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If Nancy Pelosi wants to remain House Democratic leader, there will be a game of musical chairs in the leadership: Jim Clyburn (D-SC), the Dems' whip, has indicated that he would like to stay in the leadership. Therefore, current No. 2 Steny Hoyer, who is seen as more moderate, would either have to challenge Clyburn (not ideal for the party), be relegated to a lesser position, or simply leave leadership. Under the latter scenario, the No. 3 position of caucus chairman would go to Chris Van Hollen (D-MD) or Xavier Beccarra (D-CA). In essence, Pelosi could eliminate her chief rival within the Democratic Leadership and be surrounded by dutiful surrogates.
The following case for Pelosi to remain as House leader comes after long conversations with senior Democratic aides who believe Pelosi will stay on as minority leader of the House Democratic Caucus. (Note: We'll run the case against Pelosi in a following dispatch.)
1. Pelosi is the best fundraiser for the House Democrats outside of President Obama and President Clinton. She has raised more money than any of her colleagues and built a diverse fundraising network of both large and small donors. Her efforts in collecting donations have allowed Democrats to compete in numerous conservative-leaning districts from 2006 to present day. Her fundraising network just couldn’t be passed over to Hoyer. If she leaves, the Democrats will leave a lot of money on the table.
2. Pelosi, along with Rahm Emanuel, is seen by many within the party as the mastermind behind the 2006 and 2008 election strategy that gave Democrats their largest House gains in over a decade. Many feel she could rebound in 2012 and deliver the 20-plus seats needed to retake the majority in the House after the GOP makes unpopular spending cuts such as unemployment insurance.
3. Under Pelosi, the Democrats were actually able to pass historic legislation that had eluded them for years. Pelosi had the clout to tell liberals that the public option would die in the health-care bill, and the ability to tell the pro-choice caucus not to be worried about abortion rights being stripped away in the final bill. She’s the best vote-getter the party has, and the best at bringing many diverse groups of people together. If she leaves, they splintering within the party becomes too great and hurts it going forward into 2012.
4. Many liberals and progressives do not want to compromise on their principles to appease Republicans. They see no problem in doing what the GOP did over the last two years that is being the “Party of No” out of principle. If this is the direction that liberals and progressives want to go, Pelosi is a much better leader than Hoyer. There is fear that Hoyer would be too accommodating to the GOP and to K Street influence.
5. Why should Pelosi be the only leader to fall on the sword after the disastrous results for Democrats on Tuesday? The president is not shaking up his team. Harry Reid will return to the Senate, a Senate that couldn’t pass many House bills that liberals and progressives feel could have helped their election prospects. And Pelosi has worked harder than any other Democrat leader and earned the right to leave on her own terms. In no way does she need to placate moderates by stepping down.
6. Finally, part of Pelosi wanting to stay is personal. She and many within in her caucus feel that she’s the best person at the table for House Democrats. While the media play up the need for her to leave -- as do some self-serving moderates -- eventually there is no better voice to lead an aggressive minority party that will put the GOP on the record as being against the middle class and being pro-big businesses and the wealthy.
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Oh, please, please, please let her stay as the face of the democratic party in the House! Please, please, please!
If you do, we will probably pick up another forty or fifty seats!
Pretty please?!?
That's exactly what a Republican would do, of course. They seem to be the masters of 'in your face, knave'.
Replace her if Dems want to regain seats. Liberalism power is DEAD. We the people have spoken.
You wish, Scotty! Enjoy your "day in the sun" while you can. I don't care a hoot about all the criticism against Nancy Pelosi -- she has HUGE brass ones, and anyone who isn't in the Congress to win popularity contests has my vote. The Dems have behaved way too foolishly too often recently -- they need to keep Pelosi!
Sweet! let her have it, no vote required. She screwed the Dem party so hard being the majority leader, we ( the intelligent americans with zero liberal tendencies) can't wait to see how she will screw up being the minority leader. Now, if the Reps will only wake up...if they nominate Palin or Romney in 12 they are asking to lose yet again. despite all his faults, Obama is a winner, put a loser up against a winner...the winner wins every time
In other words, I agree with you
It appears 'brass ones' don't win seats in the house either
"We the people have spoken."
Wow, scotty- that sounds SO familliar somehow....
Maybe the 'other' party can now cause so much gridlock it isn't funny, then in 2 years get rewarded for it.
(Wow, DBO- that sounds SO familliar somehow.....)
The people have spoken, they WERE NOT listened to for the past 2 yrs, take that as a hint that her style DID NOT WORK.
