The Remaining Dems in the House Are in for Some Interesting Times
There are battles galore going on in the House Dem caucus : Two House Democrats are circulating a letter asking Democratic leaders to push their party’s leadership elections for the next Congress until December. Reps. Marcy Kaptur (D- Ohio) and Peter Defazio (D-Oregon) say in the letter that the “historic results” of the Democrat’s 60-seat loss in the House is one reason to push back leadership selection. The letter comes as the soon-to-be former House Democratic majority leaders are embroiled in a controversy over who will lead the Democrats when the House changes to Republican hands in January. Defazio is a known critic of the Democratic leadership and has vocalized his opposition to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D- California) remaining in a leadership role. Kaptur has occasionally broken with leadership, but her spokesman told CNN that Kaptur’s request to delay the elections is not about Pelosi, but about giving Democratic members some time to return to Washington and discuss future moves for all leadership slots before any decisions are made. That’s just part of the fight. There’s an actual racial fight going on for Minority Whip between Steny Hoyer and James Clyburn, the second in command to the Minority Leader (from Don Surber ): Hoyer is releasing the names of his backers. And Hoyer seems to have 4 backers for every backer of Clyburn. Come January, about one-fourth of the Democrats in the House will belong to the Congressional Black Caucus — and it is not because the caucus is adding more Democrats to its rolls. Today,
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on November 10, 2010. Filed under