By Amanda Terkel and Ryan Grimm
November 12, 2014

WASHINGTON — Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is under consideration for a leadership position in the Senate Democratic caucus, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.

Senate Democrats will be holding theirleadership elections Thursday morning. A source saw Warren coming out of Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s (D-Nev.) office Wednesday.

A spokesman for Reid declined to comment on why Warren was there, and Warren’s office did not immediately return a request for comment.

Having Warren in a leadership position would give the Senate’s most high-profile progressive member a voice in setting the caucus’ policy agenda. She recently wrote a Washington Post op-ed, reflecting on the party’s midterm losses, that called on Congress and the administration to push forward with progressive proposals instead of cutting deals with Republicans simply for the sake of doing so. From her op-ed:

Before leaders in Congress and the president get caught up in proving they can pass some new laws, everyone should take a skeptical look at whom those new laws will serve. At this very minute, lobbyists and lawyers are lining up by the thousands to push for new laws — laws that will help their rich and powerful clients get richer and more powerful. Hoping to catch a wave of dealmaking, these lobbyists and lawyers — and their well-heeled clients — are looking for the chance to rig the game just a little more. […]

Read the rest of this article on HuffPo

Blogger’s Note:

Signs that some in the leadership understand that the lack of progressives is what did the party in this election cycle is very hopeful news.

 That said, Senator Warren and other prominent Democrats shouldn’t jump at this kind of offer. It just isn’t good enough to invite them to join the leadership.

 It is time for Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi to step aside completely. The party needs progressive leaders – not progressives in the leadership. The time for that has passed them both by.