More About Our First Self-Identified Feminist Speaker of the House
A story in The Hill reports that Congressman Moran says Speaker-in-waiting Pelosi will "ensure" that John Murtha wins the race for House Majority Leader.
Pelosi surprised many with her public endorsement of John Murtha.
She didn't have to take sides in the controversial battle for House Majority Leader. There's been a lot of talk about how Pelosi will be perceived as "weak" if John Murtha doesn't win the race. She could have taken sides but not publicly. She's making a deliberately bold move like an aggressive kickass feminist leader would.
Under Pelosi's reign last year, House Democrats voted together 88 percent of the time. That's the most "unified stance" by House Democrats in half a century!
The Hill:
House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will ensure that Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) wins his race for majority leader, a key Murtha ally said Monday night.
"She will ensure that they [the Murtha camp] win. This is hard-ball politics," said Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), a longtime Murtha supporter. "We are entering an era where when the Speaker instructs you what to do, you do it."
Pelosi’s move was deliberate, Moran said, and she was already leaning on her colleagues to affect the outcome.
"Yes, she’s making calls to people. She is contacting people and letting them know that it’s an unequivocal letter," Moran said.
A spokeswoman for Pelosi could not immediately confirm that she had made the calls. Pelosi returned today from New York City after attending the birth of her sixth grandchild. She voted on the floor and then attended Murtha’s reception Monday night for newly elected members.
If Moran’s claims are true, Pelosi is taking an enormous gamble only a week after the election propelled her into the Speakership. If she prevails, she will likely banish her onetime rival Hoyer to the back benches and send a clear signal to her colleagues that she intends to rule with an iron hand. If Hoyer wins, she loses substantial political capital and alerts the caucus that they can successfully oppose her.
Moran, however, was unapologetic. "If you want to be a strong Speaker, you do this, and Nancy is going to be one of the strongest."
Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) said some members had already abandoned Hoyer for Murtha in the wake of Pelosi's endorsement, a claim the Hoyer camp vigorously denies.
"Some people have already changed," Pascrell said.
To complicate matters, some claim that Murtha has ethical problems. And supporters of Murtha's opponent -- Congressman Hoyer -- say he has "more than enough votes to prevail, regardless of Pelosi's wishes."
One of Hoyer's supporters is so certain that his candidate will win that he claims: "This race is already a done deal."
Stay tuned.
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