Pelosi: Security Comes Second; Money Comes First

Friday is "news I'd rather not deal with" day, the day that's reserved for nasty stuff, on the supposition less people read Saturday papers and Friday night blogs. Following this time-honored tradition, Pelosi will try later today to sneak out a real zinger:

Rep. William Jefferson, the Louisiana Democrat who's facing an ongoing federal corruption probe, is being granted a spot on the Homeland Security Committee, according to Democratic aides.

The appointment will be announced Friday, according to one aide who requested anonymity because the decision isn't yet official. (WaPo)

Here's the really juicy stuff:

Jefferson was removed from his seat on the Ways and Means Committee, one of the most important panels in Congress, by Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi(Calif.) last summer in an attempt to show how seriously Democrats viewed the allegations of corruption.

Honestly, I can see why you wouldn't want a guy who stashes cash in his freezer on Ways and Means -- but do you want a bribe-taker on Homeland Security? (Note: Add "alleged" as you see fit.) Pelosi is signalling that security is not as important as controlling the money, and that Dem condemnation of corruption is merely symbolic.

Pelosi's "leadership" continues to flounder and fail, as Dem leadership must. The Gordian knot of intertwined and competing interests that is cobbled together into the Democratic Party is simply not manageable, even for someone of Pelosi's considerable political skills.

hat-tip: Gun Toting Liberal via RCP Reader Articles