Wouldn't It Have Been Better For A Third Candidate To Emerge For Majority Leader...

[DemocratSinceBirth]

John Murtha has been attacked as a social conservative which he is and ethically challenged which he may or not be...

Stenny Hoyer has been attacked as a DLC hack...


A win today for either is going to be taken as a loss by partisans of the other...


It would have been better for a consensus figure to emerge...


Oh well...

[goclark]

1. Is there still time for a compromise?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

4. I Don't Think So....

I forsee blood on the floor and hard feelings... We're supposed to fight the bad guys not each other....

[goclark]

12. Thanks I like him but, we need to set a big example

that they will not target as a "See ~ Democrats are bad people."

It is so sad because he has really stood up for us against the War.

[bryant69]

2. Yes exactly

And you have to bet the Republicans are planning on making hey out of this - quiet hay, but Hay nonetheless. Particularly if Murth wins - they'll sidle up to any moderate or conservative house Democrat and say "First Lieberman, and now Hoyer? Your party just isn't respectful of those who don't toe the extremist pelosi line. Maybe we should talk." Obviously that's not an accurate picture of either Murtha or Pelosi - but they will sell it, I think.

And they might be somewhat successful.

Bryant
Check it out --> http://politicalcomment.blogspot.com

[DemocratSinceBirth]

5. That's Why A Third Candidate Would Have Been Preferable.

Then no faction could have been accused of caving...

[Marnieworld]

8. Murtha is hardly a liberal

on social issues. Except for his pull out of Iraq position based on his military experience (not a dove) he's conservative. I can't wait until they call him a San Francisco democrat or some other nonsense.

[bryant69]

9. Oh I know - but this is the same group

who believes Kerry and Hilary to be liberal extremists.

Bryant

[Marnieworld]

10. I wrote that without grasping your last sentence

You know too. They say whatever they want despite it having any connection to facts. Reality has a liberal bias and all.

My favorite recently is the spin that this overwhelming Democratic victory is an indication that Americans favor conservatism. Um, yah right.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

11. The GOPU Will Try To Play The Ethics Card Not The Closed Party Card

I don't want to give them any ammunition.

[txindy]

3. The repubs fear Murtha and we've been happy to push him in front of the cameras.

Ever since he came out publicly against the war, people have listened to him and he's made an impact. I'm willing to give him a chance. In any event, I don't know that a consensus would ever be possible, let alone this late.

[wuushew]

6. How about simply not having a Majority Leader?

The structure of Congress is not addressed in the Constitution and I see no reason to have a leader of a what was originally intended to be an independent collection of individuals representing disparate peoples of the colonies.

Political parties are an abomination not envisioned by the founding fathers. A binary system such as ours is far from ideal.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

7. A Binary System Is Too Much To Address Now

But a binary choice between Hoyer and Murha wasn't the best way to go.