Stabenow about to become Senate Democrats' #3 (behind Reid and Durbin)

[UrbScotty]

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senate Democrats are planning to elect Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow to a leadership post next week, Stabenow said Monday.

Stabenow said she has enough votes from her colleagues to become the caucus secretary, the third-ranking position among Senate Democrats. As secretary, Stabenow said she will help set the Democrats' agenda and be a more visible spokeswoman for the party.

"I've worked hard and played a leadership role on prescription drugs and health care and I appreciate being recognized for that," Stabenow told The Associated Press Monday.

In addition to health care issues, Stabenow said she will push for ways to protect manufacturers and create jobs.

http://www.detnow.com/wxyz/nw_local_news/article/0,2132,WXYZ_15924_3315666,00.html

After four years in the Senate? Wow! Go Debbie!

[genius]

1. Where was Stabenow on IWPR, Yucca, Bankruptcy bill, Homeland Sec &

Porter Goss. Reid is really a bad choice. If Stabenow is good. perhaps we can convince them to make Durbin min leader & Stabenow whip.

[Pallas180]

2. I've seen Reid and Durbin play "partners" onC Span...they're both very ver

good....

Durbin is A 1

I dont know about Harry Reid's abortion, gay rights standings...but he
speaks democrat very very well.

[genius]

4. Reid pushed the Dems into approving an anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-envir,

justice for the 9th Circuit (his own circuit and mine). Bybee also approved the idea of torture. This is why Gonzales is a shoe-in with Reid as min leader. Reid also got the Dems to vote for Jeffrey Sutton who plans to gut the Americans with Disability Act. I'm planning to call my Senators today and tell them to oppose Reid and back Durbin. Durbin has been on the right side of virturally every vote I've checked. Haven't looked at Stabenow's record.

[Lefty48197]

3. This will help raise Debbie's profile

just in time for her re-election campaign!
I think Harry Reid will be a great leader.

[genius]

5. Reid will cost us more seats in 2006 and guarantee us a torture AG

[stavka]

6. Stabenow needs to vote and produce.....

She shouldn't become the next Lynn Rivers.......don't take my vote for granted. (Though, as a Senator, it's unlikely Levin will become a double Senator)

[Lefty48197]

7. Here's what Debbie has been doing:

She has been a major fighter for making prescription drugs affordable.

http://stabenow.senate.gov/infocus/108-reimport.htm

"Senator Stabenow is a co-author of the Pharmaceutical Market Access and Drug Safety Act (S. 2328), a new bipartisan breakthrough agreement in the Senate to allow the re-importation of FDA-approved prescription drugs, most of which are American-made, from Canada and other approved countries. This agreement will reduce prescription drug prices by up to 70% by allowing pharmacists and wholesalers to re-import prescription drugs from several industrialized countries (including Canada, Japan, Switzerland, and European Union nations like Britain and Germany) if they comply with strict safety regulations under FDA oversight. Individuals will also be allowed to import 90 day supplies for themselves or family members under strict safety regulations.

Respected senior, consumer, and patient advocacy groups such as AARP, Families USA, the Alliance of Retired Americans, the National Breast Cancer Coalition, and the National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare have endorsed this bill as a way of ensuring that Americans have access to the medication they need."

Here are some of the other issues she has taken a leadership role on:
http://stabenow.senate.gov/infocus/index.htm