Pelosi loses first big fight: Democrats shun Murtha

WASHINGTON — Democrats unanimously elevated Rep. Nancy Pelosi to the pinnacle of congressional power Thursday and then quickly exposed divisions within the party by refusing to elect her hand-chosen ally to the No. 2 House post.

In a battle that many thought Pelosi made unnecessarily bitter, House Democrats elected her rival, Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, to be majority leader by a 149-86 vote. Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha's defeat was a sharp blow to Pelosi's credibility and raised questions about her effectiveness.

The California congresswoman's aggressive, last-minute campaign for Murtha in the face of overwhelming Hoyer support left many Democrats worried that she has become too reliant on a tight inner circle, too reluctant to listen to the broader Democratic caucus and mistakenly convinced that she can dictate the direction the caucus must take.

"She got taken to the woodshed," said a House Democrat who spoke on condition of anonymity. "If she doesn't get it, this is going to be a big problem over the long run."

Others said the dust-up may have been useful in clearing the air between Pelosi and Hoyer, the top two Democratic leaders in the House since 2003.

"Here's the deal: She's apparently been irritated by a perception that Steny has been undermining her, and it's an incorrect perception," said Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass. "Look, someone told me she hasn't liked him since 1963, and it has had zero effect on how well they have worked together. We don't have to guess at this. We have seen it. They can and will work well together as we move forward."

After Thursday's vote, Pelosi and Hoyer emerged beaming and grabbed each other's hands. Behind them was a grim-looking Murtha.

"We've had our debates," Pelosi said. "... Let the healing begin."

She expressed no regrets for her efforts on Murtha's behalf, despite an avalanche of negative press that raised questions about Murtha's ethics and his commitment to Pelosi's pledge to change the influence of lobbying and money in the House. Murtha, 74, is a master of pork-barrel spending who was caught on video in the 1980 Abscam corruption probe rejecting a bribe but suggesting he might consider a future deal if his district benefited.

Murtha allies conceded he undermined his campaign, particularly when he told conservative Democrats on Tuesday night that Pelosi's ethics package was "total crap."

The deeper significance of the vote may have been to reveal the broader drama unfolding within Democratic ranks around Iraq, and how aggressively the party will be able to use its majority to push for a swift U.S. troop withdrawal.

Hoyer, 67, was heavily favored until Sunday, when Pelosi — in a move that shocked even her staff — openly threw her support to Murtha, despite a vow to stay neutral. She said in a letter that she was swayed by the hawkish former Marine's early call for a quick withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, a stance opposed by Hoyer.

Pelosi, 66, pushed Murtha's candidacy at social events, in private meetings and with incoming freshmen Democrats.

Ultimately, Hoyer secured his victory by working in the trenches for years, raising money for candidates and offering advice to newcomers. "He had been doing the tough work," said Rep. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass. "It's just mind-numbing, all those fundraisers, the travel ... It needs to be rewarded."

The House speaker — second in line to the presidency, behind the vice president — is responsible for the workings of the entire chamber and plays the lead role in shaping the ruling party's legislative agenda and political strategy. Pelosi was unchallenged for the speaker's job; she is the first woman to attain the post.

Hoyer tried to play down his differences with Pelosi, first aired publicly when the two sparred four years ago for the post of party whip. Still, some lawmakers harbor lingering doubts about why Pelosi inserted herself in the race and said she had damaged herself politically and her party's standing.

"The caucus is fractured in a way because of this majority-leader race, and her involvement in the race, and I believe that her biggest challenge, starting from this moment on, is to figure out how to wrap her arms around all of the caucus," said Rep. Allen Boyd, D-Fla., a Hoyer supporter.

Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Calif., also a Hoyer supporter, said Pelosi's campaign — in which she and her lieutenants urged lawmakers to abandon commitments to Hoyer or risk losing chances at coveted committee posts — had raised serious questions within the party.

"What most people didn't understand was the 'whys' of it all," Waters said.

Pelosi's strongest backers suggested she had accomplished what she wanted. Her goal was to display characteristics vital to establishing herself as a strong speaker: staunch loyalty and a willingness to play hardball to get the inner circle and policies she wants.

"She eats nails for breakfast, and it's tough," said Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Fla., a Murtha supporter. "This is just one chapter in Nancy Pelosi's book of leadership. Leadership is lonely."

Compiled from The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times and McClatchy Newspapers.