I love everything about this. A story from The Hill

Pelosi 'will ensure' Murtha win, Murtha ally says By Josephine Hearn House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will ensure that Rep. John Murtha (D-Pa.) wins his race for majority leader, a key Murtha ally said Monday night.

"She will ensure that they [the Murtha camp] win. This is hard-ball politics," said Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), a longtime Murtha supporter. "We are entering an era where when the Speaker instructs you what to do, you do it."

Pelosi recently endorsed Murtha’s bid for majority leader against House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), but it was unclear whether she would use her clout as the first Democratic Speaker in 12 years to help Murtha win or whether her letter simply expressed a personal preference as a favor to Murtha.

Pelosi’s move was deliberate, Moran said, and she was already leaning on her colleagues to affect the outcome.

"Yes, she’s making calls to people. She is contacting people and letting them know that it’s an unequivocal letter," Moran said.

A spokeswoman for Pelosi could not immediately confirm that she had made the calls. Pelosi returned today from New York City after attending the birth of her sixth grandchild. She voted on the floor and then attended Murtha’s reception Monday night for newly elected members.

If Moran’s claims are true, Pelosi is taking an enormous gamble only a week after the election propelled her into the Speakership. If she prevails, she will likely banish her onetime rival Hoyer to the back benches and send a clear signal to her colleagues that she intends to rule with an iron hand. If Hoyer wins, she loses substantial political capital and alerts the caucus that they can successfully oppose her.

One lawmaker supporting Hoyer was concerned that Pelosi was indeed seeking to oust her longtime rival from the Democrats’ new leadership.

"It saddens me because it sets up a bifurcated caucus of members who identify with Nancy and those who identify with Steny," the lawmaker said.

Moran, however, was unapologetic. "If you want to be a strong Speaker, you do this, and Nancy is going to be one of the strongest."

Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) said some members had already abandoned Hoyer for Murtha in the wake of Pelosi's endorsement, a claim the Hoyer camp vigorously denies.

"Some people have already changed," Pascrell said.

Hard-ball, loyal, clout, taking an enormous gamble, leaning on her colleagues, banishment, etc., etc.

All those great, tough words associated with a woman. And then right in the middle of this enormous political move that will set the tone for her entire leadership - she takes time out to be a grandma attending the birth of her 6th grandchild. That's my kind of woman, regardless of her politics.

Gillian Parrillo
The Sacramento Executive