Reply #61: They wanted a halfassed CAT FIGHT, IMO. And they loved the idea of a FEMALE smack-dab in the middle

[MADem]

Even though the vote count ended up pretty well what the real experts predicted a week or more ago. But here's the truth of the matter in a nutshell, buried in the NYT:

The Hoyer-Murtha contest was not fought along conventional ideological lines. Mr. Murtha, 74, a staunch conservative on most issues with the exception of his highly publicized opposition to the Iraq war, had the support from some of the most liberal Democrats. Mr. Hoyer, the more liberal of the two, had strong backing from moderates and centrists, as well as some of the most seasoned House Democrats.

House and Senate members.....wondered why, in her moment of victory, she injected herself into a leadership fight that was bound to end with the selection of her rival, Mr. Hoyer, or her own choice, a lawmaker criticized for his ethics record, after an election in which Democrats campaigned on a clean-government theme.

Mr. Hoyer and Ms. Pelosi have had a sometimes tense relationship, at least in part because he unsuccessfully challenged her for the party whip post in 2001. In that contest, Mr. Murtha ran Ms. Pelosi’s campaign.

Mr. Murtha, who is 74 and has been in Congress for almost 33 years, threw more fuel on that fire. Members of the conservative Democratic Blue Dog group said that during an appearance before them Tuesday, Mr. Murtha disparaged an ethics overhaul that Ms. Pelosi and the leadership have been promising as one of their first orders of business.......After writing a letter of support for Mr. Murtha, Ms. Pelosi personally went to bat for him, attending a reception for new members and pressing lawmakers on their choice for majority leader. Her allies say her intervention reflects the sort of risk-taking strategy that has brought her to the brink of becoming speaker, and that it sent a message to lawmakers that if they stick with her, she will reciprocate.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/16/us/politics/16congcnd.html?hp&ex=1163739600&en=ff1c971279854b88&ei=5094&partner=homepage

A stoops-to-conquer technique, demonstrating her character, even though the conclusion was foregone. And Hoyer isn't holding a grudge, because he is politically pragmatic, and a decent guy who understands things like loyalty.