Schumer Has Seen the Future, and It's Democratic

"They're going to bring up the same old chestnuts in one form or other, and it's not going to work," Schumer continued. "Digging the hole deeper makes a difference. . . . The real way they can get well is a change in course. That's what America wants, a new direction. . . . We have an uphill road in the sense that the map is a tough map, but we're feeling very good. . . . The meat-and-potato issues are the Democratic base. . . . There's a big wind at Democrats' backs. . . . The national winds tend to blow better in Senate races, but we have a tougher map."

Okay, so it's definitely windy, and the Democrats have meat and potatoes, not chestnuts. But why would Republicans change course if it's the Democrats who have a tough map?

Schumer was having too much fun to explain. Forty reporters, desperate for some late-August political news, crowded around a conference table at DSCC headquarters. Schumer entered wearing cotton trousers and an open collar. "I guess nothing's doing," he surmised correctly when he saw the big crowd.

The senator, no stranger to news conferences, savored his 40-minute Q&A, resting his elbows on the table, removing his right loafer and jiggling his leg under the table as he spoke excitedly about Democratic prospects as if they were marathon runners.

Sen. Bob Menendez (D-N.J.): "Bob Menendez is running a great race."

Ohio candidate Sherrod Brown: "Sherrod Brown is running a great race."

Tennessee candidate Harold Ford: "Harold Ford is running a great race."

For the record, Schumer did not say that Pennsylvania candidate Bob Casey is running a great race. "Bob Casey is a great candidate and will be a great senator," he said.

Schumer bestowed his most generous praise on Claire McCaskill, who is challenging Sen. Jim Talent (R-Mo.). "She is just wonderful -- I just respect her so," Schumer gushed. "She is a wonderful person, a very, very smart political leader."

Maryland presented a problem for Schumer because the Democratic primary hasn't happened yet. "We have two very good candidates in Maryland," the resourceful Schumer improvised. "Extremely strong candidates. . . . We feel very good about Maryland."

Amid such unbounded optimism, it would have been churlish to point out that the experts regard this as overly exuberant. While political forecasters such as Charlie Cook and Stuart Rothenberg have switched in the past few weeks to predicting a Democratic takeover of the House, there are no such forecasts for the Senate.

Except Schumer's. Asked if any races were not going well for Democrats, he was stumped. "Hmmmm," he replied.

"How about Maine?" a reporter offered. Polls show Sen. Olympia Snowe (R) leading Democrat Jean Hay Bright by 50 points, and Democrats have likened Snowe's popularity in Maine to that of Jesus.

"Yeah," Schumer agreed. "Maine isn't going very well at all."

Mark that one down as half empty.