Democrat's Unravelling Begins.

[otterinbham 0]

Rep. Nancy Pelosi plans to sideline colleagues who are hawkish on national security in the Democratic leadership in the House.

Democratic Party sources said as House Speaker, Ms. Pelosi plans to block moves that would place hawks into important chairmanships. The sources said a key casualty would be Rep. Jane Harman, a six-term member of Congress who has cooperated with Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee.

"Nancy Pelosi wants total party discipline," a source in the Democratic Party leadership said. "If you played ball with the Republicans during this session, then you're not going to be given an important chair in the next session."

As the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, Ms. Harman was expected to become chairman of the powerful committee. But Ms. Pelosi is expected to pass over Ms. Harman for either Rep. Alcee Hastings of Florida or Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas, the second- and third-ranking Democrats on the intelligence panel.

The 42-member Congressional Black Caucus has been pushing for Mr. Hastings, an impeached federal judge, to become chairman. Earlier this year, the caucus was upset by Ms. Pelosi's decision to expel Rep. William Jefferson from the committee after he was accused of accepting bribes.

"There is no seniority on the Intelligence Committee," Ms. Pelosi said. "The leader or the speaker can appoint a whole new set of people."

The sources said the 61-year-old Ms. Harman, regarded as the best informed House Democrat on intelligence and technology issues, angered the liberal Ms. Pelosi by supporting the Bush administration’s policies on defense issues, particularly the war in Iraq and the Patriot Act. They said Ms. Pelosi has rebuffed lobbyists in the pro-Israel community and defense industry that sought a chairmanship for Ms. Harman.

"If Nancy Pelosi's apparent determination to deny Jane Harman the chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee to appease the Black Caucus is any indication, Democratic control is not going to be good news for those who believe in competent oversight of the national-security apparatus," said Loren Thompson, a defense analyst at the Lexington Institute.

Ms. Harman, who helped the Democrats draft a national security agenda for the campaign, said she hoped to remain a leading voice on defense issues. She said her California constituents want her to be on the House Intelligence Committee.

"House Intelligence Committee activities are directly relevant to the major concerns of my constituents," Ms. Harman said.

[CCTAU 3,346]

The dims are already on the boob tube claiming that America voted them in becasue they liked what they stood for and wanted them to pass their agenda: Specifically: raise min. wage, roll bax tax cuts, and get out of Iraq. Its as if they did not notice the number of republicans who were more disgusted with their own party than in line with the dims. I know of noone, except the wierdo dims on this board, who want to raise the min wage. Only the wacky left wants to rush out of Iraq. And nobody I have spoken to wants the tax cuts rolled back. So how they can stand up there and say "America wants this," I have no idea. They can play nice and get some things done, or they can piss off the conservatives and get waxed in 2 years. It's gonna get a lot scarier, I'm afraid. Pelosi is one scary hag......

[rexbo 104]

Might as well let Osama or Saddam start running the place; the effect on our national security will be the same...

[otterinbham 0]

I think the point of the article is that serious rifts are already beginning to develop among the Democrats over national security. Webb, after all, has a military background. Do you think he will put up with Pelosi's shenanigans? Heck, he'll vote his conscience every time.

[Wishbone 0]

The Democratic leadership wished, dreamed and prayed for America to lose the war so they could get into power. I've always known they were shytbag traitors. I was really hoping the election was the beginning of a new conservative democratic party. Maybe it will be. However, to leave Iraq without victory is unacceptable.

[channonc 466]

The Democratic leadership wished, dreamed and prayed for America to lose the war so they could get into power. I've always known they were shytbag traitors. I was really hoping the election was the beginning of a new conservative democratic party. Maybe it will be. However, to leave Iraq without victory is unacceptable.

Last time I checked, Bush was CIC. He's the only one who can make a decision as to whether or not we leave Iraq.

[Wishbone 0]

The Democratic leadership wished, dreamed and prayed for America to lose the war so they could get into power. I've always known they were shytbag traitors. I was really hoping the election was the beginning of a new conservative democratic party. Maybe it will be. However, to leave Iraq without victory is unacceptable.

Last time I checked, Bush was CIC. He's the only one who can make a decision as to whether or not we leave Iraq.

Bush is a well-meaning fool, HOWEVER at least he isn't rooting for the enemy. Hopefully Webb and Tester can knock some sense into the democratic party.

[DKW 86 7,441]

Alcee Hastings doing anything but serving hard time is an injustice to all decent human beings.

[TexasTiger 13,028]

I guess we should get used to more moronic threads like this one

[channonc 466]

The way the posting is going, you would think the world is about to spin off its axis. Unbelievable!!

[TexasTiger 13,028]

The way the posting is going, you would think the world is about to spin off its axis. Unbelievable!!

All because a Sun Myung Moon publication says that the Dems are enforcing discipline like the Repugs routinely do. Are you Repugs all Moonies now?

[otterinbham 0]

The way the posting is going, you would think the world is about to spin off its axis. Unbelievable!!

