From Elizabeth Wilner, Mark Murray, Huma Zaidi, and Jennifer Colby
At this rate, maybe it won't take Republicans too long to win their way back to majority status.  For their part, they aren't lacking for ambitious colleagues like Sen. John McCain and former Speaker Newt Gingrich who are looking to lead them out of the wilderness under the banner of reform.  For Democrats' part, their contest for House majority leader has posed an unexpectedly big distraction which has temporarily undercut their efforts to look like the clean alternative to the recently ousted GOP. 

It hasn't helped Democrats that incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi's endorsed candidate for leader saw his brush with the old Abscam scandal all over the news, then was quoted calling ethics reform "total crap."  Addressing a group of moderate Democrats on Tuesday night, Rep. John Murtha said, "Even though I think the ethics bill is total crap, I'm going to work to pass it anyway because that is what Nancy wants." 

"There's a lot of crap going on in Congress all the time," Murtha told MSNBC's Chris Matthews yesterday by way of explanation.  "Guys violate the law, some do.  But the problem we have is a few people violate the law and then the whole Congress has to be changed."  He added, "I agree with what Nancy's trying to do...  What I said was,... it is total crap that we have to deal with an issue like this when we've got a war going on..." 

That, after Democrats campaigned against a "culture of corruption" throughout 2006, after they pledged to pass substantial lobbying and other ethics reforms during their first 100 hours in the majority, and after fed-up voters registered their agreement by ousting the GOP from the majority just nine days ago, citing corruption as a top reason why.  Implosions in politics are often temporary (just ask Trent Lott), but first impressions are often lasting.  Now's the time when Democrats, who were elected not so much because of their own ideas as because of Republicans' problems, should be treading extra carefully.

Both Murtha and current Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer claim they have the votes to win the job, which will be awarded by secret ballot.  The Murtha-Hoyer bout is the only significant leadership contest on a day when Pelosi will easily get elected the first female Speaker-designate.

Meanwhile, McCain addresses two key conservative groups today.  The Federalist Society's convention theme is "limited government," while GOPAC's website notes, "Many political observers credited GOPAC with being a key catalyst of the Republican Revolution that stormed the nation in 1994."  Mixed in among more conventional appeals to the party base -- maybe some talk of judicial nominees with the former, and some visionary/big-picture stuff in the latter -- will likely be efforts to set himself up as the reformer.  McCain also will file "John McCain 2008 - The Exploratory Committee" today.

Another Republican believed to have his eyes on the presidency who's now offering advice is Gingrich, who sent the House GOP ranks an unsolicited memo that is full of mentions of "we" and "us."  Among the proposals he lays out: "focus on the country first and on Washington and the Congress second;" team up with the Blue Dog Democrats "to form a working majority and pass an agenda;" and, "establish new principles for appointing people to the Appropriations Committee.  Nothing infuriated the Republican base more than the continued process of earmarks, set asides and incumbent-protection pork.  There is no reason for the House Republican conference to reappoint a single appropriator unless they agree to be part of the Republican team."

Eric Wortman, spokesman for the Blue Dog Democrats, commented to NBC's Mike Viqueira about the memo, "We are not going to secede from the party...  There isn't going to be a governing majority" of Blue Dogs and Republicans.  On the other hand, one fairly senior Republican member tells First Read that he and, he thinks, some of his colleagues are paying attention to what Gingrich has to say.

McCain may be looking to another old hand to help him get his agenda through: just-elected Senate Minority Whip Trent Lott, who returned to the leadership yesterday with McCain's help.  NBC's Ken Strickland and Tony Capra report that McCain said yesterday that one of the reasons Republicans "suffered" in the midterms was because their leadership didn't get things done, and that Lott is "a result-oriented politician, probably the most result-oriented politician I have ever known."  More: "We feel that one of the reasons why we suffered at the polls is that we didn't act on immigration reform.  We didn't pass the appropriations bills.  We didn't extend the taxes, do the things that people expect us to do." 

President Bush is in Singapore.  His top military commander in the Middle East appeared on Capitol Hill yesterday and "urged Congress to resist withdrawing American troops from Iraq any time soon, a stance that drew sharp disagreement from top Republicans and Democrats." 

Gen. John "Abizaid was met with deep skepticism and doubt in the Senate, where even Republicans who have supported the war effort pointedly questioned his judgment on troop levels and his optimistic assessment of the capabilities of the Iraqi security forces," says the Los Angeles Times.  "The criticism from such a broad spectrum of lawmakers - coming at the first Capitol Hill hearing on Iraq since Republicans were trounced in the midterm election and Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld resigned - signaled a more active role by members of Congress in challenging the Bush administration about the war's conduct.  Until now, Rumsfeld has been the primary lightning rod." 

The Chicago Tribune notes that "Abizaid offered a more positive picture of Iraq than his assessment in August when he said the country could be sliding into civil war." 

The New York Times says, "Skepticism among lawmakers from both parties was palpable, and the concerns of the lawmakers were reinforced by intelligence officials who testified later in the day and who painted a more pessimistic portrait of the violence in Iraq than General Abizaid did." 

Per an aide, Sen. John Kerry (D) plans to speak on the Senate floor today regarding the "moment for change in Iraq," and will emphasize that "bipartisanship is actions taken not words spoken."  Kerry "will emphasize that as Democrats in the majority the responsibility is even greater to force a change in course, hold the Administration accountable, and provide a clear alternative -- and will push the Administration to comply with the congressional resolution Kerry passed this summer which President Bush signed to hold a Dayton Accords-like summit to forge a political solution in Iraq."

