Pelosi’s Choice

This zero-substance premature speculation is completely devoid of scientific, political, educational, or social value.
-
I’ll go with “I’m So Bored with the USA” or “I’m Not Down” as the Clash song title most appropriate for this post, because “Straight to Hell” is a bit too strong.

Win or lose, she should go. She is not the image that the Democratic Party needs to project. What were they thinking when they selected a San Francisco liberal as the face of the Party in Congress? As a lifelong Democrat, I have been especially unimpressed with both Pelosi and Reid.

“It ain’t Coca-Cola, it’s rice…“

She is not the image that the Democratic Party needs to project.
.
I couldn’t give a rat’s a$$ about the image she’s projecting. That’s just more “horserace” BS. I have kids that live in northern CA so that’s not a concern to me.
.
I’d just wish she were more concerned about being an effective spokesperson for positions like the public option that she defended at first than she seemed to be about her legacy as the first female Speaker.
.
We need an Alan Grayson type. But I doubt he “projects” the right sort of “image”, either.

According to Jon Stewart, he doesn’t.

Nonsense. If there’s one thing Democrats need is leaders who look like they’re fighting for something. Sad that a competent leaders and fighter like Pelosi might lose her job while the pusillanimous and ineffectual Harry Reid may keep his.

daniel

As a conservative I have my own reasons for wanting to see Pelosi and Reid to go but I am curious as to why you want them gone.

yeah, stuart, I’m rather tired of “vanilla” bureaucrats like Hoyer, Pelosi and Reed than no one really ever heard of (because of their lack of controversy or real landmark accomplishments) BEFORE they ascended to the “throne” (as it were).
.
I still remember leadership names from BOTH parties from the ’60s and ’70s.

You mean bat crap crazy? He fits.

“We need an Alan Grayson type. But I doubt he “projects” the right sort of “image”, either.”

KT wrote an article about Pelosi July 1, 2010 that is now behind the paywall. I didn’t agree with all that she said, but she wasn’t nearly so dismissive of Pelosi.

This is the summary from the Post.

Once dismissed by her opponents — and even some of her fellow Democrats — as a lightweight, she has proved to be “the most powerful speaker we’ve seen in modern history,” said political analyst Charlie Cook, whose assessment is shared by a number of congressional scholars. A Washington Post-ABC News poll conducted in late March, around the time that the speaker engineered the final passage of health-care overhaul in the House, suggested that she stirs both sides.

Pelosi has accomplished a great deal and has been criticized on all sides for it. She got so much legislation passed in the House that went to the Senate to be cut to meaninglessness or simply to languish.

correct.

This zero-substance premature speculation…
.
Second.
.
After the 2006 blowout, GOP Speaker Dennis Hastert resigned his post immediately and finished out his term in anonymity.
.
Of course, that had nothing to do with the Mark Foley scandal Hastert covered up.
.
Dumb post and worthless article, Jay.

She doesn’t have a say in it. If the Dems maintain a majority and if her peers want to keep her, she stays. If they don’t she goes. Why’d we waste time on this one?

She should stay regardless of which party is in power. Reid, on the other hand, should be ousted regardless of the election results. It’s really too bad their jobs aren’t reversed.

Well she could decide to retire in 2012, or even earlier, but I don’t think she will and I hope she doesn’t. She has not been an effective pr speaker for the Democratic position, but she’s absurdly effective at reading the house and keeping her majority in line, counting the votes and bringing bills to the floor when they’ll pass.

This Republican majority, if it comes, will also pass, and I’d like her around as speaker when it does.

Well, the House actually passes legislation, and some of it is actually progressive.

And then, of course, it goes to the Senate to die.

SZ: I was really disappointed in Stewart’s put down of Grayson. He was trying too hard for a false equivalency in his promotion. He was sucked in by McCain for a long time. But, I still enjoy his show.

Exactly. The right just hates those SF liberals. That is code talk for what?

“So, swampees, what are your thoughts? Should she stay or should she go?”

