Posted on 11/24/2006 6:28:44 AM PST by Dark Skies
After careful deliberation, the 9/11 commission concluded that continuity in the leadership of the congressional intelligence committees doesn’t matter. It thought bipartisanship should be avoided on the committees if at all possible and recommended that personal pique and racial politics trump substantive considerations.
Actually, of course, the commission said none of those things, and on continuity, said the opposite. The sum total of the Democratic consensus on national security, judging by the bare-bones platform the party ran on this fall, is implementing the remaining unimplemented recommendations of the 9/11 commission. But House Majority Leader-elect Nancy Pelosi could flout the spirit and letter of the commission by bypassing senior California Rep. Jane Harman and choosing instead Florida Rep. Alcee Hastings to head the House intelligence committee.
Harman is a moderate on national security, noted for her expertise. She has a reputation for bipartisan comity and has worked to pull Democrats to the center on defense and intelligence issues. Hastings, on the other hand, is a former federal judge who, thanks to his involvement in a bribery scheme, is one of only seven judges in history to be impeached by the House and removed by the Senate. He is a left-wing Democrat with an undistinguished congressional record who will certainly be a hyperpartisan leader of a traditionally bipartisan committee.
For most people, this wouldn’t seem a tough choice. For Pelosi, it’s not either — she seems dead set against Harman.
According to the Los Angeles Times, Pelosi and Harman once were friends, but now “the two rarely talk.” The relationship might have been soured by their clashing personalities, or parochial California political considerations, or sheer envy. According to the Times’s tally, Harman has been on major Sunday talk shows 18 times during the past two years to Pelosi’s six appearances.
An original supporter of the Iraq War, Harman initially resisted Democratic calls for an immediate withdrawal, although she has tilted that way more recently. She has criticized the White House for not getting congressional authorization for the terrorist surveillance program, but supports the program itself. All of this might turn off Pelosi, but comports with the reasonable, bipartisan image the Democrats have attempted to project in taking over the House.
If Pelosi bumps Harman, the next in line is Hastings. He is not a security threat in the sense that he will start selling secrets to the Russians, but the symbolism of his running an extremely sensitive congressional committee is, at the very least, gross. Liberal editorial boards, the foreign-policy establishment and the moderate Blue Dog Democrats have all endorsed Harman. Pelosi still might feel compelled to choose Hastings because of his important countervailing endorsement — from the Congressional Black Caucus.
The CBC would consider it a slight for Hastings not to get the job, but what doesn’t the CBC consider a slight? As a compromise, she might pick a Hispanic congressman, thus pleasing the Congressional Hispanic Caucus. Why didn’t the Democrats tell us a crucial plank of their national-security agenda would be ethnic bean counting on the intelligence committee?
The Harman-Hastings flap is part of The Great Slackening. That is what happens to a reform party sooner or later after it takes control of Congress. In this case, it looks like sooner. Pelosi had barely uttered her pledge to conduct the most ethical Congress ever, before endorsing the Abscam-tainted, earmark-greedy John Murtha for majority leader. Now she might choose an impeached federal judge as her personal pick to run the intelligence committee.
It is still early, and all of this might be forgotten by January. But first impressions can be lasting. Ned Lamont slayed incumbent Sen. Joe Lieberman in the Democratic primary in Connecticut in August, and had all but lost the general election race a few days later when he appeared too left wing and unserious to voters. If Pelosi picks Hastings, she will be a step closer to stamping her Democrats with the mark of Lamont.
Anyone who knows the Democrats should not be surprised.
And OTOH, why is there even a Congressional Black Caucus? Is memebership open to all members of Congress?
"...adds some perspective to the whole 'he said / she said' of the story... - read all the links. This puts a new light on Jane Harman. (one of the links)
According to the Los Angeles Times, Pelosi and Harman once were friends, but now "the two rarely talk. The relationship might have been soured by ... (Blah Blah) .. or sheer envy.
Jane Harman
Nancy
Jane's prettier, it's just female envy
I beg to differ. Anyone who would sell his influence as a judge will also sell his influence as Intelligence Committee Chairman.
Is there a Congressional White Caucus?
I disagree, the man is broke and in debt and has a history of taking bribes. It's not a stretch to suggest that he would sell national security secrets to the Russians, Iranians, Chinese, who whomever would pay the most.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1742707/posts
Why no! As a matter of fact, membership isn't open to just everyone.
When will Pelosi make the decision?
I don't know, but I think it would have to be in January after she has officially taken the post of Speaker.
The overwhelming concensus right now is, "Nancy Pelosi clearly dislikes Jane Harman. But she won't really put Alcee Hastings in the Chair." Many expect that this is a power ploy to keep Harman from getting too out of line from her caucus. Few think that Pelosi will actually go through with it.
I hope you're right.
"A" plank? It's their ONLY plank!
Interesting.
I wonder what the ramifications will be of knifing the CBC in the back will be.
These next two years are going to be fun to watch.
Pelosi should stick to her conviction and appoint Alcee Hastings as Chairman of the Intellegence Committee and let him sell our secrets to the highest bidder!
The people who were stupid enough to vote for the Democrats deserve to get what they voted for!
bump
If Pelosi wasn't such a moron, she would realize the MSM was doing here a favor. Covering her Ass
By only allowing her to appear six times she got a pass from a majority of America seeing what a clueless left wing moon bat she really is.
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