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Politico...
Harry Reid lets 2012
Democrats off the hook
By Manu Raju
3/23/11
Politico photo
Over the past couple of weeks, Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) has railed
against an increase in the debt limit, slammed his party on the budget
and blasted President Barack Obama in a floor speech.
It’s all music to the ears of Democratic leaders.
“I don’t see that as an attack on the president; I think that’s just
Joe Manchin,” said Washington Sen. Patty Murray, who as chairwoman of
the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee is trying to get Manchin
reelected.
Manchin’s freelancing is part of what’s driving the Senate these days.
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has given politically vulnerable
Democrats license to do almost anything they need to survive a grim
political environment, even if that means ripping the president, voting
against Democratic bills and teaming up with Republicans to appear
bipartisan. For Reid, it seems that, at this point in the election
cycle, keeping his imperiled majority after 2012 is a far more
important goal than preserving party unity on legislation.
In the opening months of the new Congress, Reid and his leadership team
have given enormous attention to the 17 Democrats and one independent
who are still running for reelection, bringing their amendments to the
floor, spotlighting their work at news conferences and allowing them to
take the lead on legislation certain to generate positive headlines
back home.
The episodes span the gamut — whether it’s Reid pushing to highlight
Ohio Sen. Sherrod Brown’s work to help homeless veterans, Michigan Sen.
Debbie Stabenow emerging as a lead voice seeking to kill an unpopular
reporting provision in the health law or Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson’s
effort to shave 5 percent from Senate office budgets.
Even on some politically contentious votes, there hasn’t been much
effort to whip skittish 2012 senators into line. When the Democrats put
forward their budget proposal earlier this month, Reid lost five
Democrats and one independent who are expected to run for reelection
next year. The defections opened up Democrats to GOP charges of pushing
forward a bill that couldn’t even pass muster with the moderate wing of
their caucus.
But in reality, it allowed the disloyal Democrats to tout their
independence back home.
Unlike their House counterparts, Senate leaders typically have far less
ability to impose their will on their members, given that the rules
grant individual senators vast power to shape and thwart legislation.
That means senators can take a high-profile role on virtually any issue
they want, regardless of whether they’re up for reelection or have the
support of their leadership.
Still, Pennsylvania Sen. Bob Casey said Democratic leaders are
“absolutely” working behind the scenes to help incumbent Democratic
senators find ways to stand out and highlight their agendas.
Read the rest of the story at Politico
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