House Dems held secret talks about Van Hollen succeeding Pelosi

[Freddie Stubbs]

Source: The Hill

Allies of House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi held secret talks about having Rep. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) succeed her in the wake of the party’s disastrous 2014 elections, according to a new story in The New York Times Magazine.

The effort was aimed at setting up Van Hollen as Pelosi’s successor and preventing House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.), the No. 2 Democrat and a longtime Pelosi rival, from ascending to the top Democratic position.

Van Hollen worked with seven other Democrats to build the case that he could win enough votes to defeat Hoyer in a leadership election to replace Pelosi, according to the report.

Those Democrats were Reps. Rosa DeLauro (Conn.), Steve Israel (N.Y.), Lloyd Doggett (Texas), Paul Tonko (N.Y.), Beto O’Rourke (Texas), Dan Kildee (Mich.), and Donna Edwards, the Maryland lawmaker now running against Van Hollen in the Senate primary.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/242634-dems-held-secret-talks-about-Van-Hollen-succeeding-Pelosi

[Historic NY]

1. A lot of intrigue or is it more like gossip...

now moot since Van Hollen is running for the Md. Senate.

[elleng]

3. Not exactly moot,

as Donna Edwards is also running for the Senate from MD.

Interesting, all this is so close, here in MD suburbs of DC: Van Hollen and Edwards are both close in, as is Hoyer.

It sure might be gossip.

[MiniMe]

2. And maybe to keep Van Hollen from running for senate for Mikulski's seat

They are dangling a carrot I think

[elleng]

4. Would be cool, imo,

if we got Edwards instead of Van Hollen for the Senate seat!

[elleng]

5. Sounds like it's 'over.'

'At that point, the Times story reports, Pelosi “begged him” to stay in the House, but did not offer to step aside and endorse him as her replacement.

Without that assurance, Van Hollen filed to run for the Senate, according to the Times.

A Van Hollen aide disputed the notion of any connection between Pelosi's position and his decision to run for Senate.

"Congressman Van Hollen's decision to run for the Senate had nothing to do with Leader Pelosi's continued service to the House Democratic Caucus," the aide said in a statement to The Hill.'

Darn!

[Android3.14]

6. After Pelosi's failed leadership, it sure would have been helpful

Our Democratic Party leadership is out of touch, unwilling to fight for their party membership, loyal to groups with antithetical philosophies, masquerade as GOP-lite, and too old (Nancy, at 75 years old, is just three years younger than John McCain).

We so needed a purge after this last election, and all we are going to have is another lost election in 2016.

[d_legendary1]

7. Nancy Pelosi helped pass a ton of legislation when the Dems

took the house, including the ACA. How is that failed leadership?

[George II]

8. I replied to wrong post, sorry

[Deadbeat Republicans]

10. Great timing though.

4:20...

[d_legendary1]

12. HA!

[Android3.14]

11. I applaud your naivete

Did you, perhaps, participate in the previous election?

[George II]

9. Is this really "Latest Breaking News"? Some here consider it gossip or speculation.