...when you make a show of renominating a bunch of judicial candidates who have no chance of getting confirmed.  Among the names the White House sent to the Senate yesterday were some of the most controversial nominees they've ever put forth, including Terrence Boyle, William Haynes II, and William Myers III.  The White House also nominated former Rep. Jim Rogan, one of the Clinton impeachment managers, to become a US District Judge for California.  Some Senate Democrats called it a "slap in the face." 

"The move heartened conservatives who worried that Bush would scale back his ambition to move courts to the right and outraged liberals, who called it a violation of the spirit of bipartisanship promised since Democrats captured Congress.  Both sides saw it as a possible harbinger for the remainder of Bush's presidency, particularly if a Supreme Court vacancy opens," says the Washington Post. 

"Mr. Bush's motive in sending up the nominations has been closely analyzed, with several Democrats and liberals labeling it as provocative and a sign that he does not intend to seek compromise as he suggested he would after Republican losses in the elections last week." 

The AP reminds us, however: "Under Senate rules the nominations must be resubmitted after Congress takes an extended break, as was the case this year for the 2006 election." 

Bush Administration officials are blaming "the ineptitude of the Republican leadership of the House of Representatives for trying and failing to rush through the Vietnam trade bill on Monday," says the Financial Times.  "It was the failure of some Republicans to turn up, along with 66 who voted against, that did for the bill.  Some speculated that the votes against might have reflected congressional Republican resentment towards the White House after the heavy defeats of the mid-term elections." 

The New York Daily News on Lott's election to the Senate leadership: "It's not just Democrats President Bush will have to worry about in Congress - Senate Republicans picked one of Bush's tougher critics yesterday to be their No. 2."

McClatchy writes that the "new Senate Republican leadership team represents a return to pragmatism.  They're seasoned GOP parliamentarians who are expected to cross party lines and buck the White House more often than did retiring Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., who concentrated more on pleasing the president and the Republican Party base that is key to his presidential hopes for 2008." 

Beyond Lott, the Houston Chronicle says that the rest of the new Senate GOP leadership has a Texan imprint to it.  "Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison moved up a notch to the fourth-ranked Republican Policy Committee chairmanship, and Sen. John Cornyn joined the leadership for the first time, replacing Hutchison as Republican Conference vice chairman."  (And we'd note how many are Southerners, including Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.) 

"House Republicans have already begun mapping their attack strategy for the next two years," says The Hill.  "Leadership candidates have highlighted their plans to hammer the incoming Democratic majority for ethical lapses, fiscal irresponsibility and legislative mismanagement, borrowing from a playbook those same Democrats used with great success to unseat the Republican majority." 

House Republican Leader John Boehner, who's hoping to get elected minority leader tomorrow, sounds classic conservative and reformist themes in a Roll Call op-ed asking his colleagues for their votes. 

House Democrats fear there will be lasting damage from the Hoyer-Murtha bout no matter who wins.  "The race has reinforced longstanding divisions between different factions in the caucus, members and observers said, and has diverted their attention from a positive message they hoped to project just days after winning control of the House."  Pelosi is pushing hard for Murtha, "raising the majority leader race with freshman during the same introductory meeting where they discuss committee assignments." 

The Washington Post says of Murtha's "total crap" remark, "Pelosi aides stressed that Murtha remains dedicated to the package's passage, but the dust-up rekindled memories of past Murtha votes.  He was one of 12 Democrats to vote against campaign finance legislation written by Sens John McCain... and Russell Feingold..., and he was one of four Democrats who opposed an ethics package earlier this year that was designed to contrast the Democrats' tough stance with a weaker Republican bill.  He also pushed a rules change to block outside groups from filing complaints to the House ethics committee." 

The Washington Times goes a bit further than most other papers by saying, "most of the attention on Capitol Hill yesterday fell on Mr. Murtha's run for House leadership, which many Democrats worry will sully their stunning victories last week and ruin any hopes of a reputation for ethical reform." 

The Los Angeles Times points out that "both of the Democrats vying" for the job "have long histories of earmarking, close relationships with corporate interests, and using their positions to raise millions of dollars in campaign contributions."  In addition to Murtha's already documented issues, the paper says that "Hoyer, also on appropriations, sent $61.7 million to his district just outside of Washington during this Congress...  That put him among the top 10% of earmarkers in the House.  The earmarks frequently benefited local defense contractors." 

Bob Novak: "This is a no-win situation for Pelosi.  If Murtha wins today, she will be accused of personal vindictiveness in derailing Hoyer, who is more popular in the caucus and better qualified for leadership.  If Murtha loses, as is much more probable, she will be seen as bumbling her first attempt to lead the new Democratic majority." 

The State profiles Rep. Jim Clyburn, who will ascend to majority whip today and is the "only black to represent South Carolina in Congress since 1897." 

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid aims to pass "a bill to create criminal penalties for election fraud, including offenses such as voter misinformation campaigns carried out by robo-calls and misleading flyers," per Roll Call.  "Reid said the election measure likely would be one of the first 10 bills Democrats introduce next year - an indication of the high priority the party places on the issue.  Reid also indicated that he wants to rein in independent campaign expenditure groups, known as 527s, even though many of them have helped Democrats even out the edge in hard-dollar fundraising that Republicans have typically enjoyed." 

"Democratic strategist James Carville yesterday said Howard Dean should be replaced as chairman of the Democratic National Committee for failing to pursue a greater margin of victory in last week's midterm elections." 

