The two top people in the House of Representatives – Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer – both have Maryland roots (Pelosi was born in Baltimore, Hoyer grew up in and represents Maryland).
Behold our awesomeness.
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November 16th, 2006
25 Comments
Yeah, I guess Pelosi has so much power, she can’t even convince the House to line up behind her pick for majority leader.
You said it, Tuco. What the hell is up with the Democrats not falling into lockstep and doing exactly what they’re told? I mean, how dare they think for themselves?
Oh yeah, they aren’t Republicans.
Yeah, Tuco, I guess it’s too bad that Fox “News” won’t be able to have a weeklong expose on the myriad ABSCAM scandals of John Murtha, Majority Leader.
Hoyer and Pelosi will have to work together regardless of past issues (hell, if McCain can forgive Bush all his transgressions, Pelosi and Hoyer can forgive each other their rivalries).
I think Pelosi made a mistake publicly acknowledging what was a common assumption–that she preferred Murtha to Hoyer. Ultimately, this is a minimal story…when the Dem-controlled House actually starts wielding power, nobody is going to care that she didn’t get her first choice for No. 2.
I’ll give the Dems this much.
They decided that ethics and corruption do matter at least when it comes to the House Majority post.
Unlike a particular blogger I know.
Credit where credit is due. Pelosi made the right choice. Hoyer is better for the party and for the country, and I hope that Republicans can make a similar choice tomorrow.
Now if Nancy can tell Hastings to take a hike, I think there might actually be something to this whole “Clean Government” thing.
“But what fun it will be watching you try to spin this into anything other than a black eye for the new Speaker.”
Tuco’s awaiting his orders as we speak …
“I guess Pelosi has so much power, she can’t even convince the House to line up behind her pick for majority leader.”
Oh, I gues you already got your orders. Hack.
Okay so we can now confirm that Gravy and Drone have some integrity.
tyfoc and Tuco, not so much …
A black eye?
She’s the speaker of the House.
He’s the majority leader.
Yeah, real “loss”.
A black eye implies a harder hit than what just happened here.
I’d hate to think what Rumsfeld’s resignation looks like on Bush if this is a black eye on Pelosi. Must be gruesome.
Yeah, I guess Pelosi has so much power, she can’t even convince the House to line up behind her pick for majority leader.
Try not to be so predictable, willya?
What we have here is an indication that the caucus will direct its leadership, not vice versa. I know it’s a difficult idea to fathom after 12 years of “The Hammer,” but you’ll get used to it.
Interesting. The Blue Dogs are backing Harman over Hastings. Might actually happen, too.
Oh no a different Democrat was elected Majority Leader than the stated preference of the Speaker-elect.
This is not a story.
Well now, the Dems are only showcasing blatant corruption in the MAjority Leaders office. Hoyer is good news. He does not support surrender in Iraq. More evidence that the left did not win hearts and minds – moderate Democrats did and Republicans lost hearts and minds.
“surrender in Iraq”
You say it long enough and maybe it will be true, I guess. Hoyer’s against staying this stupid fucking course. There’s miles of grey area between that and “surrender.” Go pitch your canards elsewhere.
Dugger: “You might have won the election, but I didn’t want your stupid houses of congress anyway cos, like, they smell and stuff, and winning wasn’t, like, a good thing for you anyway because now everyone knows you stink and stuff.”
For the right wing, grace is just something that happens to other people.
Lieberman wins big in Connecticut over an extremist. Nancy Pelosi backs an extreme leftist- surrender candidate in the House. He loses big time. Webb, Shuler win. I see a message in all of this – maybe you don’t. Maybe it snows in Key West.
Nancy Pelosi backs an extreme leftist- surrender candidate in the House.
Murtha? An “extreme leftist”? You’re off to a rough start right there. Murtha is to the right of both of the moderate Dems you mention (Webb and Shuler). You seem to be crowning him as “extreme” just because of his position on Iraq.
News flash, Dugs. Pols from across the political spectrum, right to left, are coming around to the idea that there’s not much more our military can–or should–accomplish in Iraq.
Nothing “leftist” about that.
Dugger, you’re an idiot.
That’s all there is to it.
Lieberman carried the Republican vote because the Republicans couldn’t field a candidate better than either Lamont or Lieberman. Not a great day for conservatism there.
Webb’s a principled conservative and I like him for it–the Congress hasn’t seen too many men like him for awhile on either side of the aisle. He’s a fine antidote to the preschoolers running the White House.
Shuler is Shuler.
Now…how about the rest of the legislators-elect you fail to mention? How do they fit into your “anti-liberal Democrat” balloonjuice?
Quaker,
“Nothing left.” Really? I’d accept mostly left. The overall mid point 2005 between Rs and Ds is (ADA) right at 50%. Murtha is at 75%. That would seem to the left to me. But it is true he is not as far to the left as the Dem House average average of about 90%. But considering both parties, to the left – yes.
BD,
You tell me. Its your hypotheis. I never said ‘anti-liberal. My point would be that not that the right and the left didn’t have victories (in their own enclaves – in Ga. here the right was very strong) – but that the changeovers were mostly, largely by non hard-left candidates. Ford ran strong and to the right. Tester advertised tax relief and gun rights. Casy is a recognized social conservative like his dad. Not saying there aren’t a few, but in the Democrats ascendancy, I don’t know of many if any hard left conversions (Lamont would have been one).
Then by that measure, you would tag almost the entire Democratic caucus as “extreme leftists.”
I’m glad we have that out in the open.
Nevertheless, in spite of Mr. Murtha’s other positions, you seem to be using his position on Iraq as the defining measure of his political posture. That position is shared by politicians of varied political hues.
Nancy Pelosi backs an extreme leftist- surrender candidate in the House. He loses big time. Webb, Shuler win. I see a message in all of this
Your “extreme leftist,” Mr. Murtha has an ADA rating of 75 percent, you say? And the caucus rejected him in favor of Mr. Hoyer?
Well, now.
The information we need to understand the “message in all this” seems incomplete. What else do we need to know?
Then by that measure, you would tag almost the entire Democratic caucus as “extreme leftists.”
Both parties averages are over to the edges. This seems to be a trend – hardening ideologies.
“And your message is that”
Murtha is special (in a neagtive sort of way0 and his own party recognizes it: hence Pelosi is elected, but not Murtha.
Murtha is special (in a neagtive sort of way0 and his own party recognizes it
Sufferin’ catfish! That’s some low-quality weaseling, Dugs.
Back to basics:
1) Dugger avers that there is a message to be learned from the episode of Mr. Murtha
2) Dugger notes that the Dem caucus chose Mr. Hoyer over the “extreme leftist” Murtha
3) Dugger notes that “extreme leftist has an ADA rating of 75 percent
4) However, that’s not enough information to tease out the “message” Mr. Dugger says should be plain
What other bit of information could be helpful here?
Anyone?