Earlier today Democrat Senator Harry Reid (NV) announced his intentions not to seek re-election in 2016. Moments later Harry Reid announced his preferred selection for his replacement within Senate leadership, Chuck Schumer (NY).

WASHINGTON DC – Harry Reid endorsed Chuck Schumer to succeed him as Senate minority leader after he retires in 2016.

“I think Schumer should be able to succeed me,” the Nevada Democrat said about the New York Democrat in an interview Friday with the Washington Post.

Reid, 75, whose Senate career has spanned three decades, has led Senate Democrats since 1995. He announced Friday he would not seek re-election in 2016.

Reid predicted Schumer, the third-ranking Democrat in Senate leadership, would win the post without opposition. He also suggested any competition — specifically Senate Minority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, with whom he spoke on the phone with Friday morning — should stand down.

Reid called Schumer “extremely smart” in the interview, adding that he would bring a “different style” to Senate leadership compared with Reid’s soft-spoken nature. (read more)

Senator Chuck Schumer is notoriously divisive and antagonistic. Many people might remember that Chuck Schumer was present in the White House during the Benghazi attack, however his actual purpose for being in the White House that evening were never fully questioned or revealed.

In addition in 2014 Chuck Schumer was one of the primary advocates for using the IRS as a weapon against anyone who opposed the political agenda of the White House and President Obama:

[January 24th, 2014] […] In a speech last week to the liberal Center for American Progress, the senior senator from New York said, “There are many things that can be done administratively by the IRS and other government agencies” to silence groups that obstruct Democratic policies.

When several dozen conservative organizations applied to the IRS for nonprofit status in the run-up to the 2012 elections, they had to struggle through bureaucratic roadblocks and obstacles while the applications of liberal groups sailed through without a hitch. The government insisted this was mere coincidence, but Mr. Schumer’s remarks revealed the fire under the smoke. (link)