Pelosi mum on Pennsylvania vote

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2010-04-13 22:27:22

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Pelosi mum on Pennsylvania vote
By: Jonathan Allen
April 13, 2010 06:18 PM EDT

Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s aides won’t say whether the California Democrat influenced the outcome of a contentious Pennsylvania delegation vote on which member to recommend as a successor to the late Rep. John Murtha on the Appropriations Committee.

Democratic insiders have pointed at Pelosi as a factor in Rep. Patrick Murphy’s edging Rep. Chris Carney in the 11-member vote – particularly after the dean of the delegation, Rep. Paul Kanjorski, told a local newspaper that Carney would have been knocked out of the running for the spending slot at the next level, a vote by the Pelosi-dominated Steering and Policy Committee.

Carney has accused Kanjorski of voting against him – and, by extension, the interests of their shared northeastern Pennsylvania region. Kanjorski won’t say how he voted, but sources familiar with the secret ballot say they believe he went with Murphy.

Kanjorski’s comments about the Steering Committee – it would be “fruitless” for the Pennsylvania delegation to send to the Steering Committee a pick that “couldn’t have gotten [its] support” – fueled speculation that Pelosi was involved.

After all, Democratic insiders say, she’s the only one who can speak with authority on how the Steering Committee will vote. To get Murtha’s seat, Murphy would still have to win approval of the Steering Committee against lawmakers from other states.

Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami declined to address the questions of whether and to what degree Pelosi was involved in the Pennsylvania delegation’s decision to back Murphy over Carney.

“There are many members who have made request to secure the seat, but no decisions have been made,” Elshami said.

Democratic sources say that Carney fell victim to a whisper campaign that held he could not win Steering Committee support because he opposes abortion rights. It’s not clear where that message originated or if it influenced Kanjorski’s thinking on whom to support.

Eric D. Schwerin
Rosemont Seneca Partners, LLC
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