…we will have Nancy Pelosi to kick around some more.
Comments
It appears that… — 23 Comments
If, of course, her caucus votes to keep her as their leader.
May not be such a bad thing. Surely, Boehner and company will enjoy kicking her around; and be less likely to give an inch.
Frankly, I will be surprised if she does not retire within a year or so. Flying commercial between Washington and California is no fun–believe me. Driving your own car in DC traffic can be nightmarish. We will see.
I don’t for a minute believe Obama’s post election talk about “compromise” and “cooperation,” so it is not as if having Pelosi as minority leader is going to block what might have been more centrist compromise legislation. As it is, the fictive “Blue Dogs” have been more than decimated; and the remaining Democrats (who survived in safe seats) are further Left than the few remaining Dogs and, thus, are likely to back far Left Pelosi.
Such polarization, while not moving compromise legislation forward–supposing that such legislation was ever going to be proposed or to move forward, which I doubt–will at least give voters from here on in until the 2012 elections a stark contrast between Democrats and Republicans, between Left and Right; but expect Democrats to scream “obstructionists” with every breath they take when Republicans–at least those who care about our country and/or want to get reelected–refuse to vote for more Democratic proposed spending, and government expansion and intrusion into our lives.
I can see – it’s tough, but still can see it – Pelosi, Obama, and Reid insisting right up to the election that it’s the economy and not their deeds and policies, but after such losses in the House Pelosi is still putting up this same face. It really is delusional.
They can pretend, but look at the tone and content of the questions at Obama’s press conference on Nov 3rd. These questions can’t all be coming from Fox news people. There’s a new level of skepticism about this president and his policies.
1. Especially if Obama continues to stumble, the Democrats may find that Pelosi’s “prodigious fundraising” will be less prodigious now that the ‘forty years of Democrat rule’ have ended in two.
2. OT: Speaking of kicking people around, I have wondered why the Architect of the Permanent Republican Majority wasn’t made persona non grata on the Right after 2006/8, like Richard Darman was after 1996. In consequence of that forbearance, Karl Rove’s hit job on O’Donnell may well have caused her to lose.
I can’t wait to see Pelosi’s silly grin…the one that reveals that she’s in some other universe that isn’t real…when the TV cameras pan the AUDIENCE at the State of the Union address.
Or…maybe we’ll see one of those snarky looks Sen. Hillary used to have on her face when Bush was giving his SOTU addresses.
Hard to tell which look her botox will allow.
The three stooges are still around. Really, their faces don’t help the whole leftist bag of causes and 2012 may just be the year voters finish bizness.
That’s great. Hope they keep her.
With apologizes to NV and CA, having those two for comic relief for the next few years is almost worth it. While they are part of the intellectual farce of the Dems, our job should be easier.
GS, Karl Rove has been one of the big disappointments for me during this election season.
I know he is an insider, professional establishment pol, but I expected better. When he, and others, completely dismiss candidates chosen by the people in fair, and open, primaries, they are insulting the voters. When they in a very public way write legitimate GOP candidates off before a vote has even been cast, it is the equivalent of treason to the party. Rove is even worse than the Lindsey Graham, Trent Lott types; and that is really bad in my opinion. At least they have personally entered the arena at one time. I respected Rove; so sad. I am tempted to erase his book from my Kindle, but my wife say no–and, of course, I take orders.
The Republicans must be tickled pink! This is Christmas come early and will last for the next 2 years… at least!
Oldflyer, I completely agree. Now, is Gingrich a pol or has he reformed? He did convert to Catholicism a year ago. He did come out strong and unequivocal against Islam. That alone shows character.
It’s very nice to watch Rove hold his own against the pundits. And it would be SO nice to watch Gingrich debate Obama. But someone (gs I think) stated a truism we best observe: character before brains. And the egoistic hyper brains like Rove don’t have the former.
But Speaker Pelosi has such a list of accomplishments. $5 trillion in new debt since taking over as Speaker. Porkulus, the Omnibus Spending Bill, Waxman/Markey (Cap and Tax), Healthcare Reform, and her maniacal pronouncement about passing the bill to learn what is in it.