The Los Angeles Times says of McCain's big day, "McCain's speech today to GOPAC... is intended as his first broad assessment of the state of the GOP and how he would lead it.  A source familiar with the speech said McCain aspired to fill the post-midterm political vacuum in the same way Ronald Reagan did in a fabled speech after the GOP lost the White House in 1976."  The story also notes that conservative lawyers like those who belong to the Federalist Society were "furious with McCain and others in a bipartisan group of senators, nicknamed the Gang of 14, who last year blocked a bid by GOP leaders to deny Democrats the right to filibuster judicial nominations." 

Outgoing Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney has hired GOP veteran ad-maker Alex Castellanos as he gears up for a possible presidential run, reports the Boston Globe, which profiles Castellanos' career. 

In the meantime, Romney is working with conservative groups on planning an anti-same sex marriage rally for Sunday. "Supporters of same-sex marriage accused Romney of planning the rally to advance his political ambitions." 

Cheney headlines a farewell tribute to retiring Senate GOP Leader Bill Frist tonight. 

By our count, Democrats currently hold a 232-197 advantage over Republicans in the House, with six undecided races:

-- NM-1 (where GOP Rep. Heather Wilson holds a lead over Democrat Patricia Madrid)
-- NC-8 (where GOP Rep. Robin Hayes holds a lead over Democrat Larry Kissell)
-- OH-2 (where GOP Rep. Jean Schmidt holds a lead over Democrat Victoria Wulsin)
-- OH-15 (where GOP Rep. Deborah Pryce holds a lead over Democrat Mary Jo Kilroy)
-- TX-23 (where GOP Rep. Henry Bonilla is in a runoff against Democrat Ciro Rodriguez)
-- WY-AL (where GOP Rep. Barbara Cubin holds a lead over Democrat Gray Trauner)

Even though the AP called the race in favor of Vern Buchanan (R), he and Democrat Christine Jennings (D) are involved in a recount down in Florida.  And a final undecided seat -- the runoff in Louisiana between Rep. Bill Jefferson and challenger Karen Carter -- won't change parties because both are Democrats.

Former Rep. Mark Foley's father passed away on Tuesday.  Funeral services are set for Saturday. 

And the Houston Chronicle follows up on an earlier report by Roll Call that seven congressional aides who worked for Tom DeLay resigned after serving his replacement, Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, for about 24 hours.  "Kevin Madden, a former DeLay spokesman who works for Boehner and was not among the seven, said the holdover staffers 'felt like they were treated terribly.'  He would not elaborate." 

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
Rep. Jack Murtha, who is locked in a fierce fight with Rep. Steny Hoyer to be the next majority leader, last night told a group of moderate Democrats that ethics reform "is total crap," according to a Democrat who was present.

"Even though I think the ethics bill is total crap, I'm going to work to pass it anyway because that is what Nancy [Pelosi] wants," Murtha said during a campaign pitch to the Blue Dog Democrats, a group of 44 fiscally conservative Democrats.

Pelosi, who is one of Murtha's most loyal and steadfast supporters, has run against "the culture of corruption" and "draining the swamp that is Washington." But, the blunt Murtha has his own ethical baggage, which was the focus of a story by Senior Investigative Correspondent Lisa Myers on Nightly News last night.

Also, as  we noted this morning, MSNBC's Tom Curry reported that when asked whether his baggage would make him the wrong leader at this point, Murtha said, "Wait 'til you see the ethics package we'll pass and I'll support."  When reminded he didn't support the last one, he added, "But you'll see me support the next one." 

From NBC's Ken Strickland
Republican senators say that Trent Lott narrowly won the No. 2 spot in the Senate GOP leadership because of his vast experience as a former majority leader. One GOP senator said the results of the midterm elections played a role. By falling into the minority status, the senator said, it puts Republicans in more of a reactive position where experience is critical.  This senator cited Lott's negotiating and tactical skills as well as his "deep understanding of the [Senate] rules," which are key to moving or blocking legislation. And then there are "the deep personal relationships" Lott developed with members over the years.

Just yesterday, the man Lott defeated for the post -- Lamar Alexander -- claimed that he had the commitments of support from more than half of the Republican caucus. So what happened? One theory expressed by a senator is that many people may have promised Alexander their support while he was running against Rick Santorum (who lost his reelection bid last week.)  Lott didn't officially enter the race until two days ago. And equally important, the voting is done by secret ballot.

From NBC's Mark Murray
It's official: Trent Lott narrowly defeated Lamar Alexander in the race for whip, which will make him the second in command of the GOP Senate leadership. At a just-concluded press conference announcing the Republicans' new leadership team, reporters asked Lott about his return to power. But he refused to answer. "The spotlight falls on him," Lott replied, pointing to Sen. Mitch McConnell, who will become the party's Senate minority leader.

But conservative blogs aren't as deferential -- they're not too happy about Lott's new leadership role. Said Jonah Goldberg on National Review Online: "If it's true that Lott has won his race, I think it's just another sign of how Republicans often fail to take politics seriously enough... I'm sure some people think he'd be a good whip. But, ultimately, who cares? The GOP has an image problem right now... Does the GOP really need a pork-loving Senator best known to average Americans — fairly or unfairly — as nostalgic for segregation?"

Dean Barnett on Hugh Hewitt's blog added, sarcastically: "Whoopee! If there's one message that the electorate sent the Republican Party last week, it's that we hadn't given them enough of Trent Lott. I cannot adequately express my delight that Senate Republicans have moved with such expediency to right this egregious wrong."

