Posts Tagged: Pelosi


1
Oct 10

Pelosi defiant on keeping the House

(Washington) CNN – At a session with journalists on Friday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made it clear she’s not interested in talking about losing the House of Representatives in the upcoming midterm elections. She was defiant, and would not hear of the possibility of a GOP wave.

“I would rather be where we are than where they are,” Pelosi said.

And what about the conventional wisdom that the Democratic base will stay at home because it is disappointed in Obama?

“I am the base,” she said, recalling her days as chair of the California Democratic party, making the point that Democratic candidates “will own the ground on our races.”

Translation: Democrats will turn out to vote.

In a way, it’s not surprising that the House Speaker refuses to allow that she might not have her job back next year. But it’s also in character: she’s a focused, determined, pragmatic politician with one job at hand; to keep the House in democratic control. To do that, she’s given her Democrats leeway to do what they must-vote against Democratic proposals and even distance themselves from her personally.

When I asked her about Rep. Walt Minnick of Idaho, who told CNN that he hasn’t yet decided if he would back Pelosi as speaker, her response was instantaneous.

“Go for it,” she said. “Just win your election. I just want them to win. It’s their election. It’s not about me.”

Pelosi was predictable in her talking points: “This is a choice election, and the choice is between going back to George W. Bush or moving the country forward.”

She repeatedly told reporters she was “proud” of this Congress’ achievements, including health care, a small jobs bill and financial reform, to name a few. Why didn’t she call for a vote on tax cuts? While some doubt that she had the votes (with the defections of moderate Democrats), she said she did. Her reason for pulling the measure now? “Do I give them (the GOP) an opportunity to misrepresent again?” she asked rhetorically. “No. I will not give them grist for the mill.”

What she will do throughout the campaign is continue to try and tie the GOP to special interests-either the insurance industry, for instance, or the industries that are funding their ad campaigns.

“We need to “tattoo the Republican candidates with the source of that money and that record,” she said. “It gives new meaning to the term ‘Buy America.’”

In the end, though, after a discussion about why people have turned on government-which she says is nothing new-even Pelosi had to admit that the elephant in the room is 9.5 percent unemployment. “Any political party that can’t exploit 9.5 percent unemployment ought to hang up their gloves,” she said.

Clearly, though, she’s not willing to hang up hers yet.


CNN Political Ticker


30
Sep 10

Insiders Find Pelosi And Palin Lacking Compared To Other Surrogates

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) may have guided Democrats to their majority in the House of Representatives, but according the latest National Journal Congressional Insiders Poll, many of her colleagues are not looking to her to help them win their own races this year.

This week, 35 Democratic Members of Congress responded to the poll. They were asked whom they would like to have campaign for them in the fall and given a list of 6 options: Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Pelosi and “none of the above.” Told they could pick as many surrogates as they wanted, former President Clinton was picked by 83% of the Democratic Members, followed by Biden, Obama and the First Lady with 72%. Only 39% of those who responded to the poll had Pelosi on their list of surrogates. Another 11% chose the none-of-the-above option.

The popularity of Clinton shows the respect that Democrats have for his political talents, but it’s ironic that he’s once again so popular in his party. Just a few years ago, the former president was derided by many Democrats who felt that his criticism of then Sen. Barack Obama when he was running against then Sen. Hillary Clinton for the ’08 Democratic presidential nomination was over the top and tone deaf to the realities in the party.

Hotline On Call


30
Sep 10

Pelosi Predicts Obama Will End Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Through Executive Order This Year

To be sure, there is still a very small chance that the lame duck Senate will pass the National Defense Authorization Act before the end of the year, conference it with the House, and then send it to President Obama for his signature. But after the Senate successfully filibustered the measure last week and the three new Senators who could be sworn in after Nov. 2 have not exactly committed to voting for the measure, the chances of ending the ban legislatively are infinitesimal. Alternatively, Obama could sign an executive order or fail to appeal the recent federal district court decision that found the policy unconstitutional — both of which he is not inclined to do.

Yesterday, speaking at a Victory Fund event, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) pressured Obama to end the policy before the end of the year, hinting that he should sign an executive order ending discharges. From Washington Blade’s Chris Johnson:

Asked by a reporter whether she’s spoken with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) about the Senate taking another shot at “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Pelosi replied, “That will be gone by executive — that will happen with or without Congress.” “I don’t think it has to depend on whether it passes the Senate,” she continued. “The process will work its way through and the president will make his pronouncement.” […]

Asked whether she would call on Obama to issue an order to end “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” Pelosi replied, “That is the unfolding that we will see.”

“I’m very pleased with the course that the president’s on, but I think that they we shouldn’t be discharging people until that happens — so that, we have a little separation of — in terms of policy on that,” Pelosi said.

