The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of The Hill

The job no one wants

by The Hill Editors - 11/17/10 12:26 AM ET

The unemployment rate stands at 9.6 percent, but there is a job vacancy in the nation’s capital that few, if any, want.

The chairmanship of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) looks to be a thankless job in the 2012 cycle. And not surprisingly, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is having a lot of difficulty in convincing one of his colleagues to step up to the plate.

{mosads}Republicans publicly shied away from predicting they would win back the Senate this year, but they believe it is quite possible in 2012.

Democrats will be defending 23 seats this cycle (including those of Sens. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.), with Republicans defending only 10.

And in several of those 10 seats, there is a greater threat that the incumbent would lose in a GOP primary than in the general election.

Republicans will likely target Democratic Sens. Ben Nelson (Neb.), Bill Nelson (Fla.), Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Jim Webb (Va.), Joe Manchin (W.Va.), Bob Casey Jr. (Pa.), Kent Conrad (N.D.), Debbie Stabenow (Mich.) and Jon Tester (Mont.), among others.

Democrats would love to face Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.), who is reportedly under FBI investigation. But he is unlikely to survive a primary.

Sen. Scott Brown (R-Mass.) will be a Democratic target, though beyond Brown and Ensign, there aren’t many other opportunities to run a red seat blue.

And that is a big part of the reason Reid hasn’t yet filled the leadership post.

The cycle is of course just starting, but there is a good chance the GOP will win control of the upper chamber in two years’ time. And the DSCC chairman, should that occur, will attract a lot of criticism.

There are many talented Democrats who could fill the post, but some of them — most notably Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (R.I.) — is up for reelection in 2012.

Democratic senators who have listened to Reid’s overtures, and politely said no, include former two-time DSCC Chairman Charles Schumer (N.Y.) and Al Franken (Minn.), Mark Warner (Va.) and Michael Bennet (Colo.).

In many ways, the search for the DSCC chairmanship is similar to the difficulties Republicans had in filling their campaign post in the 2008 cycle. The map was stacked against Republicans that year, and Ensign reluctantly stepped up to head the campaign committee. As expected, Democrats significantly bolstered their majority.

Whoever heads the DSCC will undoubtedly be a team player, but he or she better have some thick skin.