Can Congressman Murtha Hang?



(image via progressives)

Minority Leader's point man on the military, Congressman John Murtha, is having some trouble lining up the votes necessary to bag the House Majority Leader position in the event the Democrats sweep into the House of Representatives. Says Josephine Hearn in TheHill:

"Liberal House Democrats are not lining up behind Rep. Jack Murtha�s (D-Pa.) leadership candidacy in the numbers he had hoped despite his outspoken stance against the Iraq war.

"Murtha�s failure to line up staunch opponents of the war could prove a blow to his hope of denying the majority leadership to Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (Md.) in the event of a Democratic takeover of the House in the 110th Congress.

"Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.), a friend of Murtha who has been helping him with the race, said tepid support among some progressives was a worry to him. 'It does concern you when people you think are going to be with you turn out not to be. Some of that�s cultural issues, guns and abortion,' he said. 'But we still have the votes.'"