Bump and Update: Looks like a lock for Harry Reid. He says he has the 30 votes and Chris Dodd is backing him.

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Original Post: 10/3/04 3:35 pm

With yesterday's defeat of Tom Daschle's re-election bid, it's not too early to begin asking who will replace him as minority leader of the Senate. Some names we've seen around: Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.); Sens. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) and Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.).

TalkLeft supports Sen. Richard Durbin of Illinois, primarily on his record, yet also because he comes from a solidly Democratic state and Republicans won't be able to successfully target him for removal the way they did Daschle.

Dick Durbin is one of the Senate's strongest advocates for civil liberties and fighters against torture and Pentagon abuses in Congress. He is a strong critic of the Patriot Act. He was one of the Senate conferees on the 9/11 Intelligence Reform bill and didn't cave to the House bill with its provisions for more law enforcement powers and death penalty eligible offenses. He supports medical marijuana and is a harsh critic of John Ashcroft. He opposedSen. Diane Feinstein's anti-gang bill. He enjoyed Fahrenheit 9/11.