The case against Murtha for Majority Leader

[jefferson_dem]

If you're looking to make a case *against* Murtha for leader, Americablog provides some ammo...

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<snip>

First off, putting Murtha's now-good position on the war aside for a moment, he's quite conservative on lots of issues that Dems hold dear. And then on other issues, like race or children's issues, he appears pretty good. He's a very mixed bag. Having said that, Harry Reid is also anti-choice, but he hasn't exactly imposed his view on the Democrats in the Senate.

To wit:

LIBERAL-MINDED GROUPS
0% - NARAL (pro-choice group)
0% - Planned Parenthood
34% - Humane Society
44% - ACLU
45% - US PIRG
56% - League of Conservation Voters
33% to 17% to 63% over 3 years - Human Rights Campaign (gay civil rights)
74% - NAACP
78% - Children's Defense Fund
96% - Leadership Conference on Civil Rights
100% - National Education Association (they're a good education group)

CONSERVATIVE-MINDED GROUPS
28% - Focus on the Family, Family Research Council (religious right)
50% - John Birch Society (insanely conservative)
50% - Eagle Forum (Phyllis Schlafly)
53% - Christian Coalition (religious right)
70% - National Right to Life (anti-choice)
92% - National Rifle Association

And perhaps the even greater issue, Murth has ethics problems - he got an honorable mention on CREW's "most corrupt members of Congress" list. That is not good, at all. Especially after we just won an election on the corruption issue. At the very least, Murtha needs to clean up his house if he is going to become Majority Leader.

http://americablog.blogspot.com/2006/11/steny-hoyer-d-md-says-he-has-votes-to.html

[John Q. Citizen]

1. Anyone challenging him?

[jefferson_dem]

2. Actually, Steny Hoyer (D-MD) claims he already has enough votes to win

the position of majority leader.

http://www.billpressshow.com/?p=1683

[BruceMcF]

4. Yes, so does Murtha. Funny, that.

I believe that not declaring that you have enough votes to win is tantamount to a concession.

[John Q. Citizen]

5. He's got some ethics problem too doesn't he? Who would you want, if

you had your druthers?

[jefferson_dem]

6. Well, i'm supporting Murtha if the only alternative is Steny.

I totally respect Murtha's position on the war. He was a real pioneer and has instant credibility on that issue. Otherwise, i'm not so sure...

[John Q. Citizen]

7. He also has a direct pipeline to the military, which could be useful in

a political sense as well as in a practical sense.

I wonder how he is in holding the Dem congress together on tough votes?

[BruceMcF]

3. He's challenging Hoyer. BTW, the reference to Reid ...

... is not really appropriate, Speaker (Pelosi) is the House equivalant to Senate Majority Leader, so in the House, everything Majority is really one step down from what it sound like. That means that if the "House leadership is unchanged" when the Majority swings, it would go:

Minority Leader to Speaker
Minority Whip to Majority Leader
Minority Deputy Whip to Majority Whip