Pelosi Labeled Pragmatic, Inclusive (AP Alert)

AP via NYTimes.com ^ | 11/09/2002

[GeneD]

Filed at 5:46 p.m. ET

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Rep. Nancy Pelosi will try to unify fellow House Democrats with an inclusive style and a willingness to confront Republicans on the issues, her supporters say. Opponents say the party needs a new and more moderate generation of leadership.

Pelosi, 62, from San Francisco, is on the brink of becoming the first woman to serve as a leader of either party in the House or Senate, provided she prevails over a late and decidedly long-shot challenge from Rep. Harold Ford of Tennessee.

She is trying to move up from Democratic whip, the No. 2 job, to minority leader of the GOP-led House, replacing Rep. Dick Gephardt, D-Mo., when Democrats elect their new leaders late this week.

A close Pelosi ally, Rep. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., described her colleague as ``first and foremost, pragmatic. Ideologically, is she a liberal? Yes. But she will cast her vote and doesn't try to change someone's mind on those kinds of votes. She is someone who knows how to build, knows how to lead.''

The liberal label, which Pelosi welcomes, has been used by her Democratic opponents and Republicans to suggest she will be unable to win over moderate, independent voters.

Ford, 32, brought forward several supporters Saturday and declared, ``I'm in this race to win,'' even though Pelosi released a list of more than 100 Democrats supporting her a day earlier, enough to seal victory if they all hold.

``It's rare that you get an opportunity, I think, to fashion a new direction for the party,'' said Ford, a three-term moderate who says Pelosi is too far to the left. As for why a member without leadership experience might be qualified to serve as Democratic leader, he said: ``We've allowed those who paid their dues to run the party for a long time and we're still in the minority.''

He would not say how many Democrats are behind him or whether he has won over any on Pelosi's list. Reps. John Tanner of Tennessee, a founder of the Blue Dog coalition of conservative Democrats; Brad Carson of Oklahoma; and William Lacy Clay of Missouri pledged their support to Ford.

Before he dropped out of the race Friday, Rep. Martin Frost, D-Texas, said Pelosi's effectiveness would be limited because her politics are too liberal.

There is no doubt where she stands. Pelosi represents a liberal congressional district, taking in most of San Francisco. Her votes against the resolution authorizing the use of force in Iraq and in support of such domestic initiatives as needle exchange programs for AIDS sufferers reflect her constituency.

Pelosi, who dealt with the same issue when she became Democrats' chief vote-counter in February, addressed the criticism. ``I don't think they chose me as an outspoken San Francisco liberal,'' she said. ``I think they chose me as a person who can lead the caucus to victory.''

By all accounts, Pelosi has run a collegial whip operation, recruiting Democrats from across the spectrum to sway rank-and-file lawmakers and round up votes on behalf of the party.

That quality will be tested in trying to unify fractious Democrats to confront Republicans on economic issues, where she says the party will make its stand.

Pelosi was 47 before she won her first election, after raising five children with her businessman husband, Paul. But she has been involved in politics all her life. Her father was a New Deal congressman from Maryland and later the mayor of Baltimore. Her brother also served as Baltimore's mayor.

Pelosi was hand-picked to run for Congress by the dying Rep. Sala Burton, whose seat Pelosi won in a special election in 1987, and she's never lost an election.

Pelosi offers congressional Democrats the most charismatic leader they have had in recent times, said Rep. Bob Matsui, D-Calif.

Democrats will need to pick up about a dozen seats in the 2004 elections to gain control.

[demlosers]

Pragmatic? Thats a laugh!

[billorites]

She's got a wattle.

[RAT Patrol]

While I think she will be a divisive leader and therefore good for our side, the thought of her with more power scares me. I hope Ford wins.

[Cicero]

Yada, yada, yada.

[Arkinsaw]

I think American's are going to get pretty tired of seeing her on their television every night. Americans know a fake hissing smile when they see one and boy does this one have it.

That they did not select Ford is indicative of their blindness over their problem and all good for us. Ford would have been a monster to deal with.

[syriacus]

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi California [among Herod's Heroes]

Congresswoman
Nancy Pelosi
California

This series, appropriately titled "Herod's Heroes," is intended to separate the wheat from the chaff by revealing those men and women, for whom the citizens have voted, and who are not upholding the ideals God expects of His children. We cannot condone sin, and they are promoting the most vile of sin by being accomplices to the slaughter of millions of innocents in the womb. That is why, like the Judean king of Christ's time, who, out of political expediency and jealousy, tried to eliminate the Messiah by killing the first-born of every family, so also they are helping satan in killing God's precious ones sacrificed at the altar of the convenience of modern life. These "Herod's Heroes" are under the totally false misconception that a woman has the right to do with her body as she wants.

[article continues]

[habs4ever]

She is the very model of a pragmatic and inclusive San Francisco liberal Democrat.Inclusive of Greens, radicals,anarchists, feminists, trial lawyers, unions goons, Ralph Neas, poverty pimps, race baiters, and Robert Fisk.

[Britton J Wingfield]

I hope she wins, and the dems tack hard left. I want their bile on the surface, for all to see.

[Arthur Wildfire! March]

I've seen Pelosi on the House floor. IMHO, she carries herself well. She speaks well. She can be persuasive. However, San Fransisco liberalism is wa....ay the heck to the left.

[lelio]

I hope she wins too. I'm almost about to say that FReepers should just be quiet on her so that she'll get elected and then the democrats will crash and burn. No need to warn the enemy that they're going to feed on themselves! :)

[John Lenin]

Naw, the more we dislike her the more they will vote to elect her.

