DCCC

House Dems Send Steve Israel To DCCC

Evan McMorris-Santoro | November 29, 2010, 8:03PM

Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY)

House Democrats have formally appointed Rep. Steve Israel (NY) to head their campaign efforts next year. The move has been expected for weeks and puts Israel -- a one-time Blue Dog -- in charge of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee as well as at the head of rebuilding their shellacked majority in the face of a resurgent GOP.

"Congressman Israel has demonstrated extraordinary capabilities in recruiting candidates, in attracting resources, and in communicating core Democratic values for middle class and working families," Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who will head the House Democrats as Minority Leader in the next Congress, said in a statement. "In his new role as DCCC Chairman, his practical experience in running and winning in difficult districts will provide critical leadership for Democrats to regain the majority in 2012."

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Debbie Wasserman-Schultz

Midterms Leave Top Democratic Surrogate Debbie Wasserman Schultz In The Lurch

Brian Beutler | November 24, 2010, 8:37AM

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)

The 2010 midterm elections were kind of a bummer, if you're a Democrat. Among Democrats who survived the bloodbath, it's a really big bummer for Debbie Wasserman Schultz (FL) -- an appropriator and prolific fundraiser whose role in the 2012 cycle is now unclear.

With over 60 seats lost and the party relegated to minority status, the party has fewer perks -- leadership positions, plum committee assignments, etc. -- to offer its most influential members. As you might expect, it's created visible tension within the party. It's also added some bumps to Wasserman Schultz's once-clear path to party leadership.

When the Republicans take over next year, the ratios on House committees will practically flip. For a lot of Democrats -- particularly senior members -- this won't matter much. There's frequently some correspondence between the number of spots the losing party loses on a committee, and the number of members of that committee who are defeated or retire.

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Steve Israel

Blue Dogged: Meet Steve Israel, The Incoming Chair Of The DCCC

Brian Beutler | November 23, 2010, 9:23AM

Rep. Steve Israel (D-NY)

Long Island Democrat Steve Israel, the incoming DCCC chairman isn't a typical Nancy Pelosi ally. Among other things, he's a former Blue Dog who voted for the Iraq war and the 2001 Bush tax cuts. But last week, after urging his fellow Democrats to support Pelosi's continued leadership of their party, Pelosi nominated him to head the election committee over the perceived favorite, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz.

Wasserman-Schultz and Pelosi have clashed in the past, but the former's fundraising acumen is unquestioned and, in a challenging environment for Democrats, she was seen as a natural choice.

But Israel didn't come out of nowhere.

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