Indeed, that is THE major item of interest in this story. It's interesting to speculate about who and why.
If I had to guess, I'd say this was meant to damage Jane Harman directly. Why, and for whom? Is it a question of Obama's team wanting somebody more to their liking in that post? Is there friction between Harman and Nancy Pelosi?
I have to think that the timing is not accidental. My guess is that there's an Obama connection here. It's probably tied to Obama's extremely unwise decision to release the "CIA torture memos," perhaps it's their strategy to clean out those who opposed this (and other) actions.
Harman is hopelessly liberal, but she's actually not all that unreasonable as the Intel chair -- I can see her getting crossways with The 0ne.
Apparently she is pro Israel, which is better that being
pro the other side.
You bet there's friction. Pelosi denied her the Chair of the Intel Committee when Harman was by far the most qualified and knowledgeable.