Incoming Speaker Pelosi has now stated that she will not nominate disgraced former judge Alcee Hastings to the House Select Committee on Intelligence. The fact that Pelosi was even considering nominating someone who had been removed from the federal judiciary for bribe-taking was hardly a sign of great wisdom on her part.
Pelosi is refusing to renominate Rep. Jane Harman to the position despite the fact that she’s arguably the best candidate for the job. Her support for the war in Iraq (support shared by a significant fraction of the Democratic caucus at the time) has made her radioactive with the cut-and-run wing of the Democratic Party. Instead, Pelosi seems likely to nominate the next most ranking member of the HSCI, Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas. Despite Rep. Reyes having been a former member of the US Border Patrol, he’s firmly on the side of an open US border. Reyes also voted against the recent Military Commissions Act and other key national security bills.
It will be interesting to see what the ramifications of this will be. The Congressional Black Caucus had been strongly pushing for Hastings, and Pelosi either offered them some kind of quid pro quo or told them to stuff it. Either way, the CBC is not going to be happy with this. Pelosi’s not a good leader, and even a good leader would have a tough time keeping the Democratic caucus in line — herding cats would be much easier. Getting rid of Hastings is unquestionably good news all around, but Pelosi’s likely to pay some political price for it. What that price may be will depend on how willing the CBC is to play ball with her. If she can’t keep them on her side, she’s going to have a lot of trouble over the next two years.
Wow. Another post about how Pelosi has failed as a leader before she gets the gavel. It’s almost as if your partisan bias doesn’t allow you to see things objectively…
And being objective and non-partisan yourself, Seth, do you then view Pelosi’s nominees of Murtha and Hastings as a success?
Pelosi didn’t nominate Hastings.
Eracus–
I don’t particularly care who leadership is, but I think it’s just a wee bit overblown to repeatedly speak of someone as a failed leader six weeks before she has any power and all over who she chooses to be a committee head or be majority leader.
Will, you’re engaging in semantics. And Seth, you’re just naive. Nancy’s made alot of enemies over the years, the knives are out and hers is not as sharp as some others. The cat fight she’s picking with Jane Harman, for instance, shows some pretty poor judgment for a House Speaker. I’d say she’s just drunk with power these days, but she’s always been drunk with power, and never quite ready for prime time. Hmmm….but come to think of it, didn’t she used to play the girl opposite Will Ferrell in the SNL cheerleading skits?
Well, since you’re right about everything and that is that, I think Jay should post another 15 this week about how Pelosi’s committee chair preferences show she is a horrible leader who hates America.
So, you think this was something less than a disaster? Pelosi has failed two key tests so far: she lost with Murtha, and now she’s had to bend with Hastings. The argument that those aren’t failures on her part is one that can only be made in utter ignorance of the plain and simple truth.
Odd how you never seem to respond all the many times I criticize Republicans, yet whine like a whipped pup when I criticize Saint Nancy of The Bay Area…
Ok, getting bogged down in a war on which your major premise turned out to be false is a failure. Upsetting people in picking your leadership is a setback. When Bolton isn’t confirmed are you going to write over and over about how much of a failure Bush is? I highly doubt it.
I count about three anti-Pelosi rants, seven anti-Democrat rants and a couple more aimed at certain Democrats. Since November 8. And my party is supposedly the one obsessed with criticizing yours without offering an alternative. Interestingly, I couldn’t find a time when you had criticized Republicans, unless saying they need to become more conservative to win is criticism. “All the many times” you criticize Republicans? Please.
Now there’s a silly semantic difference. When you’re the Speaker of the House to lose not one, but two major political battles before even taking office is certainly not a sign of great leadership.
You damn well better believe it is.
Gee, I wonder if that might have anything to do with the fact that the Democrats gaining control of Congress…
I’ve seen less spinning from Dervishes…
Christ. If Pelosi goes out and has a hamburger, we have to listen to Jay tell us it’s a “failure of leadership” because she actually, secretly, wanted pizza.
I damn well better believe it is? Yes, sir, sergeant, sir. On the double.
The sky is not falling, the train is still on the tracks, and the barn is not on fire. You lost the election and now Democrats are in control. Get over it.