Hoyer targets liberals after Pelosi’s blow

[goodhue]

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/111406/hoyer.html

The Hill

November 14, 2006

Hoyer targets liberals after Pelosi’s blow

By Josephine Hearn

A day after Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) endorsed his rival, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) moved to shore up support among liberal lawmakers who usually take their cues from Pelosi.

Six Hoyer supporters wrote to the 58-member Congressional Progressive Caucus Monday, urging them to support Hoyer over Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) for the post of majority leader and arguing that Pelosi and Hoyer would be an effective team in spite of her endorsement.

“Steny has worked very well with Nancy and our entire leadership team, and their efforts have helped our Caucus achieve greater unity than at any time in the last half century,” wrote Progressive Caucus Reps. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), José Serrano (D-N.Y.), Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.) and Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.).

The lawmakers’ support also underscored Hoyer’s liberal bona fides on such issues as abortion rights and environmental protection, key areas where Hoyer and Murtha differ.

* * *

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/111406/hoyer.html

[Deep13]

1. Hoyer is much better on the environment than Murtha.

Hoyer has a perfect score for this past year as does Pelosi. Murtha voted for the environment 57% of the time last year and has a career score of 43%. Pelosi has a lifetime score of 92%.

Still, the Rs were lucky to break 10%.

[Demeter]

2. Perhaps Nancy Is Keeping Her Problem Member Close

to guide him into the right paths of thinking. Getting a potential rival (Murtha) on board neutralizes him from causing unnecessary trouble, or giving the GOP a chance to divide and conquer. Hoyer really ought to ask why he is not in with the future Speaker, instead of insisting on his buddy network.

[CountAllVotes]

3. who writes this stuff

"If Murtha loses, Pelosi will have strengthened Hoyer by making it abundantly clear that he prevailed even over her wishes. Hoyer will have established a separate power base in the caucus capable of successfully opposing her. And Pelosi’s move will likely have antagonized Hoyer and his backers, which could lead to friction between the House Democrats’ top two leaders. Hoyer and his backers maintain that he will harbor no animosity toward her even after her gambit to defeat him." :wtf:

:dem: :kick:

[KittyWampus]

10. Hoyer wanted Pelosi's job. Pelosi is just being nice to Murtha... I think she knows

he doesn't have a chance. He helped her win her spot. IMO, she's just giving him back some respect.

[shanti]

26. that's my feeling on this issue too

the murtha support is just window dressing. well, we'll see in a few!

[Robbien]

4. Hoyer is so far deep in Corporate America's pocket, no wonder

he is criticising progressives and their fight for middle America.

Hoyer was the Democratic Whip who broke with Democrats on CAFTA, the Bankruptcy bill, the Drug Bill, and so on. As the Democratic Whip, Hoyer's job is to get everyone to vote with the Democratic party but he worked AGAINST the Democratic party when gathering votes on Corporate America lobbyist bills.

Hoyer and Lieberman are equally shitheads in my book.

[against all enemies]

5. An equal shithead to Lieberman? That's saying something.

[jaysunb]

7. How right you are....

see my post here
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=2966429&mesg_id=2966540

[Deep13]

6. Hmmm. That is less good.

:-( Well, whoever it is will be taking their cue from Pelosi, so that's good anyway.

[Buck Rabbit]

8. A little help here?

He did vote yes the bankruptcy bill as did Murtha, but he voted against CAFTA and the Drug Bill.

I am no expert on the guy but he seems quite a bit more progressive than Murtha. Calling him Lieberman's equal seems odd based on what I have dug up on a short search of his voting record.

Got something else on him we should know about?

[Robbien]

12. Hoyer is the Dem equivalent of Newt Gingrich

David Sirota says Hoyer's pet name is Steny "I've got my own K Street project" Hoyer.
http://davidsirota.com/index.php/big-money-vs-grassroots/


When Dems met to try to curb lobbying, Hoyer didn't bother showing up
http://www.rollcall.com/issues/51_71/news/11841-1.html


Hoyer is the only Dem to receive money from Abramoff and refuse to return it when Abramoff was convicted.

Hoyer is a real Corporate America piece of work.

[w4rma]

9. …

Where does he stand on economics? I am hearing one thing from some people and the opposite from others.

[Robbien]

13. David Sirota has written a bit on that

FOLLOW THE MONEY—”Democrats’ Stock Is Rising on K Street” blared a recent Washington Post story detailing moves by former Democratic lawmakers and staff to cash in as corporate lobbyists. “Corporate Contributions Shift to the Left,” read an earlier Wall Street Journal story about how “big companies are boosting their share of campaign contributions to Democrats.”

This trend is undoubtedly pleasing party leaders like House minority whip Steny Hoyer (D-MD). Until he was criticized for doing so, Hoyer proudly posted a Roll Call story on his official taxpayer-sponsored website, headlined “Hoyer’s Own K Street Project,” about how he was starting a fund-raising operation to shake down corporate lobbyists for cash. Those efforts likely benefited from the services of one Gina Mahoney, who according to the National Journal “does double duty” for Hoyer, serving both as his senior legislative adviser and as his political fund-raising entity’s chief “liaison to K Street and the business community.” Such “liaising” might explain why, following the indictment of lobbyist-manipulator Jack Abramoff last year, Hoyer made sure he was featured in The Hill newspaper reassuring the corporate community that he “has sought to make himself the first contact for K Street” and that he would continue holding regular meetings with their lobbyists.

http://davidsirota.com/index.php/big-money-vs-grassroots/

Hoyer was one of the few Dems to vote FOR Tax Credits and Incentives for BigOil. H.R. 6

[w4rma]

31. Thank you. That settles it. I support Rep. Murtha. (nt)

[anotherdrew]

11. that's what I'm saying, WORST WHIP EVER. to hell with Hoyer AND Murtha

find someone ELSE folks.

