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Document 19 of 96.

August 19, 2000

SECTION: POLITICS; Pg. 2660; Vol. 32, No. 34 & 35

LENGTH: 724 words

HEADLINE: Two House Dems Whipped Into A Frenzy

BYLINE: Richard E. Cohen

BODY:

Forget the battle for the White House or even for control
of Congress. This week, two savvy and senior Democratic lawmakers
are looking further down the road to their own high-stakes battle
for a key House leadership post.

Reps. Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland and Nancy Pelosi of
California have busy and high-profile convention-week schedules
designed to score points against the other in their drive to
become House majority whip.

That leadership job would open up if Democrats win
control of the House in November. Minority Leader Richard A.
Gephardt, D-Mo., is in line to become Speaker, and Minority Whip
David E. Bonior, D-Mich., would presumably become Majority
Leader, leaving it up to House Democrats to select a new whip in
late November or December.

All year long, Hoyer and Pelosi have been conducting no-
holds-barred campaigns to win commitments of votes from House
Democrats. Each has sweetened the pot by raising gobs of campaign
cash for their colleagues. At times, their intense jockeying has
certainly run counter to Gephardt's emphasis on teamwork within
his ranks.

In separate interviews, Hoyer and Pelosi each claimed the
current lead in the race for the No. 3 job in the House and was
confident of success. "I have a majority of a majority of the
House," meaning at least 110 Democrats, declared Pelosi. "I've
always felt confident that I would win on the first ballot."

Hoyer, however, professes to be "ahead by 90 to 80" in
commitments from current House Democrats. He also expects to win
a large share of the at least 25 new members who could be elected
in November. He recruited many of these Democratic candidates and
has assisted in their campaigns.

The whip's contest grew more focused last month, when
Rep. John Lewis of Georgia dropped out and threw his support to
Hoyer, who picked up 10 formerly undecided Democrats. The Pelosi
camp claimed at least eight former Lewis supporters. A
knowledgeable and allegedly neutral House Democrat gave Pelosi a
slight edge in the race, but said either could win.

Here in Los Angeles, Hoyer will be the convention
parliamentarian, will be honored Monday at a reception by the
National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, and will host a
lunch on Wednesday for the party's top nonincumbent House
candidates.

Pelosi, meanwhile, coordinated a four-day "tech tour"
last week in the Bay Area for nearly 40 House colleagues.
Tuesday, she will host an event for women candidates and will be
honored at a reception by California's Democratic Party.

Pelosi and Hoyer share some similarities. Each won a
special election in the 1980s to enter the House and soon joined
the Appropriations Committee, where each could claim a
subcommittee chairmanship if Democrats win the majority. And each
served their apprenticeships in hard-nosed Maryland politics
(Pelosi grew up in a prominent Baltimore family).

But their pronounced differences provide the zest for the
whip race. In this spring's bitter House fight over granting
permanent normal trade relations to China, Pelosi was a leading
foe and Hoyer was a crucial early supporter of the White House
initiative. That helps to explain why Pelosi has a strong base
among liberals, including organized labor, while Hoyer claims
strong support from centrist New Democrats and Blue Dogs.

Although Pelosi says she's not running "as a woman," she
has attracted wide support from women's groups. "The fact that I
am a woman is an enhancement because we absolutely must have
diversity in our leadership," she added.

In Hoyer's view, winning and keeping a House Democratic
majority will require success in the nation's swing districts,
such as his own. "I've shown the ability to reach across the
(Democratic) Caucus," he said. "That will be critical in 2002, to
project a leadership that reflects a broad spectrum of America."
Hoyer noted that similar to centrist Veep nominee Joe Lieberman,
he has "a nuanced perspective" on various issues.

Like other political showdowns in coming months, the
outcome of this contest may speak volumes about where the
Democratic Party is headed.

LOAD-DATE: August 22, 2000

Document 19 of 96.


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