Posted on 05/08/2003 11:38:16 AM PDT by lilylangtree
Republicans were giddy when Democrats elected Nancy Pelosi the minority leader in the U.S. House of Representatives. They predicted the "San Francisco liberal" would take her party down to new levels of public rejection.
But the first woman to serve as her party's leader in either chamber of Congress may prove to be a stronger force than Republicans reckoned.
Called a "powerball" by Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, a Democratic colleague from Texas, Pelosi has moved quickly to unify her party in Congress and now is working to shepherd members behind a post-Iraqi war domestic agenda.
While not averse to risk, Pelosi appears smart enough to know when and where to pick her fights.
She recently ventured into President Bush's home state to speak at the Greater Dallas Chamber's Distinguished Women Leaders Lecture Series. Her appearance on hostile turf was enough to prompt a woman lawyer to comment, "In some ways, you're very brave."
To be sure, Pelosi understood where she was and tempered her remarks. She mostly avoided partisan comments during the speech.
But in a meeting later with local media, she expressed her fear that billions of dollars will be diverted from domestic needs to rebuilding Iraq: "How can we be committing hundreds of billions of dollars to education and health care, etc., in Iraq, when we have those very needs in our country and our very own states?"
An opponent of the war, Pelosi said that once the nation was committed, "I supported it like everyone else." Now, she says, Congress needs to turn its attention to domestic matters and to "winning the peace," which means making the country safer against terrorism.
Pelosi has been building support among Democrats for a four-point domestic agenda that includes an economic growth package, health care without privatization, education funding and continued attention to national security.
She sees her responsibility as working "in a bipartisan way to find common ground. When we can't, we have to stand our ground and fight for what we believe in as Democrats."
It is clear that Democrats aren't going to lie down and play dead on her watch. In the postwar era, they are expected to be much less reluctant to criticize the president.
Last week, Pelosi had a closed-door meeting to brief House Democrats on a strategy designed to sharpen criticism of the president's handling of the economy, his proposed tax cuts and health care policies.
"You will see us lay out a case against the president's economic policy and how it has failed," she has said. "The more he insists on these tax cuts, the more disconnect there is between him and the American people."
Pelosi took over as party leader in January after Dick Gephardt stepped down to devote more time to his campaign for the presidential nomination. During the brief leadership fight, she was lambasted for being a liberal.
Now, Democrats commend her for bringing together the diverse party elements in Congres. Even conservative Democrats who opposed her election say she has moved to the center.
Peolsi comes by her political skills naturally--and from hard work. The daughter of a legendary Baltimore mayor, she began working in politics as a child. She moved to northern California with her investment banker husband and raised five children.
In the 1970s, Pelosi was active in state and national party politics. She served four years as California state party chair and was chairman of the host committee for the Democratic National Convention in 1984. In 1987, at the age of 47, she won her first seat in Congress.
Today, she is only 12 votes away from being speaker of the House. And after a lackluster performance by Democrats in last year's midterm elections, she is looking ahead to 2004.
Many Democrats were disappointed that their 2002 candidates didn't run on a national message, she said. Under her guidance, the party won't repeat that mistake.
"Never again will we go into an election when the public doesn't know where Democrats stand," she said.
Yeah Pube Puce Pelosi, a recent example is Byrd's and Waxman's hypocritical criticisms.
"The more he insists on these tax custs, the more disconnect there is between him and the American people."
Pelosi's statement just reinforces my belief that the Democrats are the ones far removed from the average American. Also, sounds like her 4-point plan is an imitation of the House Repubs early 90's Contract With America.
Today, she is only 12 votes away from being speaker of the House. And after a lackluster performance by Democrats in last year's midterm elections, she is looking ahead to 2004.
Many Democrats were disappointed that their 2002 candidates didn't run on a national message, she said. Under her guidance, the party won't repeat that mistake.
"Never again will we go into an election when the public doesn't know where Democrats stand," she said.
Which means that after 2004, she's going to be only 25 votes away from being Speaker of the House.
SWEET!!!
The more the Democrats get their message out, the more repulsed people will be!
I'll refrain from any comments about what she is qualified to wipe.
Her appearance on hostile turf was enough to prompt a woman lawyer to comment, "In some ways, you're very brave."
Wow, in some ways!?! What a stunning endorsement! Not!
[Initially] an opponent of the war, Pelosi said that once the nation was committed, "I supported it like everyone else."
Yeah, she had to take a Clintonian poll to decide where she stood on the war.
sure takes a lot of leadership skills to order someone to vote a certain way or be stripped of re-election funds that you could never earn on your own!!
Now, Democrats commend her for bringing together the diverse party elements in Congres. Even conservative Democrats who opposed her election say she has moved to the center.Typical, muddling, presstitute puffery.
If only that were true.
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