I am neither a Republican nor Democrat, I voted for Donnelly in the last election(pretty much tells you what part of Indiana I live in), but on the same ballot, I also voted for Republicans and Democrats, I have no party affiliation, and both the Dems and Repubs hate people like me, because I have no such loyalty to them. In 2008, I DID NOT vote for Obama, but I also DID NOT vote for McCain either, I voted Libertarian(first time I ever voted for someone other than a Rep, Dem).
Whats my point you may be asking? My point is this, I alongside a huge segment of the population of the USA, sent a clear message to the Democrats on the 2nd, which was, "we are sick of having things crammed down our throats, whether we like it or not" which is the Pelosi way. When they voted for the healthcare bill, I knew the Dems were going to lose power, considering all the polls at the time showed the majority of the US was against the bill.
If the Democrats were smart, they would not leave her in a leadership position. I want the ones who will be willing to work with the other party to be leaders, and I say that to both sides. 2 yrs is not that long, and if the partisan crap continues, you will see more new faces in DC again(which wouldn't be a bad thing either), now whether those faces are R's or D's, I have no clue, butI think the days of the elected officials ignoring the constituents and being forgiven for it, are over.
I wish there was a way I could run for the House, but unfortunately, I am unemployed and never made more than $25K a yr so far, so DC is out of my financial reach(another issue I have), so I am stuck voting for these millionaires and set people to represent me
Amen, Please leave her there and there won't be a democrat left in this country in two years except the plain ignorant ones...............please, please, please.
You only a little more than half of the people have spoken. There still is another half of the country.
Could not agree more.. I HOPE she stays-- That will assure victory in 2012
Fielden - Did you look at the HOUSE map after election day? If so, you would have noticed that it was nearly entirely RED. I think it's safe to say that the majority SPOKE last Tuesday, be they R, D, I, TP, or anything else.
Despite all the hate and a few missteps (I'm sure haters will flood the boards with quotes), she did bring together a diverse Democratic party and get results. Not always what I wanted, but she got stuff done. I think she got a bad rap, and I hope she stays on as minority leader.
You are correct, Madame Speaker got a lot done. We should definitely thank her for her service as she works tirelessly for us.
Job growth
Manufacturing growth
Investor confidence
...all of these things are happening because tough decisions were made and money needed to be spent in order to stop the hemorrhaging.
I, for one, want to leave things, for the next generation, as good or better than what was left to me. Education, infrastructure, opportunity (just to name a few) don't just happen.
It's not 1955 and our population is no longer 165M. Big population + big responsibilities = big costs.
What country you livin in? Everything in your post is wrong!
At least there was some substance to the post, unlike yours, Jed.
I wouldn't put everything on her shoulders, and again I disagreed with some of the legislation she passed. However, as I've said before, I think most of the problems with Washington are systemic. Pelosi's ability to muscle through legislation is undeniable, and I think that's a desirable trait.
You're right though, the economic situation did "turn the corner" on her watch.
Jeb...I beg to differ...
Manufacturing growth:
http://www.mdm.com/autos-exports-computers-drive-manufacturing-growth-in-october/PARAMS/article/26627
Investor confidence:
http://www.google.com/finance/historical?q=INDEXDJX:.DJI
Job growth:
http://www.csmonitor.com/Business/2010/1105/Jobs-growth-shows-some-zip-unemployment-rate-unmoved
...and I hope I don't need to provide a link on the population...
Pure BS. McCain would have had better stats if he was elected president. I would hope the Dems would
have passed something, afterall they had a super majority.
Nancy was affective. She passed the president agenda. An agenda that has gotten us back to economic growth. Conservatives are upset because they couldn't govern. Nancy and the President has brought the country back from economic depression. I love what she did...she stood up the the all male choir of the republican party.
scotty-2460766
Pure BS. McCain would have had better stats if he was elected president. I would hope the Dems would
have passed something, afterall they had a super majority.
Scotty, you're referencing a non-existent bar and you have no data to back up your assertion that "McCain would have had better......".
Hitler got a lot done too. Getting a lot done is only a plus if the stuff you get done is good stuff.
And she likely advanced the cause of Botox injections - of course, she can barely move her face, but that's the price you pay for inflating your skin and trying to look like something you definitely are not!!!
Poor old woman - can't give up the thought she might lose her private jets, big office, ill-fitting pant suits and the price of further injections to make her look SO MUCH younger. She's pathetic.
invoking Godwin's law already? There was barely any rational argument going on in this thread!
