海角大神

Chris聽Van聽Hollen聽is an old friend of the Monitor.

The freshman Democratic senator from Maryland began appearing at the Monitor Breakfast 10 years ago, when he was in the House and chaired his party鈥檚 campaign committee. His job was to recruit good candidates, raise money, and build on the Democratic majority.

That was 2008, and with Barack Obama at the top of the ballot, then-Representative Van聽Hollen聽had the wind at his back. The Democrats gained 21 seats.聽Two years later聽came the 鈥渟hellacking鈥� 鈥� and a sudden, big Republican House majority.

But enough ancient history. Ten visits to the Monitor Breakfast later, now-Senator Van聽Hollen聽is back to chairing his party鈥檚 campaign committee, this time for the Senate. And it鈥檚 the Trump era, so who knows what will happen in the聽Nov. 6聽midterms.

At the Monitor Breakfast聽on May 24, Van聽Hollen聽notably did not utter the words 鈥渂lue wave鈥� 鈥� politico-speak for major gains by Democrats. He declared himself 鈥渧ery bullish鈥� about the Democrats鈥� prospects in the Senate, but he knows he has a terrible 鈥渕ap.鈥� Twenty-six Democrats are up for reelection, 10 of them in states that Donald Trump won in 2016聽鈥撀爏ome of them deeply red, like West Virginia and North Dakota.

Still 鈥� it鈥檚 President Trump鈥檚 first midterms, and the 鈥減arty in power鈥� almost always faces a backlash. The energized Democrats need a net gain of only two Senate seats to grab a majority, and they can taste it.聽

At the May 24 breakfast, I could see why Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer asked Van聽Hollen聽to chair the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee just days after he won his Senate seat. He鈥檚 considered one of the party鈥檚 top strategists, and he even likes talking to reporters. Facing 25 of us, and the cameras of Fox News and C-SPAN, he was relaxed and disciplined. He鈥檚 as comfortable talking budget and foreign policy as he is discussing the tough challenge Sen. Bill Nelson (D) of Florida faces from Rick Scott, the state鈥檚 wealthy, soon-to-be ex-governor.

Van聽Hollen, in fact, comes across as a suburban dad聽鈥撀燽ecause he is. He lives in Montgomery County, just outside Washington, and is one of the few senators who can get away with having just one home. That luxury gives him a little extra time to take on the mammoth task of handling strategy for 35 Senate races聽鈥撀燼nd that tough map.

His first Monitor Breakfast as a senator made headlines 鈥� perhaps fleetingly, as Trump announced he was canceling his summit with North Korea鈥檚 Kim Jong-un literally 10 minutes after the breakfast ended. In any case, in聽my story, I led with the possibility that Trump could break the mold聽鈥撀燼gain聽聽鈥撀燼nd actually hold on to both houses of Congress.聽USA Today聽focused on Van聽Hollen鈥檚 message that rising health-care costs, and not the Russia investigation, will drive voters this fall. The聽Washington Post聽and聽Washington Examiner聽jumped on his comment 鈥渨elcoming鈥� the Clintons鈥� involvement in the midterms.

To watch the C-SPAN video of the breakfast, click聽here.

Let me add that over the years, many Republican campaign committee chairs have also appeared at Monitor Breakfasts. And we have invited Van聽Hollen鈥檚 Republican counterpart, Sen. Cory Gardner (R) of Colorado, to come speak at our breakfast. In September, Rep. Steve Stivers (R) of Ohio, chairman of the GOP鈥檚 House campaign committee, is scheduled to appear.

To those who love politics, as I do, these breakfasts are a feast.