Many Democrats were unhappy with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, given the pasting their party took in this month’s elections. But that hasn’t stopped him from tightening his grip on the levers of power in the Senate, after surviving his own election challenge by the skin of his teeth. He is putting his top lieutenants in important positions, even though other senators have asked for a bigger say in the party’s Senate conference,
Roll Call reports.
Reid has given conference Vice Chairman Charles Schumer of New York another position: chairman of the Democratic Policy Committee. And Reid will probably appoint Conference Secretary Patty Murray of Washington to another job, too: chairwoman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee next year.
Reid appointed only one newcomer to a major spot. He tapped Sen. Mark Begich of Alaska to head the Steering Committee next year
“In essence, it’s the same leadership team, and that makes a lot of people very nervous,” an aide to a first-term senator tells Roll Call.
© 2012 Newsmax. All rights reserved.