She should stay. If we lose the house (and I think we will) there aren’t going to be elections in 2012? The Tea Baggers will have to produce if they want to stay in office. If they get in and just obstruct everything from the inside instead of just being a bright shiney object on the outside, does anyone really think people will re-elect them 24 months later? I think Pelosi would be foolish to think that losing in 2010 means permanent exile.
.
She has worked in the house and got the democrats to pass some major pieces of legislation. People are p!ssed off and if the next group turns out to be a mistake, are they going to be happy with the people that aren’t doing sh!t and want to cut programs that people count on? The Tea baggers have to deliver on their promises, not just win the election and then screw up. Many of the promises they make sound good on paper, but even attempting them once they’re in office could swing the enthusiasm gap completely in the other direction.
,
The democrats are demoralized and aren’t as motivated this time. That won’t mean squat in 2012.

Alan Grayson type
.
Grayson delivers a good rant (I mean that in a good way), but you also need someone who can get legislation passed, which means all the politicking and arm-twisting and vote-counting and general saugage-making, which Pelosi appears to be very good at.
.
At least, that would be important if any of the legislation actually mattered. Now that the GOP has its 41-seat majority in the Senate, the House is basically irrelevant.

On the other hand, I’m sure that shutting down the Federal government will give the economy a much-needed shot in the arm. /sarcasm

“I was really disappointed in Stewart’s put down of Grayson”
.
Link for the hemispherically challenged please

I hope the Tea Baggers don’t remember what happened to the republicans when they shut down the government during the Clinton administration. They lost a few seats the next election. It is silly to think that a republican win would mean anything more than just a win during this election cycle. The republicans lost big in 2006 and 2008. It didn’t kill them and it won’t kill us. It energized them. There’s no reason a defeat can’t energize us the next time. All of this speculation is fun, but ultimately meaningless.

There is no way they can be linked together. The real speed bump now is the Senate. That is where legislation goes to die. Isn’t the question, should Reid resign, if there is any question at all. You can also ask if the leaders of Obstruction on the other side should resign, for playing politics in a crisis.?

I think she should stay and agree with sacred’s thoughts in #9 as to why. She’s gotten better results in House (though not perfect) than Reid got in Senate. However, I think a bigger question that I hope lovely Jay will blog about next week is: assuming the Senate stays in D control (barely) thanks to Christine “You’re in Good Hands” O’Donnell and maybe even Sharron “I Love the Media and They Love Me Right Back, You Betcha” Angle, who should be the Senate Majority Leader? Definitely NOT Reid, AFAIAC.
.
So if Jay would please blog about senate leaders (please?), I’d vote for Schumer. We need a street fighter since conciliation and deal-making just don’t fly with the R’s. I want a Leader (channeling inner 3x) who’s willing to Dare R’s to hold Real Filibusters™, then turn right around and raise points of order with Biden, get a majority vote, and kill the filibuster. Then take down secret holds. And actually force thru bills even with a slim majority, no more R Minority Rule. Jay, if you have more thoughts, please share ‘em with us.

Word. The Senate is the bigger problem, not the House. That’s where the leadership question should be asked.

Maybe something to do with the fact that we have the largest delegation in Congress. And you know what? Try as you might to make it an epithet, we liberals are proud of it.

Jay, is the correct spelling “swampees” or “swampies”? Either way, please trademark the term for us like Joe did with Sordid Idiots™. But re: Clash song, cheer up since this is a good, catchy tune. Imagine what will be played in the Capitol if O’Donnell pulls off the upset…
.

.
(sorry, but someone had to post this song first to get it out of the way)

Pelosi actually does have one other option. She could just jump off a cliff and make the Country happy, why not? All those dreadful Polls will change immediately.

The weekend is here and no “1000 Words”. sigh.

They ain’t LBJ, or even Newt. Poor leadership. Go.

OT, but my son just turned 25 the other day and we’re letting him have a party and bonfire here tomorrow. He invited 6 people and asked us to order 250 wings. We also made 4 dozen meatballs and 5 pounds of macaroni salad. I think we’re going to need a vomitorium.

Some is rich and some is poor
And thats the way the world is
And I don’t believe in lying back
And saying how bad your life is

I hope no one close to you has ever died, or will.

