thumbs, after looking into Murtha a bit more, I agree with you. He would have been a horrible choice for the position. It was an example of Pelosi attempting to reward someone who was an ally during her rise to power, and an ill considered one. Reform of the practice of sticking pork into every bill, brought to a fever pitch by the GOP these last years, and the influence of lobbyists and their corporate clients, also at unprecedented levels during the rule of the GOP, has to be curbed. There has to be reform. As much as I admire what Murtha did regarding Iraq, and influencing American public opinion in that area, and his ardent defense of the men and women of the military, he would have been a hindrance, not a facilitator, in passing reform. We badly need reform. I was wrong about Murtha being in the leadership, and so was Pelosi. Lets hope this taught her a lesson she won't soon forget. D&D. Look Out!