Crowning Majority Leader,
Democrats Are All Smiles
and Bile By Dana
MilbankFriday, November
17, 2006; A02 At 10:30
yesterday morning, Nancy
Pelosi was chosen by
acclamation to become
speaker of the House.
Ninety minutes later, she
experienced her first
smackdown. Pelosi had
only herself to blame for
this briefest of
honeymoons. Just five
days after the
Democrats’ election
victory, she shattered
party unity Sunday by
urging House Democrats to
reject her longtime deputy,
Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.),
in favor of antiwar
firebrand Rep. Jack Murtha
(D-Abscam), who
proceeded to brand House
ethics reforms “total crap.”
Yesterday, rank-and-file
Democrats told Pelosi her
endorsement
