Alcee Hastings - Tepid Public Support From Dem Whip

In the controversy over whether Nancy Pelosi should pass over ranking member Jane Harman and anoint Alcee Hastings as chair of the House Intelligence Committee, newly elevated Majority Whip James Clyburn has not exactly been pounding the table in support of Alcee Hastings, a fellow member of the Black Congressional Caucus.  Let's get some quotes - this is from Lesley Clark of the McClatchy Newspapers:

Asked Thursday whether he's confident that Hastings will chair the committee, Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, elected by his peers to be House majority whip, said, "I have no real hopes about it."

No real hope?!?  That is not going to fire up the base! 

Clyburn was not breathing flames with the AP either:

Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., who was elected to the No. 3 House post as majority whip, said, "I very well would support [Alcee Hastings] if that’s what Nancy would like to happen."

When the Alcee elevation was originally reported it was in the context of an effort by Ms. Pelosi to shore up her support with the Congressional Black Caucus.  In public, at least, Mr. Clyburn, a former chair of the CBC, is not pushing hard now.

Of course, that public posturing may simply be a bit of kabuki - it may be that behind the scenes the CBC is still pushing hard for Hastings.  However, the CBC had a good election (Conyers and Rangel became chairman and Clyburn became whip), and lefty blogger Booman speculates that Clyburn's deal with Rahm Emmanuel was part of a deal to cut Hastings lose.

Who knows?   The current Pelosi strategy seems to be to bury the announcement in the holiday crush:

Pelosi declined through her spokeswoman to comment. The only statement issued from her office, by Press Secretary Jennifer Crider, was that the committee decision "will be made before early January." 

"Before early January" could be next week, but I look for an announcement the week before New Years.  Or would look, if I were likely to be looking - I bet I will be distracted.

However, Byron York has lots on the fun Republicans will have with the appointment of Hastings.  Its only too bad there is a war on and that Nancy Pelosi's little vendettas  and machinations have serious consequences.

As a reminder, here are Harman endorsements from the LA Times and NY Times.

MORE: In my part time role as editor, I see that the Booman mis-states this history:

Back when Pelosi became Minority Leader she overlooked James Clyburn (D-SC), a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and made Jane Harman (D-CA) the ranking member of that committee.

I doubt it - here is the LA Times version, which names Sanford Bishop and Alcee Hastings as the two CBC members who were skipped over:

After Harman lost her gubernatorial bid, Pelosi urged her to run for Congress again. Harman's choice was made easier by the fact that then-Minority Leader Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) had promised her in writing that she could reclaim her seniority on the Intelligence Committee. That bumped a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, Rep. Sanford D. Bishop Jr. (D-Ga.), off the committee and jumped her over another African American, Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D-Fla.), in seniority.

Comments

[JJ]

Would the headlines scream:

"Clyburn the Whip Is Lukewarm on Hastings for Intel Chair!"

"More cracks appearing in newly elected Dem leadership base"

lede: More erosion of Pelosi's leadership are appearing as co-leaders, still charmed with a honeymoon glow over election win, offer mute disapproval of the soon-to-be speakers leadership choices. Polls register new lows in confidence of Pelosi's leadership skills...

Doubt it.

[Don]

I'm not thrilled for Hastings, but he couldn't be worse than Hoeskstra.

Do note that Larry Hanauer was recently vindicated (since you noted he was accused)-meaning any argument that Hoekstra wasn't a totally incompetent jackass is moot.

[maryrose]

Don:
Vindicated or spared -that's a debatable point. I repeat my post from another thread even though I was asked to be silent. Anything that prevents leaks of classified information is a plus in my book. Stop the leaks now. Hanauer is an example to others to zip their lips.

[Don]

Merry Resin, that "blame the wrong guy" strategy is exactly why we went after Saddam when it's Osama who attacked us.

Time for some new thinking, sweetie.

[maryrose]

If new thinking means getting both Saddam and Osama then so be it. I was for ousting Saddam after he kicked out the first group of inspectors. He was then and continued to be bad news for the Iraqi people. His own people have condemned and passed judgment on Saddam. Don't give in to a Pontius Pilate moment. Saddam deserves the noose or a firing squad as does Osama.

[Simon]

Mr. Hastings still has plenty of skeletons hidden. It's amazing that only bloggers seem to be able to find them out. Where is the main stream media on this one?

How's about this for spending taxpayers money in an ethical way?

www.alceehastings.blogspot.com

[Larry]

Don, I'm sure you can get your points across without invective or ad hom. Just a suggestion if you want anyone to take you seriously.

[Marie]

Really, Don. That "sweetie" crack is just plain effin' sexist and condescending, and you should be ashamed.

[Anonymous]

Sp let me see, we have an impeached former judge who was taking bribes and his partner in crime REFUSED TWICE to cooperate with the prosecution and for that the Democrat party punished him with a big fat PARDON.

To set it all straight, Nancy Pelosi may see to it that this crook overseas our intelligence programs.

Ahhh, feel that new breeze of ethics blowing in the wind, smells like .......

CRAP!

[Anonymous]

Don is just the latest in a long line of those that excuse Saddam Hussein, only because Osama Bin ladens crimes were bigger on one day.

FACTS DON:

Saddam Hussein killed hundreds of Americans.

Saddam Hussein kidnapped American citizens.

Saddam Hussein paid suicide bombers to kill Americans.

You can't excuse the crimes of Pol Pot by saying Hitler was worse. Germany didn't attack us on Dec 7 1941 either, but we sure kicked there arses.

[Anonymous]

Now lets get this straight. If pelosi appoints Alcee, she should be praised for appointing the first African American chairman of the Intelligence Committe..

BUT,

Isn't it then also appropriate to say she is also the first to:
Bypass a more senior women to appoint a man..another first.
Bypass a Jew that is more qualified and has more seniority for no good reason.

[anonymous]

Well, no, it isn't an appropriate thing to say.

[daveinboca]

The LAT has another story which plumps Jane Harman's qualifications for Chairperson of the House Intelligence Committee, a position Pelosi held when the Dems were a minority in 2003.

Harman is simply much smarter and better at the job than Pelosi was, and Nancy is having a slo-mo hissy fit that may torpedo her claim that the Dems will have "the most ethical Congress ever."

If she appoints the egregious deep-in-debt Hastings, a fellow who is a SECURITY RISK in caps and neon lights, her reputation as an airhead politician will be sealed even among the MSM NYT Great White and all the little pilot fish that swim along with it.

The Republicans could always take the battle to the House floor, as Newt Gingrich recommends, and make it an up-or-down vote for all to see.

That, or perhaps the Repubs will abide by Napoleon's dictum that when your enemy is in the process of destroying himself, it's best not to interfere in the process!

[anonymous]

Nancy's problem is that harman has outshied her. Harman was invited on the Sunday talk shows 18 times while Nancy as minority leader only got 6 invites.

I am sure Nancy's not going to let doing what's best for the country stand in her way.