I know I have some popcorn around here somewhere.

I dunno, but it seems to me that Pelosi's plan to reduce the corruption in DC shouldn't include installing a former judge impeached for bribery.

It sounds a lot like cleaning up my health care plan by selecting Dr. Kevorkian as my health care provider.

"physics geek"--you nailed it-LMAO

How about this rationale: Pelosi's nuts!

Well, I do think that a better selection would be appropriate. However, the following points:

1. That was a LONG time ago, nearly 20 years.
2. Robert Gates, the new DOD, had some issues with MANIPULATING INTELLIGENCE, if you recall. Iran-Contra, to be exact. Given that, are you willing to give equal weight to this?
3. In the time since - 1992 - he has served with distinction. (Same with Gates, BTW).
4. People CAN learn their lesson, sometimes (Don't know this time, but again, 14 years of good service since being re-elected).

Finally -

"Going to the smear" - isn't a way to make sure you get good government, it is a way to discredit people.

This doesn't say anything about the type of job Hastings has done in the last 14 years. It isn't an evaluation of his intelligence, his knowledge, an acknowledgement that he HAS had the role of "the second-ranked Democrat on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence."

So he has knowledge.

At any rate, it would be great if your analysis of Pelosi's decision inlcude Hasting's past a factor - but not to the only use as a hatchet job.

And again - the EXACT points that you would discredit Pelosi - or this particular decision - for this, apply to Bush's appointment of Robert Gates.

It looks like a bad decision to me.

When they are cleaning up corruption are they including William Jefferson, Democrat-Louisana?

I believe it has to do with personalities. Harman and Pelosi supposedly cannot stand each other. Thus, Pelosi will not do anything to benefit Harman.

In other words, personal dislike is more important that eliminating corruption.

"At any rate, it would be great if your analysis of Pelosi's decision inlcude Hasting's past a factor - but not to the only use as a hatchet job"

Ah, the shoe's on the other foot...

"vagabond"--naaw-he had "cold" cash.

I believe the answer is very straight-forward: The party of "new ideas" is simply bringing back the old guard. Their hayday was getting out of Vietnam, driving Nixon from office, etc and they haven't had much fun since them. Guys like Hastings bring back the good old days. Watch for more of the old Left (what's left of them) to now be back in vogue.

GC

When they are cleaning up corruption are they including William Jefferson, Democrat-Louisiana?
Posted by: VagaBond

He's already under investigation, but Hastert stopped investigators from raiding his Congressional office. Also, he's about to get into a
runoff election this December against Democrat Karen Carter.

JC: "Robert Gates, the new DOD, had some issues with MANIPULATING INTELLIGENCE, if you recall. Iran-Contra, to be exact. Given that, are you willing to give equal weight to this?"

Yes. It's a crappy appointment intended to aid the executive in its extraction from the war.

I was for the invasion, but regardless, I think we need to finish the job. I don't think Bush committed any war crimes. Gates is about how to NOT finish the job, but get the hell out. With political cover.

Bad idea.

Hastings is a bad idea.

A question for Jay -- Do you have a link or quote from Pelosi saying she plans to appoint Hastings?

anyone...?

"I find my opinions are in the minority."

-On the contrary. Your opinions are from the majority -of the most often ignored.

"race trumps integrity"

Coming from a source that tends to have nothing less than fawning coverage of Condi Rice -well, that's rich. Care to come up with one thing Rice did not fuck up in both her tenures as National Security Advisor or Sec. of State?

August 6th PDB? Mushroom cloud scenarios? Lebanon?

I wish someone that lives close to old "pucker puss" (lee Lee) would stick a "link" up his stupid ass. (be careful of his nose)

Everything I've read says that Hastings will get the post as a payback to the Congressional Black Caucus. Pelosi made Harman ranking member of the Intelligence Committee over Sanford Bishop of Georgia (who had seniority and is a member of the CBC) in January 2003 and now she has to pay for the sin of appointing a "moderate" who supported the wiretap program by letting the disgraced Hastings take over.

