Circular firing squad.
Via Politico:
Nancy Pelosi is betting everything on taking back the House in November, and most Democrats are confident they’ll pull it off. But what happens if they fail?
A stealthy discussion is already underway within the Democratic Caucus, particularly among members whose only experience in Congress is in the minority.
Assuming Pelosi either leaves on her own or is pressured to step down, her exit would trigger a messy battle between the party’s old guard, led by House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), and the party’s younger members, represented by House Democratic Caucus Chairman Joe Crowley (D-N.Y.).
It’s a generational showdown that’s been put off for years, but one that Democrats might not be able to be avoid much longer.
“It will be an intraparty war. That’s what you can expect,” said Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-Fla.), who predicted a “mass exodus” of Democrats if they don’t win the House in November. “That’s at the highest levels of leadership and at the committee level.”
Hoyer, 78, has served as No. 2 House Democrat since 2003 and has a reserve of loyalty and experience on his side. Crowley, 55, would offer a newer perspective, having been in leadership only since 2013. Right now, it’s a toss up who would get the job in a post-Pelosi world.
A shakeup at the top of the Democratic Caucus is also likely to set off a scramble further down the leadership chain as members clamor for spots that haven’t been open, or whose occupants have been hand-picked by Pelosi — for years.