Murtha as Majority Leader?

An interesting story today from Reuters suggests that Pennsylvania Democrat John Murtha, known for being an outspoken critic of the Iraq war, plans on running for the position of Majority Leader if the Dems take over the House in November.

There are a number of things to think about regarding this story. First, where would Murtha fit in the new leadership structure? If the Dems took over, current Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi would get bumped up a notch, becoming the first female Speaker of the House. Current Dem Whip Steny Hoyer would be positioned to stay the number two, earning the fancy new title of Majority leader.

Murtha is not involved in the leadership right now, and it's curious that he would choose this moment to announce his intentions, especially so publicly. I have no idea what motivated him to make this announcement, unless it's something as mundane as fame going to his head. It is entirely possible that Murtha, who has become something of a darling among members of the anti-Iraq war contingent of the Democratic Party, has decided all of a sudden that he deserves a more prominent role in the House. Somebody forgot to tell Hoyer that his time was up, however.

I don't think this is going to have a major effect on anything, really, but it may show that some Democratic Congressmen aren't happy with their leadership options, and are ready to mount something of a palace coup (similar to what the Republicans did early this year with Tom DeLay) to get some fresh blood in place. It is more likely, however, that this is just an example of a Congressman getting too big for his britches. I suspect Murtha is in for a rude awakening if he thinks he has a chance to beat Hoyer. If the Dems succeed in taking back the House, a grateful Democratic caucus will gladly elevate Pelosi to Speaker and Hoyer to Majority Leader, and you can't blame them for that. Stick with what got ya there.