The Hill News

Democrats' fortunes are "joined at the hip" with President Obama's success, a top Senate Democrat suggested Monday.

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), a top lawmaker in charge of the party's messaging in the Senate, said that there's a direct relationship between how Obama is faring, and how they'll fare.

"We Democrats in the House and Senate know we're joined at the hip with the president," Schumer said on "Good Morning America" on ABC. "He does well, we do well, and vice versa."

Schumer's admonition comes after weeks of bloodletting between congressional Democrats and the White House in the height of a debate over Obama's tax cut deal. The administration managed to successfully push its deal with Republicans through the House and Senate, but not without loud -- and sometimes embarrassing -- public squabbles with liberal lawmakers, who accused the administration of being too weak in negotiations.

The White House must be prepared ! to draw more lines in the sand when it faces down a Republican-controlled House come January, Schumer counseled.

"My advice to the president is compromise when you can, but when people are being unreasonable…draw some lines in the sand and fight," he said.

One issue on which Obama is drawing such a line is the New START treaty, which Schumer said the White House was pushing hard in the closing days of the lame-duck Congress.

"The president is working really hard on this. He's burning up the phone lines," he said. "We do need nine or 10 Republican votes on this, and I do think we will get them."

The Senate will go into a closed-door session today to debate the treaty, and a test vote to see how much support the treaty enjoys could be held on Tuesday.

New Republican lawmakers are sworn in on Jan. 5. In the interim, lawmakers are rushing to finish lame-duck action on several outstanding bills, including the New START Tr! eaty, and a bill to fund health programs for first responders ! to the 9 /11 attacks, both of which face Senate action this week.

Schumer said he believes that Democrats have the votes to advance the 9/11 bill, and said that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) appeared likely to bring back the House for a final vote on that measure.