There is not going to be a liberal majority (or minority) leader any time soon. In a sane world, Democrats would engage in some self-reflection, ask themselves why they lost, and then rally around a replacement who represents the values that Democrats want to project going forward.

If the Democrats lose, by and large it will be because voters within the party became disillusioned by corporate Democrats watering down legislation, compromising unnecessarily, and refusing to stand on principle. Please, someone, explain to me how picking Steny Hoyer will change the current perception that Democrats are merely opportunistic pu$$ies.

What liberals can hope for that some actual leaders will emerge in the progressive caucus. Lately they have been stuck with good-intentioned, but too-timid (Raúl Grijalva) or too-incompetent (Lynn Woolsey) leadership.

I can understand Ike’s feelings. If Palin, Newt or Cheney ever got hit by a truck, I would say exactly how I felt about it in the crudest terms possible. Ike’s sentiments would sound like the Lord’s Blessing compared to mine.

When Reagan died I went down to the bakery and ordered a large cake and wanted “Burn In Hell Ron” written on it. The first woman refused but the second said she’d be happy to do it. I had a party that night.

If we’re talking about the Tea Party, “White Riot” would work well.

As you can see from the article Nancy and her staff are still under the delusion that they won’t lose the House.

Therefore I think she should stay and represent the out of touch liberal leftist Democrats and lead them onto total annihilation in 2012. Thanks in advance Nancy.

What were they thinking when they selected a San Francisco liberal as the face of the Party in Congress?
.
The other face of the Party in Congress is a deeply religious, elderly Mormon man from Nevada, from small-town rural roots with a working-class past and a previous life as a boxer.
.
It doesn’t matter who the Democrats made the face of the Party — San Francisco liberal, Red State centrist — the Republicans will paint them as rabid left wingers and the stenographers in the media will go right along.

I think Ike’s being sarcastic — noting correctly that even if she removed herself from the picture entirely and dramatically, nothing would change at all.

Damn. Ike is sarcastic and I out myself as a vindictive partisan. I think I can live with it. As a matter of fact, I think I’ll sleep on it. Good night folks.

Let me get this straight – if the Democrats lose it will because of disillusioned liberals??? Every poll indicates that those Democrats who are likely lose in the upcoming election are in those districts that McCain carried in 2008, i.e. relatively conservative districts that Democrats managed to win in either the referendum election of 2006 or the Obama surge of 2008. In those districts, which tend to be in suburban and rural areas, there tends to be relaively few doctrinaire liberals of the sort that will sit out the election of 2010 to express their displeasure with Obama’s having bowed to political realities.

What Pelosi managed to achieve in a poisonous political atmosphere and with an unruly coalition was nothing short of miraculous. Even what Harry Red achieved was pretty impressive when you consider he had to work universal opposition from the Republicans and smug self satisfied blowhards like Joe Lieberman. You try getting something passed under those circumstances. Honestly, the attitude of progessives who even think of not doing everything they can to forestall Republican gains would be laugable, were it not for the potential damage that attitude is likely to generate. I remember well the Nader voter of 2000 who said it “akes no difference” whether Gore or Bush won in 2000. That thinking was wrong then; it is wrong now.

For the record, I think Democratic losses on the House side will be minimal.

What were they thinking when they selected a San Francisco liberal as the face of the Party in Congress?

Well, I would speculate that “they” wanted a Speaker that could deliver results for the party and, like it or not, Pelosi has done that. She has delivered the votes on virtually every piece of legislation. While I may not always agree with her, I have nothing but respect for the job she has done as Speaker of the House.

In this week’s dead tree edition I look at her options, win or lose. So, swampees, what are your thoughts? Should she stay or should she go?
-
My thoughts? More of a request actually – Remember to rip the pages out before you mail my dead tree copy of Time Magazine.
-
PS: At this rate, I think I will probably end up getting a 10 page version of Time magazine

I thought we were “Swampcritters”.
.
- A Sordid Idiot

Well gang…despite the fact that we don’t have a 1KW to keep us occupied this weekend, there is….
.
International “Talk Like a Pirate Day” on September 19th!
(Arrg!)
.
Last year, ITLAPD was a terrific diversion (link: http://swampland.blogs.time.com/2009/09/19/underplayed-story-of-the-day-acne-could-make-you-uninsurable/
.
And, if we’re lucky, perhaps PirateWench(DemWoman) will stop by and weigh anchor.
.
Avast! ‘Eer’s to a good weekend…be seein’ ye on Sunday!

