Shuler to Challenge Pelosi as Democrat Leader

Democrat Heath Shuler gives a thumbs up in Asheville, N.C., in this Nov. 7, 2006, file photo.

/ AP

(CBS/AP) Rep. Heath Shuler (D-N.C.) tells CBS News producer Jill Jackson that he will run for Democratic leader against Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).

Shuler is one of the few so-called Blue Dog Democrats who was reelected to the House of Representatives in the 2010 midterm elections. (Blue Dogs are more conservative than most Democrats.) He's a member of the House Committee on Small Business and the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

If Shuler's voting record is any indication of the tone he'd set as House minority leader, he was one of 39 Democrats who voted against HR 3962, the Affordable Health Care for America Act.

Pelosi stunned Washington last week by announcing that she will run for Democratic leader even in the minority. Doing so set up a painful standoff for second place between lieutenants Steny Hoyer of Maryland and James Clyburn of South Carolina. About two dozen House Democrats, including a few of her allies, have expressed a preference for someone else as their leader next year, if not outright opposition to her candidacy. Two have urged Democrats to postpone leadership elections scheduled for Wednesday.

Post-election polling suggests that getting a nod to lead the Democrats for the next two years would be easy compared to the job that lies ahead: winning back the electorate's confidence and favor in time for the 2012 elections with the same leadership lineup and a more liberal caucus. And doing it all in an atmosphere in which 54 percent of Democratic-leaning adults say they want the party to move in a more moderate direction, according to a poll taken Nov. 4-7 by the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press.

[cattiej]

He is a Republican who says he is a Demcrat..He is a sheep who is probably a fan of many Republicans. We need healthcare in America. These Congress Politicans have he most excellant healthcare for themselves and their families for life..they talk about to much big government and yet their paychecks, their retirement and their healthcare comes from the government,,,that's we the people, even if we don't have any of these benefits ourselves, we have to pay for their's or go to jail for tax evasion.. There all crooks!

[1musicwayne]

Pelosi? five-week vacations... ?saving the planet??$7 million per year for her 200 passenger commuter jet?proclaims "National Watermelon Month"? classifys dirt as a natural resource? congressional side deals to pass UNREAD bills?9000 earmarks...Killing grandkids with debt?Wow, what a leader!

[Cattzen]

The Speaker is entitled to airtransport
as for your other attacks, where are your facts?

The Right Wing Limbaughs have no substance, they only know ATTACK, ATTACK, ATTACK without warrant and, the GOP has no answer to their own greed, corruptiong and detriment to the United States.

[Mortarman429]

Not true Catzen. Two big things she pushed: Obamacare and Stimulus. Both a disaster and saddled out kids with a huge debt! On top of the huge debt we already had. On top of the huge debt they want to add on next year.

She is an absolute disaster. She is a leftist...and most Americans do not want what San Francisco is pushing.

[Cattzen]

I want to know exactly what, or why? The Right Wing is so polarized by Speaker Nancy Pelosi?

Rush Limbaugh?s radio show attacks on Ms. Pelosi are without substance and direction but, it is the Rush Limbaugh show!

why so much hate agaist Nancy Pelosi?

[Mortarman429]

Because she is a leftist. Someone intent on destroying this country. That is enough.

[Cattzen]

Leftists do not have the intent to destroying this country, that is simply not true. The Conservative Agenda nearly bankrupt the United States in only 8 short years.

Policy and course of action are the issues, not one person the Right Wing chooses to attack.

[js1945]

Shuler can call himself anything he choses in reality he is a republican mole.

[Mortarman429]

How so?

[1truthtalker]

The blue dogs lost more than half their members and the House majority for the Dems. In what world would that qualify them for the leadership spot? The progressive caucus - which Pelosi lead - was re-elected with by an astonishing 96%. THATS why she's going to coast back into the leadership position.

In the next election the tea baggers are going to be the incumbents. Lets see how they do with independents and moderates who aren't making a protest vote against the D.C. party in the majority, in a non-midterm election. They just handed the Dems the easiest political comeback in history...if only the Dems will stay true to their principles.

[Mortarman429]

It is those principles that were recently rejected.

[rightbehind]

Almost 10% of the eligible voters didn't even bother to vote this time around.

[rightbehind]

The republicrats were the ones thrown out of office. Very few of them survived.

[Mortarman429]

So, it is just the Marxist left that remains.

[frankie2fing]

Yeah, Shuler, you sucked as a qb, and you are worse as a politian.

[frankie2fing]

Yeah, Shuler, you sucked as a qb, and you are worse as a politian.

[rightbehind]

The democrats will be washed up if they put a yellow dog in charge. I would rather the yellow dogs switch parties so we can run real democrats against them.

[dpattan]

Spoken like a true progressive Marxist.

[rightbehind]

by dpattan November 15, 2010 9:59 PM EST
Spoken like a true progressive Marxist.


Ewe! The big marxist word.