Pelosi Aims to Block Democratic Hawks from Key Posts

[No Exit]

Pelosi aims to block Democratic hawks from key posts

Rep. Nancy Pelosi plans to sideline colleagues who are hawkish on national security in the Democratic leadership in the House.

Democratic Party sources said as House Speaker, Ms. Pelosi plans to block moves that would place hawks into important chairmanships. The sources said a key casualty would be Rep. Jane Harman, a six-term member of Congress who has cooperated with Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee.

"Nancy Pelosi wants total party discipline," a source in the Democratic Party leadership said. "If you played ball with the Republicans during this session, then you're not going to be given an important chair in the next session."

(snip)

The sources said the 61-year-old Ms. Harman, regarded as the best informed House Democrat on intelligence and technology issues, angered the liberal Ms. Pelosi by supporting the Bush administration’s policies on defense issues, particularly the war in Iraq and the Patriot Act. They said Ms. Pelosi has rebuffed lobbyists in the pro-Israel community and defense industry that sought a chairmanship for Ms. Harman.

(snip)

http://www.insightmag.com/Media/MediaManager/Pelosi.htm

Now that's what I call a new direction! If this proves accurate, count me IN to the Nancy Pelosi Fan Club. I have no animus against Jane Harman, but I don't want HAWKS of any kind calling the shots. Especially not CHICKENHAWKS. I would also like to point out that one can still care about national security without being "hawkish" and without believing that war is the answer to every national security problem.

I just hope the chickenhawks don't stage a new 9/11 in retaliation. But even fear of such an event would not make me want to appease the chickenhawks.

[burythehatchet]

1. Please just delete this post

this is a third hand recounting from a right wing rag.

[Donnachaidh]

2. PLEASE block Reid from giving Lieberman ANYTHING

He needs a lesson in humility.

[Rose Siding]

5. Nancy's in the House

I doubt she has much influence with Reid in the Senate.

[Olney Blue]

3. Damn. That's real leadership.

I support Ms. Pelosi on this.

[longship]

4. This is rubbish.

Moonie source. It's a pack of lies.

[AlCzervik]

6. the moonie owned Insight magazine.

[Double T]

7. THIS info does NOT pass the rethug propaganda 'sniff test'

[Raiden]

8. To all those who didn't think Nancy Pelosi was a worthy leader for the Dems

What do you have to say for yourselves now?!

This is astounding news... The woman has balls! (in a manner of speaking)

[No Exit]

9. Thank you! Christ, I thought it was good news, but all I'm getting

is "kill the messenger" type replies.

Okay, so if insight mag is some "moonie rag", maybe this article is all lies. But I like to hope that what's in the article is true--and if this is true, then I'll accept the good news from any source, even from the "enemy".

I want to be part of a PARTY FOR PEACE. Isn't that what we are? If not, maybe I'm in the wrong place!

Go Nancy!!

[burythehatchet]

12. Do you honestly think that Pelosi would ever say anything

like this? Would any political say anything like this? This is bullshit propoganda, regardless of the fact that you and I agree with the sentiment. It is not helpful to spread bullshit that emanates from moonie rags. You're doing their job for them. This is designed to freak out moderates.

[No Exit]

14. "Freak out moderates"? FUCK moderates if they don't want the war to END!

Look, I don't know (or care) enough about "Insight mag" to defend it. I certainly despise the moonies, if that's what you're getting at.

But I don't consider myself any sort of wild-eyed extremist, and to me, it's GOOD news if Nancy Pelosi is refusing to enable people who want WAR.

Why don't we just say, we're both against war and we both like Pelosi. Fuck Insight mag, and fuck people--be they republican or democrat--who want to continue enriching the defense industry through squandering the lives of young Americans.

I don't think any democrat should be afraid to say that they are against war or that they plan to STOP THE CHICKENHAWKS--ALL of them.

[burythehatchet]

15. We both agree with the sentiment

but we have to recognize when the other side is spreading bullshit to divide us.

