On Midterms, Mandates, and Murtha

Forums: Politics
Email this Topic • Print this Page

by Arianna Huffington

Everywhere you look, "experts" are sifting through the rubble of last night and offering standard-issue, conventional wisdom-approved explanations for the GOP's defeat. For a perfect example, check out Ron Brownstein's reading of things in the LA Times, where he divines that the "GOP ceded the center and paid the price." Or DLC founder Al From, who -- surprise, surprise -- claimed Tuesday as "a victory for the vital center of American politics over the extremes."

Nonsense. The GOP lost for three reasons: Iraq, Iraq, and Iraq. Period. End of discussion.
Election Day 2006 was an unambiguous repudiation of the Bush administration's failed and tragic policy in Iraq. In race after race after race, Democrats who were unequivocal on Iraq prevailed. Democrats who ran campaigns by the book, listened to their consultants, and veered to Al From's "vital center", lost.

A perfect example of this can be found in Pennsylvania, where Joe Sestak and Patrick Murphy both made strong anti-Iraq positions a key part of their congressional campaigns. Sestak, a retired three-star admiral, called the war a "tragic misadventure" and advocated withdrawing U.S. troops by June 2007. Murphy, an Iraq war vet, praised the leadership of Jack Murtha, and said, "We need to start bringing our men and women home now." Both men won.

Conversely, Lois Murphy, who many pegged as a sure-fire Democratic pick-up, avoided putting Iraq front and center -- and lost. She didn't even mention Iraq in the "On the Issues" or "Making Us Safer" pages of her campaign website.

Then there is Ned Lamont, who paid the price for trying to play it both ways on Iraq. He initially, and courageously, ran on the need to leave Iraq -- and came from nowhere to win the Democratic primary. He then put the war on the back burner for months -- giving Lieberman time to not just get off the mat but to learn his lesson on Iraq and begin muddying the waters by also using anti-war rhetoric. By the time Lamont went back to pounding Lieberman on Iraq, it was too late.

The Iraq dynamic played itself out across the country. In New Hampshire's 1st District, social worker Carol Shea-Porter, who unequivocally said "We have to leave Iraq," defeated incumbent Jeb Bradley, despite no financial support from Rahm Emanuel and the DCCC. In Kentucky, anti-Iraq progressive John Yarmuth, who said that Americans are no longer fighting terrorists in Iraq, "we're fighting Iraqis," unseated five-term incumbent Ann Northrup.

And here are some other Senatorial and Congressional winners on Iraq:

Sherrod Brown, Senator-elect from Ohio, who defeated two-term incumbent Mike DeWine: "From the beginning, I have been an outspoken critic of the Iraq war."

Jay McNerney of California, who defeated seven-term incumbent Richard Pombo: "I'm 100 percent in favor of Congressman Murtha's plan."

Chris Murphy of Connecticut, who beat 12-term incumbent Nancy Johnson: "We must leave Iraq as soon as possible..."

Gabrielle Giffords of Arizona, who defeated ardent anti-immigration candidate Randy Graf: "My priority is to bring our troops home safe and soon."

Baron Hill of Indiana, who defeated incumbent Mike Sodrel: "We stand for getting our boys and girls out of Iraq sooner rather than later."

Dave Loebsack of Iowa, who defeated 15-term incumbent Jim Leach: "Complete disengagement from Iraq in the next year will serve to enhance America's security."

Sheldon Whitehouse, Senator-elect from Rhode Island, who was even more strongly anti-war than anti-war incumbent Lincoln Chafee: "I support a rapid and responsible withdrawal of our troops from Iraq."

Don't let the DLC and DCCC spin-meisters fool you. This election was not a mandate for the Democratic Party to run to the middle. It was a mandate for the Democratic Party to do everything in its power to get us out of Iraq -- rapidly and responsibly.

And that's why the next thing Democrats need to do is make sure that Jack Murtha becomes the new Majority Leader of the House. He led the charge to make Iraq the central issue of this campaign, and led the charge to keep pressing the issue when other Democratic leaders wanted to tone down the rhetoric or move economic issues to the forefront.

Jack Murtha's leadership sparked last night's victory and has given Democrats control of Congress for the first time in a dozen years. Now they have to complete the end-the-Iraq-debacle mission the voters have given them. And Murtha's the leader who can take them the rest of the way.

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 379 • Replies: 4

No top replies

Surprising that Ariana got Majority Leader of the House as compared to the Senate. Hmmm.

0 Replies

I wondered about that, too. I thought the Majority Leader of the House was called the Speaker Of The House.

0 Replies

Speaker Pelosi endorses Murtha for majority leader

kelticwizard wrote:

I wondered about that, too. I thought the Majority Leader of the House was called the Speaker Of The House.

They are two separate offices. Speaker is a constitutional office and is leader of the entire house and both parties and in line for president after the vice president. Majority Leader is leader of, in this case, the Democratic party.---BBB

Pelosi Endorses Murtha as Next Majority Leader

By Jonathan Weisman
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, November 13, 2006

House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) endorsed Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) yesterday as the next House majority leader, thereby stepping into a contentious intraparty fight between Murtha and her current deputy, Maryland's Steny H. Hoyer.

