Nancy Pelosi ranks second-in-
line to the presidency after
Dick Cheney
Posted on 11/18/2006 5:33:09 PM PST by bruinbirdman
New Speaker's embarrassing week has made it easier for her opponents to attack
Republican strategists plotting their party's comeback after it lost control of Congress have identified the "first lady" of Democrat politics as a key target in the 2008 White House campaign — even though she will not be running.
Senior party operatives told The Sunday Telegraph that they are already co-ordinating plans to attack Nancy Pelosi, the liberal Californian congresswoman and Speaker-in-waiting who suffered a damaging rebuff from her own party caucus last week.
Nancy Pelosi ranks second-in-
line to the presidency after
Dick Cheney
The Republican strategy is not only to undermine Mrs Pelosi's control of the House but also to associate her in voters' minds with Senator Hillary Clinton, the frontrunner for the 2008 Democrat presidential nomination.
"Two years of Pelosi gives a good idea of what four years of Hillary will be like," said Tom DeLay, the Republican powerbroker who ran his party in the House before he was caught up in a lobbyist corruption scandal. "They are both committed liberals and we will make that clear to the American people."
Mrs Clinton, 59, has yet to declare herself as a presidential candidate but has accumulated a vast war chest of campaign donations that would make her hard to stop if she decides to run for the Democratic nomination. Republican strategists are determined to prepare for the possibility well in advance.
Mrs Pelosi's opening-week blunders will make the Republican tactics easier to execute. Her ally John Murtha, a Vietnam veteran who is leading calls for an immediate US troop pull-out from Iraq, lost heavily in a party ballot for the position of majority leader, one rung down from speaker, despite Mrs Pelosi's heavy lobbying for him. That embarrassment presages the trouble she will have holding together the Democratic majority, whose members range from left-wingers from inner-city districts to centrist congressmen from suburban areas in the Midwest and West.
Mrs Pelosi, 66, who is married to a multi-millionaire property investor, will become the most powerful woman in American political history when the new House sits for the first time in January.
As speaker, she ranks second-in-line to the presidency after Dick Cheney, the vice-president. Her solidly liberal voting record during her 19 years as a San Francisco congresswoman have made her a long-time target for Republican strategists' attacks.
They now plan to focus on the difficulty she is likely to have in running the House, splits within Democrat ranks on Iraq and her boast that she we will oversee "the most ethical Congress ever" in the wake of Republican corruption scandals. "Pelosi has set the bar extraordinarily high for the conduct of her caucus, herself and even Hillary," said a former Republican House strategist.
Tony Coehlo, a former Democrat whip in the House who ran Vice President Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign, acknowledged his party concerns. "Even seasoned Democrats are concerned about the Republicans' ability to tar the polished Hillary by attacking Mrs Pelosi," he told The Sunday Telegraph.
"If Nancy does poorly, that hurts Hillary. That's really unfair, but that's what everyone thinks. That's reality. To help Hillary, Nancy has to be perceived as an effective leader and she's had a terrible start. It was just an awful first week."
A senior Republican operative who planned the damaging advertisements against Sen John Kerry, the Democrats' presidential candidate in 2004, predicted that it would not be easy to turn Mrs Pelosi into a surrogate target for Mrs Clinton.
"If Hillary has been able to separate herself from criticisms of her own husband, she'll try to do the same with Pelosi," he said. "She and her people are very smart and they will try to highlight the difference between the two women. You will see Hillary move more to the centre."
But a former strategist for a Republican House leader said: "If Pelosi comes across as not ready for prime time, that's going to hamstring Hillary. Fair or not, people can't help but make that comparison… Even Hillary's people are recognising that their fates are linked."
Post this story to: del.icio.us | Digg | Newsvine | NowPublic | Reddit
Related articles Grilling by TV comic is new ticket to White House 9 November 2006: Liberal and lip-glossed, the most powerful woman in Washington 17 November 2006: Blow for Pelosi as her choice for deputy Speaker is rejected by colleagues
Are you sure that's not for real?
What happened to your tagline, rightwing.
What? Actually, this time they don't have to do anything, just sit back and watch her self-destruct.
Hey, GOP, why haven't you been paying attention to Hillary's four false FEC filings and the biggest campaign finance fraud in history? How about the take down of a public company --- Stan Lee Media?
http://youtube.com/watch?v=LUWlxc7h5AI
"I'm keeping an eye on you!"
As for his chances for the nomination, I'm hoping that he'll be knocked out in the early primaries.
Cooooooobraaaaaa..that pic is just scary... Had to divert my eyes again.
IF this story is accurate, Republicans should be careful for what they wish for, if they manage to trash Pelosi until she is ineffective as Speaker, and perhaps even force her out (because she has plenty of ethics issues among the skeletons in HER closet too), they would probably end up with Speaker of the House Steny Hoyer, who looks like, talks like, and acts like a statesman (even when engaging in raw partisan behavior).
Pelosi, even on her best day, acts like a ditzy bimbo without even the minimal amount of common sense that a functioning adult should have.
If you haven't seen Pelosi on Sat Night live clip at you tube, take a laugh break
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqKCbtO9erQ
Please point out to me who the Senior Republican Operative was who planned the advertisements against Sen.Kerry. I don't see it.
Regards,
TS
LOL
You've got some good ideas there.
Cobra..guess it is not your fault Nancy Pelosi's face gives me the chills.
Title: Such a task should be SO EASY given the stupidity and criminal-supporting, Marxist agenda of these two [female dogs].
**"'Two years of Pelosi gives a good idea of what four years of Hillary will be like,' said Tom DeLay..."**
Excellent quote! Worth keeping!
Republicans have no idea how to plot a plot.
Beast's sister?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.