Two Democrats willing to stick their necks out

WASHINGTON — Rep. Rahm Emanuel, the hyperactive Democrat from Illinois charged with winning control of the House for his party in the 2006 elections, was trying to goad a colleague to move into attack mode.

And so he phoned. And phoned. And phoned again.

For days, Rep. John Spratt Jr., D-S.C., received about three calls daily from Emanuel, urging him to run a political advertisement criticizing the Bush administration's decision to let an Arab company manage U.S. port operations, an issue sparking nationwide outrage at the time. With Vice President Dick Cheney heading south to campaign for Spratt's GOP opponent, Emanuel thought the best response was to run an attack ad in the local newspaper.

"Rahm smelled blood,"' said Chuck Fant, Spratt's press secretary. "He latched on like a pit bull and never let go" — and Spratt finally agreed to put out a news release.

Emanuel's intensity and persistence are shared by his counterpart in the party's fight to gain Senate seats: Sen. Charles Schumer of New York. It is a convergence that has gladdened the hearts of many Democrats; both men are credited with having boosted the party's chances for a strong showing in November.

Emanuel, 46, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, and Schumer, 55, head of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, have deployed tactics reminiscent of the smoke-filled rooms of yore.

They have handpicked candidates, crafted campaign themes, set fundraising goals and micromanaged staff hiring decisions for candidates around the country. In the process, they are injecting a dose of discipline among traditionally unruly Democrats.

Those who have received the Emanuel treatment include Heath Shuler, a former National Football League quarterback trying to topple a House Republican in North Carolina. When he was deciding whether to run, Shuler told Emanuel he was worried that serving in Congress would cut into time with his children. In response, Emanuel peppered Shuler with dozens of phone calls over two weeks to report what he was doing with his own three kids.

"He calls one Monday morning: 'Heath, I'm taking my kids to school,' then he just hangs up," Shuler recalled. "At 11:30, he calls and says, 'I'm leaving my office to eat lunch with my kids.' Then, 'Heath, it's 3:30, and I'm walking into school.' "

Shuler got the message and signed up for the campaign.

Democrat Paul Hackett got the Schumer treatment last winter as he took a break from his Senate campaign in Ohio. His cellphone rang. It was Schumer, calling to talk about a fellow Democrat who had also decided to run for the Senate.

Schumer did not say it point-blank, but Hackett got the message: Party leaders wanted him to drop out, clearing the field for the other candidate.

Hackett threw in the towel.

Schumer and Emanuel believe this new, tougher tack is needed if Democrats are to have a shot at the goal that has eluded the party for more than a decade: controlling the House and Senate.

"We are willing to stick our neck out," Schumer said.