Pelosi faces no-win outcome over Murtha

[oberliner]

WASHINGTON - Democrats moved toward picking a top lieutenant to speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi and hoped to put to rest a politically costly family feud that intensified just days after they reclaimed the House from GOP control.


Pelosi passed over Steny Hoyer of Maryland, now the assistant minority leader, and endorsed longtime ally John Murtha of Pennsylvania to become majority leader, the powerful No. 2 party post in the House. Yet Murtha could prove to be a problematic candidate because of his penchant for trading votes for pork projects and his ties to the Abscam bribery sting in 1980, the only lawmaker involved who wasn't charged.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061116/ap_on_go_co/congress_leaders

[aquart]

1. Wow! Smear city! He wasn't charged because he wasn't guilty!

Hoyer, however, is on record wanting a Democratic K Street project.......not good.

It's really killing them to see us win, to see Pelosi win her first power struggle. It's choking their fascist guts.

Heh. Heh. Heh.

[jackbourassa]

3. Exactly!

This "ethics" flap took place TWENTY-SIX years ago. Jimmy Carter was still President when it happened and Murtha was completely exonerated.

This is ridiculous. Hoyer must really be behind, because he is acting so desperate.

I keep hearing the Murtha has the votes, that may explain Hoyer's behavior.

Hoyer is a turd, and that's being kind.

By the way, if Murtha wins, I think Pelosi will come out of this A HUGE WINNER. This is Hoyer just trying to undermine OUR LEADER, which is typical given his record. This is why Hoyer has to go. Hoyer is too ambitious and is willing to bring the whole party down if it benefits him politically.

[Virginia Dare]

5. Murtha has more recent ethics issues...

but so does Hoyer in my opinion. The Democrats need to clean up the whole corrupt system, or they will find themselves on a very short ride. Whether Murtha or Hoyer come out on top, everybody needs to clean up their act quick. The lobbyist sharks on K Street will come circling around rather quickly regardless of who is in power, you can bet on that.

Having said that, I disagree with the OP, Peolosi doesn't lose either way. They are all professional politicians, and whatever happens, in the end it doesn't damage anybody, they'll work together when it counts.

[pberq]

2. More proof that MSM media is a tool of the fascists

[DoYouEverWonder]

4. The GOP and the M$M must be terrified of Murtha

they sure are doing everything they can to undermine him.

[phiddle]

6. What is yet to be revealed---war profiteering, Haliburton under

Cheney, etc.---will make Murtha look like penny-ante stuff. Meanwhile, if Murtha becomes the majority leader, we'll have strong cover on the Iraq issue, and Pelosi will have a loyal lieutenant.

[Norquist Nemesis]

7. Andrew Taylor again

It's on the AP. Pure slime.