with a flair for non-traditional Democratic positions, and Jon Tester, who spent half as much as his primary challenger in Montana, Schumer said that party activists had turned to pragmatism and were less inclined to hold candidates to litmus tests.

Schumer said the Dem primary voters want winners and are focused one electability. He couldn't resist adding even "in 2008," which pricked the ears of reporters who thought he was sending a message about the relative electability of Hillary Clinton. (He wasn't, apparently.)

Schumer said that the DSCC "fully supports" Sen. Joe Lieberman in his primary bid, and he refused to rule out continuing that support if Lieberman were to run as an independent.

There were degrees of independence, Schumer said. "You can run as an independent, you can run as an independent Democrat who pledges to vote for Harry Reid as Majority Leader."

Schumer said he had neither sought nor recieved assurances from Lieberman that an independent bid would not ensue if Ned Lamont tightened the noose.

Schumer, quoting a national political publication, noted that the last two times the Senate flipped -- '80 and '86 , the House didn't follow suit. The Senate, he said, was more suspectable to waves than the House. "When I was a congressman, I knew a third of my constituents," he said. The distance most Senators have from the vast majority of their constituents makes them more vulnerable if voters are disilllusioned.

Questioned about the Democratic message, Schumer said that 75 percent of the electorate's decision will be a referendum on Pres. Bush and 25 percent will be predicated on whether Democrats present a compelling alternative.

And he didn't take the bait; he said he was pleased with DNC GOTV and voter registration efforts in states like PA and OH. [MARC AMBINDER]

Posted at 03:38 PM

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I am reading this post because I saw it quoted on To Watch Schumer and couldn't believe what I was reading.

Schumer has turned into a complete political hack.

Yes, it is time to purge the Congress of Republican regressives, and also of Democratic hacks.

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June 14, 2006

Schumer: Dems Have Their 8th

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