OK. First, the economic problems started with the crash of the housing bubble...a bubble that started with Clinton and his push to have loans made to folks that could not afford it. It was then exaserbated by Bush and his efforts to further push bad loans and put in any sort of reform. This put undue burden on the already frail economy that was propped up by bad investments on wall st. and some very whacked investment rules.
Therefore, both parties are to blame for this freaking mess we are in and both parties need to accept responsibility. Personally, I think all the politicians are damn near criminals out to line their own pockets and frankly most of them don't give a rats behind about the rest of us.
Pelosi is a power hungry, arrogant individual that only cares about her future, not yours or mine. Boehner is no different and just panders to the conservative right. Neither cares about doing the right thing for the right reasons, they only care about pushing their agenda.
Where is common sense when you need it? GET A CLUE, SOMETIMES THE REPUBLICANS HAVE GOOD IDEAS AND SOMETIMES THE DEMOCRATS DO. YOU DON"T ALWAYS HAVE TO SAY NO JUST BECAUSE IT COMES FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLE. DO THE RIGHT THING FOR OUR COUNTRY AND OUR CITIZENS.
While the idea of "affordable housing" and the goal that every american should own their home is nice, it is not reality. You want to buy a house, then get a good job so you can save up and buy a house. Forcing Freddie and Fannie to secure high risk loans so that the low income can buy a home is a disasterous concept.
What did people think would happen when you offer VAR loans to folks with incomes just above the poverty line?
Not only is Washington to blame, Americans themselves share in the responsibility because we too routinely live beyond our means. We live in a society where people think they must have it now without evaluating the consequences and long term impact of their decisions. All the people losing their homes now? Well, most of them were living outside their means. It is unfortunate that this is happening, but if they were a little more financially prudent, they probably would not be in this mess to begin with.
When I bought my house 6 years ago, they offered me a nice, low VAR, they told me how I could buy a house with no or little money down, etc. Completey idiotic ideas that I immediately turned down, but people sign up for it every day. Well, guess what happens a few years down the road and you payment goes up 20-30% and your income does not rise at the same rate?
I have a close friend that bought a home at the same time I did. We both work for the same company, made similar incomes, but he decided to spend over 2X more on a home than I did...sure his house was new and had all the bells/whistles while my house was 20 years but still had many nice upgrades and was in a very nice neighborhood. In the end, he lost his house because he fell for the crap just like many of these other home owners. I even tried to talk him out of it at the time but, nope, he had to have the new house in the new neighborhood with the pool. Sure, there are a few out there that did all the right stuff and still lost their home, but I suspect that is the minority, not the majority.
People here claim that the economy turned around on Pelosi's watch, well it also fell apart on her watch.
What we really need is a new breed of representatives that are there to really look out for the interests of us, the citizens and not that of the lobbyists, special interests or their own pockets.
We need some serious term limits so that long term politicians cannot build such a power base that they root themseleves in so firmly they can't be easily extracted.
We need spending limits on campaigns, perhaps a common pool of money that is equally divided between the candidates.
We need campaigns that focus on issues instead of slinging mud about their opponents.
We need candidates that hold integrity and ethics higher than their personal interests.
People like Reid, Palin, Pelosi, Bush need to fade into the background and stop their political axe grinding and efforts to remain in the spotlight. YOU HAD YOUR CHANCE AND YOU MESSED IT UP, now go away and stop trying to distract the people so we can be heard.
We need Americans to not be sheep lead around with a bell and a soundbite to make decisions. Do some research, think for yourself and not what you hack from some party tells you to think.
In short, out with the old guard and in with fresh blood and new ideals
VermontGirl, please stop talking. I'm from Vermont too and with the SN you have you are making the rest of us look like idiots. Your sources of information are laughable at best.
Javabri -
I think you're placing a bit too much of the credit/blame for the economy's performance on the government.
I think the beginning of the bubble was the deregulation allowing commercial banks to merge with investment companies, which I believe also happened on Clinton's watch (or W. Bush's). But, you can't discount investors eagerness to buy up MBSs, banks to loan money, or borrowers biting off more than they can chew. It's a boom and bust cycle, and all parties played their part.
Likewise, you and many others are placing too much emphasis on the government to turn it around. The government has only so many tools with which to stimulate the economy, and those tools can only do so much. It's one thing to believe that the Democratic leadership has steered us the wrong way. It's quite another to tie them entirely to the economy's performance.
