Hoyer wins, per CNN

[RB TexLa]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/11/16/congress.leaders.ap/index.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061116/ap_on_go_co/congress_leaders

[helderheid]

1. damn.

[Junkdrawer]

5. This will be a DLC-controlled Congress...

There's a sizable progressive caucus, but the main show will be pro-corporate.

[helderheid]

13. well, as disappointed as I am, at least it isn't an RNC controlled congress.

[PhilipDC]

14. Huh?

Hoyer is much more progressive than Murtha even if he is in the DLC.

[skipos]

18. You are correct, but people really don't like the DLC around here, it doesn't

matter what the candidates positions are.

[MoonRiver]

36. Why do you think Hoyer has more power & influence than Pelosi?

Who, outside of the Beltway, even pays attention to these second and lower tier leadership positions?

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. 149-86

I still think a third candidate would have been preferable...

[Crankie Avalon]

8. Oooof...pretty lopsided check on Pelosi, there, too. n/t

[SoCalDem]

11. Since it's a secret ballot, why not just do an "all write in" vote

and take the "sting" out of it.. Unless everyone voted for themselves, a winner would emerge, and no one would be seen as campaigning to undercut a colleague..

or maybe

a nominating committee that would put forth 5 or 10 names..

[Bucky]

3. Well, he played a strong hand with that Abscam video. Assuming he had something to do with it. Hmmm.

Of course he didn't. That wouldn't be playing fair. Gosh!!

[DemocratSinceBirth]

6. It Shows How Out Of The Loop Some Of Us Are

149-86 is not even close...

[BootinUp]

12. You said a mouthful. n/t

[goclark]

37. We are out of the loop many times

We have such strong opinions and gather information from so many sources(that's a good thing)that we, IMO, can't see the forest from the intellectual trees.

[Bucky]

40. What a damning indictment against the crime of being well informed

:)

[goclark]

42. Not meant to be taken that way

Most members of DU are extremely well informed.

That is praise, not an indictment.

The problem is that many in America don't have the passion that we have for information, especially about politics.

That is just a fact.

[MoonRiver]

4. Thank God it's over.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

10. Not Until It Set (Some Of ) DU Against Itself

eom

[TwilightZone]

22. Yeah, well, it's certainly not the first issue to do that...

and won't be the last.

Seems we're not happy unless we're arguing vehemently about something. Just wish it was the real opposition more often than not!

[PhilipDC]

7. Good

Hoyer is more representative of the party as a whole rather than one issue. Pelosi made a mistake getting in the middle of it.

[dogday]

9. Well that's Democracy for ya

they picked who they wanted.... Sorry Murtha lost, but glad it is over...

[Norquist Nemesis]

15. Damn! Worst thing is, it displays a divide for the Cons to exploit

63.4% for Hoyer is going to be exploited as a divided caucus by them.

[Marnieworld]

16. Oh no

I say this in response to the inevitable spinning of Pelosi's big defeat, is she really a powerless leader garbage that is sure to come.

I wonder what the count was and why this happened. Hmmmmm.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

21. The MSM Is Spinning This As A Vote For Clean Government

Speaker Pelosi will be fine...

[Marnieworld]

34. Well it's already happening here

Which I feel is worse. <groan>

[Norquist Nemesis]

17. Any word on the whip? n/t

[RB TexLa]

19. James Clyburn of South Carolina

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061116/ap_on_go_co/congress_leaders_glance_1

[Norquist Nemesis]

27. Thanks! APs been a little slow

Sounds like a good choice!

[Beelzebud]

20. Why did Hoyer's camp have to smear Murtha with this 20 year old crap?

I mean seriously..

They don't go after republicans as hard as they went after Murtha.

And now that Hoyer has his power, he leaves Murtha with a stain on his image, from a case that was dismissed 20 years ago...

Now my question is this: Is the Democratic party truly committed to getting out of Iraq, or are we just Republican Lite?

[DarthKosh]

23. Reply

Oh they are now Republican lite.

[Junkdrawer]

25. Watch. The DLC will let BushCo set the Iraq/Iran agenda....

The DLC will sponsor a few window-dressing domestic reforms, but by-and-large, BushCo will decide the Iraq/Iran issue.

[Beelzebud]

26. I'm not saying they will, but if they enable more war in Iraq, I'm done with the party.

This election was a mandate to change direction.

[DarthKosh]

29. Mandate over Iraq doesn't matter

And Hoyer as majority leader proves it.

[Junkdrawer]

31. The primaries were where the action was this year...

If "Diebold" did any magic this year, it was in the primaries. But that was probably not necessary as good old DLC insider politics was probably sufficient in most cases. This new bunch of Democratic congress people are very conservative. There's a few exceptions, but corporate money controls the machines of both major parties.

[Freddie Stubbs]

30. Only if Speaker Pelosi lets them

[TheWraith]

35. Not this crap again.

Do you or do you not know that Hoyer is considerably to the left of Murtha on virtually everything?

[Junkdrawer]

38. Hoyer on Iraq:

Hoyer, by contrast, has cautioned against moving too quickly in Iraq, telling MSNBC-TV on Monday: “You can transfer authority to the Iraqis ... but we need to do so in a way, hopefully, that will not create greater carnage.”

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15702545/


That's different than the Bush position how? :shrug:

[rinsd]

28. Hoyer was behind CREW and TPM?

Seriously, they are the ones who started to make noise about this.

[Innocent Smith]

24. I thought the result would be closer

That is a much bigger margin than I expected to see.

[alfredo]

33. I think Pelosi pissed off a few people because of

her arm twisting. As soon as she figures out how far she can go, things will go better.

[Stand and Fight]

32. Good. Hoyer is more representative of the views of our party.

I think Steny Hoyer has paid his dues, raised and gave a hell of a lot of money for Democrats, has a more moderate Democratic record, and rightly deserved to be elected as Majority Leader. Jack Murtha can continue to be effective and speak out for the party without having to be the Majority Leader, and he is highly effective when it comes to speaking out about the Iraq War. The Iraq War is one of the few things I can agree with Murtha on, versus the few things I can disagree with Hoyer on.

[New Earth]

39. somewhat disappointing

but thank God there will be no more Murtha vs. Hoyer threads.

[RedCloud]

41. Give it time...

One election at a time. Think of it as a work in progress.