The New York Times published an illuminating article Nov. 25 by writer Kate Zernike that details the close relationship between Reps. George Miller of Martinez and House Speaker-Elect Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco.

And last week, Newsweek magazine wrote about Miller and Rep. Ellen Tauscher, D-Alamo, as examples of the liberal and moderate, respectively, factions of the Democratic Party. (You have to be a subscriber to access Newsweek’s archives, so the link will only take to you its main page.)

Here are the opening paragraphs of the New York Times piece, but the whole story is well-worth reading:

In a friendship stretching over 30 years and many plane trips to Washington from their neighboring California districts, Representatives Nancy Pelosi and George Miller have become so close that, as colleagues say, they finish each others’ sentences.

So it was not surprising that, when Mrs. Pelosi faced the first test of her role as speaker-elect of the House of Representatives, Mr. Miller was in the background, pushing her to back Representative John P. Murtha of Pennsylvania to replace her as Democratic leader over the more centrist candidate, Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, who had been her No. 2 for four years.