Choices, Choices

President Bush is nominating a Senator, Mel Martinez, to head the RNC...which means that the head of the RNC will be filled by a part-timer. Somehow I don't think this choice is what the party needs at this point. Don't we need someone fully focused on recapturing control of Congress, rather than a member of the clubby Senate, to head the RNC?

Captain's Quarters has more.

Martinez is also somewhat of a divisive figure among the party due to his support for amnesty for illegal immigrants -- which, unfortunately, is in line with the President's views and may be one reason he was named to the post.

President Bush passed over Michael Steele, who ran a strong campaign in Maryland and would have been an appealing new face nationally for the Republican Party. Steele was interested in the job.

The Democrats are providing their own post-election entertainment, what with Nancy Pelosi choosing John Murtha, who has a questionable ethical background, to head the House Democrats in what she pledges will be the most ethical Congress ever. It will be interesting to see if she chooses Alcee Hastings, who was impeached and convicted of bribery, to head the House Intelligence Committee, in order to win the votes of the Black Caucus.

Pelosi apparently has taken a dislike to Jane Harman, who is the ranking Democrat member on the Intelligence Committee and would normally be next in line for the chairmanship. According to last week's New York Times, Harman doesn't intend to relinquish the job without a fight.

A former Carter Administration official, Leslie Gelb, said that if Pelosi appoints Hastings over Harman, "A lot of people would be astonished. I think it would send a signal that Democrats are not going to be as serious about national security as they need to be."

Pelosi has indicated she may compromise by selecting Silvestre Reyes, a Texan, for the House Intelligence job.