I'm already getting sick and tired of this bullshit

[bdamomma]

18. I don't know about Steny Hoyer, I do not trust him.

[Cookie wookie]

14. Lest anyone forget, Hoyer

introduced the Hack America's Vote Act (HAVA) with Representative Bob Ney.
http://www.verifiedvoting.org/article.php?id=882

[Robbien]

15. Yes. That he did. Another very black mark.

Thanks. I knew there was something else out there which I was forgetting.

[NoodleyAppendage]

16. Hoyer is corporate Amerika's lap dog and backdoor control mechanism.

Hoyer will get elected because the corporate fascists must keep their fingers on power. Murtha is the better man.

WE NEED TO RAISE A STINK ABOUT HOYER. Outside pressure for Murtha might sway a few votes his way.

J

[IndianaGreen]

17. Do we have a dog in this fight?

I do want Pelosi to can the useless and largely appeaser Jane Harman, but I don't know about Hoyer. The fact that Maxine Waters supports him is of some note, but Hoyer did not support Murtha's call for a troop withdrawal from Iraq. Iraq is the litmus test for me!

Maryland Democrats, help!

[goodhue]

20. That is what I'm trying to figure out

Except for his recent outspoken stance against Iraq war, Murtha has always been a conservative Democrat, not particularly progressive on environmental issues or abortion rights.

Steny Hoyer is perhaps something of a moneyed player, a corporatist suit, but he has always stood up for abortion rights and the environment, and he has many friends in minority community. (When I was in Boston in 2004, I attended an event for South Asian delegates and Steny Hoyer attended, as featured guest. I think, at one point, he and I may have been the only caucasians in the room.)

[Robbien]

21. Mother Jones likens Hoyer to Tom Delay

when talking about corporate handouts and currying K-Street favors
http://www.motherjones.com/mojoblog/archives/2006/11/2885_steny_hoyers_k.html

There are only two choices Murtha and Hoyer and both of them are seriously flawed. Pelosi has publically supported Murtha. If Murtha wins, Pelosi is viewed to be a much stronger leader. We need a leader who is viewed to be strong, so I go with Pelosi's choice--Murtha.

[IndianaGreen]

22. Murtha is not gay friendly

but I agree with you that this is one that Pelosi needs to win.

[Buck Rabbit]

23. So with all the good Dems available the choice is between

dirt and mud. Just great.

So with that said, Pelosi wants a personnal friend she trusts despite his baggage instead of an inter-party rival. Sheesh.

[bemildred]

25. A few points:

(Strictly my opinion after reading mounds of drivel on the subject.)

1.) This is about who runs the Democratic Party, not ethics or any other sort of principles, or even any particular policy positions. It's about power and the exercise of power. Your choices are Pelosi or the previous clique (sans Dean). If you want change, you have to go with Pelosi.

2.) Especially if you want to open up the process in the Presidential race in 2008, you have to go with Pelosi, and therefore Murtha. If Hoyer gets in there he will hamstring Pelosi all the way and try to shove Hillary down our throats, because "liberals can't govern" and "we have to move back to the center" and like that.

3.) This is only the beginning. It's going to be dirty and prolonged.

[knight_of_the_star]

19. What's Murtha's chances right now

Does he have a decent shot of getting Majority Leader?

[Scout1071]

24. Jerome at myDD says that Murtha has the votes as of today.

http://www.mydd.com

Jack Murtha has the votes
by Jerome Armstrong, Tue Nov 14, 2006 at 04:14:51 PM EST

I've heard from a couple of different Hill sources that Murtha is ahead; that newly elected Democrats favor Hoyer by a 2:1 margin, but that Murtha is ahead by about 25 votes overall, which has come about from the standing members after Nancy Pelosi's letter. The vote is Thursday. Let's hope that sticks and Murtha becomes the Majority Leader.

[exsoccermom]

27. Hoyer

Hoyer has been my congressman for many, many years. He pretty consistently supports those issues that I favor and have moved on Iraq into territory that I favor. Murtha doesn't support my issues (and his sudden change from super hawk to peace dove doesn't totally ring true). He's much too conservative for me on most issues from economics to environment to choice and so on and so on. Steny does raise lots of money (which was used to support many Democrats running office). If you noticed, we won lots of seats in the last election. And the recent ethics questions for Murtha involving the PMA group and KSA consulting look more than a little shady. See the WP article for more details. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/11/13/AR2006111300722.html

[wisteria]

29. Oh, so now Hoyer is responsible for getting elected the new REPS.

Gee, I gave a lot of money, does that mean I also had a part in the win this year? Hoyer is wrong on Iraq. He is to much DLC- we need other influences in the mix- not just DLC.

[wisteria]

28. Iraq and national defense are the defining issues. Hoyer is weaker

and unclear on both.

[ShockediSay]

30. Agreed. Plus a lot of us will be pissed if Murtha gets taken out.

Heard today on NPR one of the talking heads describe Murtha as one of the new Democrats - one who stands up for his principles, even though it may mean taking a lot of heat for doing so.