Democrats pick Hoyer as House majority leader

Positions take effect in January
Pelosi officially becomes speaker in January, succeeding Rep. Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., when the House convenes and formally elects her in the next session of Congress.

Pelosi’s selection was more history than mystery; that was reserved for the Hoyer-Murtha face-off.

Murtha, 74, was a problematic candidate because of his penchant for trading votes for pork projects and his ties to the Abscam bribery sting in 1980, the only lawmaker involved who wasn’t charged.

The race dredged up Murtha’s involvement in the Abscam scandal. FBI agents pretending to represent an Arab sheik wanting to reside in the United States and seeking investment opportunities offered bribes to several lawmakers. When offered $50,000, Murtha was recorded as saying, “I’m not interested ... at this point.” A grand jury declined to indict Murtha, and the House ethics committee issued no findings against him.

“I told them I wanted investment in my district,” Murtha told MSNBC’s “Hardball” on Wednesday. “They put $50,000 on the table and I said, ’I’m not interested.”’

No. 3 also chosen
Democrats also selected James Clyburn of South Carolina as majority whip, their No. 3 post. Clyburn, who is black, would become the highest-ever ranking member of his race in Congress. Campaign chair Rahm Emanuel of Illinois was rewarded with the caucus chair post, the No. 4 position for Democrats, for his efforts in leading the party back into the majority.

Meanwhile, House Republicans, soon to be in the minority for the first time since 1994, met in private Thursday to hear presentations from candidates for their leadership posts. Their election was scheduled for Friday.

Finding a replacement for Hastert, R-Ill., as the caucus leader turned into a two-man race between Majority Leader John Boehner of Ohio and conservative challenger Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana after Rep. Joe Barton of Texas dropped out and endorsed Boehner.

In the Democratic race, Murtha came forward for the job despite a record of not always being a leadership loyalist. He often supplied votes to GOP leaders who were struggling to pass bills. The none-too-subtle trade-off: Murtha and his allies would do better when home-state projects were doled out by the Republicans.

Wisconsin Rep. Dave Obey, who will chair the Appropriations Committee, said the divisions exposed by the race doesn’t pose a problem for Pelosi.

“There’s such universal respect and affection for Nancy. She’s gutsy as hell and she’s willing to take a chance..., push the envelope. “It was bitter between the two candidates, I suppose, but it wasn’t bitter among the members of the caucus. People get over this stuff.”

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