[No Exit]

18. Okay. For a long time the anti-war people of the 60's have been

given a bad name by the Mighty Wurlitzer Paid Shill Repuke media propaganda.

And I used to buy into that image of the 60's anti-war people. But I don't, any more. I admire them, I identify with them, because now I've come very close to walking in their shoes.

And if any wingnut or wingnut paid shill wants to go on dissing them to me, they'll have a fight on their hands.

[Peace Patriot]

10. Thanks to the posters above for the heads-up on the source.

This Hawk vs. Dove talk really needs to be stopped. It hails from way back in the Vietnam War. And it is a rightwing/war profiteer-devised dichotomy designed to paint anyone who wants peace and diplomatic solutions, or who questions paranoid military spending, as cowardly, weak and untrustworthy. Please DO NOT ACCEPT these terms of debate.

There is more courage--and more hawk DNA--in Cindy Sheehan's little finger than can be found in the entire Bush White House. Soldiers who have refused to kill Iraqis for Bush, and face courtmartial and jail, or military lawyers who have fought Bush's torture of prisoners at the risk of their careers, are also in that special category of people who will defend this country and its core principles WHEN THE CONSEQUENCES for their own health, welfare and freedom are dire.

"Hawks" in the old sense of the word--lovers of fat military contracts, generals who invade helpless countries, and presidents who sell lies to the American people--are COWARDS. And people who don't question our SLAVERY to this military budget are NOT patriots.

And, in any case, it's a slander against the hawk species, to associate this noble beast with nuclear weapons, depleted uranium, agent orange, six hundred thousand innocent people slaughtered in Iraq, and upwards of two million people slaughtered in Southeast Asia, in the name of hawkism. Word from the Fourth World is that REAL hawks are appalled, and think the human race has gone nuts.

[No Exit]

13. May we get past the source just for a moment, & consider the substance?

If it is true that Pelosi is fighting against hawks--and I agree with your statement that "Hawks" in the old sense of the word--lovers of fat military contracts, generals who invade helpless countries, and presidents who sell lies to the American people--are COWARDS"--then wouldn't that be GOOD NEWS for those of us who want an end to the WARMONGERING?

It's not just a media meme with me, that bit about "the Iraq war was the number one issue for many Americans." ENDING the Iraq war IS the number one issue for me. And as we know, some democrats helped enable this fraudulent war. If Pelosi is working to make those enablers' influence less, I think that's good news!

[wyldwolf]

20. Has the "substance" been reported anywhere else?

[IndianaGreen]

11. Harman knew about rendition and torture and kept quiet about it

Speaker Pelosi has ample reason to can her ass!

[bobbie]

16. Godamn right Speaker Pelosi. Zero Tolerance for warmongers.

They're guilty of treason as far as I'm concerned.

[OzarkDem]

17. Very encouraging news n/t

[wyldwolf]

19. Which is why Emanuel will more than likely lead the House Caucus

4th most powerful position.

[wyldwolf]

21. Iraqi president says Democrats told him they will not pull out quickly

One source says this, too.

http://news.bostonherald.com/international/view.bg?articleid=166518

[flpoljunkie]

22. There will be a fight, according to the NYTimes...

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/10/us/politics/10intel.html

Entire article well worth a read...

November 10, 2006

Choice for Intelligence Panel Poses Early Test for Pelosi

By MARK MAZZETTI

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9 — Her boss may want her gone, but Representative Jane Harman happens to think she is good at her job. And she has no intention of leaving it without a fight.

Ms. Harman argues that her role as the ranking Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee makes her the logical candidate to become chairman when the new Congress begins in January.

Representative Nancy Pelosi, the party’s leader and presumptive House speaker in the next Congress, has indicated she has other plans.

<>Appearing Wednesday on CNN, Ms. Pelosi said that it was her prerogative to select an entirely new Intelligence Committee at the beginning of each Congress, and that it is the one committee on which seniority rules are not recognized.