Since the filibuster, Democrats have been exploring alternative ways the administration can act to gradually end the policy before the end of the year, with 69 House Democrats urging the Department of Justice not to appeal the court ruling. Yesterday, the Advocate’s Karry Eleveld reported that a “similar Senate letter originating from senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Mark Udall now claims 11 members and counting, according to those familiar with the effort.”

In a Rolling Stone interview published on Tuesday, however, Obama seemed to close the door to alternative routes to ending the policy, insisting that he would pursue an “orderly” repeal. Whether or not he’ll be more willing to act after the Pentagon’s Working Group releases his study in December, remains to be seen.

Wonk Room


29
Sep 10

Idaho Democrat latest to waver on support for Pelosi

(CNN) – Freshman Rep. Walt Minnick of Idaho is the latest House Democrat to distance himself from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, saying he hasn’t decided if he would back Pelosi again for speaker.

“I’m going to have to see who’s running,” Minnick responded when asked whether he supports Pelosi.

But Minnick also seemed to send a signal he will consider a change in the leadership lineup even if Democrats retain the majority but lose House seats, saying ” when a party loses seats, that leads to leadership changes.”

Minnick pointed to recent political history: “There’s a precedent for leaders if they lose seats to assess whether they want to continue or not,” he said, “and I will end up voting for whomever I think represents my views and interests of my district.”

He won Idaho’s 1st district by less than 5,000 votes in 2008 with 51% of the vote. Although the district has been historically conservative, the Cook and Rothenberg Political Reports currently rank the race as “lean Democrat.”


CNN Political Ticker


29
Sep 10

47 Democrats revolt over Pelosi, Obama stance on tax hikes

Breaking rank.


Both Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama insist that they will not move to extend the current tax rates on upper-income Americans, creating by default a tax hike on those with capital and means to invest — and not just the wealthy, either.  While both Democrats attempt to paint Republicans objecting to massive tax hikes as […]

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Hot Air » Top Picks


28
Sep 10

Pelosi Knows the Tea Party Has Its ‘Most Effective Weapon’ Aimed At Her

Glen Templeton ”God Bless Good Old Boys”

Harvard Professor V.O. Key, Jr stated in his seminal work, “The Responsible Electorate”: “The most effective weapon of popular control in a democratic system is the capacity to throw a party from power.”    That weapon is aimed at San Francisco liberal Nancy Pelosi and her cohorts who hijacked the peoples’ House.

There has been much said about the Tea Party blaming its views on right wing talk show hosts and political pundits.  Many believe the Tea Party was formed by a Democratic Party and Administrations false conclusion that their success in the 2008 election was a vindication of their beliefs, the swing of the electorate response to the campaign positions taken, an indication of the intuitive mood of the people and, finally, as the respect it represents by an intelligent electorate.

Key concluded:  “This narcissistic approach assumes it’s most repulsive form among election winners who have championed intolerance, who have stirred the passions and hatreds of people, or who have advocated causes known by decent men to be outrageous or dangerous in their long run circumstances.”  The great Presidential scholar Richard Neustadt called it the pivotal nature of character to Presidential performance and James Barber of Duke University enhanced it with his classic book “Presidential Character”.  They both concluded that it was character more than policy that determines Presidential performance.

It was the Soros, Pelosi, Obama, Reid et al (“SPORE”) intolerance for any participation in government by anyone who did not agree with them, their intimidation and manipulation of their own party members and their support for solutions that spent money as if it was endless that created the Tea Party movement.  Who can forget Pelosi’s response to what was in the Health Reform Legislation when she stated America could read it after they passed it!  More recently, Congressman Issa responded to their refusal to deal with federal taxes saying: “If Congressional Democrats refuse to put the interests of the American people ahead of politics, they should just resign, because this whole thing is disgraceful.”  SPORE just doesn’t get “America”!

SPORE continues to regard voters as erratic, irrational, and susceptible to manipulation. . .  . nothing more than manageable fools.  Their method has been to project images and cultivate styles to the neglect of substance.  Once again, the electorate has shown it is no fool.  The Tea Party demonstrates that it is an electorate moved by concern about central and relevant questions of public polity, government performance, executive personality and character.  They approve or disapprove of the performance of government.

Democracy in many respects is based on the “wisdom of crowds”.  James Surowiecki argued that the aggregation of information in groups results in decisions that are often better than could have been made by any single member of the group.  Such crowds reach their highest function when they (1) keep their ties loose, (2) keep themselves exposed to as many diverse sources of information as possible, and (3) form groups that range across hierarchies.  The Tea Party fits these parameters perfectly as recognized by Bill Clinton when he said he thought the dialogue was good for the Country. (Bill Clinton Compares OKC Bombing to Tea Party Movement April 17, 2010)

SPORE is afraid of the American people.  Their fear of Democracy is demonstrated when they equate the crowd mentality with that of a mob and generate fear and distrust among the electorate as a primary and reflexive defense.  However, it is the strength of the Tea Party organization to Surowiecki’s three fundamentals that has allowed it to survive and endure.  In fact, it is a strange paradox that the more distrust and fear are expressed by SPORE and their minions; the more the Tea Party phenomenon is embraced – recently attracting life long Democrats to join.