From Elizabeth Wilner, Mark Murray, Huma Zaidi, and Jennifer Colby.
Trent Lott's campaign to become Senate minority whip brings a lot to mind.  Most of all, of course, it reminds us of the reasons why he's now having to climb back up the leadership ladder in the first place: the ill-judged comment at Strom Thurmond's birthday party in late 2002; the succession of apologies, including on BET; and finally, the relinquishing of his leader post.  It also reminds us that politics can be an especially forgiving business.

And, it raises the point that despite the shake-up last Tuesday, we aren't seeing any prominent new faces on Capitol Hill.  The congressional system remains so biased toward seniority and back-room experience that a controversial figure like Lott may still be better positioned to advance than a comparably fresh face like one-termer Lamar Alexander.  Of course, Senate Republicans may prefer Lott to Alexander because of their bumpy ride under the less-experienced Bill Frist.  But in their election of a leader on Friday, House Republicans will likely stick with John Boehner; Senate Democrats will be led by Harry Reid and Dick Durbin; and House Democrats will continue to follow Nancy Pelosi and, most likely, Steny Hoyer. 

But the biggest sign of how little is changing are all the "new" prospective Democratic committee chairs in the House, including names like Conyers, Dingell, Frank, Obey, Rangel, and Waxman.  Of all of them, only one was elected after Democrats lost the House in 1994: Juanita Millender-McDonald, elected in 1996, will likely chair the Administration Committee.  Probable Homeland Security and Government Reform chair Bennie Thompson was elected in 1993.  Many of the others were first elected decades before.

Pelosi did suggest earlier this year that seniority would be one factor, but not the only factor determining which members become chairs.  But at least at this point, as we wait for the assignments to be finalized, the only committee that might not be chaired by its most senior Democrat is Intelligence.  Former judge turned Rep. Alcee Hastings' impeachment from the bench may keep him from getting that very sensitive post.

One of us co-authored an article back in February about how House Democrats seem more wedded to seniority and appear to do less to promote younger members than House Republicans.  After the reformist Gang of Seven made a splash by taking on colleagues over the House Bank scandal, Newt Gingrich's new rules included term limits for Republican committee chairs, which guaranteed an injection of some new blood every so often over the past 12 years.  After the article ran, one senior House Democrat, who now happens to be the prospective chair of a powerful committee, complained that the sentiments in the piece were "ageist." 

But the issue here is not so much about age as it is about openness to promoting new blood and making a concerted effort to shed old habits, particularly after the exit polls on election day showed voters repudiating what they viewed as an arrogant, entrenched majority party.  For all their years in the minority, and despite all the Hill scandals this year, Democrats never produced a Gingrich or a Gang.  They continue to promote those who have been in the system the longest, and are charging them with cleaning it up.  That may be one reason why polls show people doubting that Democrats will really tackle congressional reform. 

Passage of some key reforms during Democrats' first 100 legislative hours in January, as Pelosi intends, should change some minds.  But her endorsement of Rep. John Murtha for majority leader despite Murtha's brush with Abscam and other ethical blips is symptomatic of this larger issue, and has now cast a shadow over House Democrats' commitment to reform.  As MSNBC's Tom Curry reported, when Murtha was asked whether his ethical baggage would make him the wrong leader at this point, he said, "Wait 'til you see the ethics package we'll pass and I'll support."  Reminded that he didn't support the last one, he said, "But you'll see me support the next one."

Coincidentally, Jack Abramoff entered a federal prison this morning to serve out a 70-month term on his fraud conviction involving the SunCruz gambling casino scandal.  As NBC's Joel Seidman notes, this scandal was overshadowed by his role in the Washington influence-peddling probe.  Now the Justice Department and Abramoff's attorneys are asking a judge to rush Abramoff's sentencing on these other charges on Friday.  The reason: to have Abramoff imprisoned at a federal facility close to Washington so it would be more convenient for Justice Department investigators to elicit his continued cooperation in their probe.

President Bush stopped in Moscow earlier this morning en route to Singapore.  Bush has launched his own "sweeping internal review" of Iraq policy, as the Washington Post notes.  Administration officials insist that the point of the effort is not to compete with that of the bipartisan Iraq Study Group, "although the White House wants to complete the process before mid-December, about the time the Iraq Study Group's final report is expected."  The new review "could give the administration alternatives so that it feels less pressure to fully implement the recommendations of the Iraq Study Group report, foreign policy experts said." 

Today also brings the Senate Armed Services hearing on the current situation in Iraq, which was scheduled before the election but now seems certain to produce some interesting moments, given the various agendas of incoming committee chair Carl Levin and the presidential contenders who serve on the panel.

The Washington Times focuses on Democratic disagreements on what course to pursue in Iraq. 

The New York Times writes that while many Democrats are calling for a phased redeployment from Iraq, that argument "is being challenged by a number of military officers, experts and former generals, including some who have been among the most vehement critics of the Bush administration's Iraq policies." 

...when little things start falling through the cracks.  Like when your staff accidentally posts the wrong flag on the White House website in advance of your trip to Vietnam.  Until yesterday evening, as a First Read source pointed out, the White House had the flag of the former Republic of Vietnam (i.e., South Vietnam) on its site.  When asked about it, White House staffers told NBC's Les Kretman that they had just become aware of the "wrong flag" and would fix it.

Or, like when you announce that you're renominating the controversial Kenneth Tomlinson to chair the Broadcasting Board of Governors, and that renomination comes after the inspector general at the State Department recently ruled that Tomlinson had used his office to improperly run a horse-racing operation and had put a friend on the payroll.  Tomlinson denied he did anything improper.  Last year, he was ousted from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting after evidence suggested that he had violated rules meant to keep partisan politics out of public radio and TV.

