Inside Pelosi's Power Play

Inside Pelosi's Power Play
Working the phones and unleashing her top aides, Pelosi is trying to
turn the Murtha-Hoyer battle into a powerful statement of her authority
- and what the Democrats stand for
By MASSIMO CALABRESI AND PERRY BACON JR./WASHINGTON
SUBSCRIBE TO TIMEPRINTE-MAILMORE BY AUTHORBackground: Pelosi's Big
Gamble
Analysis: Can the Dems Get Anything Done?

Posted Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006
For a moment there it looked as if incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
was making the mistake every pragmatic Democrat feared: putting
soft-hearted personal allegiance ahead of cold-eyed political
calculation. The first key decision she made since the Democrats'
triumph in last week's elections was to back John Murtha, the anti-war
hero of the left, in what seemed an impossible battle against Maryland
moderate, Steny Hoyer, for the number two position in the House
Democratic leadership, minority whip. And it wasn't looking good.

"I think she made a mistake," Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank, the
incoming head of the powerful Financial Services Committee and a Hoyer
supporter, said Tuesday. "I wish it would not have happened." Pelosi
loyalists worried that backing a loser early on would hurt her
authority down the road, and project an image of a divided party.

Sensing the need for some spin control, Pelosi's aides spent the better
part of the last few days trying to play down the significance of her
support for Murtha. Other Democrats said she wasn't really backing him,
just giving a token nod to an old friend and mentor who had helped her
rise to her current lofty position.

But it turns out Pelosi is deadly serious - which means a Murtha loss
is anything but inevitable. One source close to the Murtha effort
claims Pelosi has made 40 calls to incoming freshman and wavering
centrists in the party on Murtha's behalf. Pelosi's spokesman Brendan
Daly said she has "made it clear to members of her support for Mr.
Murtha." Two top Pelosi lieutenants, George Miller and Anna Eshoo, both
of California, said Pelosi was in the fight all the way. "When she says
support, it's not just an endorsement, it is full-fledged," Eshoo said.


And that will make a real difference. One senior Democratic House
member who was leaning toward Hoyer told TIME her vote was entirely
dependent on the seriousness of Pelosi's interest in the race. Told
that Pelosi was calling around in support of Murtha, the member said
her vote was Pelosi's to claim: "The Speaker usually gets what the
Speaker wants." Magnified across scores of calls, that kind of attitude
could spell trouble for Hoyer.

Pelosi's lieutenants appear confident. Rather than hedging their bets,
they're now speaking strongly in support of Murtha' s candidacy. They
say it is his position on Iraq and his outspoken criticism of the
administration's handling of the war that makes him the right person to
have in the number two leadership spot.

"This is as serious and as deadly as it gets, this issue," of Iraq,
says Eshoo. She and Miller argue that Murtha is a strong face for the
Democrats in the country. "This man has the credibility," says Miller.
"He gave the Democrats a place to stand on Iraq." That, he says, is
"very essential" to Pelosi.

Of course, the move remains a gamble by Pelosi. If Murtha wins, she
will have made a powerful statement, in the face of strong opposition
by committee chairmen, about who is running the show. "She doesn't want
a dissonant voice" in her leadership, says Jim Moran of Virginia, a top
Murtha backer.

But Murtha is a controversial character, thanks to his ties to the
1980s Abscam affair (he was investigated but never charged) and more
recently his lavish earmarking as a member of the appropriations
committee. A full blown ethics scandal would be a disaster for the
Democrats as they enter their moment in the sun. And if Murtha loses,
it's doubly bad for Pelosi. Not only would she have picked sides and
lost, but she will have gone down fighting. Miller, for one, seems
unfazed. "It's looking pretty good for Jack."

Inside Pelosi's Power Play
Working the phones and unleashing her top aides, Pelosi is trying to
turn the Murtha-Hoyer battle into a powerful statement of her authority
- and what the Democrats stand for
By MASSIMO CALABRESI AND PERRY BACON JR./WASHINGTON
SUBSCRIBE TO TIMEPRINTE-MAILMORE BY AUTHORBackground: Pelosi's Big
Gamble
Analysis: Can the Dems Get Anything Done?

Posted Tuesday, Nov. 14, 2006
For a moment there it looked as if incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi
was making the mistake every pragmatic Democrat feared: putting
soft-hearted personal allegiance ahead of cold-eyed political
calculation. The first key decision she made since the Democrats'
triumph in last week's elections was to back John Murtha, the anti-war
hero of the left, in what seemed an impossible battle against Maryland
moderate, Steny Hoyer, for the number two position in the House
Democratic leadership, minority whip. And it wasn't looking good.

"I think she made a mistake," Massachusetts Rep. Barney Frank, the
incoming head of the powerful Financial Services Committee and a Hoyer
supporter, said Tuesday. "I wish it would not have happened." Pelosi
loyalists worried that backing a loser early on would hurt her
authority down the road, and project an image of a divided party.

Sensing the need for some spin control, Pelosi's aides spent the better
part of the last few days trying to play down the significance of her
support for Murtha. Other Democrats said she wasn't really backing him,
just giving a token nod to an old friend and mentor who had helped her
rise to her current lofty position.

But it turns out Pelosi is deadly serious - which means a Murtha loss
is anything but inevitable. One source close to the Murtha effort
claims Pelosi has made 40 calls to incoming freshman and wavering
centrists in the party on Murtha's behalf. Pelosi's spokesman Brendan
Daly said she has "made it clear to members of her support for Mr.
Murtha." Two top Pelosi lieutenants, George Miller and Anna Eshoo, both
of California, said Pelosi was in the fight all the way. "When she says
support, it's not just an endorsement, it is full-fledged," Eshoo said.


And that will make a real difference. One senior Democratic House
member who was leaning toward Hoyer told TIME her vote was entirely
dependent on the seriousness of Pelosi's interest in the race. Told
that Pelosi was calling around in support of Murtha, the member said
her vote was Pelosi's to claim: "The Speaker usually gets what the
Speaker wants." Magnified across scores of calls, that kind of attitude
could spell trouble for Hoyer.

Pelosi's lieutenants appear confident. Rather than hedging their bets,
they're now speaking strongly in support of Murtha' s candidacy. They
say it is his position on Iraq and his outspoken criticism of the
administration's handling of the war that makes him the right person to
have in the number two leadership spot.

"This is as serious and as deadly as it gets, this issue," of Iraq,
says Eshoo. She and Miller argue that Murtha is a strong face for the
Democrats in the country. "This man has the credibility," says Miller.
"He gave the Democrats a place to stand on Iraq." That, he says, is
"very essential" to Pelosi.

Of course, the move remains a gamble by Pelosi. If Murtha wins, she
will have made a powerful statement, in the face of strong opposition
by committee chairmen, about who is running the show. "She doesn't want
a dissonant voice" in her leadership, says Jim Moran of Virginia, a top
Murtha backer.

But Murtha is a controversial character, thanks to his ties to the
1980s Abscam affair (he was investigated but never charged) and more
recently his lavish earmarking as a member of the appropriations
committee. A full blown ethics scandal would be a disaster for the
Democrats as they enter their moment in the sun. And if Murtha loses,
it's doubly bad for Pelosi. Not only would she have picked sides and
lost, but she will have gone down fighting. Miller, for one, seems
unfazed. "It's looking pretty good for Jack."