In order to “get America” you have to understand America is about freedom, justice and equality and the opportunities the combination creates.   It is the opportunity to pursue happiness that is the promise of our civilization.  Moreover, it is the recognition that rich or poor, educated and unlearned, religious and non are all working toward happiness and a better place to live.

Like the 1960’s folk song movement, today’s country western “gets America”.  Recently I heard a song called “God Bless Good Ole Boys” by a new Nashville talent, Glen Templeton.  It is attached for your consideration and you can click on his name under the picture above to hear it.  You can also visit his website at http://www.glentempleton.com/  The tea party should make it their theme.


Big Government


28
Sep 10

Pelosi vows: I’ll still be Speaker five weeks from now

Guaranteeing victory?


A safe bet. In fact, I’ll go a step further and bet that she’ll be Speaker for several weeks after that too. And then the new Congress will be seated in January and she’ll hand the gavel to Boehner, and that’ll be that. Pelosi, the top Democrat in the House, whose job as speaker makes […]

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Hot Air » Top Picks


27
Sep 10

Conservative Democrats Want Ike Skelton (MO-D) to Replace Speaker Nancy Pelosi

Trouble in Paradise for Pelosi and Democrats …

According to an article by The Hill, US Representative Gene Taylor would like to see Democrat Ike Skelton of Missouri replace Nancy Pelosi as Speaker next year. Many conservative Democrats, if there is a such thing anymore in the Democrat party, would like to see a similar change occur as a move away from the far left leaning Nancy Pelosi. However, the American voters have a change in mind of their own, a switch from Democrat Speaker Pelosi to the Republicans after they take over the US House of Representatives in this years 2010 midterm election.

It was not too long ago following the 2008 elections that Democrats had an overwhelming majority in the House. Since then it has been a disaster as once presented with this majority, they went against the will of the people. Even within their own ranks, there are rumblings.  Now they are faced with a midterm election where they could lose seats of epic and historic proportion.

Nancy Pelosi, too liberal for Democrats

Taylor told The Hill that he’d like to see Skelton, a Missouri Democrat and chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) if Democrats retain a slimmer hold on the House after the November elections.

Taylor’s suggestion reflects a broader sentiment among conservative Democrats that Pelosi is too liberal and indicates she may not win unanimous support from the caucus in 2011, as she did in 2007 and 2009. A number of House Democrats in tight re-election battles, including Reps. Bobby Bright (Ala.), Walt Minnick (Idaho), and Chet Edwards (Texas), have not committed to voting for Pelosi as Speaker.

“My ideal candidate for Speaker would be Ike Skelton,” Taylor said in an interview.

Interesting enough, was Nancy Pelosi too liberal when House Democrats unanimously voted her Speaker? What did conservative Democrats think they were going to get from a San Francisco, CA liberal? However, Pelosi, Reid and Obama have become the symbol of the Far Left wing of the Democrat party and the reason why do many Dems in the upcoming election are trying to distance them selves from them and Democrat party affiliation.

Presently in the RCP average polling of the Generic Congressional Ballot, the GOP has a 4.3% lead, including a 10% point lead for Republicans in Rasmussen and a 9% lead in a CNN/Opinion Research poll. The American voters appear to have an idea of what party they want the next Speaker of the House to come from and its is not a Donkey.

One thing to look forward to following the 2010 elections is how many conservative Democrats might switch party affiliation to Republican.

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Scared Monkeys


25
Sep 10

Allen West, Race Traitor, Welcomes Nancy Pelosi To The Jungle

The Congressional Black Caucus and Nancy Pelosi will be trooping to Florida to Allen West’s back yard to campaign for West’s opponent. You know, the jerks who released Allen’s social security number. In other words, evil Democrats.

Well, West welcomes these goofballs to his Jungle. And it is his jungle.

From the always awesome Shark Tank:

Liberty Pundits Blog


25
Sep 10

Allen West, Race Traitor, Welcomes Nancy Pelosi To The Jungle

The Congressional Black Caucus and Nancy Pelosi will be trooping to Florida to Allen West’s back yard to campaign for West’s opponent. You know, the jerks who released Allen’s social security number. In other words, evil Democrats.

Well, West welcomes these goofballs to his Jungle. And it is his jungle.

From the always awesome Shark Tank:

Liberty Pundits Blog