All I can say is, “Heckuva job, Nancy!”
That she has no regrets and would do nothing differently is prima facie evidence that the botox has seeped into her brain. With an 11% approval rating, how much lower can she go? It looks like we are about to find out. Meh.
I really can not fathom the idea of Pelosi keeping an Democrat *elected* position. Really – not at all.
Who in thier right mind keeps here there? I can kinda sorta see her constituents – after all look at her area and her politics and we see her as being a perfect fit – but the Democrats party leader?
Ok, so what has she done? She either didn’t go far enough left and forced one of the largest defeats in history, didn’t go far enough right and forced one one of the largest defeats in history, was so blind to the upcoming one of the largest defeats in history that she let it happen, or really, no matter how you look at it, presided over one the largest defeats in history.
Really, there isn’t much else to see here. If you are a Democrat in *any* way you should be shunning her. She orchestrated (depending on how you rate them) at worst one of the top five biggest defeats in US history and arguable the single worst election term for *any* party in history. Yea, pick her to keep on keeping on.
I guess I’m not going to really complain much more than this – but the dems I know are ranting about the blue dogs. Nope, look at your leaders – if they had at least stuck to a leftist agenda the republicans would have a Pyrrhic victory, as is they can probably defang most of the damage and still keep the people good will. As is you got nothing other than years of dislike to over come.
Indeed, I think the failure of the Democrats has only begun – the persuasiveness of “Trust me, it will work out” that got the health care reform bill passed is no more and the idea of “Democrats are for the little people” got squashed based on where bailout/stimulus money got spent.
Without those two things the dems are dead in the water – their only hope (and sadly it isn’t an unrealistic one) is that the republicans do so bad that voters are forced to find a new two or more party system or stage a real revolt. Without those two ideas being unquestioned (and this election *heavily* questioned them) they have *nothing* to stand on as they are more beholden to those entities they rail against (in rhetoric only) than the republicans.
The emperor has no clothes and it is rough when people figure it out. If they knew they were in that position and would work based on it they could win, but alas they are a product of their own educational system.
There is no common ground for compromiss: values and perspectives of TP and Leftist core of today Democrats are diametrically opposite. Now politics is a zero sum game, each side looking for total political destruction of its opponents. Pelosi without gavel is more usefull for Reps as a scarecrow than to Dems as a leader.
Pelosi represents a certain type of SF thinking: forget about bad schools, unfunded pensions, defying federal immigration laws, and businesses leaving the state. Instead concentrate on legalizing drugs and banning Happy Meals. Pelosi, go home where you belong.
There are a lot of good reasons why a parliamentary system would be a bad idea for the US, but at least Pelosi can be grateful we don’t have one, or her resignation would be virtually automatic.
Of course, she should also be grateful that we aren’t Japan where, after presiding over this kind of disaster, she’d have no honorable choice but to remove herself from the world.
Alex: Maybe we should try to convince Friedman to praise the advantages of Japan, rather than China, for the next few columns. At lest it would make the NYT more amusing.
Having Pelosi and Reid as the continuing TV face of the Democrats is a gift. It could even push some of the blue dogs to switch parties.
Alex Bensky – LOL! That was a doozy.
Exactly, Mr Frank.
There is another benefit of Reid’s re-election, since the GOP did not take the Senate. It keeps Schumer out of the Majority Leader position.
In my opinion, “Scummy” Schumer is more putrid even than Reid, but smarter.
I’m SO looking forward to the gutter level knife fights over Pelosi’s leadership! Tragically a great deal of them will be behind closed doors, but enough sewage will leak out for us to get a strong smell of what’s happened. It can’t be pretty – or in any way helpful to Emperor Obama.
The fast-evaporating dregs of power mean that the few dems left in the house will be snarling at each other like starving dogs. Stock up on popcorn now!
“Oh, noes, Nancy, please don’t throw me in that briar patch!”
If, of course, her caucus votes to keep her as their leader.