All because a Sun Myung Moon publication says that the Dems are enforcing discipline like the Repugs routinely do. Are you Repugs all Moonies now?

Party discipline has never been a Democratic strength. With a razor-thin majority, and with a lot of the new Representatives and Senators coming from the South and the Midwest, do you really think Pelosi and Reid will be able ramrod through any bit of their agenda?

[TexasTiger 13,028]

The way the posting is going, you would think the world is about to spin off its axis. Unbelievable!!

All because a Sun Myung Moon publication says that the Dems are enforcing discipline like the Repugs routinely do. Are you Repugs all Moonies now?

Party discipline has never been a Democratic strength. With a razor-thin majority, and with a lot of the new Representatives and Senators coming from the South and the Midwest, do you really think Pelosi and Reid will be able ramrod through any bit of their agenda?

We'll see. One thing I do feel confident of is that they can't do worse than this dysfunctional, sycophantic excuse for a congress that we currently have.

[CCTAU 3,346]

The way the posting is going, you would think the world is about to spin off its axis. Unbelievable!!

All because a Sun Myung Moon publication says that the Dems are enforcing discipline like the Repugs routinely do. Are you Repugs all Moonies now?

Party discipline has never been a Democratic strength. With a razor-thin majority, and with a lot of the new Representatives and Senators coming from the South and the Midwest, do you really think Pelosi and Reid will be able ramrod through any bit of their agenda?

We'll see. One thing I do feel confident of is that they can't do worse than this dysfunctional, sycophantic excuse for a congress that we currently have.

Yes. But their whole argument is that they can do better. We'll see. But if whacko Pelosi starts ramming the left down people's throat, not one thing will get done.

And Channon, if only the CIC can pull out of war, then why are the dims touting their election success on the fact that "Americans" elected them to get us out of Iraq? Sounds like false promisses to a public too stupid to understand.

[TexasTiger 13,028]

The way the posting is going, you would think the world is about to spin off its axis. Unbelievable!!

All because a Sun Myung Moon publication says that the Dems are enforcing discipline like the Repugs routinely do. Are you Repugs all Moonies now?

Party discipline has never been a Democratic strength. With a razor-thin majority, and with a lot of the new Representatives and Senators coming from the South and the Midwest, do you really think Pelosi and Reid will be able ramrod through any bit of their agenda?

We'll see. One thing I do feel confident of is that they can't do worse than this dysfunctional, sycophantic excuse for a congress that we currently have.

Yes. But their whole argument is that they can do better. We'll see. But if whacko Pelosi starts ramming the left down people's throat, not one thing will get done.

And Channon, if only the CIC can pull out of war, then why are the dims touting their election success on the fact that "Americans" elected them to get us out of Iraq? Sounds like false promisses to a public too stupid to understand.

If they don't do better, the American people can throw them out in 2 years.

[CCTAU 3,346]

Ed Zachary!

[DKW 86 7,441]

The way the posting is going, you would think the world is about to spin off its axis. Unbelievable!!

All because a Sun Myung Moon publication says that the Dems are enforcing discipline like the Repugs routinely do. Are you Repugs all Moonies now?

Party discipline has never been a Democratic strength. With a razor-thin majority, and with a lot of the new Representatives and Senators coming from the South and the Midwest, do you really think Pelosi and Reid will be able ramrod through any bit of their agenda?

We'll see. One thing I do feel confident of is that they can't do worse than this dysfunctional, sycophantic excuse for a congress that we currently have.

Yes. But their whole argument is that they can do better. We'll see. But if whacko Pelosi starts ramming the left down people's throat, not one thing will get done.

And Channon, if only the CIC can pull out of war, then why are the dims touting their election success on the fact that "Americans" elected them to get us out of Iraq? Sounds like false promisses to a public too stupid to understand.

If they don't do better, the American people can throw them out in 2 years.

[Tiger Al 0]

The way the posting is going, you would think the world is about to spin off its axis. Unbelievable!!

All because a Sun Myung Moon publication says that the Dems are enforcing discipline like the Repugs routinely do. Are you Repugs all Moonies now?

Party discipline has never been a Democratic strength. With a razor-thin majority, and with a lot of the new Representatives and Senators coming from the South and the Midwest, do you really think Pelosi and Reid will be able ramrod through any bit of their agenda?

We'll see. One thing I do feel confident of is that they can't do worse than this dysfunctional, sycophantic excuse for a congress that we currently have.

Yes. But their whole argument is that they can do better. We'll see. But if whacko Pelosi starts ramming the left down people's throat, not one thing will get done.

And Channon, if only the CIC can pull out of war, then why are the dims touting their election success on the fact that "Americans" elected them to get us out of Iraq? Sounds like false promisses to a public too stupid to understand.

Only the CiC can do it now because Congress abdicated that power to the Executive branch. There are only two ways that Congress can remove troops from Iraq: Either by the Executive branch to give that decision-making authority back to Congress or for Congress to vote NOT to fund it anymore.