Democrats in the US House of Representatives chose Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco as their speaker on Thursday, making her the first woman ever to lead either chamber of Congress. The 65-year-old center-left Democrat will become the third-highest-ranking official in the country when the new Congress is seated in January.
In an early sign of internal party tension, Pelosi's preferred candidate for majority leader, Iraq war critic John Murtha, was defeated by Maryland's Steny Hoyer, 149 to 86. Murtha, a 74-year-old Vietnam veteran and retired Marine, had pushed for rapid withdrawal of US troops from Iraq. Hoyer, a centrist, has served his Maryland district since 1981.
Hoyer's victory signaled that House Democrats intend to tread carefully on Iraq policy now that they share governing responsibility. Pelosi emphasized a willingness to work across party lines with President George W. Bush, who retains authority over military and foreign affairs.
Democrats won control of both the House and Senate in the 7 November elections, a rebuke to Bush driven largely by voter anger over the Iraq war and congressional scandals. In the Senate, Nevada's Harry Reid was chosen as the incoming majority leader, while Republicans selected Mitch McConnell of Kentucky as their new Senate minority leader.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.