White people go to Beck University
Where they teach you how to be thick

Sorry for the late reply, Oregon JC:
.
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/thu-september-16-2010/rally-to-restore-sanity

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/09/17/5128491-bachmanns-pelosi-alcohol-charge
.
The right lies so easily. Bachmann claimed Pelosi has a $100,000 account for serving alcohol on her military communter plane. Pelosi responded by saying she does not drink alcohol and it is not served on domestic flights on military planes.
.
Amazing that the Christianists can lie with no shame. They can bear false witness and smear their opponents and continue with their false piety.
.
Remember O’Donnell won 2 districts out of 3 in her race against Biden. No wait she tied in one districe. No wait she won none.

Apr, have you been drinking some of Nancy’s vino? Christianists?

http://sadbastards.wordpress.com/2009/01/28/the-real-nancy-pelosi-multi-millionaire-non-union-resort-baroness/

The staunch “union supporter” Pelosi has even received the Cesar Chavez Award from the United Farm Workers Union. But her $25 million Napa vineyards and winery, she and her husband own are non-union shops. The extra profit she earns is more than she gets from labor unions. But I don’t think she wants the rank and file to know this. Do you?

You saying she doesn’t drink? So, she sells it but doesn’t use? What does this mean? She will pollute you, but she is above using alcohol?

Just throw a bucket of water on her and be done with it. Maybe she will just melt into the floor and we can move on with our lives.
.

“While House Democrats contemplate a possible return to the minority, Nancy Pelosi’s future is up in the air. As the first female Speaker, Pelosi had a harder-than-normal climb to the top job and might not be expected to relinquish party leadership automatically. But Hill Democrats hint that she might step down in the event of a GOP takeover, whatever its size.

The key, they note, is how large the Democratic loss turns out to be. If the Democrats lose the House by fewer than a dozen seats, Pelosi would enjoy right of first refusal on the minority leader’s job. But if the margin is larger, Pelosi might not have a choice.”
.
It appears Liberals are coming out of the closet and are finally dropping their denials of the coming Democratic defeat.
.
I guess even Liberals eventually must come around to reality when the odds reach such enormous proportions that to deny it any longer would be insane.
.
Welcome to the real world and to Democracy at its finest.

Agreed. Personally, I think Pelosi is horrible at public relations, but when our party has the president, that’s not all that important.
.
What is important, is herding the cats in our caucus, and she’s been outstanding at that. And the fact is, our losses this fall are going to be mostly Blue Dogs — the ones who give her the most trouble — and her job, as Speaker or Minority Leader — will only get easier.
.
Reid, however, needs to be replaced, assuming he holds off Second Amendment Remedies Sharon.

Do you touch yourself to this video, Rusty? This must be the tenth time you’ve posted it here.
.
We get it. You’re a “friend of Dorothy.” Nothing to be ashamed of, no matter what your conservative friends tell you.

She should go, her partisan approach to matters after the 08 election really hindered what may have been an opportunity to get past the red/blue divide that has just gotten out of hand

welcome to our website === w w w (www.Ccshopping ) – u s === ..The new update, a large hot ..
WE ACCEPT PYAPAL PAYMENT.
YOU MUST NOT MISS IT!!!

“SF liberals”
.
“SF” refers to gays. “Liberals” is a stand-alone RW insult.
.
Basically a right-wing “two-fer” insult…

She’s progressively become a polarizing figure – far more so than Reid. If they picked up a more moderate Speaker and moved Pelosi down to whip (’cause she’s a REALLY good whip), it might help bridge the gap with Republicans. On the other hand, it’s hard to bridge the gap with a party of no so….yeah.