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Pelosi basks in historic day in Congress (elected first female House speaker) *.*Barf Alert!*.*
AP on Yahoo ^ | 1/4/07 | Erica Werner - ap

Posted on 01/04/2007 10:41:10 AM PST by NormsRevenge

WASHINGTON - It's a glass ceiling no one else has even cracked, and Nancy Pelosi crashed through it Thursday, elected the nation's first-ever female House speaker.

The 66-year-old San Francisco Democrat beamed and clapped as she heard the voice vote electing her to the House's top post. She was surrounded on the House floor by her six grandchildren, including Paul Michael Vos, born to her daughter Alexandra in early November.

Pelosi had entered the chamber to prolonged cheers from fellow House members and the packed visitors' galleries, where onlookers included actor Richard Gere and singer Tony Bennett, crooner of "I Left My Heart in San Francisco."

As the roll was called to seal her election and one Democrat after another shouted out her name, Pelosi sat smiling broadly, holding one grandchild and then another.

"This is an historic moment — for the Congress, and for the women of this country. It is a moment for which we have waited more than 200 years," Pelosi said in prepared remarks. "Never losing faith, we waited through the many years of struggle to achieve our rights."

"For our daughters and granddaughters, today we have broken the marble ceiling," she said.

Pelosi began her history-making day running into anti-abortion demonstrators as she went to a prayer service with her husband, Paul, and a daughter at St. Peter's Catholic Church near the Capitol.

"You can't be Catholic and pro-abortion," read one placard. Pelosi and her entourage walked past the small group of protesters without saying anything.

Attending the service with her were Republican leaders that her party put into the minority in the November election: new Minority Leader John Boehner of Ohio and Minority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri.

Also there were new House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer of Maryland, a one-time Pelosi rival elected by House Democrats to be her No. 2 over her protests, and Democratic Party Chairman Howard Dean.

She also attended a ceremonial swearing-in of the Congressional Black Caucus, where the incoming leader of the 42-member group, Rep. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, D-Mich., made clear that they intended to have a voice in the new Congress. "She must deliver because black people delivered that we might have this majority," Kilpatrick said of Pelosi.

The House convened at midday with Democrats rejoicing over taking control of Congress after 12 years in the minority.

But the spotlight belonged to Pelosi, and she was making the most of it with a whirlwind of festivities from the lavish to the sentimental. The week was her coming-out to the nation, and she was aiming to introduce herself not just as the San Francisco liberal decried by Republicans, but also as an Italian-American Catholic, mother of five and native of gritty Baltimore, where her father was mayor.

"We look forward to the rest of the country appreciating the real San Francisco values, of diversity and a city of dreamers, " San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom said after attending a brunch in her honor. "You can only exploit the gay community so much ... They're going to see there's so much more to San Francisco."

Throughout, the symbolism of Pelosi's triumph for women was center stage.

Outside a brunch Thursday at the Library of Congress, leaders from the National Organization for Women greeted her with a giant congratulation card. The message: Way to Go!

"This is a historic moment for women everywhere," said NOW President Kim Gandy.

Thursday evening, Pelosi was being feted at a $1,000-a-head concert hosted by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee at the National Building Museum with performances expected from Carole King, Bennett, Wyclef Jean and others.

Pelosi attended Mass Wednesday at Trinity University, where she's an alumnus, and dined that night at the Italian embassy.

Friday begins with an open house event across from the Capitol. Then she heads to Baltimore, where the street where she grew up in Little Italy is being dedicated in her honor: Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi Via.

Pelosi was raised there, the daughter of New Deal Maryland congressman Thomas D'Alesandro, who later became the city's mayor. She didn't run for the House herself until 1987 after marrying wealthy businessman Paul Pelosi, moving to San Francisco and raising her children.

In Congress Pelosi displayed the tough politicking of her childhood environment. She wrung loyalties, counted votes and muscled aside Hoyer to become Democrats' second-in-command, and then Democratic leader in 2002.

Personal loyalty is key to Pelosi. She tried to block Hoyer's bid in November to become Democratic majority leader, suffering an embarrassing defeat when her preferred candidate, Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha (news, bio, voting record), lost badly.

Pelosi wins re-election by huge margins and stays true to her San Francisco constituency, voting against the Iraq war resolution and co-sponsoring legislation to end federal prohibitions against medical marijuana. Her liberalism makes some moderate Democrats leery, and she's avoided campaigning in some conservative districts.


