Elizabeth Warren gets Senate leadership job

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 (UPI) -- Senate Democrats, looking to tap into the political and fundraising prowess of Elizabeth Warren, have created a new leadership post for the Massachusetts freshman.

Incoming Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., engaged in private talks with the popular progressive to create the new role, which is expected to be called the strategic policy adviser to the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee.

Warren will serve as a liaison to liberal groups that have been clamoring for congressional Democrats, and the party as a whole, to focus more on populist issues.

The rest of the Senate Democratic leadership -- Reid and his deputies, Dick Durbin of Illinois, Chuck Schumer of New York and Patty Murray of Washington -- retained their roles. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan will continue as Senate Democratic Policy chairwoman, and Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota will take over as chairwoman o the Steering Committee from Mark Begich of Alaska, who has likely lost re-election but has not yet conceded.

Reid faced some opposition, namely from Sens. Claire McCaskill of Missouri and Joe Manchin of West Virginia.

"I met with Harry Reid and told him I would not be supporting him for minority leader," McCaskill said in a statement ahead of the vote. "I heard the voters of Missouri loud and clear. They want change in Washington. Common sense tells me that begins with changes in leadership."

Meanwhile, Montana Sen. John Tester took over the chairmanship of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

On the other side of the aisle, Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was unanimously elected majority leader by the Republican conference.

His deputies will be John Cornyn of Texas as the majority whip; John Thune of South Dakota as Senate Republican conference chairman; John Barrasso of Wyoming as Senate Republican policy chairman; Roy Blunt of Missouri as Senate Republican vice conference chairman; and Roger Wicker of Mississippi as National Republican Senatorial Committee chairman.

Wicker defeated Dean Heller of Nevada in a close race, after Heller pledged to work to defeat his home-state colleague, Reid, in two years.