Yesterday, the House "delayed by a day action on extending a routine stopgap spending bill that Mr. Bush wanted to sign before departing for Moscow."  The Wall Street Journal reports, "As a result, a White House aide will have to fly to Asia with the bill, so the president can sign it to keep government agencies operating after this weekend...  Smarting from losses in last week's midterms, Republicans are less eager to march to the beat of the president's drum.  There is rank-and-file resentment that Mr. Bush didn't announce the resignation of Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld until after Election Day, and party leaders are more preoccupied with saving their jobs than moving the president's agenda." 

One day after the House failed to pass a Vietnam trade bill by a two-thirds vote but still seemed likely to later pass it by a simple majority, the New York Times says GOP leaders have withdrawn the legislation.  "The failure of the Vietnam bill was a deep disappointment and embarrassment for the White House…  [Its] failure touched off a fusillade of partisan recriminations, with Republicans blaming Democrats for trying to sabotage the bill and Democrats saying that some Republicans, bitter after losing the election last week, were trying to embarrass Mr. Bush." 

Ousted Sen. Rick Santorum, who will continue in his number-three post as Senate GOP Conference chair, will oversee the conference's leadership elections today.

House Republicans "are growing increasingly frustrated with their choices" in their own elections, reports the Washington Times.  "Most insiders say Rep. John A. Boehner... is favored to win the top spot, but Rep. Mike Pence, Indiana Republican, has been widely praised by conservatives off the Hill as a fresh face...  Some Republicans have expressed reluctance to return Mr. Boehner to leadership after last week's disastrous elections, and some are opposed to Mr. Pence for forging a compromise on immigration that critics dismissed as 'amnesty.'  Yesterday, Mr. Pence renounced those efforts." 

The Los Angeles Times focuses on discontent among conservatives over the White House's selection of Sen. Mel Martinez to be the face of the Republican National Committee because of his support for comprehensive immigration reform.  "The selection... made it clear that Bush and his chief political strategist, Karl Rove, believed the party's future depended on striking a moderate image on immigration.  It also suggested that the White House saw the party's support for get-tough legislation on the issue as contributing to its midterm election losses." 

The Miami Herald also reports on "grumbling within the GOP's conservative base" because of Martinez's position on illegal immigration. 

Americans may feel more optimistic now that the Democrats control Congress, but most are still skeptical if there will be bipartisan cooperation between the new majority party and the Bush Administration, a new AP-Ipsos poll finds.  Fifty-one percent of Americans are not confident that the President and congressional Democrats can work together to address national problems. 

By the final weeks of the 2006 campaign, Republicans, much more than Democrats, were in the spotlight for divisions within the party over Iraq, and that helped boost Democrats to majority status on election day.  But the battle for the majority leader post between Hoyer and Murtha, exacerbated by Pelosi's endorsement of Murtha, has helped put the party's fissures over the war back in the spotlight all over again.  As NBC's Mike Viqueira notes, Hoyer and Murtha are now fighting over who has called for "redeployment" of US troops from Iraq and who hasn't.

Roll Call's Norm Ornstein praises Pelosi's commitment to ethics reform but says her endorsement of Murtha was a stumble.

"One unanswered question is how far Pelosi will go in campaigning on Murtha's behalf following her endorsement of him on Sunday," Roll Call says.  "She is speaking to incoming Democrats about Murtha's candidacy for Majority Leader, according to several Democratic sources, but it does not appear that she is lobbying veteran Democrats at this point." 

The anticipated 44 members of the Blue Dog Democrats hold a potentially interesting press conference today.  The St. Louis Post-Dispatch covers former Democratic House leader Dick Gephardt saying it's important for both parties to respect the middle.  "'Everyone began to forget about that great middle … that's still out there and miraculously still voting,' Gephardt said.  In this election, 'people were saying this country is not all divided into one base or another.'" 

Reid gives the Washington Post his first extensive interview as majority leader and "vowed to press quickly for phased troop withdrawals, a more international approach to Iraq's problems and a rebuilding of the depleted U.S. military."  He added that "one of the first acts of the new Democratic Congress will be a $75 billion boost to the military budget to try to get the Army's diminished units back into combat shape," and pledged that Democrats won't cut off funding for the war effort. 

At a briefing yesterday, reporters reminded Sen. Chuck Schumer that after the GOP took control of Congress in 1995, President Clinton vetoed 37 bills and was only overridden twice.  MSNBC's Tom Curry reports that Schumer was asked if there's any reason to think that the next two years won't turn out to be just like the era of Clinton vetoes?  "Yes," he replied.

"There a lot of Republicans who were shocked by the election," Schumer said.  "You have three groups of Republicans in the Senate: about five or six who are true moderate Republicans.  You have 20-25 who are hard right…  Then you have about 20 who are mainstream conservatives; they are not liberals...  The hard right has set the agenda because that's what George Bush wanted to do and they went along.  They're going to have a real big decision to make… if on certain issues they break with the President, if the President hews to the hard right.  And if they break with the 25 Republican senators who are over there (on the right), we could end up negotiating and doing some very good things.  I think a lot of them right now are scratching their heads and saying, 'obeisance to the hard right didn't help us very much.'  DeWine would be in that camp, Talent would be in that camp."

