The turnover in power in the US House means the Speakership goes to the Republicans, of course, and it also means that the Dems lose one leadership position. Currently the hierarchy goes: Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and Majority Whip Jim Clyburn. Losing the Speakership creates a game of musical chairs for leadership, especially since Pelosi has indicated she intends to stay on as Caucus leader and run for the position of Minority Leader in the new congress.

Whither current Majority Leader Hoyer? He’s not willingly going into the night, and intends to run against Clyburn for the Whip spot and maintain his #2 status in the caucus.

Maryland’s Hoyer is known as one of the most savvy wheeler-dealers in the House. He’s also politically aligned with the moderate Blue Dogs, and got into the position with their support. Indeed, although most say he has worked well in the position, he has often made public statements that would seem to offer quick accommodation to the GOP and have been at odds with the more liberal Pelosi’s statements – often at key times on important policy debates, effectively undermining her position. Clyburn, on the other hand, is more of a liberal, a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, and is generally preferred by both the netroots and other progressive interest groups. A lot of speculation centers around whether or not Pelosi is intentionally moving to squeeze Hoyer out (she preferred the late Rep. Murtha for the position when the Dems rose to power in the House).

Of all the Dem groups that took an electoral hit, none was more damaged than the Congressional Blue Dogs. The resulting shape of the smaller Democratic Caucus would seem to favor Clyburn, but Hoyer has some surprising allies among the House progressive caucus – including Rep. Peter Welch. With fellow prog caucusers Polis of Colorado, Capps and Garamendi of California and Markey of Massachusetts, Welch signed onto a letter (visible here) supporting Hoyer against Clyburn, and a lot of the netroots is left scratching its collective head.

Welch’s backing should surprise no one, even if it is disappointing. Hoyer worked to help Welch win the office against Martha Rainville, and rose to his leadership position precisely because he has gone out of his way to help a lot of members of the House caucus to build up that sort of currency – currency that he once again needs to cash in on to defeat Clyburn.

And yet, in many ways, Hoyer is the very embodiment of old-school, politics-as-usual and is exactly not the sort of face the Democratic caucus needs right now.

But it’s all about personal relationships on the Hill – which, frankly, is the way all human institutions seem to work. So the question is: Welch’s backing of Hoyer – politics as it shouldn’t be, or simply politics as necessary? And if Pelosi truly does intend to squeeze out Hoyer, and feels strongly enough about marginalizing him that she wants to cash in her own currency with Welch (who has been given some plum positions despite his relative newness to the scene) where will that leave our at-large Representative?