May not be such a bad thing. Surely, Boehner and company will enjoy kicking her around; and be less likely to give an inch.
Frankly, I will be surprised if she does not retire within a year or so. Flying commercial between Washington and California is no fun–believe me. Driving your own car in DC traffic can be nightmarish. We will see.
I don’t for a minute believe Obama’s post election talk about “compromise” and “cooperation,” so it is not as if having Pelosi as minority leader is going to block what might have been more centrist compromise legislation. As it is, the fictive “Blue Dogs” have been more than decimated; and the remaining Democrats (who survived in safe seats) are further Left than the few remaining Dogs and, thus, are likely to back far Left Pelosi.
Such polarization, while not moving compromise legislation forward–supposing that such legislation was ever going to be proposed or to move forward, which I doubt–will at least give voters from here on in until the 2012 elections a stark contrast between Democrats and Republicans, between Left and Right; but expect Democrats to scream “obstructionists” with every breath they take when Republicans–at least those who care about our country and/or want to get reelected–refuse to vote for more Democratic proposed spending, and government expansion and intrusion into our lives.
I can see – it’s tough, but still can see it – Pelosi, Obama, and Reid insisting right up to the election that it’s the economy and not their deeds and policies, but after such losses in the House Pelosi is still putting up this same face. It really is delusional.
They can pretend, but look at the tone and content of the questions at Obama’s press conference on Nov 3rd. These questions can’t all be coming from Fox news people. There’s a new level of skepticism about this president and his policies.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/washington/2010/11/obama-news-conference-shellacking.html
1. Especially if Obama continues to stumble, the Democrats may find that Pelosi’s “prodigious fundraising” will be less prodigious now that the ‘forty years of Democrat rule’ have ended in two.
2. OT: Speaking of kicking people around, I have wondered why the Architect of the Permanent Republican Majority wasn’t made persona non grata on the Right after 2006/8, like Richard Darman was after 1996. In consequence of that forbearance, Karl Rove’s hit job on O’Donnell may well have caused her to lose.
I can’t wait to see Pelosi’s silly grin…the one that reveals that she’s in some other universe that isn’t real…when the TV cameras pan the AUDIENCE at the State of the Union address.
Or…maybe we’ll see one of those snarky looks Sen. Hillary used to have on her face when Bush was giving his SOTU addresses.
Hard to tell which look her botox will allow.
The three stooges are still around. Really, their faces don’t help the whole leftist bag of causes and 2012 may just be the year voters finish bizness.
That’s great. Hope they keep her.
With apologizes to NV and CA, having those two for comic relief for the next few years is almost worth it. While they are part of the intellectual farce of the Dems, our job should be easier.
GS, Karl Rove has been one of the big disappointments for me during this election season.
I know he is an insider, professional establishment pol, but I expected better. When he, and others, completely dismiss candidates chosen by the people in fair, and open, primaries, they are insulting the voters. When they in a very public way write legitimate GOP candidates off before a vote has even been cast, it is the equivalent of treason to the party. Rove is even worse than the Lindsey Graham, Trent Lott types; and that is really bad in my opinion. At least they have personally entered the arena at one time. I respected Rove; so sad. I am tempted to erase his book from my Kindle, but my wife say no–and, of course, I take orders.
The Republicans must be tickled pink! This is Christmas come early and will last for the next 2 years… at least!
Oldflyer, I completely agree. Now, is Gingrich a pol or has he reformed? He did convert to Catholicism a year ago. He did come out strong and unequivocal against Islam. That alone shows character.
It’s very nice to watch Rove hold his own against the pundits. And it would be SO nice to watch Gingrich debate Obama. But someone (gs I think) stated a truism we best observe: character before brains. And the egoistic hyper brains like Rove don’t have the former.
But Speaker Pelosi has such a list of accomplishments. $5 trillion in new debt since taking over as Speaker. Porkulus, the Omnibus Spending Bill, Waxman/Markey (Cap and Tax), Healthcare Reform, and her maniacal pronouncement about passing the bill to learn what is in it.
