Why didn't a third Democrat decide to run for Majority Leader?

[Ignacio Upton]

I can't believe that Pelosi and our caucus would be stupid enough to let this pass by. BOTH of the two men running for the position have issues that could be construed against them, and against Democrats in general, and to make us look like hypocrites on the corruption issue. Murtha has ABSCAM and a CREW list to deal with, and Hoyer has been reported to be a friend of K-Street. Articles in the papers have been printed out repeatedly about this shit, and I can't believe that nobody in the caucus has spoken up!

[Alexander]

1. Good idea, but who do you suggest?

[Ignacio Upton]

2. I've heard David Obey's name thrown around

n/t.

[Alexander]

3. Any bribes or K Street connections?

[RB TexLa]

4. Because members have given verbal support

If someone jumped in now they had better be able to win, which they couldn't. If they didn't win they risk putting themselves and those who jump from Murtha or Hoyer out of the loop so to speak.

[stevedeshazer]

5. Is that all you've got?

That was a piss-poor try.

Thanks in advance for the tip on Rush and Sean's show tomorrow.

All your Congress are belong to us.

[skipos]

6. Hi. I just voted straight D. I would have liked to see someone other than Hoyer and Murtha.

I think our leaders should be squeaky clean.

[Ignacio Upton]

7. Yes!

Unfortunately, whenever someone brings this up, they get called "Freeper" or compared to the Rethuglicans. CREW and TPM are NOT GOP outfits!

http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/newsrelease.php?view=156

http://www.beyonddelay.org/files/Murtha.pdf

http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/archives/001981.php

[On the Road]

9. Why Do I Have the Feeling That

no matter who becomes majority leader, every stone will be overturned and every failing held up to the public eye.

And if something serious is found, a lot of people on DU will sound just like Delay supporters.

I'm not satisfied with the choices either, but at this point they're all we have. It won't be the end of the world in either case.

[Hippo_Tron]

11. I don't think it's the end of the world, but...

I think that there's nothing wrong with recognizing that both of these men have their shortcomings and perhaps there are better choices out there even if they aren't going to get the job.

[Hippo_Tron]

10. Steve, they are both piss-poor choices for Majority Leader

It doesn't mean that he is a troll for saying so.

[stevedeshazer]

19. See my post #18

You're right.

[Krakowiak]

15. How dare you

How dare you insult a 1000+ poster on these boards, who has obviously committed much of his/her time to DU.

Aren't we supposed to be the party of civility?

[stevedeshazer]

18. I personally apologized to Ignacio.

I rarely post in anger, but I personalized that comment, and it was wrong.

Thanks for setting me straight. You're right.

[Hippo_Tron]

8. I already did a thread on this, but good to know that others agree with me

[Ignacio Upton]

12. Yeah, it's a not-so-silent protest

I'm worried about it, not only because we ran on ethics, but because the media will be more likely to jump on Murtha or Hoyer than they would in DeLay's case. DeLay didn't receive as much media attention until after he was indicted.

[LittleClarkie]

13. Why didn't ABSCAM come up when Murtha was being praised

for his Iraq stance, and the Republicans were trying to smear him?

Or did it, and I just didn't notice?

[Ignacio Upton]

14. There was a NYT back in September about it

n/t.

[A-Schwarzenegger]

16. Good thing the Repubes dont read the NY Times.

[DemPower]

17. Kucinich should be majority leader

He is a true leader and he will get us out of Iraq ASAP! He is the first to introduce legislation to get us out of Iraq along with Ron Paul, Neil Abercrombie, Walter Jones....not Murtha

http://www.democracynow.org/article.pl?sid=06/11/15/1459243#transcript
I want to say that there's one solution here, and it's not to engage in a debate with the President, who has taken us down a path of disaster in Iraq, but it's for Congress to assume the full power that it has under the Constitution to cut off funds. We don't need to keep indulging in this debate about what to do, because as long as we keep temporizing, the situation gets worse in Iraq.

We have to determine that the time has come to cut off funds. There’s enough money in the pipeline to achieve the orderly withdrawal that Senator McGovern is talking about. But cut off funds, we must. That's the ultimate power of the Congress, the power of the purse. That's how we'll end this war, and that’s the only way we’re going to end this war.