Senators jockey for Reid’s position

WASHINGTON -- Senior Senate Democrats Dick Durbin and Charles Schumer are "jockeying subtly" to become Senate majority leader if Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada loses re-election this fall, Roll Call reported Monday.

Durbin, of Illinois, who is the No. 2 Senate leader behind Reid, and Schumer, of New York, who is No. 3, have taken great pains not to make themselves obvious, or to tip whether they think Reid might lose.

At the same time, Roll Call reported, "Reid has gone to great lengths not to play favorites or show any preference for a would-be successor."

The Roll Call piece, written by Capitol Hill reporter Emily Pierce, listed the strengths and weaknesses of both contenders.

The bottom line?

"The key to being elected leader is that you have to be the most selfless person in what is inherently the most selfish body in the world," a former Democratic Party aide told Roll Call.