All I can say is, “Heckuva job, Nancy!”
That she has no regrets and would do nothing differently is prima facie evidence that the botox has seeped into her brain. With an 11% approval rating, how much lower can she go? It looks like we are about to find out. Meh.
I really can not fathom the idea of Pelosi keeping an Democrat *elected* position. Really – not at all.
Who in thier right mind keeps here there? I can kinda sorta see her constituents – after all look at her area and her politics and we see her as being a perfect fit – but the Democrats party leader?
Ok, so what has she done? She either didn’t go far enough left and forced one of the largest defeats in history, didn’t go far enough right and forced one one of the largest defeats in history, was so blind to the upcoming one of the largest defeats in history that she let it happen, or really, no matter how you look at it, presided over one the largest defeats in history.
Really, there isn’t much else to see here. If you are a Democrat in *any* way you should be shunning her. She orchestrated (depending on how you rate them) at worst one of the top five biggest defeats in US history and arguable the single worst election term for *any* party in history. Yea, pick her to keep on keeping on.
I guess I’m not going to really complain much more than this – but the dems I know are ranting about the blue dogs. Nope, look at your leaders – if they had at least stuck to a leftist agenda the republicans would have a Pyrrhic victory, as is they can probably defang most of the damage and still keep the people good will. As is you got nothing other than years of dislike to over come.
Indeed, I think the failure of the Democrats has only begun – the persuasiveness of “Trust me, it will work out” that got the health care reform bill passed is no more and the idea of “Democrats are for the little people” got squashed based on where bailout/stimulus money got spent.
Without those two things the dems are dead in the water – their only hope (and sadly it isn’t an unrealistic one) is that the republicans do so bad that voters are forced to find a new two or more party system or stage a real revolt. Without those two ideas being unquestioned (and this election *heavily* questioned them) they have *nothing* to stand on as they are more beholden to those entities they rail against (in rhetoric only) than the republicans.
The emperor has no clothes and it is rough when people figure it out. If they knew they were in that position and would work based on it they could win, but alas they are a product of their own educational system.
There is no common ground for compromiss: values and perspectives of TP and Leftist core of today Democrats are diametrically opposite. Now politics is a zero sum game, each side looking for total political destruction of its opponents. Pelosi without gavel is more usefull for Reps as a scarecrow than to Dems as a leader.
Pelosi represents a certain type of SF thinking: forget about bad schools, unfunded pensions, defying federal immigration laws, and businesses leaving the state. Instead concentrate on legalizing drugs and banning Happy Meals. Pelosi, go home where you belong.
There are a lot of good reasons why a parliamentary system would be a bad idea for the US, but at least Pelosi can be grateful we don’t have one, or her resignation would be virtually automatic.
Of course, she should also be grateful that we aren’t Japan where, after presiding over this kind of disaster, she’d have no honorable choice but to remove herself from the world.
Alex: Maybe we should try to convince Friedman to praise the advantages of Japan, rather than China, for the next few columns. At lest it would make the NYT more amusing.
Having Pelosi and Reid as the continuing TV face of the Democrats is a gift. It could even push some of the blue dogs to switch parties.
Alex Bensky – LOL! That was a doozy.
Exactly, Mr Frank.
There is another benefit of Reid’s re-election, since the GOP did not take the Senate. It keeps Schumer out of the Majority Leader position.
In my opinion, “Scummy” Schumer is more putrid even than Reid, but smarter.
I’m SO looking forward to the gutter level knife fights over Pelosi’s leadership! Tragically a great deal of them will be behind closed doors, but enough sewage will leak out for us to get a strong smell of what’s happened. It can’t be pretty – or in any way helpful to Emperor Obama.
The fast-evaporating dregs of power mean that the few dems left in the house will be snarling at each other like starving dogs. Stock up on popcorn now!
“Oh, noes, Nancy, please don’t throw me in that briar patch!”
Speaking of popcorn:
This Oughta Be Good… Allen West Will Join Congressional Black Caucus