Even before the election results were final, Republicans began voicing their outrage at the possibility that Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., might become Chairman of the House Select Committee on Intelligence. Now that Speaker-to-be, Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., has announced that Rep. Hastings will not get the nod, are Republicans truly happy or are they disappointed ?MRB:
Contrary to some of my fellow Democrats I do not think that Speaker-elect Pelosi has lost anything in the first few weeks of her new authority. I spent most of my adult life in Baltimore, Maryland, where politics is not just something you read about in the papers. It is a full contact sport and it was in that tough as nails environment where Mrs. Pelosi cut her political teeth.
Appointing Rep. Hastings, after his outrages, to the Select Committee on Intelligence would have been an oxymoron. That decision was clearly a no-brainer. Did the Gone Old Party really think she'd do that after an election where they just lost because of one scandal after another, among other things? They must be very sad.
Also, I think it was very smart of her to choose Rep. Murtha but let the House vote decide on Rep. Hoyer (from Maryland remember) as second in command. By doing that she showed loyalty to someone who had helped her but who she probably knew, behind closed doors anyway, wouldn't be elected by his colleagues. He's far too controversial and scandal tainted. So she now wins both ways. She doesn't have to worry about Mr. Murtha any longer because she was loyal and can now publicly begin to make amends (if there ever were any to make anyway) with Steny Hoyer, a truly effective legislator and vote building Number Two man. I think it was a brilliant maneuver.
No, the Republicans will just have to keep waiting to be happy. Speaker-elect Pelosi, don't forget, was trained in Maryland where the state sport is jousting. Knowing that I can just see her sharpening her lance as we speak.
KJW:
Nancy Pelosi got off to a bad start by supporting Rep. John P. Murtha, D- Pa., for majority leader. Now she is dealing with another situation that can potentially undermine her ability to effectively lead a bipartisan House for the next two years. Since Pelosi apparently hates Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif. who is the ranking Democrat on the House Select Committee on Intelligence, she has made clear her intention to appoint someone other than Ms. Harman as the Chairperson of the committee.
Apparently Pelosi's first choice for the position was Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla. However, it seems that after realizing that there would be substantial fallout from such an appointment, she has announced that Hastings will not be her choice as the Chairman. It is interesting to note that Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who at the time had been in office for less than one year, voted to impeach then Federal Judge Hastings. How she could have come full circle to the point of considering him for such a position of leadership is incomprehensible. The fact is that Hastings carries enough baggage by himself to single handedly make a joke out of Pelosi's promise of "the most ethical Congress in history".
So are the Republicans disappointed that Pelosi did not choose Hastings? Absolutely. Despite the "can't we all just get along" speak between President Bush and the Democratic leaders, Republicans are no doubt hopeful that the next two years will be a disaster politically for the Democrats. Only the naive believe that bipartisanship will actually exist between now and the '08 election.
EJS:
Talk radio and Republicans in general have been crucifying Alcee Hastings since the Democrats won on November 7, and with good cause. Mr. Hastings is one of only six federal judges ever to have been impeached by the US Senate. Many have argued that he deserves a chance to chair the elite Intelligence committee because he was never convicted in a court of law. Mr. Hastings was convicted on nine articles of impeachment in the Senate, and unfortunately, didn't strip him of the right to hold federal office in the future, though they had the opportunity.
This and the election of Steny Hoyer over John Murtha bodes well for conservatives. It indicates that the fringe left isn't running the show, and moderates will lead. Let us not forget, it was not the so-called "progressives" who won on election day, it was moderate Democrats who benefited from conservatives dissatisfaction with the Republican party. These Blue Dog Democrats will more than likely caucus with Republicans on many issues, social and fiscal.
The Democrats find themselves in a position of responsibility, finally, and are still in the very early stages of proving to the American people that they are worthy and effective governors. The next two years is a kind of trial period for Democrats, in preparation for the big prize in 2008. If they get in there and go crazy left with investigations and corrupt liberals, they will be ostracized from power for another eight years. However, if they show themselves to be level-headed pragmatists who are committed to making America better, then perhaps Americans will give them more opportunities. I will give Nancy Pelosi credit for one thing; she is a very shrewd politician.
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