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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Democrats in showdown over Murtha


Rep. John Murtha, D-Pa., discusses the war in Iraq during a Capitol Hill news conference in  May.
 (Associated Press / The Spokesman-Review)
Jonathan Weisman and Lois Romano Washington Post

WASHINGTON – A showdown over the House majority leader’s post has bitterly divided Democrats only a week after their party took control of Congress and has prompted numerous complaints that Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi and her allies are using strong-arm tactics and threats to try to elect Rep. John Murtha, Pa., to the job.

The vote is scheduled for today.

Murtha, 74, a former Marine who was among the first on Capitol Hill to call for a U.S. troop withdrawal from Iraq, may have hurt his own chances Tuesday night when he called the Democrats’ ethics and lobbying package “total crap” before saying he will push for its passage out of deference to Pelosi. His statement, at a gathering of conservative “Blue Dog” Democrats, was cited by backers of his rival, Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., as further proof that Murtha’s controversial ethics record disqualifies him to lead the party in a new political era.

Pelosi’s aggressive intervention on behalf of Murtha has baffled and angered many Democrats, who feel she has unnecessarily put her reputation on the line out of misplaced loyalty to a friend and because of a long-standing feud with Hoyer, the current minority whip. Pelosi has pushed Murtha’s candidacy at social events, in private meetings and with incoming freshman Democrats; they have been called to her office to discuss committee assignments, only to hear first that she needs Murtha in order to be an effective leader.

Hoyer, 67, was heavily favored to win the race until Sunday, when Pelosi – in a move that shocked even her staff – openly threw her support to Murtha, despite a vow to stay neutral. She said in a letter that she was swayed by Murtha’s early call for a withdrawal of U.S. troops and that he would be best positioned to lead a new Democratic majority.

Hoyer still maintains the public support of most incoming committee chairmen, influential liberals such as Reps. Barney Frank, D-Mass., and Maxine Waters, D-Calif., most conservative Blue Dogs, and 21 of the 40 or so freshmen. But Murtha has a sizable contingent from the Appropriations Committee and the Pennsylvania delegation, as well as Pelosi’s closest supporters. Since her endorsement, Pelosi has been unabashedly pushing Murtha.

So intense has the lobbying been that incoming House Ways and Means Chairman Charles Rangel, D-N.Y. – after fielding a call from Pelosi – said in a media report he hadn’t really endorsed Hoyer in a published interview in which he praised him.

One conservative Democrat said that a Murtha-Pelosi ally approached him on the House floor and said pointedly, “I hope you like your committee assignment, because it’s the only one you’re gonna get.”

In a phone call initiated by Murtha that same day, the lawmaker told the veteran politician that he had already signed a letter of support for Hoyer. The congressman said he was stunned when Murtha told him, “Letters don’t mean anything.”

Hoyer’s supporters complained about such tactics.

“Commitment is something of value in this institution,” said Rep. Artur Davis, D-Ala. “If you have somebody in this race saying, ‘Oh, your promises don’t really mean anything in a secret ballot,’ that bothers me, and it should bother a lot of people.”

Murtha has accused Hoyer of a “stay the course” mentality on Iraq, which Hoyer says does not accurately reflect his call for a phased redeployment of troops.

But Murtha, the ranking Democrat on the powerful Appropriations defense subcommittee, has been dogged by allegations that he has skirted ethical boundaries and has thwarted efforts to tighten the rules on lobbying. Those questions were amplified Wednesday after at least three attendees at the Tuesday night meeting of Blue Dog lawmakers complained that Murtha had disparaged the Democrats’ ethics and lobbying package.

“He said, ‘You know, I believe it’s total crap, but Nancy supports it, and I’m going to push it,’ ” said a senior Blue Dog Democrat and Hoyer supporter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was divulging comments from a closed-door meeting.

Pelosi aides stressed that Murtha remains dedicated to the package’s passage, but the dust-up rekindled memories of past Murtha votes. He was one of 12 Democrats to vote against campaign finance legislation written by Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Russell Feingold, D-Wis., and he was one of four Democrats who opposed an ethics package earlier this year that was designed to contrast the Democrats’ tough stance with a weaker Republican bill.