Schumer: A 60-Seat Majority Is Possible

Senator Chuck Schumer whetted the palate of many Democrats today when he suggested, for the first time of the election cycle, that their dream of a 60-seat majority in the U.S. Senate could be within the party's grasp.

"I know you'll ask me, can we get to sixty?" the New York Democrat and head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee said on Wednesday. "And I'd say it's very difficult given the map, but its not out of the question. And I would have said the same thing two years ago... if you would have asked me [then] could we get six seats a hundred days before the election. I would have said it is very difficult but it's not out of the question."

Schumer's proclamation comes as the Republican side of the aisle is running for political cover. GOP leadership has all but given the green light to vulnerable members to takes stances that differ with the party if it will help with their campaigns. Meanwhile, the National Republican Senatorial Committee is being drastically out-raised by its Democratic counterpart. Schumer highlighted five states as ripe for the picking -- Virginia, New Hampshire, Colorado, New Mexico, and Alaska -- as well as six others that could be close: Oregon, Minnesota, Mississippi, Kentucky, Maine, North Carolina. If nine seats were to change hands (and if the caucus allows Joe Lieberman to stay in its ranks), Democrats would have the filibuster-proof 60 that has long been viewed as a pipe-dream.

"We have had tremendous success recruiting," said Schumer. "And our candidates are proving to be even better than we thought. They are just a stellar group of people. They are smart, they tend to be non-ideological they tend to be mainstream and middle of the road. They are just what the doctor ordered in terms of winning elections."

Cognizant that the expectations game matters in the electoral process, Schumer later threw a wet blanket on the idea of an overwhelming Democratic landslide -- though it's hard, with the current diverging trajectories of the two parties, to take as sincere the Senator's warnings.

"So what's the bad news for us?" he asked, rhetorically. "The bad news in a certain sense, it's not bad news but it's a reality. So I call it bad reality. This is the reddest map in a very long time. The majority of seats we are seeking are in deeply red states. If you look at the thirty-five elections, two are in Wyoming and two in Mississippi. There are thirty-three states. But if you look at the map, the majority of states are either in deep south, great plains or the mountain west. Not traditionally positive areas for democrats. And of the Republican seats we are seeking, only three are in blue states, which are Maine, Minnesota, and Oregon, none of which are very blue states."

Additional reporting was provided by Bolu Adeyeye

Comments

[Denemator]

Keith O for VP

[smharden]

One of the problems I have is this "traditionally republican" thing people say about states. If you go back more than 40 years, the whole south was "traditionally" democrat. "Traditionally" is used now for an awfully short time frame.

[BLinCincinnati]

There was a reason for that drastic shift though... the Democrats passed Civil Rights legislation, the Republicans fought it. So the south flipped to the white male racist party.

[Denemator]

The a retroactive impeachment of the CIC and Vader may yet be accomplished. Possibly start criminal proceedings

[tommybones]

Schumer should worry about his own seat, eventually­... after that hideous capitulation to the Bush administration during the Mukasey confirmation process. He completely lost my support that day... and unfortunately my opinion has been vindicated by Mukasey's horrific Gestapo-like conduct since gaining the position of A.G. He's been as bad as Gonzalez. I'd rather have a zealot like Ashcroft at this point!

[Denemator]

One can only hope he is right.

[Figural]

Sen. Schumer mentions winning 60 Senate seats; that's not the same thing as a 60-seat majority. F in arithmetic, Mr Stein, must do better.

[Denemator]

That is true but making the gop impotent in the senate goes a long way

[AntiFederalist00]

be careful what you wish for as there will be no one to blame. And believe me, full power in one party control is going to be a disaster.

[lovethesinner]

As my daddy said, "it ain't braggin' if you can do it." But, there's plenty of reason to HOPE this year, and we have Obama to thank for that.

I think this goal argues for a SECURITY veep, over a ECONOMY pick, but it definitely takes the Senator from New York off the table, (to quote Nancy Pelosi)

Bottom up is what democracy is all about.

Obama-Webb '08

[JohnFromCensornati]

Is that with or without LIEberm@n?

[Denemator]

The LIEberdude will hopefully be recalled and send into oblivion

[MostTern]

When Lamont ran for the Senate, Schumer did not expend any significant amount of campaign funds from the Senate Campaign Funds that he, Schumer, controlled to support Lamont and defeat Lieverman. Sad to say that Schumer will probably welcome a 60th vote from Lieberman. Of course the other Dem could kick Lieberman out of the caucus - I hope.

[Agentprovokatur]

No such thing as recall of U.S. Senators.

We CAN hope that it doesn't include him so they can then kick his butt to the Republican Party where he belongs.

Just make sure they do it in a full ceremony that includes breaking his committee chairman's gavel into pieces before throwing him out of the meeting chamber.