It's no secret Nancy Pelosi fumbled her way out of the blocks as incoming-Speaker of the House by publicly pushing for ethically-challenged Jack Murtha over now Majority Leader-to-be Steny Hoyer. Indeed, Pelosi took a thrashing from the punditocracy over the unforced error (see a representative sample from Howard Fineman, John Podhoretz, Time Magazine, and the Seattle Times...even the New York Times piled on with gusto). On the heels of that universally poor coverage, will Pelosi make an even worse mistake, and will Democratic members of the House from our state support it?
Locally, Jim Miller broached the story of Pelosi's consideration of installing Rep. Alcee Hastings as Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. Post-election, and post-Murtha/Hoyer squabble, the selection of an impeached judge (who was removed from the federal bench because of allegations of bribery) to a sensitive post important to national security would be a stunningly imprudent choice.
Byron York at the National Review has done some thorough work on the topic, covering the investigation into Hastings' misdeeds, the fact the liberal lions of the House voted to impeach Hastings, and more recent news that Bill Clinton's scandalous last-minute pardon bonanza while exiting the White House included a reprieve for Hastings' co-conspirator.
The whole question of Hastings' background is under the klieg lights because Pelosi seems to bear a grudge against current leading Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, Jane Harman. The essence of the grudge, however, just like the choice of Murtha over Hoyer, appears to rest on personal reasons, not sound policy or political thinking. That's a highly questionable story line for a new Speaker to create for oneself while stepping into an already pressure-infused position.
Readers will recall the gratuitous self-inflicted wounds the Clinton administration suffered early in 1993 when the hottest stories about the new President's term were gays in the military and trying to find an Attorney General nominee who didn't have a nanny problem. Proper political vetting and agenda setting would have insulated Clinton from those disasters. Likewise with Pelosi. If she hands Hastings' the Chairman's gavel for Intelligence she'll open herself up to a torrent of questions, and related media coverage, rather than focusing on her "100 hour agenda." The fact there is a Clinton pardon involved in the whole mess would just add to the smarmy theme of the media tale.
During the contest between Hoyer and Murtha, local Democrats were candid about their preferences for Majority Leader. While the selection of Committee Chairs does not necessitate the same intra-caucus vote, one would think such members might have some thoughts on who should hold an important position like Chair of the Select Committee on Intelligence. And, thoughts on whether or not the current, and at least qualified, ranking Minority member should be bumped, in favor of a disgraced former judge, removed from office by the United States Congress.
Messrs. Inslee, Larsen, Baird, Dicks, McDermott, and Smith: what say you?
UPDATE: Lynne Varner has some thoughts in today's Seattle Times, saying thanks, but no thanks, to a Hastings chairmanship. Time also previews the potential fallout, depending on Pelosi's choice.
UPDATE II: Rich Lowry at the National Review also adds discussion on the longer-term political impacts of this potential Chairmanship selection, noting Hastings is "is one of only seven judges in history to be impeached by the House and removed by the Senate." Charming.
Posted by Eric Earling at November 22, 2006 01:12 AM | Email ThisMan, this country sure misses those 'scandals'!
Have you written anything about the Iraq scandals, 28 page redacted scandals, deficit/debt scandals, medicare prescription drug scandals, big-oil extra tax cut scandals, war-profiteering scandals or even the Katrina scandals, lately?
I didn't think so.
Posted by: Stram on November 22, 2006 02:22 AMNancy Pelosi just has to 'be herself' to energize the press, the opposition and the public. Baghdad Jim and Inslee will back Pelosi to the hilt, although I'm not so sure about Baird, Larsen and Smith. Dicks has been around too long and has close ties with the military/intelligence communities, so I don't think Hastings would sit too well with him. I doubt Dicks or the others will go public, but may express their opinions to Democrat House leaders.
Posted by: Saltherring on November 22, 2006 05:31 AMThe deficit/debt "scandal". The Republicans passed the largest budget in US history - scandalous. The budget proposed by the Democrats, and rejected by the Republican majority, was even bigger. Can you say "scandalous" to that? I thought not.
The Federal Katrina response was brain dead, perhaps scandalous. But when Bush called LA Governor Whats-her-name for permission to come in and help (remember, the Feds are forbidden by law to intervene without an invitation from the affected State), she said "I'll think about it" and delayed any Federal help for 48 hours. Can you say "scandalous" to that? I thought not.
You castigate us for talking about Democrat scandals and supposedly ignoring Republican "scandals". Where has your voice been on the Democrat scandals? Silent.
