Pelosi decides against Hastings
By KATHERINE SHRADER

House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi has decided not to choose Rep. Alcee Hastings (news, bio, voting record) as chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, according to a Democratic congressional aide who is knowledgeable about the decision.

The aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity about internal party deliberations, said Pelosi has not yet decided who will be given the position when the new Congress convenes in January.

There has been much speculation about whether Pelosi would choose Hastings, a Florida Democrat and an impeached federal judge. He has been making a case for the position, but he had a closed-door meeting with Pelosi on Tuesday, where he learned he would not get the post, the congressional aide said.

Hastings' office and the Congressional Black Caucus, which had endorsed him for the job, had no immediate comment.

Hastings and Rep. Silvestre Reyes (news, bio, voting record), D-Texas, were considered front-runners to take over the chairmanship — a potential snub to the current senior Democrat on the panel, Jane Harman of California.

Harman, whose committee leadership term expires at year's end, could be reappointed by Pelosi, D-Calif., but the two are believed to have deep personal differences.