Schumer Gets a Phone Call

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) Chairman Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) was in the midst of answering a question about Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) at a news conference Wednesday when his cell phone rang…with a call from Reid.

Schumer was conducting a briefing for reporters at DSCC headquarters and was asked about Democratic attempts to defeat Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) in Kentucky, where McConnell is facing Democrat Bruce Lunsford in a close race.

The DSCC has invested heavily in Lunsford’s candidacy, and Schumer was asked about traditional Senate etiquette both parties usually follow about avoiding direct challenges to leaders of opposing parties.

“Harry Reid and I discussed this, and there had been rules of etiquette,” Schumer said as his phone rang.

“Hmmm. It’s Harry Reid,” Schumer said after glancing at his phone. “He probably didn’t want me to say that.”

Schumer didn’t take the call but went on to explain that “the rules of etiquette were broken with Tom Daschle,” referring to the former Democratic Minority Leader and South Dakota senator who was narrowly defeated by John Thune (R-S.D.) in 2004.

–J. Taylor Rushing