Personal Personnel Decisions

13 November 2006



Pelosi Backs Murtha over Hoyer for Majority Leader

She hasn’t been officially elected to the job yet, but the next Speaker of the House will be Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). As her first decision, she has endorsed John Murtha (D-OH) as House Majority Leader, Tom DeLay’s old job. Mr. Murtha is running against Maryland’s Steny Hoyer, Ms. Pelosi’s current deputy. It was a silly move motivated by personal considerations rather than by smart politics.

Former Marine Murtha gave a lot of doves cover a few months back when he called for a US withdrawal from Iraq within six months (the amount of time needed to pull out in an order fashion and redeploy forces safely). Ms. Pelosi’s letter of endorsement acknowledged that, “I salute your courageous leadership that changed the national debate and helped make Iraq the central issue of this historic election. It was surely a dark day for the Bush Administration when you spoke truth to power. Your strong voice for national security, the war on terror and Iraq provides genuine leadership for our party, and I count on you to lead on these vital issues.”

More to the point, though, Mr. Murtha managed Ms. Pelosi’s campaign for the minority whip job in 2001. This may explain why she’s done a 180-degree turn on the Murtha bid. She’s been rather vociferous in opposing him until now. She had stated that Mr. Hoyer should get the job because he’s been her deputy while in opposition.

The wise path was for her to remain neutral. Over the last few years, though, the leadership of the Democrats hasn't numbered wisdom among its collective virtues. Her predecessor, the undistinguished but well-support Denis Hastert (R-IL), chose no sides and, therefore, retained the high moral ground while offending no one. Ms. Pelosi has already managed to offend Mr. Hoyer’s supporters with her betrayal (perhaps there’s a kinder word but that one happens to fit). If they win, they won’t forget or forgive. If they lose, they may sulk Achilles-like when she needs them most.

This view of the very personal nature of her leadership is underscored by her all-but-certain decision not to let Jane Harman chair the House Intelligence Committee and give the job to Alcee Hastings (D-FL). Ms. Pelosi can’t stand Ms. Harman, and Ms. Harman is something of a hawk, compared to the dovish soon-to-be Speaker. Ms. Pelosi benefited greatly from the support of the Black Caucus in her climb up the greasy pole, and this would be appropriate payback. Mr. Hastings, however, is the least qualified man to sit in the House, let alone chair any committee. He used to be Judge Hastings until he was caught taking a bribe. He was impeached by a Democratically-controlled House on a vote of 413 to 3 in 1989. The Senate made him just one of six judges in US history ever removed from the bench. Quite what the people of Florida are thinking every time they re-elect him is hard to say (then again, Florida elections are surreal anyway).

Not that Mr. Murtha is super clean either. He was one of the legislators busted in the ABSCAM sting, but the charges were dropped in exchange for his testimony against another congressman. The House Ethics Committee cleared him on a 6-6 vote. And this year, he’s been accused of steering federal funds to a company that employs his brother and another run by a former aide.

© Copyright 2006 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Fedora Linux.

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