Ok, I've read the post you linked and the two articles linked therein, and this is the language used to describe Pelosi's "plan":

Nonetheless, Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has told colleagues she plans to replace Harman with Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D-Fla.) when the 110th Congress convenes in January 2007 - WaPo

Hastings, some Democrats say, may be in line to become chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, should Democrats take over the House in November - MiHer

So we have some unnamed people saying she plans to do this, maybe. Pretty thin.

That being said, it does seem like she might do it to get back in good with the Black Caucus, whom she pissed off by getting Dollar Bill Jefferson removed from Ways and Means (there you go, Vagabond). I think it's a terrible idea, and that it would be better for Pelosi to renew Harman's appointment as long as she promises to be tough on the administration with regards to domestic surveillance, etc.

The real question here, it seems to me, is what the hell should the Democrats do about the Black Caucus? They get pissed of when a crook gets bumped from committee, and now they want another crook appointed to chair as payback? They need to reevaluate their stance vis a vis corrupt or indicted caucus members. Note that there is some disagreement in the caucus; Lewis and Rangel pushed for Jefferson's removal.

I found this in the Miami Herald - Wednesday Nov. 8, 2006.

Yet only Hastings has been mentioned as a committee chairman and that has created controversy among critics who used his past to warn against electing Democrats. In 1988, Hastings was impeached and removed from his federal judgeship amid allegations of misconduct, including conspiring to take a bribe.

Pelosi reportedly has told lawmakers that she plans to oust Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., the ranking Democrat on the committee, and replace her with Hastings, who is second in line. A third candidate has also been named, Rep. Silvestre Reyes, D-Texas.

Asked Wednesday about Hastings, Pelosi gave no indication as to what she was thinking -- but she didn't rule out skipping over Harman.

''The Speaker of the House and the minority leader, on the first day of Congress, appoint a whole new Intelligence Committee each term,'' Pelosi said on CNN. ``Sometimes they reappoint the same people. Sometimes they don't, but there is no seniority on the Intelligence Committee.''

She hasn't confirmed it, but she hasn't denied it either, so for discussion purposes I'll buy into the idea that it is her plan until we hear otherwise, and stick with my previous comment that it's a bad idea.

Hastings may well have been "boy scout good" for the 18 years since his impeachment, but he needs to continue to pay the price for his deeds, and lose this opportunity, imho.

The Congressional Black Caucus is pushing for Hastings - really hard and in no uncertain terms. Of course Pelosi can pass him up, but there'll be a price to pay for that. He is technically next in line.

This was an interesting WaPo article on the situation.

Lee, that's two times now you've actually made sense in the last week or so. Of course, 2 out of 50 comments ain't great, but STOP IT!!

Yeah, I certainly don't agree with the choice. I am sure there are plently of competent people who don't have criminal backgrounds.

Jay, I know it might be hard for you to fathom - but the left isn't beholden to all that is Democrat. While there exists a percentage that support it blindly and stupidly, you'll find it much less prevalent and acute than in the minds of neo-cons like yourself.

mantis: "The real question here, it seems to me, is what the hell should the Democrats do about the Black Caucus? They get pissed of when a crook gets bumped from committee"

There is no reason the blogosphere should not be bi-partisan on this issue. It seems to me this is what we're best at.

We disagree on where to draw the power-bribery line, depending on if we are more market or more state oriented.

But this is just plain bribery. Let's jump up and down and yell.

This will likely be Pelosi's first real knuckle-up decision as majority leader. I would guess that it's far from decided as yet.

I think there's got to be a limit to how hard the CBC can howl if Hastings is snubbed. They have to think of their own credibility as well.

I'm a Dem-supporter, but that doesn't blind me to the issue here. Hastings' appointment would be no more and no less than politics as usual (i.e. Hastings' transgressions don't make him a national security hazard per se) - but I don't like it. If Pelosi can't dodge this bullet, what CAN she do?

Just doing the cold hard political calculations from Pelosi's perspective is a real brain-buster in itself.

