So it won't be Harman or Hastings
By Michael J.W. Stickings
Nancy Pelosi has done well to keep Alcee Hastings, the impeached and convicted former judge, out of the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee. But the position won't go to Jane Harman, the ranking Democrat, either -- according to the Post. Which is a shame, even if my support for her had been getting softer.
Or perhaps it's not really a shame at all.
Although I stand by my initial support for Harman, and although she could have been appointed without much controversy, it was clear that Pelosi didn't want to appoint her and was looking elsewhere. And that, at first, meant Hastings, a wildly inappropriate candidate but one backed by the powerful Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). And Harman still had her influential supporters, including the moderate-conservative Blue Dog Coalition. Again, Pelosi could have appointed her regardless, but the appointment had already become a high-profile issue with significant media attention and a caucus divided by two rival candidacies. And that meant that neither Harman nor Hastings could be appointed without controversy. And that now means that a compromise candidate -- and perhaps a very good one -- can be selected. It is the only way to resolve what has become an unfortunate problem.
The Post mentions as possible candidates Silvestre Reyes, Norman Dicks, and Sanford Bishop. All three make sense, but the position should go to Rush Holt.
(For more, see Greenwald.)
Nancy Pelosi has done well to keep Alcee Hastings, the impeached and convicted former judge, out of the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee. But the position won't go to Jane Harman, the ranking Democrat, either -- according to the Post. Which is a shame, even if my support for her had been getting softer.
Or perhaps it's not really a shame at all.
Although I stand by my initial support for Harman, and although she could have been appointed without much controversy, it was clear that Pelosi didn't want to appoint her and was looking elsewhere. And that, at first, meant Hastings, a wildly inappropriate candidate but one backed by the powerful Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). And Harman still had her influential supporters, including the moderate-conservative Blue Dog Coalition. Again, Pelosi could have appointed her regardless, but the appointment had already become a high-profile issue with significant media attention and a caucus divided by two rival candidacies. And that meant that neither Harman nor Hastings could be appointed without controversy. And that now means that a compromise candidate -- and perhaps a very good one -- can be selected. It is the only way to resolve what has become an unfortunate problem.
The Post mentions as possible candidates Silvestre Reyes, Norman Dicks, and Sanford Bishop. All three make sense, but the position should go to Rush Holt.
(For more, see Greenwald.)
posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at
11:35 PM
1 Comments:
Too bad you couldn't wait for this before piling on Pelosi with the rest of the hoods. Why do Republicans even need to attack us when they can get Dems to do it at half the price? Always worried about what the centrists think. Always worried to not look too anti-war or soft on terror. And always doing the GOP's dirty work for them. Sure, you weren't trying to, but that's how it worked out all the same.
And what about an actual apology or contrition? You helped further the idea that Pelosi was acting out on a personal vendetta, going so far as to agree with Robert Novak that Harman was Pelosi's "rival diva from California". And then there was the bit about Pelosi's "messed up priorities and signs of questionable leadership". Feel stupid yet?
Your post on the subject was just as unnecessary and pro-Republican as we said it was, and now it looks like it was completely without merit. Sure, you praised Pelosi when she got the job, but then you couldn't wait to backstab her with the rest of them when she did something you didn't agree with. Or in this case, something she hadn't even done at all. And you people dare call us extremists.
Sorry to be a dick about this, but what you did really was foolish and wrong. The only time that Republicans backstab each other is when they lose; but you guys couldn't even wait for the glow of victory to subside, and got totally played like suckers. Maybe next time you guys can wait until a Dem does something wrong before attacking them. Better still if you refrained from attacking them at all, but merely expressed your disagreement.
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Doctor Biobrain, at 4:12 PM
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