Pelosi’s First Test – Promotes Anti-War Murtha Over Hoyer

So now that the Democrats have won the House of Representatives they are forced to make leadership decisions. Thus, the newly minted “moderate” Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi is forced to choose between anti war John Murtha or the present house whip Steny Hoyer for the House Majority Leader position.

Well folks, she has choosen anti-war Murtha, even with a majority of the Democrats already saying they will support Steny Hoyer. So the “moderate” Pelosi is going to fight a likely losing battle to get her anti war candidate Murtha elected Majority leader. That sounds very moderate, doesn’t it.

It all happened with a five-paragraph letter circulated to the press on Sunday night. The current number two in House leadership, House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), says he has enough votes to score the majority-leader slot when Democrats meet on Thursday. But he has been challenged by Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.), a decorated Vietnam War veteran who stunned colleagues last year by calling for the immediate withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq. Pelosi wrote a letter endorsing Murtha, noting pointedly in the first sentence that he had asked for it. Praising his “courageous leadership” on Iraq “strong voice for national security,” she wrote that she is “pleased to support” his candidacy.

A Democratic strategist, speaking on condition of anonymity because of ties to both sides, said the next 24 hours will be crucial. “Murtha needed to change the dynamic because he was losing,” the strategist said. “Steny had a majority before the letter — he needs to hold on to his people. The question is, Does she do more than the letter, like make calls?”via  TIME