TOPICS: Front Page News; Government; Politics/Elections; US: California
KEYWORDS: 2pac; congress; housespeaker; pelosi
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To: beckysueb

Sounds like Marion Barry and DC. Sorry to hear it.


161 posted on 01/04/2007 6:48:38 PM PST by dhs12345
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To: mhking; HitmanLV

I think - based on her personality and attitude - she's going to do poorly.


162 posted on 01/04/2007 7:25:28 PM PST by Victoria Delsoul
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To: Victoria Delsoul

Can't say I expect Ma Pelosi to do well in her new role, particularly when she has to pay back a lot of debts to supporters along the way.


163 posted on 01/04/2007 7:37:03 PM PST by HitmanLV (Rock, Rock, Rock and Rollergames! Rockin' & Rolling, Rockin' with Rollergames!)
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To: HitmanLV
And paying the plastic surgeon.


164 posted on 01/04/2007 7:52:05 PM PST by Victoria Delsoul
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To: Victoria Delsoul

LOL! Classic! :-)


165 posted on 01/04/2007 8:08:41 PM PST by HitmanLV (Rock, Rock, Rock and Rollergames! Rockin' & Rolling, Rockin' with Rollergames!)
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To: roses of sharon
"Wrong is right".

I guess this is what everyone wanted, after all. "Bring them all home". "Time for a change". "We need a new tone in DC". That is ALL I heard last year. Now..we ARE going to get ALL of those things. I just hope That God will spare this nation while it is ruled by the equivalent of "Kids straight out of college trying to run a fortune 500 company". I REALLY think that is where we are as a nation now.

166 posted on 01/04/2007 8:41:36 PM PST by Rca2000 (True believers who practice what they preach are rare nowdays.)
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To: NormsRevenge

I'm ready for my close up Mr. DeMille


167 posted on 01/04/2007 9:25:47 PM PST by o-n-money
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To: NormsRevenge

I'm ready for my close up Mr. DeMille


168 posted on 01/04/2007 9:25:56 PM PST by o-n-money
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To: fieldmarshaldj; John Semmens
Pelosi basks in historic day in Congress

As Nancy basks for the next years, feel free to add to the list.

****

Bella Pelosi…..

TaxMistress….

Old What's Her Name….

Hillary Lite.….

Nancy Soprano…..

That Crazy Frisco Broad…..

Pelosi Galore.....

The Bay City Baby Killer…..

Harpie Marxist….

The Screecher of the House….

Nancy "What Ever Happened to Baby Jane" Pelosi….

Ms. RAT….

Norma Desmond ("I'M READY FOR MY CLOSE UP, MR. DeMILLE!")….

BoTox-osi….

Nancy von Trotsky….

Countess Demo-cratula….

The Belladonna of Berkeley….

Mommy Dearest….

Ivana Taxalot….

Frau Bleucher….

Facelift Barbie….

Peloscialist….

Nancy Bellacosi…..

Nanny State Nancy….

Pelosi-Roni, the San Francisco Threat….

Nancy Tax and Spendloosely…..

and my favorite, Karla Marx….

****

Thanks to all FReepers who added to this list.

169 posted on 01/05/2007 3:27:52 AM PST by beyond the sea ( All lies and jest, still the man hears what he wants to hear and disregards the rest.)
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To: NormsRevenge
Personal loyalty is key to Pelosi.

Democrat loyalty to their friends and allies = good.

Bush family loyalty to their friend and allies = bad.

170 posted on 01/05/2007 3:37:30 AM PST by metesky ("Brethren, leave us go amongst them." Rev. Capt. Samuel Johnston Clayton - Ward Bond- The Searchers)
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To: Illinois Farmer 1

I just don't think the American people are watching. If they were, they would never have elected them to start with. With Republicans in power, they actually do things. And the media picks everything apart. There is a constant drumbeat of arguing and accusing. The people get tired of hearing it so they elect democrats, then go wash their hands and go back to what they consider life without problems. They just don't know it but they have brought about some huge problems. They just won't hear about it from the media till its too late.


171 posted on 01/05/2007 5:36:04 AM PST by beckysueb
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To: Rca2000

I absolutely agree! We need to pray hard.


172 posted on 01/05/2007 5:37:43 AM PST by beckysueb
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