Robert Novak: Is it goodbye to Pelosi?

Talk is increasing among House Democrats that if they fail to regain control after 12 years of a Republican majority, Rep. Nancy Pelosi should be replaced as the party's leader in the House.

If Democrats recapture the House, Pelosi surely will be the first female speaker in the nation's history. But Republican strategists are posing that possibility as a reason for voting Republican, and she will be widely blamed as a San Francisco liberal if there is a Democratic failure in November. Pelosi's colleagues complain about her public performances, especially on NBC's "Meet the Press" May 7.

The highly regarded Rep. Steny Hoyer of Maryland, second-ranking in the House hierarchy as Democratic whip, ordinarily would be in line to succeed Pelosi. However, tension between Pelosi and Hoyer has been so great that many Democrats would prefer somebody not identified as her antagonist. Consequently, there is speculation about Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois, a second-termer who chairs the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, as Pelosi's logical replacement.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/opinion/columnists/guests/s_456493.html

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

Any party which has Emanuel as a leader is not a party which will have me as a member.

He is the Chair of the national Congressional campaign committe, which is bidding fair to re-rake a majority in the House of Representatives from the Republicans this year, and doing a damned good job of it. To say he is on the "far right" is mere hyperbole, and leaves you no room for more than a dozen or so souls in office to be accounted on even the center left....

"LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS!"

today. No one wants to be a Democrat if they get stuck with a DLCer/GOP-lite policy.

That us in your "LET'S GO GET THOSE BUSH BASTARDS" assumes you and I have the same goals. We do not.

The election this year hardly seems to be shaping up as a mess for the Democrats....

orders and set up a fifty state primary campaign. If we had listened to the DLC and Emanuel, instead of just nine uncontested races we would have had closer to 50-100.

Emanuel believes only DLCers should hold office and busied himself finding candidates to challenge sitting non-DLC Democrats. The Third Way or no way for Emanuel.

If you think the split between DLCers and Progressives is bad now, it will be the complete downfall of the party if someone like Emanuel sets up as Speaker.

You have said that our's differ, and it intruiges me. Mine are clear and simple; the expulsion of the Republican Party from dominance in the national government.

Demonizing the D.L.C. is not among my hobbies, and no more engages my interest than the ins and outs of relief pitchers or whether a horse runs better on a dry or muddy track, objects of consuming fascination to a number of people mystifying to me....

I do not. By your support of Emanuel I infer you agree with his goals and so on that basis determine we do not have the same goals.

There are, after all, doubtless a great range of goals that differ from those of Rep. Emmanuel....

count me out.

Good day.

Merely a request for clarification of a statement whose full import was not clear.

And of course, if we did, he would hardly be in line for the Speaker's position; that is possible only if we should win.

and NOT the bars where he usually frequents

the party. She is not ready for prime time and looks like a fool anytime she goes head to head against the reichwing.

willing to put the US national security, per WMDs intel, at risk in order to score "kudo" points by the administration?

considering that neoconservatives are trying to take over the democratic party via the DLC.

It sounds to me like they'd like to see what the public thinks of replacine Pelosi (meh) with Emanuel (ugh).

Someone needs to challenge Emanuel to a primary, next time around.