Sen. Joe Lieberman will chair the chamber's homeland security committee despite having strayed from the party to win re-election, as Reid's office made clear with an announcement yesterday.  The Hartford Courant says Lieberman got a warm welcome from his Democratic colleagues yesterday, even from those who had criticized and campaigned against him. 

Senator-elect Jim Webb (D) of Virginia broadens his portfolio with a Wall Street Journal op-ed on -- not the war, but on the wage gap and "our society's steady drift toward a class-based system, the likes of which we have not seen since the 19th century...  It should be the first order of business for the new Congress to begin addressing these divisions, and to work to bring true fairness back to economic life. Workers already understand this, as they see stagnant wages and disappearing jobs."

The heads of the Big Three said they got an "understanding hearing" at the White House yesterday, but it's unclear what, if anything else, they got.  "Bush, who left hours after the meeting for a conference in Vietnam with Asian trading partners, was not about to roil the waters by complaining of Asian currency manipulation." 

"For Rudy, is 'star power' enough?" the New York Daily News asks.  The paper reports that "dirty tricksters" in conservative states have been spreading word about Giuliani's liberal stands on guns, abortion, and gay marriage.  Another Daily News article notes that Giuliani's political advisers are mostly old City Hall pals with little or no national experience (of course, the last few successful presidential campaigns -- Reagan in 1980, Clinton in 1992, and Bush in 2000 -- came from outside the Beltway).

A gift registry set up by friends of Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) and his wife for an upcoming housewarming party is causing a stir.  Huckabee, "who has tangled with the state ethics panel in the past over gifts, on Tuesday criticized media reports about the Web-site registries at Target stores and Dillard's department stores," writes the AP.  "Huckabee said he would report gifts on financial disclosure forms if he's required to by law, but indicated he did not see any ethical problems in accepting them." 

Sen. Evan Bayh (D) holds a press availability today with the three new Democratic House members from Indiana.  Based on an earlier memo sent out by Bayh's staff, he can be expected to point out any or all of the following: "of the 29 House seats that the Democrats picked up, 10 came from the Midwest" (including three from Indiana); that Bayh "stumped for Democratic candidates across the country, particularly in Red States like Ohio, Kentucky, Nevada, and Arizona;" and/or that "Bayh's All America PAC trained and deployed 50 paid campaign staffers to crucial races in Indiana, Iowa, New Hampshire, Nevada, and South Carolina."

Edwards is in downtown DC today signing copies of his latest book, "HOME: The Blueprints of Our Lives."  He does Letterman on Friday.

The Chicago Tribune writes about Obama's upcoming visit to the evangelical church headed by past Rick Warren, author of the "Purpose-Driven Life."   "Aides to Obama say he will appear at Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, Calif., on Dec. 1, World AIDS Day, drawing attention to the kind of issue that the senator from Illinois says should unite all people of faith, regardless of their particular religion." 

Top aides at the Democratic and GOP congressional campaign committees tell First Read that they expect all of the candidates currently leading in the remaining undecided races to hang on and win, although Democratic spokesperson Bill Burton says to still keep an eye on the recounts between Vern Buchanan and Christine Jennings in Florida and between Deborah Pryce and Mary Jo Kilroy in Ohio. 

If that holds true, that will mean that Democrats will hold a 232-202 advantage in the House.  The remaining race that could possibly switch hands is the upcoming runoff in Texas between incumbent Henry Bonilla (R) and former Rep. Ciro Rodriguez (D), and House GOP campaign committee spokesperson Carl Forti expects Bonilla to prevail (even though his district isn't as GOP-friendly as it used to be).  "He showed his strength by getting 49%" -- just short of the majority he needed to avoid a runoff.

And Rep. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs (R) is getting her 15 minutes of fame as she embarks on her roughly two-month tenure as former Rep. Tom DeLay's replacement -- but only until January, when Democrat Nick Lampson will take over.  She's profiled today in USA Today, the Los Angeles Times, and the Washington Post.

From NBC's Wendy Jones
The incoming general chair of the Republican National Committee, Sen. Mel Martinez (R) of Florida, spoke with White House reporters after meeting with the President this afternoon. Martinez stressed that he would continue to serve the people of Florida as their Senator, and noted that Mike Duncan would run the RNC as day-to-day chair. He further noted, "It's a time in history when the party ought to return to big ideas."  He said he "made clear" that he "was not going to be an attack dog and... wasn't asked to be one."

Martinez on the new Congress, in which he will serve in the minority: "We need to show that we can be a respectful minority...  My job is to make sure our message is heard."  Asked about immigration, he defended the White House/Senate proposals: "The Senate bill is not a bill that [supports] amnesty...  A bill that had requirements for people to return home or pay penalties and fines and go to the back of the line is far from amnesty."

Martinez will officially be elected general chair at the RNC's winter meeting in January.

From NBC's Mike Viqueira
The battle between current House Democratic Whip Steny Hoyer and Rep. John Murtha for the Majority Leader slot is getting mildly interesting.  Murtha sent out a press release this morning calling the front-page story in today's Washington Post "swift-boat style attacks."  The story covers a range of potential ethical issues for Murtha, and his implication is that Hoyer supporters planted it.

"Of the critical issues we are faced with today, the war in Iraq is the most crucial," the Murtha press release goes.  "The Pelosi-Murtha position on the war is the reason the Democrats are in the majority today.  Congressman Hoyer's position has been to stay the course with President Bush from the very beginning and, like Senator John McCain, he advocates sending in more troops."  Hoyer says this charge is not accurate.