Aero Engineer
VermontGirl, please stop talking. I'm from Vermont too and with the SN you have you are making the rest of us look like idiots. Your sources of information are laughable at best.
Okaaaaay....so much for civil discourse and discussion! If you don't agree, just call 'em stupid.
Pelosi is toast. Her in your face and flaunting Her Government Provided Jumbo Jet to ferry around her Lard Azz and her family and friends back and forth from CA to DC is typical of her attitude. He needs to be butt whipped with a 5 ft piece of Texas Rawhide and sent back to CA on a one way trip.
I would like to watch that.
The Speaker is third in line in succession. Her non-jumbo jet (equivalent of a 757) was ordered by her Security detail since it is the only government provided plane that can make the trip non-stop with her security team. It does have lots of extra space. Would you rather staff and other Congress persons ride with her or pay separately for tickets adding to the total cost. Carrying as many people as she can seems like a smart idea to me.
Substantively, I agree with the first poster. She can get it done. That is leadership. If you don't like what she gets done, you get a vote, and that is what just happened, hence she won't be flying the government plane for now at least. I expect her back after the Repubs screw it up again.
Need to do a fact check. That aircraft was ordered by Bush for his speaker (the third person in line of succession) and rarely used by Pelosi. I understand your need to hate but you need to get your facts right or you come off looking like a hateful baffoon.
Regards.
Pelosi is at least 1/2 the reason the DEMS are in the situaiton they find themselves in today..
Reid and Obama are the other 1/2-- Personally, I voted against all three.. If the Repubs had Mickey Mouse up for election, I would have voted for him rather than any one of those people.. At least Mickey Mouse would have tried to bring the country together..
Great Leaders unite-- Poor Leaders divide.. Isn't the answer obvious?
This power hungry woman is dangerous to America. She is proof that we need term limits.
Lets hope she quits !!!
Yes let her stay. Only far left wackos are fond of her. Having her silly stupid face spashed on the media will only help to get this country back to the real working people.
I think she had a BONG installed on her tax payer paid for jet and she has taken way too many hits.
What a bimbo...
". Having her silly stupid face spashed on the media will only help to get this country back to the real working people."
Awww.... c'mon, you guys- leave Palin out of this!
Have any of you listened to McConnell and Boehner lately? Talk about power hungry and non-leadership...
NP is pegged to be this extremist liberal, yet I can't think of a single issue where she is more extreme than any other liberal. Can some conservative provide a single example of where the average liberal would say "x", but Nancy Pelosi would take a much more extreme position on the same subject and say "y"? She's meant to be the devil to conservatives because of her "extreme" liberal positions, but the "extremist" part is simply an unsupported claim. They don't like her because she's effective, not because she's extreme.
Do you think that pushing a Marxist agenda in lockstep with BHO in America is not extreme?
For a 10-minute course on civics, please watch YouTube video rXTiMLSYXF0 — it will explain how things work better than any class you might have had in high school or college.
I totally agree with everything you said!
"...pushing a Marxist agenda..." is hardly an answer to the question User. How about an "issue" to support your position?
Example: "We need to pass it to find out what is in it." It is extremely leftist to think that government knows best and that the people do not need to understand what legislation means. Any ordinary liberal would be sure to describe that as an extremist point of view.
As to policy issues for the liberal establishment as a whole: it is extremely il-liberal to be condescending and prejudice about people's beliefs, education, IQ, up-bringing. Why is "diversity" wonderful, except with regard to "ideas" like personal responsibility, conservatism (outside environmentalism), independence, freedom, and "do no harm" respect for life? In all these areas, the elitists in the Democratic party are on the "extreme" side of liberalism, totally misunderstanding (and exploiting for personal gain) the real goals and roots of true liberalism.
I'm supposed to learn civics from You Tube?! Now I know what is wrong with this country...
Who ever said the media has a liberal bias??
Are these the same "many" who thought the republicans would pick up, maybe, thirty seats?
I hope she stays but part of me doesn't think it would be right to do what the Republicans did for the past two years. Playing a cold and calculated game for the sole purpose of getting back the majority, at the expense of the American public, would only make her just as bad as her Republican counterparts. We should just sit back and let the public see that the Republicans actually have nothing to offer.
Lee Rodgers, until recently the co-host of the popular Morning Show on KSFO radio (AM 560, San Francisco) frequently referred to San Francisco as the "world's largest outdoor lunatic asylum". Electing and keeping Pelosi in Congress is positive proof that he was right.
