Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada, who will become Senate majority leader, has named California's two senators to key leadership posts for the next congressional session. Sen. Dianne Feinstein will chair the Senate Rules Committee, which has jurisdiction over federal voting issues and Senate operations, and Sen. Barbara Boxer will chair the Environment and Public Works Committee. They are the first women to chair those committees.

California will do very well when Congress convenes in January. As we already know, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, will become speaker of the House. But the Associated Press also reports that Rep. George Miller, D-Martinez, will become chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee and Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Los Angeles, will become chairman of the Government Reform Committee. That committee could be trouble for the White House. It will lead the Democrats' oversight investigations.

Posted by Jim Boren at 9:51 PM | Permalink | Comments (8)

Sen. Dianne Feinstein should have an easy time getting re-elected on Nov. 7, and the only question is how she will spend her next six years in the Senate. But don't be surprised if she considers running for governor in 2010. That would only happen if Democratic nominee Phil Angelides loses to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Most think Schwarzenegger will have an easy time, which is one reason that some Democrats are already talking about the 2010 governor's race.

The biggest thing standing in Feinstein's way is her age. She's 73. But she's in good health and is the most popular politician in California. Here's my take on Feinstein and the Democrats in a column published in The Bee today.

Posted by Jim Boren at 1:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)