Dan Boren Does It His Way, Backs Hoyer

Congressman Dan Boren, Okahoma's lone Democrat in the U. S. House, has taken sides in the selection of a new House majority leader and he's not supporting the man House Speaker-designate Nancy Pelosi wants.

A member of the "Blue Dogs," or moderate-to-conservative group of Democrats in the House, Boren in the past has indicated his lack of support for Pelosi, a San Francisco liberal. As has been reported, the ranks of the "Blue Dogs" swelled this year with the election of conservative Democrats, some of whom defeated Republicans to give Democrats control of the House.

The bitter leadership post battle began after Pelosi said she would prefer Congressman John Murtha of Pennsylvania to be majority leader over her current lieutenant, Congressman Steny Hoyer of Maryland, the man Boren supports. Critics accused Pelosi of backpedaling on a pledge to scrub the House of corruption and they point fingers at Murtha, whom in recent months has been the darling of the national news media.

Both Murtha and the more-moderate Hoyer claim to have commitments from a majority of Democrats, but the balloting Thursday will be secret and commitments often change.

Pelosi has angered some by her now-ardent support of Murtha. Here's what one national publication reported: "Another House Democrat supporting Hoyer was incensed that Pelosi was exerting her influence in the caucus, asserting that it will further divide House Democrats. 'It’s an incredible display of hubris,' the member said, using a phrase Pelosi herself sometimes employs. 'It’s incredibly egotistical. We all got us here. We all got us to the promised land and Steny’s not going to the promised land?'

"The member said regardless of who ultimately wins the Thursday election, the effect of Pelosi actively getting involved in the race would reverberate for some time. 'Either way, it’s damaging,' the member said. 'She will have a tremendous road to hoe to repair the damage she’s done.'"

Murtha, a decorated Vietnam veteran who favors an immediate drawdown of U.S. troops in Iraq, has fought charges for years of using his senior status on the defense appropriations subcommittee to award favors to campaign contributors. He voted against a Democratic package of ethics reforms earlier this year and was touched by but never charged in the Abscam bribery scandal a quarter-century ago.

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