The unexpected move signaled the sizable value Pelosi gives to personal loyalty and personality preferences. Hoyer competed with her in 2001 for the post of House minority whip, while Murtha managed her winning campaign. Pelosi has also all but decided she will not name the ranking Democrat on the House intelligence committee, Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) to chair that panel next year, a decision pregnant with personal animus.

Pelosi had been outspoken about her frustration with Murtha's declaration that he would challenge Hoyer, currently the House minority whip, for the majority leader post long before Democrats had secured the majority. Many believed she would remain on the sidelines, just as Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) did earlier this year when three Republicans vied for the post of House majority leader.

But in her first real decision as the incoming speaker, Pelosi said she was swayed by Murtha's early stance for a withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq. Her letter of endorsement yesterday made clear that she sees Iraq as the central issue of the next Congress and that she believes a decorated Marine combat veteran at the helm of the House caucus would provide Democrats ammunition in their fight against congressional Republicans and President Bush on the issue.

"I salute your courageous leadership that changed the national debate and helped make Iraq the central issue of this historic election. It was surely a dark day for the Bush Administration when you spoke truth to power," she wrote. "Your strong voice for national security, the war on terror and Iraq provides genuine leadership for our party, and I count on you to lead on these vital issues."

Murtha responded, "I am deeply gratified to receive the support of Speaker Pelosi, a tireless advocate for change and a true leader for our Party and our country."

Pelosi's decision could be a significant blow to Hoyer, who has worked for years to move up in the Democratic leadership. Political handicappers had regarded Hoyer to be the strong favorite when House Democrats meet Thursday to choose a majority leader for the 110th Congress. Although Murtha's stance on Iraq has made him a hero among many grass-roots party activists, his positions against abortion and gun control have pushed many House liberals into Hoyer's camp, including the leader of the Out of Iraq Caucus, Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.).

Hoyer's camp counts 21 of the roughly 40 incoming freshman Democrats as committed supporters. Many freshmen believe the Democrats should stick with the team that brought them to the majority, said John Sarbanes, who was elected last week to represent central Maryland in the House.

Hoyer also has the strong support of many of the party's conservative "Blue Dog" Democrats, who worry about Murtha's involvement in the Abscam bribery sting in 1980 and what they see as his freewheeling style on the House Appropriations Committee, where he has openly advocated for the interests of his district and his political supporters.

Some of Hoyer's supporters put the best face on Pelosi's intervention, saying Murtha would not have asked for a public letter of support if his campaign were not in trouble.

"I don't think it's significant," said Rep. Dennis Cardoza (D-Calif.), a leading Blue Dog and Hoyer supporter. "Everyone already knew she was supporting Murtha. I don't think this will have much of an impact. Steny's going to win this fight."

But Murtha has garnered the support of some influential Californians close to Pelosi, including Rep. George Miller (D-Calif.), a liberal firebrand who will chair the House Education and the Workforce Committee.

In a statement, Hoyer said he remains confident he has the votes.

"Nancy told me some time ago that she would personally support Jack. I respect her decisions as the two are very close," he wrote. "I am grateful for the support I have from my colleagues, and have the majority of the caucus supporting me. I look forward to working with Speaker Pelosi as Majority Leader."

Another potentially fractious vote in the House Democratic Caucus was settled late last week when Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.), the outgoing chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, decided against running for House majority whip. Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), the only African American in the House Democratic leadership, had already announced his candidacy.

Emanuel instead will stand unopposed for the job Clyburn will vacate, House Democratic Caucus chairman. In his announcement, he appealed for party unity ahead of Thursday's leadership elections.

0 Replies

Rep. John Murtha

Dear Democratic Colleague,

Yesterday, I received the endorsement of Speaker-elect Pelosi in the race for House Majority Leader, and I am deeply gratified.

Last week the American people spoke and clearly demanded change. We now have a tremendous opportunity to show them that we can deliver, work together, and fix the real problems affecting so many Americans, including implementing Speaker-elect Pelosi's Six for '06 agenda.

I want to point out that we could not have won the Majority without the voices of so many of you who spoke out ahead of me on the issue of the Iraq war.

It is the outspokenness of so many of you on Iraq that has ensured a Democratic Majority. You helped me to develop the message which was so instrumental in breaking the perceived barrier Democrats had on national security issues. The American People have put their faith in Democrats to lead the country on a change in policy on the Iraq war, which was the key issue in this election.

The war in Iraq must remain our number one priority until it is resolved.

I have spent 32 years in Congress working with Democrats and Republicans to find solutions on the major issues our country has faced. I am up to the challenge that is before us. If chosen as your Majority Leader, I look forward to working with each and every one of you and our new Speaker to chart a new direction for our country immediately upon convening the 110th Congress.

By overwhelmingly electing a Democratic Majority, Americans have placed their trust in the Democratic Party. With your help, we can ensure a unified Caucus and a unified message to the American people.

Sincerely,
John P. Murtha

Member of Congress

0 Replies

On Midterms, Mandates, and Murtha

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know