Charles Ellis Schumer
Member of the Week : Charles E. Schumer – U.S. Senator from New York
There are those that cannot be ignored, enjoying the spotlight more so as a right than a privilege. In the world of politics few individuals embody this stratosphere as much as Senator Charles E. Schumer of New York. A knack for buzz only rivaled by his shrewd campaign instincts and ability to craft policies that appeal to middle-class swing voter, Senator Schumer currently finds himself going toe-to-toe on budgetary issues with Speaker John Boehner. As the de facto coordinator of messaging for Senate Democrats, the role of Schumer extends far beyond his own political inclinations; they present a preview of the battle lines that will surely be front and center during 2012.
The son of a Jewish family from Brooklyn, Charles Ellis Schumer was the personification of perfection throughout his younger years. He graduated valedictorian from James Madison High School in 1967 – during which he scored a perfect 1600 on the SAT and competed on It’s Academic. His love for politics began to blossom by chance. When he didn’t make the basketball team at Harvard, he agreed to travel with the Young Democrats to campaign for Eugene McCarthy in 1968. He became enthralled with the political arena in New Hampshire during this time, switching his major from organic chemistry to political science. After completing his undergraduate degree, he continued to Harvard Law School, earning his Juris Doctorate with honors in 1974.
The ambitions of young Schumer were stunning even to his parents. On the car ride home from his graduation from Harvard Law, he told his parents that he was planning on turning down a position with a prestigious law firm to run for New York Assembly. They protested but Schumer was not deterred. He launched his campaign from his home, and though his mother urged her friends to vote against him, he won. At the age of 23, he became the youngest member of the New York legislature since Theodore Roosevelt. Starting with this political office, which he held from 1975 – 1980, Schumer has never lost an election.
In 1980, 16th District Congresswoman Elizabeth Holtzman won the Democratic nomination for the Senate seat of Republican Jacob Javits. Sensing his chance, Schumer ran for Holtzman’s vacated seat and won. In Washington, Schumer focused on gun-control laws, helping pass legislative initiatives like the Brady bill, which required a mandatory waiting period for all handgun purchases. During his fruitful career in the House, Schumer was re-elected eight times.
In 1998, Schumer made the risky move of taking on powerful GOP incumbent Al D’Amato for his Senate seat. Having won the Democratic Senate Primary with 51% of the votes against Geraldine Ferraro and Mark Green, Schumer entered into a fiercely negative war of attrition with D’Amato. Attacking each other’s records and integrity, the race was a dead-heat until mid-October, when D’Amato called Schumer a “putzhead” in front of a Jewish group. The comment caused an outcry and pushed Schumer ahead in the polls. He ultimately won with 55% of the vote.
His knack for fundraising was at the core of his 2004 re-election race. Raising almost $12 million, Schumer won with 71% of the vote – the highest any candidate seeking federal office has ever received in New York – carrying 61 of the 62 counties, losing only Hamilton County, the least populated and most Republican county in New York. As the chair of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 2006 – offered to him by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid – Schumer outraised his Republican opponents by more than $30 million. He convinced older Democrats not to retire and recruited centrist opponents. Schumer’s stamp of approval was everywhere. He guarded his candidates and required final approval over their picks for campaign manager, finance director, and communications director. His top-down command style paid off huge, netting the Democrats six seats and the Senate majority.
While in Senate, Schumer has introduced or cosponsored 542 bills, 12 of which have passed. His propensity for publicity has been a double-edged sword. Bob Dole once quipped, “The most dangerous place in Washington is between Charles Schumer and a television camera.” Yet his use of the media has raised the reputation of Schumer as the go-to legislator among his colleagues for his political and legislative skills in defining issues and bringing them to solution.
He aims for a left-of-center political ideology that appeals to moderate voters. His proposals have covered issues ranging from increasing reading and math scores by boosting federal education spending to reducing foreign oil dependency and lowering cancer mortality. His voting record is undoubtedly liberal but Schumer has done well of steering clear of divisive cultural issues.
Schumer’s importance is by no means one-dimensional. Since 2010 he has been head of the Democratic Policy Committee, making the messaging for Senate Democrats sharper and more partisan. Recently, he was stated as saying that House Speaker John Boehner “should act like an adult” and assure credit markets that the U.S. would not default on its debt limit. A calculated man with a firm belief in doing things his own way, his ongoing reinvigoration of the Democratic zeal will ultimately be tested in 2012.
–Amendment202
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