Who do you support for Majority Leader? Hoyer or Murtha?

[jackbourassa]

This is how I see it. We need Nancy Pelosi to manage the House. She has to be seen as congenial, in order to command all the different factions. But we need a PIT BULL as Majority Leader. We need someone who TAKES on the White House and Republicans in that position. A bad cop to Nancy's good cop. We can't have Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker, playing the bad cop. It would ruin us.

So who do you think would make the better Majority Leader?

Leave a message explaining your vote.

[bullimiami]

1. neither. i want a real liberal democrat.

[jackbourassa]

2. Well those are the only two declared candidates...

So it has to be one or the other.

[wyldwolf]

12. and the two candidates are. So what is the problem?

[Hippo_Tron]

25. I also object to both, here is why

Hoyer has been a Pelosi rival since he challenged her for leadership in 2002. In my opinion, Hoyer is setting himself up to backstab Pelosi and attempt to become Speaker at any moment that she may be weak. Also, Hoyer has courted K Street and while his actions aren't illegal like DeLay's were, I'm more interested in getting people who want to abolish legalized bribery in favor of public financing.

Murtha is socially conservative and that makes me concerned about his ability to speak for the caucus on certain issues. Also this ABSCAM thing will be played out in the MSM. Again he didn't do anything illegal but guilty in a court of law is different than guilty in a court of public opinion.

[NaturalHigh]

26. I'm all for a social conservative.

Murtha gets my vote.

[Hippo_Tron]

29. How does Murtha go on TV and defend our stance on abortion

When he is anti-choice?

[NaturalHigh]

32. Whose stance?

I am strongly against abortion. Not all Democrats are liberal on all issues, especially abortion, gun control, and gay marriage.

By the way, just because Murtha thinks abortion is morally wrong, does not mean he is in favor of banning it.

[Hippo_Tron]

33. Murtha has voted to legislate against abortion

And while there are many Democrats that are against abortion, the vast majority support Roe v Wade and are against anti-choice legislation. I'm perfectly willing to extend the big tent to those who are in favor of legislating against abortion, they are not the majority of the party and they cannot speak for the majority of the party.

[Ediacara]

3. I agree, bad cop-bad cop makes us look like this:

[Freddie Stubbs]

4. The Majority Whip is the position you want to have the pitt bill in

James Clyburn and Diana DeGette are possible candidates for that post.

[jackbourassa]

5. The Whip is an intra-party thing...

He/she counts and collects votes for the party.

The Majority Leader is the one who takes it to the opposite party.

Remember Tom Delay?

[Jai4WKC08]

34. Exactly. Pelosi wants a hammer

And I think she deserves to have one.

[haele]

6. Murtha has a lot more baggage than Hoyer

The last thing we need is someone with questions concerning his connections to groups that have been making big money lately - Defense Contractors and Lobbyists - no matter how slight it seem on the surface. Especially when it might seem that family members may have profited.

As for personality - both are pit bulls in their own way. It's just that personally, I'd rather have someone that's somewhat more steady or contemplative than someone who's more "out there" or speaks without thinking whenever challenged.

Haele

[SteppingRazor]

8. They both have baggage...

Hoyer is tied closer to Abramoff than just about any other Democrat, having received $17,500 from Abramoff clients.

So, neither of these guys is going to be seen as squeaky clean.

[jackbourassa]

23. support Murtha

nt

[madinmaryland]

7. I would prefer some newer blood.

Not sure of either of these, though I would tend to prefer Hoyer.

[gWbush is Mabus]

9. OTHER

[jackbourassa]

10. Other isn't running...

Murtha and Hoyer are.

[jackbourassa]

11. I will bump myself

Because this is an important issue that's about to be decided (next week).

[paulk]

28. why is it important?

What people think on DU will have zero impact on this vote....

The only "importance" this poll has will be to further divide people here over something that has nothing to do with much of anything.

[wyldwolf]

13. I'll put my money on Hoyer

The two are very similar in ideology so I won't be disappointed with either, but if DU is predicting Murtha, chances are it will be Hoyer.

[JI7]

14. Murtha

[Totally Committed]

15. Can someone PLEASE explain to me why our choices are between

RIGHT and RIGHTER? I appreciate Murtha's stand on the war, but he's still REALLY to the right on the majority of all other issues. And, Hoyer... he's a piece of perennial right-wing corporatism with his hand out. Why are these our only choices?

