Under a plan conceived by the aggressive New Yorker and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, Democratic leaders are building a new messaging machine for the entire 53-member Democratic Caucus that replicates Schumer’s tactics in driving national and regional news. The idea is to identify hot-button issues early, frame them in a favorable light for the party and allow Democratic senators to relentlessly drive home the point through press briefings, conference calls, newspaper op-eds and local interviews.

“There will be a far more aggressive, more proactive, more rapid response than we’ve seen in the past,” said Sen. Robert Menendez of New Jersey.

What makes the approach different is that Schumer wants to place heavy emphasis on rebuilding regional and local press coverage, circumventing Washington’s media while trying to generate positive news coverage for Democratic senators at home — particularly for the 23 caucus members who face reelection in 2012.