She's baaaaaaaaaack

And not a minute too soon.

Susan McCue, former chief of staff to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, is returning to play an advisory role to the Nevada Democrat.

Ms. McCue is leaving her full-time post as head of the ONE Campaign, the anti-poverty group created by the singer Bono, as of Dec. 1 to open a new communications and consulting firm. The move frees her up to help Mr. Reid plot strategy as Democrats head into 2008.

Ms. McCue was known for her close working relationship with the senator, and could serve as an intermediary between lawmakers and activists unhappy with the inability of Congressional Democrats to force a change in Bush administration’s war policy. She could also help bolster Mr. Reid back home in Nevada, where his poll numbers have slipped due to his high profile on contentious issues in Congress.

Susan is a hard ass. And she's smart - politically smart. From what I hear, a lot of Reid's initial successes a few years back, on taking the job of Democratic leader (back when we all loved him), were because of Susan. Then she left and took over the One Campaign, and things start going south in Reid-land. Let's hope this means things will start heading north again. Welcome back, Susan. We missed you. And please bring back the old Harry Reid. We miss him too.