F*ck it. NO to both.

TC

[Hippo_Tron]

27. Because, unfortunatlely, nobody else has the clout to make a serious run for it

Hoyer has a huge amount of support because he did a lot of favors for people as Whip and Murtha has Pelosi's backing. You simply can't compete with that.

[Totally Committed]

38. Okay, agreed... but WHY is that so?

Why has this Party put only these guys (and other guys JUST LIKE THEM) in the power position? Has this Party fallen for the Right's meme that "Liberal" is a dirty word?

Our choice, as I see it, is between a DLC DINO, and an old-school Right-leaning DINO (who just happens to have the correct position on the war.) I resent that deeply, to be honest.

TC

[OzarkDem]

16. How about Stephanie Tubbs Jones?

She's very strong and not afraid to stand up to the GOP. She's also very persuasive.

[Totally Committed]

17. I love, love, LOVE her!

She would be AWESOME! Amd the Republicans would sh*t a collective brick!

TC

[seaglass]

18. Which one will ensure Jane Harman doesn't get to lead the

House Intelligence Committee?

My guess would be Hoyer.

[Totally Committed]

39. She's DLC and so is he... so it won't be Hoyer...

and the only good thing about Murtha is he wants OUT of Iraq, and a super-Hawk like Harman won't pass his muster. So, if that is your criterion... Murtha is your man, not Hoyer.

TC

[mtnsnake]

19. I think Murtha has more than earned it.

[No Exit]

20. Murtha. He'll use his power to get us OUT OF IRAQ.

[jonnywishbone97]

21. Murtha

We dont need a lib in that power. We have a lib for Speaker We need a moderate for majority leader.

[jackbourassa]

22. MURTHA!

Email your COngressman...

Tell him/her to support Murtha.

www.house.gov/writerep/

[HughLefty1]

24. Liver or onions?

I'll go with Murtha~Pelosi needs to at least take a stand against the Big Business Hoyer types.

[Marie26]

30. Murtha

Because Pelosi is staking a lot on this, & if he wins, she will have successfully demonstrated her control & power as Majority Leader.

[Strawman]

31. The pit bull argument is an interesting one

I hadn't considered that. The more I think about this the less I like Hoyer as Majority Leader. He's not that public spokesperson type. All he does is send a signal to the House party caucus that we have two leaders that they can play off one another for their own personal gain. We'll have a return to the days of powerful committee chairpersons who rule their own individual fiefdoms. I sincerely wonder if that's not what many of these Dems in Congress are really all about. Maybe that's all they care about.

I haven't been crazy about Murtha in that spot either, but that's a good point in his favor. He's a good public face as a pit bull if he can withstand the scrutiny of these ethics charges. He's a guy that can go on Hardball and the cable shows. The media likes him, etc. and yuo're right that pit bull should not be the speaker's role. How well did that work out for Gingrich. I do have reservations about Murtha though. I wish there was another choice although I have to wonder who fits the pit bull yet squeaky clean choirboy/girl criteria.

What really pisses me off is the fact that we're having this debate now. To me it suggests poor leadership. We knew we were going to have a majority, why wasn't this decided in advance?

[Greyhound]

35. Eh, don't really care. A DLC corporatist or a misogynist

some choice. :shrug:

[IndianaGreen]

36. Hoyer is prowar but pro-LGBT, Murtha is antiwar but anti-LGBT

What kind of choice is that?

How about neither, and put John Conyers as Majority Leader. Conyers is antiwar and pro-LGBT rights, and he has been in the trenches fighting for us all along.

[Totally Committed]

40. I call it the Liberal version of "Sophie's Choice"....

Conyers would be so awesome! But, having him lead Judiciary is fantastic for us, too. I just resent the Hoyer/Murtha choice for the reasons you've stated and more.

TC

[Zhade]

37. Where's the "neither" choice?

NT!

[michreject]

41. Murtha gets my vote.

Pro gun.

[Ouabache]

42. Why Not Kucinich ??

He is more well-spoken than either of them, and Progressive for sure.

[quiller4]

43. Why not Kucinich

Kucinich is well-spoken but he doesn't have the ability to muscle his peers into line. You have to play hardball well to be a good leader.

[jackbourassa]

44. I think Murtha has the votes...

That's what they said on Hardball.