Schumer unbound

Does Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) ever get bad news? We’re just asking, in the light of Sen. Pete Domenici’s (R-N.M.) decision to retire at the end of this Congress, throwing open another GOP seat.

Schumer, chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC), presided over his party’s six-seat pick-up in last year’s midterm congressional elections. He now looks increasingly likely to preside over a pick-up of the same size or perhaps even better.

This would mean that in just four years, the brash New Yorker would have helped elevate Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) from the position of minority leader to that of majority leader with a sufficient caucus to flatten attempted GOP filibusters, especially with the handful of Republican centrists in the upper chamber.

Timing is key, and Schumer’s is perfect. Which politician wouldn’t like to take over a campaign committee at the precise moment when a second-term president from the other party was about to suffer a popularity implosion, and when, simultaneously, the opposition party was about to suffer a series of self-inflicted black eyes for corruption?

Schumer must pinch himself to check he’s not dreaming about his good fortune in taking over not just in those favorable circumstances but also when the sweeping Republican triumphs of previous cycles have offered successive elections in which the GOP has been forced to defend far more seats than the Democrats.

Schumer will approach the prospect of fighting for the New Mexico seat against Rep. Heather Wilson (R), who confirmed her candidacy Thursday, with equanimity. She only narrowly retained her House seat last year and is tainted by the U.S. attorneys firing scandal.

The DSCC is confident of shifting New Mexico from the red column to the blue almost no matter which of the several possible Democratic candidates becomes its chosen standard-bearer.

But here’s a test for Schumer. If he surveys the New Mexican landscape for the strongest candidate, who does he see? There’s Rep. Tom Udall; he would be a serious contender against Wilson. One could go on and name a few others, but only if one were determined to ignore the 800-pound gorilla — we hope he will excuse the comparison — who could probably take the vacant New Mexico seat in a walk.

That is Gov. Bill Richardson. We haven’t forgotten he is running for the Democratic presidential nomination. And no, we don’t dismiss the notion that he has his sights on being Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) vice presidential pick.

But, for the sake of argument, let’s assume he really wants the presidency. He must now see that he is unlikely to get it. Might not the persuasive Mr. Schumer prod the capable Mr. Richardson into a Senate bid?

The latter man has the credentials, and the former has the chutzpah. He also tends to get what he wants, as he did when former Virginia Gov. Mark Warner (D) opted against holding out for a vice presidential nod and launched his Senate bid.