The people here in California who re-elected Nancy Pelosi must be just as nuts as she is. Her behavior in the last two years has been rather erratic, indicating she may be suffering advancing dementia, or possibly is just plain evil -- it doesn't matter, because the results of what she's been doing are about the same. It would be best for the people of her Congressional district, the people of the State of California and the rest of the nation if Pelosi would simply resign her seat and go home to tend her garden, or whatever she wants to do. Just get out of the public limelight, please!
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Pelosi has enjoyed 70%+ success at the polls in District 5 since 1988. And in most years...80%+.
So do you hate ALL successful women......just those in California.....just those in Distrct 5? Which is it?
there once was a hag that live in a shoe
in the town of dc that we call a zoo
she goes around voting on laws for you and me too
suddenly she slams down her gavel with a hoot
for she has just realized the american people have give her the boot
Once she has to give up her free military executive jet rides and go back to flying her broom back and forth between DC and SF she will resign from Congress very quickly.
Stop already Joe. This was explained to you in plain English in a post above.
The case for Pelosi to go
"The election was no ringing endorsement of Republicans," Pelosi said. "We do not accept their version of what this election means. It's not about rejecting what President Obama has done. It didn't go fast enough to create jobs. That's what it's about." (Huffington Post)
Take responsibility for putting your priorities of social change ahead of the people's economic concerns, dont make excuses that there was not enought time for policy to take root.
Pelosi haters don't like the first woman to become Speaker of the House.
Obama haters don't like the first Afro-American to become President.
Makes you wonder, doesn't it?
Thank you for setting things back 60 years Jeffrey - did you come up with this deep analysis on your own?
"Afro-American"? I heard he was African — Kenyan, to be specific: He still refuses to show his original birth certificate, so we are all left to wonder and speculate. As for Pelosi being the first woman to be Speaker of the House, who cares? I'm more concerned with what my Congressman or Congresswoman has between their ears instead of between their legs.
You have GOT to be kidding! Let's take each of these points:
1. Fundraising. Despite being heavily outspent by Democrats, Republicans had a victory not seen in more than 70 years.
2. Pelosi walked her party straight off a cliff. She sent them on a Kamikazi mission, more than undoing the gains of 2006 and 2008. She had an opportunity to keep the Democratic Party in the majority for generations and destroyed that opportunity by insisiting so many in her party walk the plank by jamming through legislation the majority of the American people opposed.
3. Yes, she passed legislation that alluded the far left for years. Problem is, the majority of America isn't far left.
4. Once again, liberals and progressives do not constitute the majority of Americans. Continuing to pursue far left policies ensure further losses in 2012. In that sense, keeping Pelosi in a leadership position is the best gift the Republicans could ask for.
5. The President has ALREADY quietly shaken up his team. Where is Rahm Emmanuel now? The Chicago mayor's race was good cover but not truly why he is now gone. While you might argue that point, how about Christina Romer? She is already history! Larry Summers? Peter Orzag? Get the point?
Go ahead Democrats. Stick with Nancy Pelosi. I dare you!
jack
i bet you were on board with her hell care legislation tactics to right?
Boooooooo Pelosi!!!!!!!! Anyone but her, she needs to go away fast. A true lockstep comunist
If this witch is the dems best hope, they are in a lot of trouble!
...funny, I thought witchcraft was the sport of the Republicans.
Nah, nancy is gonna have to trade in that private jet for a broom with a kick starter.
hopeful
spoken like a true freakin liberal. be careful what ya wish for. now go whisper in husseins ear..just sayin
Spoken like a true, "freakin" moron.
Pretty stong accusations, Jeffrey...but I guess all you libs have to faal back on is the discrimination card. As o'bama said to Mccain: You know Jeff, we won.
jeffrey
i think what most american disliked about piglosi was all the back room antics and all of the armtwisting over such issues as hell care.just my opinion
Pelosi has my vote. I hope she stays.
Pelosi has pushed on a health care bill that most americans do not want, and most likely blackmailed the democrats who were at least half listening to what the American people were saying. (as you may recall there were a few of the democrats who were not completely on board with the health care bill) Excuse the Republicans for actually listening to what the American people wanted and saying NO because that is not what the majority of America wanted and the democrats do not want to negotiate. (as shown with the health care bill that is far from anything good for this country). But as usual the democrats are trying to blame the republicans for it all. even though they had the majority and could push through almost anything they wanted anyways.
hopeful,
did you whisper in your hero husseins ear yet??
you care,
figures!!!!!!!