Not only is he going to follow in the very large footsteps Chuck Schumer left at the DSCC--where he gained the Dems at least 13 seats in two election cycles. If history is any guide, Menendez's first cycle will be a tough one for Dems, since the party of the president usally fares poorly in the midterm elections of that president's first term. Throw in the fact that things didn't exactly end well for the last New Jersey Senator to helm the DSCC and, well, Menendez is either incredibly brave, incredibly foolish, or just incredibly ambitious.
--Jason Zengerle