The American Spectator

Washington Prowler

(Page 3 of 3)

Nancy Pelosi , perhaps sensing that House Majority Leader Tom DeLay is positioned for a swift kick in the caboose, has been holding strategy meetings with her senior staff and leadership team to discuss how hard to work behind the scenes to oust the leader. DeLay has managed to sidestep the Beltway and Capitol Hill land mines that have been laid as a result of the state and local investigations going on in Texas. Those investigations, which are not directly tied to DeLay, but rather to PACs and organizations that DeLay and DeLay supporters created, are ongoing. /p>

"You look over at the Republican caucus and you get the feeling that maybe they are ready to look at alternatives to DeLay, which would be advantageous to us on a couple of different levels," says a Democratic leadership staffer. "One, if DeLay goes it's a huge black eye for the party leadership, and maybe hits the White House a bit. Two, it weakens the caucus with some infighting and uncertainty. We might be able to take advantage of that."

DeLay's fall, should it come -- and there are few on Capitol Hill who believe it will happen any time soon -- would depend more on his ability to rebuild broken relations within his own caucus. DeLay is believed to have alienated many of the Republican deputy whips he appointed last session and since angered by refusing to heed their advice. There is also lingering anger at the treatment of House Whip Roy Blunt, who suffered through a bad press when his relationship with a former tobacco lobbyist was made public. Many on Capitol Hill believe that story was initially planted by DeLay operatives concerned that Blunt was positioning himself for an eventual challenge to DeLay.

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Nancy Pelosi