Why is Steny Hoyer so disliked?

[Tiggeroshii]

What did he do? Some people said he was corrupt. What's the argument here? Was he just not as liked as Murtha, who was far more distingished than Hoyer in the follow up to the election?

:shrug:

[MadMaddie]

1. During the last six years he apparantly backstabbed the Dems

on several major issues...

[Tiggeroshii]

3. So he's too moderate?

I think if you look at house voting records though, Murtha is among the most conservative. Remember: he's one of only 2 members of congress in favor of reinstating the draft.

[Hippo_Tron]

23. There's a difference, Murtha would've marched lockstep with Pelosi

Murtha may be conservative on his own but in the leadership position he would've disregarded all of his views if they conflicted with an order from Pelosi. He's a loyalist and if he had been elected Majority Leader, he would've known who he had to thank for it. Murtha is part of the Pelosi camp and Hoyer has his own camp.

[DaveinMD]

15. during the past 6 years

he's done a great job helping to build our party.

[GregD]

2. DLC allegiance?

[Donna Zen]

4. Hoyer "hearts" Torture...War...Bankruptcy

I can't imagine Hoyer rallying the numbers for any progressive idea.

[texpatriot2004]

12. Hoyer also "hearts" * nm

[POPULISTDEM2006]

5. Hoyer

The new moderate Democrats who took office this year, clearly wanted Hoyer to become majority leader. He has been the number 2 guy in the House under Pelosi. He is entitled to that position and Pelosi really messed up by endorsing Murtha for Majority Leader. And if you want to talk corrupt, Murtha's name comes to mind before Hoyer. I supported Hoyer because he represents the NEW majority in the Democrat membership. I also support Jane Harman over Alcee Hastings for Intelligence Chair.

[Warpy]

16. First, it's DemocratIC leadership, no matter what the right wing

says. They're displaying their ignorance by using the noun "Democrat" as an adjective.

Second, nobody in elected office in Congress is ENTITLED to anything but the office to which he was elected by his constituents in his home state. This isn't an inherited position the way it is in the GOP.

Third, if you're referring to Murtha on those ABSCAM tapes, I suggest you go to YouTube and search for them. Murtha can be clearly heard REFUSING bribes and telling the sting operation what is legal and what is not. That the right wing is trying to paint him as an example of corruption is both ignorant and disgraceful.

Fourth, I doubt it matters much to the new leadership whom you support for what.

[Orangepeel]

17. welcome to DU, populist!

:hi:

[Hippo_Tron]

24. Welcome to DU but I have to disagree with you on one point in particular

Nobody is ENTITLED to any leadership position.

[barb162]

6. He's disliked? I don't think so.

He won the vote today by about 65%

[acmejack]

7. He's a fine orator.

I always like to hear him get up on C-span. He has voted the corporate way on most, if not all, of the issues in the last Congress(es). He voted for the Patriot Act, for the War, for the Bankruptcy Bill. Congressional Voting Record

edit to clarify most if not all of the corporate support

[thatsrightimirish]

8. He is more liberal than Murtha

The record shows it http://issues2000.org/PA/John_Murtha.htm
http://issues2000.org/House/Steny_Hoyer.htm

[acmejack]

9. Not too many bleeding heart liberal marine colonels.

[w4rma]

10. He supports 'free' trade and outsourcing. He has poor judgement as he attacked Murtha on the war. nt

[thatsrightimirish]

14. no

hoyer-Rated 22% by CATO, indicating a pro-fair trade voting record.
murtha-Rated 40% by CATO, indicating a mixed record on trade issues.

[w4rma]

21. See post #18. (nt)

[texpatriot2004]

11. Here's another thread on this same subject

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=364x2732812

[LittleClarkie]

13. Has it been substantiated yet as to whether his office released the ABSCAM

video of Murtha?

[Orangepeel]

19. did it have to be "released"?

I'm asking because I don't know. But I'm thinking that as big news as it was at the time, the press would be more likely to have copies than Hoyer's office would. I have vague memories of seeing the tapes on some 60 Minutes type show.

[jen4clark]

18. Some little Steny Hoyer tidbits:

From DAVE SIROTA-- written a year ago:

Finally, it has been Hoyer who has made a point of actively working against Pelosi on major congressional votes. You remember, it was Hoyer - the Democratic Whip - who refused to whip votes together to try to defeat the corporate-written CAFTA (Central American Free Trade Agreement).

When Pelosi tried to build opposition to the disgusting bankruptcy bill, it was Hoyer, the second-ranking Democrat in the House, who not only didn't whip against the bankruptcy bill, but actually voted for it, after pocketing massive campaign contributions from the banking industry.

While Pelosi was taking a stand by voting against the Iraq War, Hoyer was voting for the Iraq War.

And when Pelosi worked to keep her caucus together in opposing the GOP Energy Bill, it was Hoyer who voted for the nauseating legislation after pocketing more than $300,000 from energy/natural resource industry cash. That legislation that literally gave away billions of taxpayer dollars to the energy industry profiteers who proceeded to bilk Americans with higher and higher gas prices.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/hoyers-campaign-to-under_b_11848.html

_________________________________________________________

Also, Hoyer was one of HAVA's 2 principal co-sponsors (the other being Bob Ney) Hijack American's Votes Act.

Here's a statement he made in June 2005 reflecting his understanding of how the Act affected our elections:

“I believe that our nation has made great strides in improving our election system since the debacle of the 2000 presidential election."


H/T to ms in la at CCN

[wyldwolf]

25. As I've said before, if Sirota doesn't like someone, chances are I will

[Cookie wookie]

20. HAVA

Guess some dems want Hoyer in there to help ensure the Republicans can hack the vote for 2008. After all, Ney is gone and Dodd is acting innocent.

[dmosh42]

22. Pelosi wanted someone in tune with her ideas

Murtha not only openly changed direction on the Iraq war, thus leading many to re-assess their positions, but he had a record of other things like opposition to the China 'free trade' treaty in 2000, which has cost us trillions. Hoyer took positions more accommodating to Repubs, like their 'slave trade' agreements, and pretty much backing the war for a long time past the rest of the country. From what I have seen, Pelosi is more in tune with the 'old style' Democrats, who fought more for jobs for working people and less for corporate interests.