New Congress: McCain's role?
Posted: Monday, November 10, 2008 9:20 AM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under:
Congress
NEW CONGRESS: McCain’s role?
Would John McCain return to Capitol Hill as the leader of the loyal opposition? Probably not, writes CQ. "A likelier scenario, observers say, is that McCain will revert to his role as a bipartisan broker of compromise -- and, depending on Barack Obama ’s enthusiasm for courting the aid of his presidential rival, McCain could serve as a critical liaison to Senate moderates as the new administration works with a Senate majority just shy of the 60-vote, filibuster-resistant supermajority."
Obama is staying out of the Lieberman fight.
Meanwhile, Chris Van Hollen plans to stay one more term as DCCC chair. This cycle will be all defense.
Roll Call: "On the Republican side, National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Tom Cole (Okla.) is running for a second term despite losing about 20 seats last week. But Rep. Pete Sessions (Texas), who is also running for the post, has received strong public backing from Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio)."
"A House leader who had seen his party lose more than 50 seats in two election cycles might expect to get the boot -- or at least a major challenge," writes Roll Call, "but House Minority Leader John Boehner (Ohio) has not only emerged unscathed, he has been consolidating his hold on power by hand-picking a new team underneath him."