As Sen. Chuck Schumer steps down as chairman of the Democrats’ Senate campaign committee, Republicans must be thinking: Too bad he’s not one of ours.
Not because they like his policy ideas, of course – they surely don’t.
But they do like his results.
And who can argue? In his first election cycle as chairman, in 2006, Dems picked up six Senate seats – giving them a one-seat majority (counting two independents who sided with them).
This year, they’ve already stretched their lead to seven seats, and could pick up two more in still-undecided races in Minnesota and Georgia. When the new Senate convenes in January, they may well have a filibuster-proof majority (or close to it).
Meaning legislation they back will likely sail through with little resistance.
Much credit for this must surely accrue to, well, Republicans. To say that the party has worn out its welcome with Americans, at least for now, would understate the case.
But a whale of a lot of credit (or, from the Republican perspective, blame) goes to Schumer, too.
His tenacious approach to campaigns – and his wise counsel to candidates to pay attention to all parts of their state and to focus on middle-class and local issues – clearly helped give the Dems their lopsided margin.
Schumer, of course, will remain a powerful force, as he stays No. 3 in the party’s Senate leadership.
Nonetheless, his departure from the campaign committee must be music to Republicans’ ears.