Beyond that, Hoyer told reporters, "I am not looking back" -- his way of refusing to get into it with Murtha.  He reiterated his pitch for the job; the election is scheduled for Thursday.

From NBC's Ken Strickland and Mike Viqueira
Senate Democrats are elevating Sen. Chuck Schumer to the number-three position of vice chairman of the Senate Democratic Conference.  Schumer has been lauded over the past week for his leadership as head of the party's Senate campaign committee, which helped the party net the six seats they needed to retake the majority.  This promotion can be seen as a reward of sorts. 

Sen. Patty Murray (D) of Washington state, who had been expected to take the number-three slot, will become number four in the leadership instead

From Elizabeth Wilner, Mark Murray, Huma Zaidi, and Jennifer Colby
Everywhere you look, there's jockeying to fill the leadership void in the Republican party created by a lame-duck President, the lack of an anointed frontrunner for the party's next presidential nod, an outgoing national party chair, and divisions in the party's ranks on Capitol Hill.

On the heels of rival John McCain's announcement that he'll create a presidential exploratory committee, Rudy Giuliani let loose the news that he already has, leaving the political world to debate whether there's enough room in the field for both maverick Republicans, each of whom has his own seemingly unimpeachable battle credentials.  As McCain said on Meet the Press, Giuliani's team says he hasn't made up his mind yet, but is taking the necessary steps in case he does decide to run.

The Republican National Committee is getting a new general chair for the presidential cycle in Sen. Mel Martinez, who will be formally elected -- along with a day-to-day chair -- at the RNC's meeting in January.  The exit polls from last Tuesday showed Hispanics voting for Democrats over Republicans by 69%-30%, a loss of ground for Republicans from 2004, when President Bush got more than 40% of the Hispanic vote.  Martinez supports Bush's proposed guest-worker plan and path to citizenship for illegal immigrants, which split the party in 2006.  He also may cause the party a problem over of his sharply anti-gay attacks on his primary opponent in 2004.

Senate Republicans, for their part, might elect Trent Lott Minority Whip tomorrow, elevating him to just one step below his previous post of Leader.  NBC's Ken Strickland reports that per a source close to Lott, "We are closing in on victory."  He's running against one-term Sen. Lamar Alexander, who only recently seemed to have secured enough commitments from his colleagues to lock in the job.  But now, all bets are off.  Strickland reports that McCain has been quietly making calls on Lott's behalf.  Even before Lott's campaign went public, a few Senate Republicans had privately endorsed him.  Acknowledging that he carries political and personal baggage, particularly over his comments at Strom Thurmond's birthday celebration, some of these colleagues say his leadership abilities are desperately needed.

By contrast, Mitch McConnell is expected to go unchallenged in his bid for Senate Minority Leader tomorrow.  McConnell possesses the same backroom skills as Democrat Harry Reid, who's expected to be elected Majority Leader today. 

None of which is to suggest that Democrats don't have their own issues as they assemble their leadership.  Incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi's decision to back Rep. John Murtha for Majority Leader over current number two Steny Hoyer has produced a stumbling block out of nowhere in the party's otherwise smooth ride to the majority so far.  The one question reporters had for incoming Democratic freshmen yesterday, NBC's Mike Viqueira reports, was about their preference in that race.  An informal poll of about six did not find one vote for Murtha.  The election will be held on Thursday.

MSNBC's Tom Curry reports that in an elevator yesterday afternoon, reporters asked Murtha whether his ethical baggage -- starting with ABSCAM -- would make him the wrong Leader at this point.  His reply: "Wait 'til you see the ethics package we'll pass and I'll support."  But he didn't support the last ethics package, said one reporter.  "But you'll see me support the next one.  Wait 'til you see the ethics package: no meals, no trips, no nothing."

Strickland also reports that Armed Services hearings on the current situation in Iraq will be the highlight of the Senate's work for the rest of the week.  Tomorrow, the committee will hear from General Abizaid and CIA Director Hayden.  As the first hearing on Iraq since the election (though it was scheduled before election day), and with high-profile members participating, including a handful of potential presidential candidates, the session is guaranteed to create some interesting moments.  Incoming chair Carl Levin said at a press conference yesterday that his first priority will be to put "pressure on the White House to commence the phased redeployment of US troops in four to six months." 

Levin also said he recently talked with a "key Republican" he says would be interested in finding a bipartisan resolution on Iraq, Strickland reports.  "There are a number of Republicans who want to change course and to do so in a way which will send a message to the Iraqis that this is there responsibility and we cannot save them from themselves," Levin said. 

The Washington Times says of yesterday's Iraq Study Group meetings and Levin's remarks, "Faced with the election results and emboldened Democrats, Mr. Bush is trying to keep control of the debate while still being open to suggestions from the soon-to-be new majority party on Capitol Hill...  Expectations for the group are growing, and those on both sides of the political divide say it could be a chance for the White House to achieve a face-saving way forward in Iraq." 

"Bush cautioned Monday against holding talks with Syria and Iran and beginning a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq, two key proposals gaining support at home and abroad.  But the president said he was open to 'new ideas' on his administration's approach to Iraq..." 

McClatchy reminds us that the Iraq Study Group is "expected to issue its recommendations, which are being prepared in secrecy, next month." 

At Levin's press conference yesterday, one of his Democratic colleagues on Armed Services, Bill Nelson, stood on sidelines and listened silently, MSNBC's Curry reports.  Afterward, Nelson emphasized to reporters the need for success in Iraq, rather than withdrawal.  Nelson, who voted against Levin's resolution last June and who won re-election by a landslide last week, said success in Iraq is still necessary because "the alternative is not very palatable.  The alternative is to turn it over to the terrorists, and if the terrorists take over Iraq and are sitting on top of that oil, where do they go next?  They look south, they head for the Saudi royal family; if they take over (Said Arabia), they are sitting on the world's oil reserves.  That's not a situation the free world wants to face."