Well, let's see here. The Black Caucus is pissed at Pelosi because she threw a black criminal, who accepted around $100,000 in bribes, out of his committee assignments. To appease them, she's thinking of appointing another black criminal, who accepted $150,000 in bribes, was impeached by his peers, including Pelosi, and also seems to have some very shady employment practices with his current assignment.

What to make us this?

Well, perhaps Jefferson wasn't a big enough criminal to warrant Pelosi's support? You gotta get over that 100K mark to get important assignments. Or maybe Hastings gave her some of his loot and Jefferson did not?

Or perhaps the Black Caucus is more interested in promoting members of their own race, regardless of qualifications and/or criminal record at the expense of the well being of this Nation?

I think some final conclusions include the following:

Nancy Pelosi is a power hungry beast who puts the hardline Republican leadership to shame in terms of not tolerating a single dissenting voice.

Black Americans have no shame whatsoever, at least the ones in Hastings district as they would continually elect a crook who was impeached by Congress.

The Black Caucus is more interested in race, mainly their own, than they are in the United States of America.

And last but not least, the Democrats will step on their dicks enough over the next two years that the 2008 elections may usher in the same old worthless Republican bums that just got thrown out of office.

Congressman/Disgraced Judge Hastings might have a surprise coming if he gets the chairmanship: the Justice Dept could refuse to give him a security clearance to see top level intelligence data.

He's a security risk. He was removed from the bench for bribery, among other things.

Someone disgraced and removed for taking bribes has NO PLACE on an Intelligence Committee.

No clearance = no chairmanship.

Will the Democrats EVER get over their obsession with race? The rest of us have moved on.

Jay Tea, I think it's time to go to a registration system around here. There's very little that passes for responsible discussion any more. It's the only way I can think of to scrape these jerks off our shoes.

You guys plug away, day after day, and have one post after another turned into a mudfight incited by a handful of obnoxious creeps like Lee and a few others who obviously get pleasure in deliberately annoying others in complete anonymity. This has been going on far too long. You have something to say and you work hard to say it. You should have the right to moderate the discussion and get rid of the Asshole Fedayeen.

It's time to clean house before all the grownups leave for more civil places.

What would be the point of a registration system? They can easily ban users without one.

This could just be a trial balloon Pelosi's floating to see what reaction it will get. Hopefully she'll be dissuaded from this terrible decision.

How could a convicted felon become a Congressman?

Oh that is right, he was never convicted of any crime, his case was dismissed.

"the Justice Dept could refuse to give him a security clearance"

Lovely thought but it'll never happen. They refuse to locate and prosecute national security leakers - you really think they'll take preemptive action against a *potential* security risk?

"Oh that is right, he was never convicted of any crime, his case was dismissed."

Yes, but he was impeached - and he challenged the impeachment, and the impeachment was upheld.

He was impeached in the House and tried and convicted in the Senate both under the majority control of Democrats at the time, you ignorant twit.

Ah Barney,

Yes, he was impeached by a vote of I believe 400 to 3, yet we really should believe that he's innocent? More people in congress believe in the tooth fairy than the thought that Hastings is innocent. Expect of course the OJ jury, I mean the Black Caucus.

What's there been, something like 3 federal judges impeached in the last century? I'm sure he was framed. And I'd like to ask where Mark Furman was during this whole ordeal?

Apparently Pelosi is considering other options as well (from the WaPo pearl found by Oyster above)

Pelosi has floated the notion of naming the intelligence committee's third-ranking Democrat, Texan Silvestre Reyes, who is Hispanic, but that's not flying with the black caucus. "The CBC would not look kindly on that," caucus spokeswoman Myra Dandridge told The Post's Jonathan Weisman. "The first order of business of the CBC chairman would be to protect his members, and Alcee Hastings has the seniority, the knowledge and the experience to be chairman of the intelligence committee."

The Democrats have a chance to set a good example - let's see if she makes the right (and difficult) choice.

Well, at least we know Hastings is experienced with covert operations, like taking bribes and such.

Pelosi and company have 2 short years to get
their program up and running. If not they will
just be dust in the wind...Lee ol white eye
you do speak with forked tongue!!