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Pelosi gropes for a game plan
Politico ^ | 1-26-2015 | Lauren French & Anna Palmer

Posted on 01/26/2015 5:25:26 AM PST by smoothsailing

Pelosi gropes for a game plan

Heading into a retreat in Philadelphia, House members say Democrats have no message and no clear strategy to retake the majority.

By LAUREN FRENCH and ANNA PALMER 1/26/15 5:36 AM EST

Nancy Pelosi has big problems in her ranks.

The California lawmaker is facing some of the most serious unrest she’s ever seen in her dozen years as the leader of the House Democrats: Members complain that the party has no message and no clear plan to retake the majority, despite good news on the economy that should have brought rewards at the polls. They also accuse senior lawmakers of failing to pull their weight in dues as they occupy coveted committee slots.

Pelosi remains the pre-eminent force in her caucus, and nobody is stepping up to challenge her. But the heightened criticism comes at a time when she has few cards to play to win members’ loyalty, thanks to big losses in November that shrank the number of Democratic seats on highly sought-after committees.

The discontent will be at the forefront of the House Democratic Caucus’ three-day retreat this week in Philadelphia. Based on public and private conversations with more than a dozen Democratic lawmakers, the complaints range from the way the party fills top committee slots to its seeming inability to craft an economic message that appealed to voters

“What crystallizes the frustration and concern you see in the Democratic Caucus is the disconnect between the economic numbers and … the electoral numbers we’ve suffered these last six years or so,” Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes said. “So that provokes a lot of soul-searching. Do people not know what is happening in the economy? Do they not believe us that we have something to do with the recovery?”

Virginia Rep. Gerry Connolly said Democrats are hungry for answers. “I think there’s a growing desire within the Democratic Caucus, at least from Democrats that I talk to, to try to get to a fundamental understanding of what went wrong, not only in this midterm but in the previous midterm, if we’re going to grow and we’re going to avoid becoming a permanent minority here in the House,” he said.

Another Democrat, speaking on background, questioned the brand of economic populism the party has been preaching.

“For me, my evangelical mission is to try to persuade Democrats that we have to pay more attention to the suburbs,” the Democrat said. “And the economic message for the suburbs has to be broader than unemployment insurance and minimum wage, although both are important. They don’t resonate in the suburbs.”...

Read more: http://www.politico.com/story/2015/01/house-democrats-congress-114580.html#ixzz3PvtBTxMM


TOPICS: Extended News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: California; US: Connecticut; US: Pennsylvania; US: Virginia
KEYWORDS: california; connecticut; gerryconnolly; husseincare; jimhimes; nancypelosi; obamacare; pelosi; pennsylvania; philadelphia; rats; virginia
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1 posted on 01/26/2015 5:25:26 AM PST by smoothsailing
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To: smoothsailing

One of those sentences conjoining two words for the first time, evah.

Fortunately for her current ability to reason and construct coherent sentences, Pelosi is completely unconstrained by any conventional form of logic or common sense. Bless her liberal heart.


2 posted on 01/26/2015 5:28:17 AM PST by Attention Surplus Disorder (At no time was the Obama administration aware of what the Obama administration was doing)
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To: Attention Surplus Disorder

((shudder))


3 posted on 01/26/2015 5:29:02 AM PST by cripplecreek ("For by wise guidance you can wage your war")
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To: smoothsailing

Y’all Democrats keep selling “money for nothing”, and some folks are starting to figure out the math.


4 posted on 01/26/2015 5:31:28 AM PST by Blue Collar Christian (quod est Latine morositate)
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To: smoothsailing

Pelosi is 74 now. Maybe after the shellacking they took in November, her members are starting to push her aside. New leadership could hardly do worse.


5 posted on 01/26/2015 5:32:02 AM PST by Rummyfan
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To: smoothsailing

Pelosi is 74 now. Maybe after the shellacking they took in November, her members are starting to push her aside. New leadership could hardly do worse.


6 posted on 01/26/2015 5:32:02 AM PST by Rummyfan
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To: smoothsailing

Last year at this time, the MSM was telling us about how she was measuring the curtains in the Speaker’s office.


7 posted on 01/26/2015 5:33:00 AM PST by Steely Tom (Vote GOP for A Slower Handbasket)
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To: Rummyfan

She should just retire.But since her greatest pleasure in life is antagonizing decent people,don’t look for that to happen.


