“She has a spot in Democratic leadership, a swelling alliance of liberals in Congress and a rabid following in the Democratic Party.

“The question is: What does Elizabeth Warren want to do with all that power?

“Groups on the left are trying to draft the Massachusetts liberal into the presidential race, viewing her as the perfect populist counterweight to Hillary Clinton in 2016.

“Warren has steadfastly refused those overtures, and allies take her at her word that she isn’t planning to run.

“Meanwhile, her influence in the Senate is on the rise, partly due to a new position in Democratic leadership that makes her a liaison to groups on the left who have grown frustrated with the party’s direction.

“Warren has signaled she won’t be a shrinking violet in the post, last week defying Senate leaders and the White House to lead a revolt against government funding legislation that included a provision that rolled back part of the Dodd-Frank financial reform law.”

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“Warren, 63, trails in seniority behind several colleagues on the Banking Committee as well as the Democratic caucus, making a rapid ascent unlikely.

“But supporters say she already has the influence she needs, regardless of what title she holds.

“There’s no one in the Congress today who has half the national following of Elizabeth Warren, and that is political muscle,” said Dennis Kelleher, president of Better Markets, a financial reform group. “She doesn’t need to be around for 20 years slogging her way through the leadership ladder to have power and influence. She’s already there.”

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Read the full The Hill article by Peter Schroeder here.