Posted by Frank James at 7:00 am CST
President Bush has recently taken to mocking Democrats for allegedly declaring victory before voters cast their votes exactly one day from day. And to a certain extent the minority party appears to be trying to validate the premise behind the president's taunting.
The Washington Post has an article today that reports on a competition between two Democrats for the House Majority Leader's job appears to have reignited between Reps. Jack Murtha of Pennsylvania and Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland.
Murtha, who's become the darling of Iraq War opponents because of his call to immediately begin a draw-down of U.S. troops, stunned many during the summer when he announced he would be running to be the Democrats' second-in-command, the House Majority Leader, if the Democrats regained power.
An outcry by other House Democrats forced Murtha to back down almost immediately. But now the former marine looks like he's trying to once again take that hill.
Most people assume that Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California would become House Speaker, the first woman to hold that post in U.S. history if Democrats win the lower chamber next week.
Meanwhile, it's widely assumed that Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, who heads the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, would make a run for the third most powerful House job, that of Majority Whip.
As the Post story indicates, that would put Emanuel on a collision course with Rep. Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, who would like to be the first African American to hold that post and currently leads the House Democratic Conference.
All of this runs counter to the tone Pelosi has tried to set since earlier this year when she would repeatedly make it clear that even though polls showed voters preferring Democratic over Republican control of the House, a Democratic victory wasn't a foregone conclusion, but a result she devoutly to be wished.
For much of the year, Pelosi has often sprinkled any comments about the possibility of her Democrats gaining control of the House with the words like "if" and "God willing." Sometimes she has slipped. But she has usually caught herself as when she answered a question thusly during a July press conference.
PELOSI: But again, we have to see the bill, and we are in the dark as anyone here; not the way it will be under our new Democratic principles when we -- if and when, God willing, we take over the Congress would be open so that people know what they're voting on, and those of you covering it will have some heads up long before the bill comes to the floor.
At another point during the same press conference, a reporter asked her if she could "smell" the speakership.
"That's a new rug in this office that you smell," she joked.
So for some of her fellow Democrats to appear to be playing into the president's hands, allowing him to rev up the Republican get-out-the-vote efforts with visions of premature Democratic endzone dances, means that Democrats are, at the very least, off-message when it comes to the signals Pelosi has tried to send voters for many months now. Can the circular firing squads be far behind?
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Comments
Frank!
Stop scaring the kids!
Posted by: C.Morris | October 31, 2006 8:38 AM
You wouldn't want the Democrats to have a plan for what to do in the event that they win, would you? That would be way too sensible and orderly! I'm glad to see that the Republicans still oppose that kind of contigency planning. They should "stay the course" and avoid planning things in advance because we've all seen how well that approach worked in Iraq.
Posted by: Tom O | October 31, 2006 9:00 AM
It's your right and responsibility as a citizen to Vote on November 7th. I encourage any registered voter to head to the polls now. Early voting is available in Illinois. Contact your county clerk or voting commission to see where it is available. In Cook county go to www.voterinfonet.com to locate early voting sites.
Any ploys by either side to trick the other party into not voting or thwarting their efforts to get the people to the polls is anti-American and treasonous. If an American would knowingly try to prevent another American from voting, that offender should be shot. Voting is the most basic right of this country.
If Pelosi and the Democrats think theat they have already won, the they should get ahold of a couple of football games to watch. Bears vs Arizona Cardinals and Michigan State vs Northwestern. It's not over till it's over. They will have two months to sort it all out, if they win.
Posted by: Todd M | October 31, 2006 9:26 AM
If you could control how the votes are counted, you'd be talking trash, too.
I am certain Republicans will maintain control of both houses.
That's not the issue.
The issue is, can the Republicans win in Iraq - a third world power by any calculation - after 5 uninterrupted years in power?
Answer: Check with me in 2008.
Posted by: Bud McFarlin | October 31, 2006 9:26 AM
I wish the dissatisfied Republicans and Independents would make up their minds. They criticize Democrats for not having a plan. Then when Democrats talk about what they would do if they were the majority they are criticized for doing "end zone" dances. This is really confusing.
Posted by: Janet | October 31, 2006 9:46 AM
Hey Janet, don’t be confused by this political stunt of the RNC. They will do anything, say anything to hold on to power because they know that when the Dems take control of Congress heads will roll. The crimes against our Constitution will be accounted for, the investigations of this incompetent Administration will begin, and the American people will finally see the ugly truth of what Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld have been doing behind the scenes to bankrupt our nation and change our democracy into totalitarian rule. For all those that feel the need to hear a plan from Dems, I say that plan is to preserve our democracy, protect our country, and make us all to be proud to be Americans again.
