Schumer cutting monster checks to fellow Senate Democrats

[cal04]

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/125057-schumer-cuts-2-million-to-senate-dems-before-midterms-

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) has gone on a late-season spending spree to help Democratic candidates.

A new campaign finance report shows Schumer cut two checks to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) worth $1 million each in September.

He has also poured money from his campaign account into state parties around the country. Friends of Schumer gave $250,000 to the Nevada State Democratic Party on Sept. 7, a crucial boost to embattled Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.).

Schumer's donations are sure to raise eyebrows because he himself is up for re-election this year, albeit against weak opposition. He is also widely expected to run for Senate Democratic leader if Reid loses his race in Nevada.

[Mass]

1. Trying to become majority leader?

BTW, Bayh should be cutting major checks too. He has $ 10 M in hands and is not running again.

[TheWraith]

2. He doesn't need to try very hard.

I think if Reid goes down, Schumer is a lock on being Majority Leader.

[Mass]

3. Two problems:

1/ he will have an opposition

2/ Dems need a majority for that.

[TheWraith]

6. The Dems will have a majority in the Senate.

And who's going to oppose Schumer? Who else is both as effective as him and holds the seniority?

[Mass]

7. Durbin.

I know some dont like him, but he is as good as Schumer (though less good for self-promotion, no doubt about that) and clearly wants the job either.

Hence the effort of both to buy some IOUs. Which is very good for the election.

[TheWraith]

8. As the head of the DSCC, Schumer got probably a quarter of our current Dem Senators elected.

Plus, he's good friends with Durbin, who strikes me as the type to take a pass and let someone else have it.

[Ken Burch]

4. You're assuming Bayh actually gives a damn about Democrats.

This is the guy who thought it was "too partisan" for the Senate Majority to actually try to pass the program of a Democratic president.

He'll probably send big checks to HolyWarJoe and Nebraska Toupee Man for 2012, but that's about it.

[eleny]

5. Good

[BlueCheese]

9. The only problem with this...

... is that Schumer, possibly because he's from New York, the home of Wall Street, he gets a lot of donations from the financial industry. According to OpenSecrets, he took $5.6 million from the Finance/Insurance/Real Estate sector this cycle, far outstripping any other sector.

So if we're looking for someone to really stand up to banks and Wall Street, he might not be the guy.