You condemn in us what you practice yourself. What a hypocrite!
Posted by: sro on November 22, 2006 06:44 AMStram - Mayor Nagin's disasterous handling of Katrina has nothing to do with Sound Politics.
Posted by: Right said Fred on November 22, 2006 06:48 AMIt would seem that those conservative Republicans who either refused to vote this go-around or who voted straight Ds to "teach the party a lesson" might have done some good. Exposing this kind of stupidity in the Dems can only help in 2008, when the RNC will be able to point at how the culture of corruption was celebrated in this Congress rather than combatted as promised.
Posted by: Marc on November 22, 2006 07:23 AMI guess another question is Will our local Pols kick CAIR out of the halls of Congress when they show up or vote CAIR's agenda that will include precluding airport searches of people on the basis of their "religion". Peaceful individuals will then be able to scream bloody murder as they haul truckloads of bomb making materials on board planes in the name of "religious" freedom. Reading about John Conyers support of legislation like this that died in the last congress and Pelosi's stated goal of rewriting the Patriot Act I guess I won't be flying anymore lest I become part of another statement by the religion of peace. You won't hear one airline say a peep! Remember they were shouting allah akbar at the election of the muslim from Minnesota and he did not CAIR uh I mean care about it.
Bottom line dark days are on the march on Washington I don't know if I will be laughing or crying when the SP trolls are outfitting their wives with the black burka and the gays are getting chopped up all in the name of religious freedom. As long as Nancy gets her way today who cares about tomorrow. We have no leaders right now just lusting individuals seeking either your neck or your taxes to heck with the consequences!!! And you voters oh ya quite a lesson your gonna teach yourselves...you think you ever will get to vote again? Ok just keep wearing those redcoats while the rebels set the traps for you everywhere.
Hastings's is a great guy because you know it was a republican plot brought on by denying someone health care somewhere at some point so he had to commit the crimes to block the evil republicans so therefore he should be the chairman because he sacrificed.
Everything falls into place after that.
Posted by: Hinton on November 22, 2006 08:50 AMlook--D, R, whatever--crap background & choices and legal issues does not work for our national security, let alone holding ANY office. it's about integrity and trust--and--leading by example. kids bagging groceries get fired for goofing off much less. look at your words & content--you REALLY mean that or just yanking chains?
Posted by: jimmie-howya-doin on November 22, 2006 10:00 AMBTW, New Orleans is about the most corrupt place in the industrialized world. They put a lot of third world countries to shame in terms of obvious corruption. It's no surprise that Katrina Relief failed, but I'm sure putting a complete moron in charge of FEMA didn't help Bush either.
Posted by: Cato on November 22, 2006 10:43 AMI believe this Democrat Soap Opera will be more entertaining than Desperate Housewives and Grey's Anatomy COMBINED! I mean, you can't make sh*t like this up!
Pelosi promises to clean-up Congress....yet she backs Murtha & Alcee Hastings!!!?
It's kind of like sitting in a bar nursing a glass of Johnny Walker Blue Label and telling everyone in the bar that you don't drink anymore!
I smell liquor on Nancy's breath!
In the name of full disclosure, he represented me in a reckless driving by drag racing case when I was 19. He lost the case because I was guilty.
In the late 1960s, I worked for a publication called Insight Broward, which focused mainly on local, Ft. Lauderdale and Broward County politics. The publisher, a fellow named Jim Coryell, was on to Hastings and his shady business and political dealings from early on, and wrote about him often, hoping to expose his misdeeds.
One night, while leaving a meeting, he was approached in a dimly lit parking lot by a man who pulled a gun. During a brief struggle, the man shot him in the leg. According to Coryell, all the man said was,"This is for Alcee Hastings."
Hastings has proven time and again that he isn't trustworthy and he isn't someone the Democrats should be supporting. If Pelosi knew all there was to know about Hastings, she might be surprised -- but then again, maybe not.
Posted by: The Firewalker on November 22, 2006 09:29 PMRemember this is the party that has a homicidal drunk as one of it's great lions.
Remember this is the party that has a homicidal drunk as one of its great lions.
Had you asked it as an open question, instead of a loaded loaded one, I might have answered. Ignoring loaded questions and questions with false premises is exactly what I was talking about. We're controling the agenda from here on out.
Posted by: me on November 23, 2006 10:27 AMThe double standard pricks of the mainstream press are would not say much of anything about about it if Hastings was appointed.
What a bunch of narcissistic morons - the House leadership and the MSM !