Posted by: Rory M | October 31, 2006 10:21 AM
The Dems. need to keep, or start, pushing, HARD, NOW.
This is a classic Rove technique; raise expectations on the opposition, lower them for your team.
Remember the Bush/Kerry debates?
In the days leading up to it, Kerry's debating abilities were sung to the stars, while GWB was dismissed as inept.
Bush won by showing up. Kerry lost by being adequate.
Posted by: C.Morris | October 31, 2006 10:39 AM
"I am certain Republicans will maintain control of both houses.
That's not the issue."
Bud,
You're scarin me, Dude.
I may have to switch from the coffee to the gin earlier than planned today.
Posted by: C.Morris | October 31, 2006 10:51 AM
I guess W. is saying:
"Don't worry fellow wingnuts,uncle Karl is working real hard to rig this election for us,just like we did in 2000,and 2004."
"Mission Accomplished???",...not this year robot wingnuts.
Posted by: John E. | October 31, 2006 11:11 AM
I honestly believe that the good people of America are going to carry the Democrats to congressional power. There is no cart before the horse here. We know the difference between right and wrong. We can see where having uncontested executive power for the past 6 years has led and where it will lead for another 6 years as will probably be the case if we don't get checks and balances in place now. The only thing more frightening than making change now would be continuing on the same course we have been on for too long. Bush has had unfair monetary advantage for campaigning since day one and is now using the same advantage for the GOP. Doesn't matter. Money can't buy public confidence in failure.
Posted by: Donald R. | October 31, 2006 2:08 PM
Rory
Crimes? geez how about Clinton, now there was a positive moment.
Posted by: Terry | October 31, 2006 2:37 PM
The biggest problem I see if, and only if, the Democrats come to power is... what next?
It's not like these Democrats are running on a platform of their own. All they are running on is "we hate Bush, vote for us".
No one knows what their "plan" is... and the average (read: stupid) american is supposed to believe that this fantasy plan is "better" than what exists now.
Sorry, but "we hate Bush" isn't a viable plan for the US.
And oh yeah, I forgot, everyone in Iraq is stupid. John Kerry said so.
Posted by: Darryn | October 31, 2006 3:57 PM
Rory M quote:
"Hey Janet, don’t be confused by this political stunt of the RNC. They will do anything, say anything to hold on to power because they know that when the Dems take control of Congress heads will roll. The crimes against our Constitution will be accounted for, the investigations of this incompetent Administration will begin, and the American people will finally see the ugly truth of what Bush, Cheney, and Rumsfeld have been doing behind the scenes to bankrupt our nation and change our democracy into totalitarian rule. For all those that feel the need to hear a plan from Dems, I say that plan is to preserve our democracy, protect our country, and make us all to be proud to be Americans again."
[[Posted by: Rory M | Oct 31, 2006 10:21:37 AM]]
Much of this quote is true. Rory, does your "preserve our democracy" include the 2nd amendment ? Or just the ones you believe in ?
We are not a democracy (we have democratic elections), we are a constitutional republic. But more importantly Bush, Rove and Rumsfeld are not in this election. I think that most of what you claim to expect from this election will occur only in 2008. Because, Rory, the Patriot Act, NSA eavsdropping, the Iraq invasion and occupation were all sponsored, not just in part, by democrats and republicans - including Richard Durbin the guy who allegedly fought Bush, tooth and nail, on a small provision in the UnPatriot Act and lost.
Bush has done some major sins to our constitution, but so have democrats and so will democrats. Whatever comes from the right will come equally from the left. Ever hear Hillary or Obama complain about Iraq ?
Posted by: Saturdaynightspecial | October 31, 2006 4:15 PM
"Bush won by showing up. Kerry lost by being adequate. "
Bush won on fear and stupidity. "We gottem on their last throes" : "If you don't vote for us we'll get hit again."
Americans bought into the Bush/Cheney/Rove fearmongering - republicans and democrats too.
And they're gonna do it again, from Blagoyavich ads, they will vote for a sleazy, corrupt socialist.
You think you'll get respect for our constitution from this election, but you won't. Democrats can walk over the constitution the same as Bush did. Voting democrat will get you more taxes and higher crime. Voting republican will get you less taxes and lower crime. Both will trample the constitution, each in their own way. Any rhetoric by democrat cheerleaders is nothing but hype over their subtle, obscure agendas.
Posted by: Saturdaynightspecial | October 31, 2006 4:50 PM