Posted on 11/07/2010 4:28:09 AM PST by Kaslin
The party’s top leadership looks committed to moving exactly in the opposite direction of the American electorate.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi is the gift that keeps on giving. With her announcement that she intends to stay on as the Democratic Party’s top leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, she guarantees that the public will continue to have an unfavorable image of Washington Democrats.
Word that Pelosi was going to stay on as Democratic House leader was announced as I attended a conservative post-election luncheon analysis in Washington at the National Press Club. There were a lot of smiles in the room.
Further, the separate report last week that hard-left Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) is likely to challenge “moderate” Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) for the number two House spot means that the party’s top leadership will continue to move exactly in the opposite direction of the American electorate.
Pelosi’s continued leadership also means that President Obama will have to deal with a strong left-wing counterweight from the liberal House caucus, and will have to deal with them if he considers doing a Clinton waltz towards the center. This is all good news for Republicans, and represents more potential self-inflicted wounds by Democrats. One of the worst things that could have happened to Republicans was if Pelosi stepped aside and faded out of the news. She is a lightning rod, representing all that is wrong about Washington and its culture.
The reason Pelosi and Clyburn can remain without serious opposition is because the center of gravity within the House Democrats has moved to the left, as the nation has moved to the right. Many Blue Dog “moderates” lost last Tuesday night. The surviving Democrats are left liberals who won in safe liberal congressional districts, seemingly living in a worry-free bubble, oblivious to the anger expressed all year long by middle-class working Americans.
The interesting question: what will the president do? He quickly fled the United States after the election for an extravagant ten-day tour of India and Asia. This is not too unusual — many presidents faced with unpopularity at home have found refuge in trips abroad. I remember Richard Nixon’s trip before mobs of enthusiastic Egyptians in Cairo about two months before he resigned his presidency.
Panelists at the post-election luncheon last week wondered aloud if the president might take the time overseas to reflect on the new post-election environment. Did he truly want to work with Republicans, or would he continue to run against them? A Pelosi-Clyburn leadership duo certainly would push for the latter.
For Pelosi, stern leadership style was only matched by her apparent public denial that her party was rapidly losing popular support for her agenda. People in this town remember her preposterous comment “we won last night” after Democrats lost the governorships in New Jersey and Virginia.
The possible ascendancy of Rep. Clyburn to the number two slot would be a clear signal that House Democrats are doubling down. Clyburn is an outspoken member of the Congressional Black Caucus. When he became whip with Pelosi, he refused to accept the gavel from outgoing Republican (and white) Rep. Roy Blunt (R-MO). He decided instead to accept the gavel from a black legislator, Rep. William Gray, who was House whip in 1989. It was not a good moment for post-racial politics. It also was Clyburn who charged last March that tea party demonstrators hurled ugly racial epithets towards Democratic black House members during the final vote on the health care bill. Clyburn said the event “was absolutely shocking to me,” although video of the incident revealed no evidence of racist behavior.
For Republicans, the Pelosi decision may yet be another free ride. For Democrats, they may rue the day when Nancy Pelosi decided to remain in the limelight.
Let the bastards go even further left. See how well that works out for them in 2012.
To demented socialists the only cure to the problems socialism causes is more socialism. They consider themselves to be Compassionate Communists.
Yep. We'll be compassionate with your wealth, comrade.
Exactly, and like the author said, Pelosi is a gift that keeps on giving
Clyburn isn’t a Socialist. Neither is Pelosi.
They are tyrants, pure and simple. Dictators is another word that comes to mind. Criminals is a third word that is appropriate.
We are headed down the road of Argentina with divisive class warfare, stagnation, crime, devaluation, lethargy, etc. It is a wave that cannot be turned around. It is inevitable.
People are too stupid to understand what is happening (other than Freepers). Wait until you watch Tea Parties members cave once they start talking about cuts in Medicare and the related.
Is Clyburn willing to carry her purse? Inquiring minds want to know.
Yep... they'll never get it. Works for me.
Wisconsin had a bloodbath of dems going down in flames Tuesday night. Out of 73 counties, 60 went red.
We have a Republican governor, lt. governor, and both state legislatures are now in republican control. We took our Russ Feingold with Ron Johnson, who in July was an unknown business man from Oshkosh, and Sean Duffy (R) took Dave Obey's seat in the 7th congressional district, after being held by a democrat for almost 40 years.
Doesn't get any better.
Go West Dims Go West!
They are communists. Medicare can be made functional. So can social security. They are the two largest bankrupted programs. First bankruptcy has to be declared.
(Historical note ~ although the Lefties claim "it didn't happen", Salvadore Allende, the Communist dictator of Chile committed suicide with a machine gun rather than be taken captive by the people. I have always been of the impression these "party of death people" are usually always just one step away from a similar end ~ if they can just be induced to believe "it's the end".).
That's at least the 'hope' part of 'hope and change.'
Pelosi and Clyburn!!! The old adage at work once more. I once had a great boss and wise man that told me: “Son, if you are born dumb and you know it, you’ll do just fine in life. But, if you are born dumb and think you are smart, you are going down big time and will fail in life!!!” Perfect fit for these two deadbeats!!! However, let us pray that they retain their leadership positions in the “traitor” Democrat Party. It will help insure the destruction of the Democrat Party in 2012. We need to finish the job we started this Novewmber 2, 2010. And....POTUS Obama must be defeated in shame and failure!!!
Pardon the scatological reference.
Thats gotta leave a mark.
I want to see the PUBs say to Pelosi:”The Chair does not recognize the Representative from CA, nor will it recognize anyone ceding time to her”.
Go West has a whole new meaning come January.
Rep. Allen West (R) Florida 22nd. will go into the den to join the CBC and will publicly take on Clyburn at every chance. To a man who stated he would walk through hell carring cans of gasoline to protect the men under his command, does anyone think this idiot Clyburn will be a cause of worry to him?
GO WEST!
Those who would have supported Hoyer have been defeated.
It was always Pelousy’s plan to get them out of office to cement her power.
Not to Schuler and the other moderates......defections coming soon.
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