[AntiGuv]

Pelosi and Hoyer notoriously don't get along. He is the leader of the anti-Pelosi elements in the Dem caucus. Pelosi wants to neutralize Hoyer and his designs on the Speaker's gavel, while Murtha is a Pelosi loyalist who will owe his leadership position to her. If Murtha prevails, then this is an eminently rational move on Pelosi's part, and for the Democrats in general to the extent that it minimizes divisions in their leadership. If on the other hand Hoyer prevails, Pelosi will be in a considerably more precarious position than she would've faced anyhow.

That's what it's all about. This signifies nothing further with regard to electoral strategy or relations with the White House. It indicates that Pelosi believes now that with her support Murtha will win, and if she's right then it's a Pelosi coup de grâce.

[Omega Man II]

http://www.thehill.com/thehill/export/TheHill/News/Frontpage/110906/pelosi2.html

More details here. Some indication that this letter of support is a sign of "desperation" on the part of Murtha.

A Hoyer/Harman double victory will signify weakness on the part of Pelosi.. but the flipside is it will be a sign that moonbats won't be running the show in the House unopposed.

[Sam Spade]

I get your point about it being an internal struggle and that it has very little to do with electoral strategy or the White House, etc.

The problem is that Murtha is perhaps one of the least intelligent members in the House, period, and he has historically had corruption problems. He is not a "fresh face", to put it mildly.

In addition, you know, as well as I do, the history of House majority leaders over the past 15-20 years, especially the ones that attempt to create a public face for themselves. Nearly all of them are out of Congress in under 5 years.

Conflict is often good for leadership, blind loyalty and subservience often destroys coalitions. We should a little about that watching the executive over the past 3 years.

I think it's a bad start for Democrats for these reasons, but it remains to be seen whether this will be a fatal flaw in their takeover.