She lost on Murtha, now, possibly on Jane Harman (from The Hill)
Eighteen members of the Blue Dog Coalition, a group of conservative House Democrats, wrote Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) Thursday imploring her to choose Rep. Jane Harman (D-Calif.) to chair the House Intelligence Committee next year.
"Congresswoman Harman has served as Ranking Member of the Intelligence Committee with skill and distinction. … She has helped lead the bipartisan reorganization and reform of our intelligence community and has served as a strong voice for Congressional oversight of the Administration and its national security policies," wrote Reps. Melissa Bean (D-Ill.), Mike Ross (D-Ark.), Stephanie Herseth (D-S.D.), Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) and others. "Both our Caucus and Party have counted on Congresswoman Harman to answer forcefully and credibly to partisan critics who have questioned Democrats’ commitment to protecting our nation."
One of the few liberals who actually believes in tough national security. It's no wonder Nance doesn't want her on the committee. Regardless of whether Harman gets the chair, Democrats are still going to be question over their "commitment to protecting our nation."
Furthermore
Many of those same centrist feel that Harman, a Blue Dog herself, has served admirably on the committee and deserves to continue. But some progressives believe Harman has been too compliant with the Republican chairman, Rep. Peter Hoekstra (R-Mich.).
So, apparently working with Republicans is now out of bounds, despite the numerous speeches that the Democratic Congress would work in a bipartisan way.
Not that that is unexpected, mind you.
