[siunevada]

This will serve as a big blow to Nancy Pelosi.

Not really. She was only going through the motions. She didn't make much of an effort beyond issuing her letter of support.

[WBL 1952]

Really?

No, Just blathering incessant phone calls and threatening new Democrats with being stuck on crap committees if they did not vote for Murtha.

[eureka!]

Re# 9. So said the Prowler yesterday. Murtha was toast and Pelosi knew it from the get go:

"Washington Prowler Leading Murtha On DEAR JOHN Potential incoming Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi has thus far declined to make phone calls on behalf of Rep. John Murtha's run for Democrat leader, a decision that has some Murtha supporters angry. "She's already publicly supported him, but when it comes to actually twisting some arms for some votes, she's sitting on her hands," says a House Ways and Means Committee staffer, whose boss is supporting Murtha for his anti-Iraqi war position. That position is the only reason Pelosi released the surprise letter on Sunday supporting Murtha, and it was after she has spoken with Democrat advisers who assured her that it appeared current whip Rep. Steny Hoyer had locked in a majority of the caucus for his own candidacy. Hoyer's people informed the advisers that Hoyer had commitments from 20 or 21 of the 41 incoming Democrat members, as well as the majority of the caucus, seemingly locking up the leader job. "They [Hoyer's people] seemed to think it was strong enough majority for it not to shift too much because of the letter either way," says a Democrat leadership aide. "Hoyer's people were taking this in stride, that this was something Pelosi had to do to help herself with the MoveOn and Cindy Sheehan types, not because she really wants Murtha in that chair."

[Republican Red]

She didn't make much of an effort beyond issuing her letter of support.

Not true. The letter of support was seen as no big deal but then Sunday she started making phone calls to all of the dem Representatives. She even called in one newbie (Walz-MN I think) and voiced her support for Murtha and then asking what committee assignment he should get.

Heavy campaigning and blackmail are not just going through the motions.

[cloud8]

> Not really [a big blow to Pelosi]. She was only going through the motions.

I like to look on the bright side of things. This is the first sign of democrat disunity. Keep it up, boys and girls!

[rottndog]

Not really. She was only going through the motions. She didn't make much of an effort beyond issuing her letter of support.

Could this all be Pelosi strategery? Throw a bone to the hard core lefties by supporting Murtha knowing he would lose, only to step back later and pull a Bill Clinton "I've never worked harder in my life, but I just couldn't get Murtha in the leadership".

Could be. But she has lost a lot of face by losing one of her first fights as SOH. Personally, I don't think she is that smart.

Bad for her, she is a loser out of the gates.

Bad for us, we lose a very entertaining target.

[randita]

Not really. She was only going through the motions. She didn't make much of an effort beyond issuing her letter of support.

Not according to a Wash. Post article yesterday (scroll down and you'll see the link). The DBM (print and broadcast) have been saying for days that if Murtha goes down, it casts doubt on Pelosi's leadership abilities. If they try to explain Pelosi's endorsement of Murtha as merely political posturing and not really insincere, that doesn't reflect very well on her either.

But I do recall the DBM buying Clinton's excuse for Sandy Burgler's document pilfering - that Burgler was just notoriously messy.

[top 2 toe red]

She stood up and nominated him this morning.

[silverleaf]

She was only going through the motions. She didn't make much of an effort beyond issuing her letter of support.

Where have YOU been the past several days? Several new freshmen reps have reported their experiences being called on the carpet by Nancy and arm-twisted to vote her way. Fred Grandy (former congressman) was on the radio this morning talking about Pelosi's strong arm tactics to get her people into key posts re Murtha vote vs Hasterts' much different low key approach. This infighting ought to get interesting now!