Yes, we should have done this a long time ago, but a) it’s better late than never; b) it’s proof that Dems are starting to understand how to play this game; and c) it’s the latest sign that Harrry Reid is going to make a fine Senate Minority Leader.
In one of his first moves as top Democrat in the Senate, incoming Minority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is consolidating staff operations under his control while establishing a press operation that is planning more aggressive attacks on Republicans.
The new Democratic leader is reestablishing authority over a variety of Democratic leadership organizations — the Democratic Policy Committee (DPC), the Democratic Steering Committee, and the Democratic Communications Committee — all of which are headed by other Democratic senators. Some staff from these groups could end up being folded into a new Democratic “war room” being assembled to counter the GOP’s political message.
At the same time, Reid — who has been known in the Senate mostly as an inside player — still is planning to allow other Senate Democrats to help deliver the party’s message on television and in other forums. Aides mention incoming Minority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), and Sens. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) as those likely to carry some of the load.
Reid soon will begin elevating his own public role by delivering weekly press conferences with television coverage at the start of the new Congress.
Is this going to solve the congressional Dems’ communications problems? Of course not, but it’s a start and an obvious step in the right direction.
Do Reid’s changes suggest that Tom Daschle’s way wasn’t quite good enough? Well, actually it kind of does.
“I don’t think there’s a perception that there was necessarily anything wrong with the way Daschle was doing it,” said one Senate Democratic aide. “There was a perception that we are up against a very, very aggressive message operation that in fact puts message above all else and in fact is willing to say things that aren’t true in support of their political goals. That requires a ramping up of our effort to get accurate info out there.”
Some Democratic aides say Daschle’s organization became too focused on home-state concerns as Daschle’s own Senate seat became increasingly in peril.
“The way Daschle press shop was set up, it was too slow,” said one Democratic press secretary. “It was too narrow. They just didn’t do enough for other members. The message always just seemed to be Daschle’s message — as opposed to the message of the party.”
Some of this may just be post-election frustration and a few aides blowing off steam, but considering the Dems’ current mess, the criticisms of Daschle’s office as slow and narrow are not without merit. I think Daschle’s team improved by the summer, as sites like this one helped demonstrate, but it was a little late in the game.
Regardless, Reid’s focus on an aggressive, rapid-response team is right on track.
“I will ensure that all Americans – from my rural hometown of Searchlight to the nation’s big cities – know the values and principles for which Democrats stand,” Reid said. “That is why I have formed an aggressive operation with the best talent in the country to spread the word and get the truth out.”
Reid is overhauling the critical area of message delivery, in which many observers say the Democrats have underperformed over the past four years.
While some Democrats have privately been concerned about Reid’s ability to deliver stinging sound bites on a regular basis in each 24-hour news cycle, his hiring of Manley and Singer suggests that he plans to take a tough approach to media relations and not shrink from the spotlight himself. Reid’s first major Sunday talk show appearance as Minority Leader is tentatively slated for Dec. 5 on NBC’s “Meet the Press.”
In addition to Manley and Singer, Reid expects to hire up to 15 aides for the communications center, including a top Internet staffer and a daily “blogger” to keep pace with that increasingly high-profile corner of the World Wide Web.
Sounds good to me.