8 posted on 01/26/2015 5:36:48 AM PST by Farmer Dean (stop worrying about what they want to do to you,start thinking about what you want to do to them)
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To: smoothsailing

Heading into a retreat in Philadelphia

Why are they going to Philly for this? Why can’t they stay in DC and work on the problems? It seems to me that one of the big problems is that politicians want to travel all over the damn place and waste OUR money! I demand to know who is funding this “retreat” for them?


9 posted on 01/26/2015 5:36:58 AM PST by rfreedom4u (Do you know who Barry Soetoro is?)
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To: smoothsailing

The assumption is flawed.

The assumption is that Pelosi has the ability, absent tyrannical power, to hold the caucus together in a tightly focused manner


10 posted on 01/26/2015 5:37:02 AM PST by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc.;+12, 73, ..... Obama is public enemy #1)
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To: smoothsailing

Whatever happened to Debbie Wassermann Schultz? She seems to have disappeared.


11 posted on 01/26/2015 5:46:30 AM PST by Steely Tom (Vote GOP for A Slower Handbasket)
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To: rfreedom4u

“I’ve gone to Philadelphia to lure dogs and small children into precarious situations.” - W.C. Fields


12 posted on 01/26/2015 5:50:09 AM PST by BBB333 (Q: Which is grammatically correct? Joe Biden IS or Joe Biden ARE an idiot?)
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To: AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; cardinal4; ColdOne; ...

Yeah, she's going to a retreat, alright.
Another Democrat, speaking on background, questioned the brand of economic populism the party has been preaching. "For me, my evangelical mission is to try to persuade Democrats that we have to pay more attention to the suburbs, and the economic message for the suburbs has to be broader than unemployment insurance and minimum wage, although both are important. They don't resonate in the suburbs."...

13 posted on 01/26/2015 5:50:14 AM PST by SunkenCiv (Imagine an imaginary menagerie manager imagining managing an imaginary menagerie.)
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To: Steely Tom

Methinks Debbie Downer is being held prisoner by her own hair. . . . (evil grin)


14 posted on 01/26/2015 5:54:09 AM PST by Salgak (Peace through Superior Firepower. . . .)
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To: smoothsailing
“What crystallizes the frustration and concern you see in the Democratic Caucus is the disconnect between the economic numbers and … the electoral numbers we’ve suffered these last six years or so,”

The explanation is simple and I need only to change a little bit.

Try this:

“What crystallizes the frustration and concern you see in the Democratic Caucus is the disconnect between the economic numbers and … the economic reality
15 posted on 01/26/2015 5:55:55 AM PST by Dr. Sivana (There is no salvation in politics)
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To: Steely Tom

Oh, no, she was across the street from the Iowa Freedom Caucus this Saturday calling all the participants ‘ringkissers’, and likely sent the DEPORTABLE? protestors to Perry and Christie (thanks, Mayonnaisis Skullensis!)


16 posted on 01/26/2015 5:58:03 AM PST by txhurl (They claim conservatives aren't electable yet they disguise themselves as conservatives to win.)
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To: smoothsailing

Eastern State Penitentiary is available.


17 posted on 01/26/2015 6:02:15 AM PST by outofsalt ( If history teaches us anything it's that history rarely teaches us anything.)
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To: smoothsailing

Ya think paying attention to the suburbs might help?

The burbs be payin’ da bills.


18 posted on 01/26/2015 6:05:32 AM PST by ImJustAnotherOkie
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To: Steely Tom

Almost like clinton being already elected. The media is never wrong.


19 posted on 01/26/2015 6:33:46 AM PST by bray (Palin/Cruz to the WH)
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To: smoothsailing
“What crystallizes the frustration and concern you see in the Democratic Caucus is the disconnect between the economic numbers and … the electoral numbers we’ve suffered these last six years or so,” Connecticut Rep. Jim Himes said. “So that provokes a lot of soul-searching. Do people not know what is happening in the economy? Do they not believe us that we have something to do with the recovery?”

No, Himes, its because that the happy numbers you've been spouting are all cooked, and that the people who are out of work or else holding down two or three low paying jobs just to make ends meet know the truth.

20 posted on 01/26/2015 6:36:17 AM PST by Timber Rattler (Just say NO! to RINOS and the GOP-E)
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