The message from Florida voters last week, Nelson said, was that they "want the United States to have a chance of success in protecting its interests which is by stabilizing Iraq," Curry reports.

Meanwhile, interviews with a half-dozen newly elected Democratic House members Monday revealed that they're hoping the Iraq Study Group comes up with an exit plan and that they won't need to vote on cutting off funding for the war, Curry says. 

The nation's Catholic bishops are calling for a new direction in Iraq.  Per the Boston Globe, the "bishops, who have consistently expressed moral concerns about the war, did not call for immediate withdrawal, saying the United States now has 'moral responsibilities to help Iraqis to secure and rebuild their country.'  But the bishops said the 'terrible toll' in Iraqi and American lives now requires a discussion driven by 'moral urgency, substantive dialogue, and new directions.'" 

Channeling Monday's First Read, the New York Times looks at McCain's "principled stand" or "huge political gamble," or both, with his call to increase the number of US troops in Iraq as he eyes a presidential bid. 

The Boston Globe's Canellos writes that the "importance of the alliance" between Vice President Cheney and outgoing Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld "to setting policy has been somewhat exaggerated."  He adds that "one key to Cheney's influence will be whether Cheney can exercise equivalent power during the tenure of Robert Gates."  Still, there are "other vehicles for Cheney's influence," such as the State Department and Justice Department.  "The bottom line seems to be that Cheney doesn't need Rumsfeld to remain the administration's pre eminent policy maker."

Bloomberg points out that Democrats' takeover of the Senate means Bush's ability to appoint judges has basically ended.  It also "limits Bush's options filling any Supreme Court vacancy that might develop before he leaves office.  A nominee such as [Sam] Alito -- who drew the support of just four Democratic senators -- would probably fail to win confirmation...  Republican activists, meanwhile, say Bush should push for strongly ideological candidates even if they won't win confirmation." 

House Republicans are discussing the "idea of passing a long-term continuing resolution that keeps the government running until early next year under current spending limits is being discussed, from both a fatigue standpoint and as a strategic move to start pushing the notion of tax-and-spend Democrats early in the 2008 election cycle." 

The Washington Times, reporting on how the White House has tapped Martinez to be the face of the RNC, suggests that his support for comprehensive immigration reform could be an issue, and says that "[s]ome RNC members greeted the news as another example of White House cronyism, reminiscent of President Bush's attempt to name his personal friend and general counsel Harriet Miers to the Supreme Court."  Apparently Karl Rove "leaked his choice of Mr. Martinez immediately after a conference call in which the Florida senator's name was floated for the first time."  http

"In the poll taken Thursday through Sunday, just after Democrats swept to majorities in the House and Senate, those surveyed said by nearly 2-to-1 that they want Democrats to have more influence than President Bush on the direction of the nation.  Nearly half said the country will be better off under Democrats; 16% said it will be worse off; and one-third predicted no difference," says USA Today of its new Gallup poll.  "Bush's job-approval rating was 33%, tying his second-lowest ever.  The Republican Party was viewed favorably by 35% - an eight-year low."  Still, there's "skepticism" about Democrats potentially raising taxes and about their commitment to improving congressional ethics. 

NBC political analyst Charlie Cook writes in his CongressDaily column that one of the smartest Republicans he knows "posited that by siding with the 44 Blue Dog Democrats, the about-200 House GOP members might actually end up with more conservative measures passing the House than if they did the bidding of the White House, which would likely end up compromising with Democratic congressional leaders."  Cook also writes of Pelosi's noncontroversial priorities for the first 100 legislative hours, "If this is the direction Democrats choose to go, and they have the discipline to resist temptation to take the hard left, they have a chance to do very well.  But if they give in to their hearts as opposed to their heads, this majority will last exactly 24 months."

The Washington Post says Pelosi's decision to back Murtha over Hoyer has critics charging that "she is undercutting her pledge to clean up corruption by backing a veteran lawmaker who they say has repeatedly skirted ethical boundaries."  Murtha "has battled accusations over the years that he has traded federal spending for campaign contributions, that he has abused his post as ranking party member on the Appropriations defense subcommittee, and that he has stood in the way of ethics investigations.  Those charges come on top of Murtha's involvement 26 years ago in the FBI's Abscam bribery sting." 

The New York Times notes that Pelosi's letter of support for Murtha "was surprising, since it meant that Ms. Pelosi could be perceived as being weakened before she even takes her new office if Mr. Murtha falls short." 

With her endorsement, "Pelosi signaled that she can be expected to prize personal loyalty as she oversees the fractious party," says the Los Angeles Times.  "Pelosi may have another problem.  As the crop of freshly elected Democrats... came to Capitol Hill for orientation Monday, they encountered a leadership dominated by mostly liberal, old-school Democrats." 

Hotline's blog reports that most moderate Blue Dog Democrats continue to support Hoyer over Murtha.  "The reticence of most heartland Democrats, at least publicly, to back Murtha indicates the political winds haven't changed too much.  A spokesman for a prominent conservative freshman Democrat summed up his boss' support for Hoyer in one word: 'Iraq.'  The Iraq war has grown unpopular, but a call for immediate withdrawal still doesn't play in Republican-leaning districts."