Don't be Hastings.
Looking to avoid another contentious fight after the recent Hoyer-Murtha melee, Speaker-elect Pelosi sidesteps both Jane Harman and Alcee Hastings for the House Intelligence Committee head. "Harman, a moderate, strong-on-defense 'Blue Dog' Democrat, had angered liberals with her reluctance to challenge the Bush administration's use of intelligence. Hastings, an African American, was strongly backed by the Congressional Black Caucus but was ardently opposed by the Blue Dogs, who said his removal from the bench disqualifies him from such a sensitive post." As with Hoyer and Murtha, Hastings' questionable ethics record is more of a concern to me than Harman's moderation, but a third choice is fine with me. Update: Pelosi chooses Silvestre Reyes for the post.
0 TrackBacks
Listed below are links to blogs that reference this entry: Don't be Hastings..
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.ghostinthemachine.net/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/1593
Harman's moderation
Is publicly and repeatedly defending warrantless wiretapping and presidential lawbreaking what passes for "moderation" these days? The last thing I want is the head of the intelligence committee providing political cover for the administration at a time when we finally have a chance to go after them on this stuff. She's also totally in the pocket of AIPAC, but that probably does make her a moderate in the current insane climate. I'm glad she's out, and that we aren't stuck with Hastings either, for that matter. Good on Pelosi for being willing to fight on this.
You're right -- moderation was the wrong word to use. My point was that corrupt Dems in the leadership are more troubling to me than spineless Dems, although neither is preferable. But, yeah, I'm not going to defend Harman here.