Murtha wants to be House Majority leader

Rep. John Murtha, who infamously called for the immediate withdrawal of US forces in Iraq last year, surprised House Democrats yesterday by saying that he’d seek the House Majority leadership position should his party take control of Congress this fall:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Rep. John Murtha, an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq, unexpectedly announced on Friday he will run for the No. 2 leadership post in the U.S. House of Representatives if Democrats regain control of that chamber in elections this fall.

“If we prevail as I hope and know we will and return to the majority this next Congress, I have decided to run for the open seat of the majority leader,” Murtha, a Pennsylvanian, said in a letter sent to House Democrats.

“I would appreciate your consideration and vote and look forward to speaking to you personally about my decision,” Murtha said in the letter.

The announcement from the decorated Marine veteran appeared to take his party and Capitol Hill by surprise. The man who holds the No. 2 position in the Democratic caucus, Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, immediately made clear he had no intention of stepping aside.

Here’s what one Democratic aide said about Murtha’s move:

“Members really think Jack Murtha has caused a huge disruption. This is a major distraction from what our focus should be. We should be focusing on taking back the House, not leadership ambitions.”

The article also stated this about the opinions of some Democratic aides:

Democratic aides who criticized Murtha’s sudden announcement on Friday said he was proving himself to be more of a divider than a uniter.

LOL. They’re just now figuring this out?