Here is something that is a silent buzz on the internet right now. I think in part because many people do not know how to really react to it:

Rep. John P. Murtha (Pa.), one of the Democrats’ leading antiwar voices, startled his political colleagues yesterday by announcing he would seek a senior leadership position if the Democrats win control of the House in November.

In a letter that he circulated on the floor during a series of votes, Murtha said he is eyeing the No. 2 position. “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 wrote.

Murtha is a conservative Democrat, which to a lot on the left is a major turn off. While that may scare some, it is something that we really need in our nation right now.

As recent as 15 years ago, it was common to hear about “Conservative Democrats” and “Liberal Republicans”. Those days are gone now. The parties are becoming more defined and that is also causing a dramatic change in the political landscape of this country. Think back to that time and how many people you heard proclaim themselves as Libertarians. At that time most of them fell into one of the two categories I mentioned earlier. Now they are left without a party.

This also brings me to something else that is really sad. Hunter from Daily Kos brought up a very interesting point yesterday during one of the panels at YearlyKos that was televised and I had time to watch. He was talking about how Bush addresses the press and the nation. When Bush talks he always talks partisan. He embraces Republicans while demonizing and questioning Democrats. Think back to the days of Regan and even he would make you feel that he was addressing the nation as a nation on not a party. Clinton did the same thing as Regan and even Bush 41 followed suit. This partisan President is something that has really surfaced with Bush.

Having said all that, this is the reason I feel Murtha would make a great majority leader. He is in the middle. That means he can help the far left and far right find a common ground. While I am more left than most, I would not want to see a far left Congressman become majority leader because I feel that would keep our nation divided and that helps out no one. Instead, who ever takes these congressional leadership positions need to be from the center and not the extreme end of their parties ideology.

Hopefully the Democrats will win this fall and Murtha can win the vote to become majority leader. Murtha deserves it, but also America deserves a Congress that will work for the interests of a nation as a whole and not just a small percentage of it’s constituents.