Sen. Bennet plans to continue bipartisan work as DSCC chairman

Sen. Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) took more than three weeks to decide whether he wanted to serve as chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee because, he said, he wanted to make sure he could still work across the aisle while holding the partisan position.

"I ... wanted to make sure it would not interfere with my ability to work in a bipartisan way in the Senate," Bennet told the Denver Post. "I talked to people on both sides of the aisle about that and became convinced."

Bennet is a member of the Gang of Eight, a bipartisan group of senators that's worked behind the scenes on a potential deal to avoid the "fiscal cliff" of tax increases and spending cuts set to hit next month, and he's known for his work with Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) on tax and entitlement reform.

But the DSCC chairmanship is one of the most prominently partisan positions a senator can hold on Capitol Hill, as it requires the lawmaker to raise millions to support Democratic candidates in election fights that can get nasty.

The Denver Post report reveals Bennet was concerned that accepting the position would undermine his ability to continue that work with Republicans. He sought, and received, "assurances from all over Capitol Hill" that he would be able to continue his bipartisan work before accepting the position, according to the Post.

And Bennet indicated he plans to continue negotiating with his Republican colleagues on issues, despite the long hours he'll have to spend traveling and fundraising over the next two years.

"We're going to have to figure out how to make it work with the other responsibilities I have," he said.

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