Democrats chose Nancy Pelosi as the first woman speaker of the House Thursday, but handed her the first loss of her tenure moments later when they rejected John Murtha as majority leader.
Pelosi, D-Calif., had backed her old friend against Steny Hoyer, D-Md. She said that Murtha’s call for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq was a galvanizing moment for her party that helped give Congress back to the Democrats.
But Murtha, D-Pa., was trounced in Thursday’s leadership elections. Hoyer won, 149 to 86.
It was the only contested election for the Democrats. Pelosi and the remaining leaders — Whip James Clyburn of South Carolina; Caucus Chair Rahm Emanuel, D-Ill., and Deputy Caucus Chair John B. Larson of Connecticut — were elected unanimously.
The leadership elections wasn’t the first time Hoyer and Pelosi had opposed eachother. Each ran for minority whip in 2001. Murtha managed Pelosi’s successful campaign.
But in a year when the Democrats rallied voters by condemning “a culture of corruption” in the Republican Congress, Pelosi’s support of Murtha raised eyebrows even among party loyalists.
In early 1980, Murtha was videotaped in an FBI sting being offered a bribe to help a fictitious Arab sheikh obtain U.S. residency. Murtha is heard to remark that he wasn’t interested “at this point.”
“You know, we do business for a while, maybe I’ll be interested, maybe I won’t,” Murtha says on the tape.
Hoyer, meanwhile, had been a top fundraiser for the Democrats and had toured extensively to raise money and profiles of congressional candidates — many of whom won.
Veteran Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., voted for Murtha and worked the phones on Murtha’s behalf.
He said that Pelosi ought to have a loyalist as majority leader.
“We need a consistent voice,” he said. “She needs somebody she has complete trust and confidence in.”
Moran said that Hoyer “completely undermined” Murtha and Pelosi when the pair called for immediate withdrawal from Iraq and Hoyer said it would be a disaster.
Many Democrats, like Moran, were frustrated at how the Republicans — led by former Texas Rep. Tom DeLay — were able to outmaneuver the opposition by marching in lock-step.
But Albert Wynn, D-Md., said that any hard feelings over the leadership debate would last “about two weeks.”
“Our real focus is on the Democratic agenda,” he said. “Once this is over, this over. We’ve got to focus on the minimum wage.”
After Thursday’s vote, Pelosi and Hoyer addressed the media, holding hands. Both promised that they would work together.
“We’ve had our debates, we’ve had our debates in that room and now it’s over,” Pelosi said.
Hoyer said that he and Pelosi “make a good team.”
“Nancy and I have worked together for four years, closely and effectively,” he said.
Murtha stood by as both spoke. He said he bore no ill will for his loss but that he would continue to press the Bush administration for an end to the war in Iraq.
Steny Hoyer at a glance
» Age: 67
» High school: Suitland High School, 1959
» College: University of Maryland, 1963
» Law school: Georgetown, 1966
» First office: Maryland Senate, elected 1966
» In 1975, he was elected president of Maryland Senate, then the youngest in Maryland’s history
» First elected to Congress: 1981
» Family: Late wife Judith Pickett Hoyer; three daughters — Susan, Stefany and Anne; three grandchildren — Judy,James Cleveland and Alexa; one great-granddaughter — Ava Elaine, born earlier this month
