Crabs in a Barrel: with knives drawn, Democrats prepare to take charge

By Ken Silverstein

The midterm elections are just a week away, and leading Democrats are busy planning for the future in the expectation that their party will win at least one house of Congress. While one might expect them to be crafting policy on key issues like Iraq and the economy, top Democrats are instead sharpening their knives to prepare for the bloody warfare over leadership posts and committee chairmanships. The Democrats are most confident of winning the House, and Nancy Pelosi of California is expected to be elected speaker if that happens. But other key posts—such as majority leader, majority whip, and chair of the intelligence committee—are still up in the air.

Majority Leader. Congressman Steny Hoyer of Maryland and John Murtha of Pennsylvania both want the job. Both are preferable to John Boehner, the current majority leader, but neither one is that great, either. Hoyer supported the war in Iraq and—to pick just one example from his voting record—backed a terrible bill last year that makes it more difficult for individuals to declare bankruptcy. Murtha has emerged as a war critic—a definite plus—but he's a king of pork and an unindicted ABSCAM co-conspirator. (You might enjoy this amusing FBI videotape of Murtha speaking to a man he believes to be a Middle Eastern businessman.)

The key to victory in the battle for majority leader is buying the support of fellow congressional Democrats, since they'll be casting the votes. Hoyer appears to have the advantage over Murtha because he has distributed significantly more cash to Democratic candidates and party committees. He's also contacted unions and asked them to give PAC money to Democratic candidates. And while both men have been stumping for those candidates, Hoyer has been paying his own way, while Murtha, I'm told, has been asking local campaigns to reimburse his expenses. (Very tacky.)

Majority Whip. James Clyburn of South Carolina, head of the Democratic Caucus, is a strong contender. He's liked by many—but he's not an aggressive campaigner or party fundraiser, which could leave him open to challenge. That could come from Rahm Emmanuel of Illinois, head of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and former aide in the Clinton White House. Emmanuel is waiting to see how the dust settles before making any decisions about his future. If the Democrats do win big, look for Emmanuel to make a bid for the whip slot, or possibly for some other key post. Other possible candidates for top party positions include John Larson of Connecticut, head vice-chair of the Democratic Caucus, and Rosa DeLauro, also from Connecticut, who is close to Emmanuel and whose trump card is her husband, Stan Greenberg, a key advisor to Democrats on polling and expenditures.

Chair of the Intelligence Committee. In the event that Democrats win the House, well-known figures such as Barney Frank, John Conyers, Henry Waxman, and John Dingell are all likely to become committee chairs (at the Financial Services Committee, the House Government Reform Committee, the House Judiciary Committee, and the House Energy and Commerce Committee, respectively). Jane Harman of California is in line to take over the Intelligence Committee, but Pelosi reportedly can't stand her. Their feud is partly personal and partly political: Harman is relatively hawkish, and is also said to be under investigation for her ties to AIPAC.

If Harman is pushed aside, Alcee Hastings of Florida could get the spot—even though the Senate removed him from his federal judgeship in 1989 over charges of conspiring to solicit a bribe. This potential chairman is one of only six judges in American history to have been impeached.

Of course, all of this is purely speculative. The Democrats are definitely counting chickens that have yet to hatch. Of course, if the Democrats do win the House, it will be fun to watch Waxman issuing subpoenas and Conyers raising the issue of Bush's impeachment. But for those who want to see real changes in the way that Congress operates, a Democratic victory does not provide much cause to hope.

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