OK. These results are pretty exciting. But even as we are pleased to see change, ugliness emerges. I admit it. I went to college with Jane Harman. But I never see her; we don’t go to lunch – we don’t even go to the same fundraisers. In fact, I see her sometimes at college events and that’s it. But I’ve been very proud of her.
She has been honorable, smart and fierce in protecting the US through her work on the House Intelligence Committee as its Ranking Member and now, as the Democrats emerge as a majority, the FIRST WOMAN SPEAKER wants to dump her from her chance to Chair of the entire committee. This is a critical job – not a "woman" or "minority" opportunity but, if anywhere in the House, a place for the best possible PERSON to hold the job. And she’s going to be pushed aside because of a falling-out with Nancy Pelosi and because of her ability to work across the aisle on the issue where it’s most important to do so. Am I crazy? I don’t know the subtleties of this but in my bones it feels wrong. Speak up please. I need to know why this is OK if it happens. It just seems so wrong to me – not only for Jane but for — to be corny — the country.
I’m not a huge JH fan, I think she’s too conservative, but I think it would be SUCH a wonderful change and thing for the country if we had the symbolism of a woman chair of that committee. I’m with you, she’s earned it and it would be wrong to take it away.