Behind the Democrats' Leadership Battle

The last thing the Democrats want to do as they regain control of Congress is get caught up in an internal power struggle. So why is incoming Speaker Nancy Pelosi backing the dark horse in the race to be her number two?

There's a long list of reasons why the presumptive Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi could have decided not to pick a favorite in the race to be the No. 2 Democrat in the House of Representatives. The Speaker customarily doesn't even vote on the House floor, so it would have been very easy for her to stay out of the fight, at least publicly. The candidate she just endorsed, Pennsylvania Congressman John Murtha, is a decided underdog in the race against Maryland's Steny Hoyer, who has served as the House Minority Whip since 2003, so Pelosi might suffer a defeat only a week after ascending to her current lofty position.