[lelio]

Okay, but we need to cloak the "She'll be the death of the Democratic Party" with "Oh woe is us, we can't stand up to the forces of the Left! Look at all the fine work she did in San Francisco!"

[ChiMark]

Ya know they don't get it. It appears that the consensus about liberals is that they were too close to the Republican agenda./Note that the media said it is a historic moment for the first woman .... I don't care if is a frog. The media refuses to tell the historical trend set by the Republican sweep. The Bush mandate.

[KeyBored]

"The liberal label, which Pelosi welcomes . . ."

This has to be historic - the Associated Press referring to a democrat as a liberal.

To the AP (and most of the lamestream media) the Congress is made up of two groups -
1. Centrists/Moderates (Ted Kennedy and everyone to his left), and,
2. "THE RIGHT/radical right" (consisting of everyone else).

Whoda thunk it - the election actually caused them to revise (slightly) their terminology.

[Congressman Billybob]

There is more truth about Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi in two paragraphs in my latest column, than in this entire article on AP via the New York Times. They make no mention of her political background as the brother of one and daughter of another highly corrupt Mayor of Baltimore.

I lived in Baltimore when the D'Alesandro machine controlled the City, and could and did get one rape charge and several corruption charges dismissed without hearing, against the younger Tommy D'Alesandro. Click below for more information. (It's near the end of the article.)

No matter what labels the lamestream media tries to attach to her, Pelosi is a hard-ball, Democrats-uber-alles person, in addition to being a hard lefty.

Congressman Billybob

"This Just In: Bush Defeats Clinton"

[KeyBored]

Actually, this may be an attempt to rehabilitate the word "liberal".

Remember, it was Bush I that (successfully) painted Dukakis with the "liberal" label in '88 - which Dukakis promply ran away from.

The word hasn't been used much since - till now.

Interesting.

[Seruzawa]

Is this really politics any more? Or is it just a real life re-enactment of the "Night of the Living Dead"? Watch as the demoncraps eat each other's livers! Thrill to their body parts rotting and falling off.

The only problem is that shooting these zombies in the head would have no effect.

[Mark]

Here is American politics and Businesses

------------------------------------------

DEMOCRAT:

You have two cows.

Your neighbor has none.

You feel guilty for being successful.

You vote people into office that put a tax on your cows, forcing you to sell one to raise money to pay the tax. The people you voted for then take the tax money, buy a cow and give it to your neighbor. You feel righteous. Barbara Streisand sings for you.

SOCIALIST:

You have two cows.

The government takes one and gives it to your neighbor.

You form a cooperative to tell him how to manage his cow.

REPUBLICAN:

You have two cows.

Your neighbor has none.

So?

COMMUNIST:

You have two cows.

The government seizes both and provides you with milk.

You wait in line for hours to get it.

It is expensive and sour.

CAPITALISM, AMERICAN STYLE:

You have two cows.

You sell one, buy a bull, and build a herd of cows.

DEMOCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE:

You have two cows.

The government taxes you to the point you have to sell both to support a man in a foreign country who has only one cow, which was a gift from your government.

BUREAUCRACY, AMERICAN STYLE:

You have two cows.

The government takes them both, shoots one, milks the other, pays you for the milk, and then pours the milk down the drain.

AMERICAN CORPORATION:

You have two cows.

You sell one, lease it back to yourself and do an IPO on the 2nd one. You force the 2 cows to produce the milk of four cows. You are surprised when one cow drops dead. You spin an announcement to the analysts stating you have downsized and are reducing expenses. Your stock goes up.

FRENCH CORPORATION:

You have two cows.

You go on strike because you want three cows.

You go to lunch.

Life is good.

JAPANESE CORPORATION:

You have two cows.

You redesign them so they are one-tenth the size of an ordinary cow and produce twenty times the milk. They learn to travel on unbelievably crowded trains. Most are at the top of their class at cow school.

GERMAN CORPORATION:

You have two cows.

You engineer them so they are all blond, drink lots of beer, give excellent quality milk, and run a hundred miles an hour.

Unfortunately they also demand 13 weeks of vacation per year.

ITALIAN CORPORATION:

You have two cows but you don't know where they are.

While ambling around, you see a beautiful woman.

You break for lunch. Life is good.

RUSSIAN CORPORATION:

You have two cows.

You count them and learn you have five cows.

You have some more vodka.

You count them again and learn you have 42 cows.

You count them again and learn you have 12 cows.

You stop counting cows and open another bottle of vodka.

You produce your 10th, 5-year plan in the last 3 months.

The Mafia shows up and takes over however many cows you really have.

TALIBAN CORPORATION:

You have all the cows in Afghanistan, which are two.

You don't milk them because you cannot touch any creature's private parts. So you give them to your neighbor (the cows are implanted with bombs) You blow them up-your neighbor is dead and you starve to death.

POLISH CORPORATION:

You have two bulls.

Employees are regularly maimed and killed attempting to milk them.

FLORIDA CORPORATION:

You have a black cow and a brown cow.

Everyone votes for the best looking one.

Some of the people who like the brown one best, vote for the black one. Some people vote for both. Some people vote for neither. Some people can't figure out how to vote at all. Finally, a bunch of guys from out-of-state tell you which is the best-looking one.

NEW YORK CORPORATION:

You have fifteen million cows.

You have to choose which one will be the leader of the herd, so you pick some fat cow from Arkansas.

[shadowman99]

Actually, this may be an attempt to rehabilitate the word "liberal".

Bingo. In fact, I bet you they eventually try to romanticize the word. At the same time, the press will make "conservative" so dirty that we will be forced to embrace the "moderate" label to survive.