Wisdom on intelligence

NANCY PELOSI HAS wisely decided not to appoint Rep. Alcee L. Hastings (D-Fla.), who as a federal judge was impeached and convicted by Congress in the 1980s, as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. At a time when intelligence issues -- including warrantless wiretapping by the National Security Agency -- loom large on Congress’ agenda, Hastings simply carried too much baggage.

Unfortunately, Pelosi has yet to bestow the chairmanship on the obvious alternative: her fellow Californian, Rep. Jane Harman of Venice, the current ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee. Instead, Pelosi is scrambling to find an alternative to Harman, even if it is someone with no recent experience on the panel.

Pelosi’s problem with Harman is reminiscent of her ill-fated endorsement of Rep. John P. Murtha (D-Pa.) to be House majority leader. In both cases, her attitude seemed to be shaped by personal considerations -- friendship with Murtha, rivalry with Harman -- and tunnel vision induced by the war in Iraq. Pelosi voted against authorizing the use of force against Saddam Hussein, but Harman voted for it. (So did Murtha, before his reincarnation as a war critic.)

Whatever the explanation, Pelosi’s reluctance to appoint Harman raises the question of whether the incoming speaker of the House is ready to be a national leader as well as a party boss. A boss’ priority is to settle scores and reward supporters; a leader has higher obligations -- especially now.

In the case of the Intelligence Committee chairmanship, those obligations make the selection of Harman a no-brainer. Far from being a disqualification for the chairmanship, her eight years on the panel constitute the sort of institutional memory the 9/11 commission said was desirable.

Equally important, on one of the most pressing issues before the committee -- NSA surveillance -- Pelosi and Harman are on the same page. To her credit, Pelosi raised questions about the NSA wiretapping program after being briefed on it. Harman voted against a House bill that would have legalized the program without subjecting it to the warrant requirements of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Moreover, the fact that Harman is a centrist who is respected by Republicans is an advantage, not a liability, in any effort by Democrats to rein in the NSA in a way that balances the real need for vigilance and the privacy of Americans.

Until this week, the biggest political obstacle to Harman’s ascendancy was the bid by Hastings, the next most senior Democrat on the committee and an African American whose candidacy was popular in the Congressional Black Caucus. With Hastings no longer a factor, Pelosi faces a simple choice. Which will it be, Madame Speaker: leader or boss?