About two months before the fall elections, I received a review copy of Rochelle Schweizer’s biography of the outgoing House Speaker, She’s the Boss: The Disturbing Truth About Nancy Pelosi. I tried to finish it before those elections as I thought it would likely be remaindered soon after, but other obligations got in the way. One thing which came clear as I read about the rise of the San Francisco Democrat was just how ruthless she can be, how determined she was as she climbed the political ladder and how much control she exercised over her caucus.
She did manage to push some pretty controversial votes through the House when she wielded the gavel. But, with her party’s loss of over 60 seats earlier that month, her power is waning. She will never again rule her caucus with the iron fist she exercised for the better part of the current Congress.
Yesterday, she did not receive the unanimous vote of that caucus in its leadership elections. As Jonathan Allen and John Bresnaham wrote in Politico:
But the 43 votes against her reveal that a divided caucus — still reeling from the loss of at least 61 seats — will not be as pliable for the California Democrat as it once was.
There will be more votes in coming days on limiting Pelosi’s control of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the Rules and Steering committees, but she is expected to win those fights, too. And there may be tough policy votes ahead in the new Congress, as House Republicans try to lure the anti-Pelosi forces to their side on key issues.
I daresay Minority Leader Pelosi won’t be able to hold her caucus together in the 112th Congress as she did in the 111th. Those moderates who survived, but just barely, will want to avoid the fate of their colleagues who, through no choice of their own, won’t be returning to Capitol Hill next January.
Are you sure about that? The recent election hurt the numbers of her opponents, more than it hurt the numbers of her allies. And the articles you quoted, all show her “expected to win”. Other than the 43 votes against her and the discontent becoming more talked-about, I don’t see her grip weakening.
But I’m curious how she got where she is. She doesn’t seem to be a beloved figure – even by many lefties. Did she rise on sheer ruthlessness, then?
ILC, that so many could vote against her suggest that these members no longer fear her wrath. She won’t be able to count on them when she tries to block key Republican initiatives in the next Congress.
It will be interesting to see how many of them vote for her for Speaker in the elections at the beginning of that Congress.
The most interesting item I’ve seen regarding her most recent election is it is a “stiff-arming” against the White House. Dems didn’t want to elect someone who would champion Presidential compromises with the GOP over the next two years.
There may be more discord within the party than has hit the press (surprise!!!). I’ve read Dem Congress very unhappy with White House lack of support in backing up the legislation they passed these past two years.
One thing is for sure, Nancy will not be reaching across any aisles. She was the head cheerleader for the “blame the Republicans” mantra while conniving against them. Now she will squeal like a stuck pig about compromise and a seat at the table while conniving against them.
She will also make it clear to Obama that she has a bigger set than he does. The woman has testosterone in her botox. She loves power and she has lost her private jet equipped with an extraordinary bar. When you slap a face with that much botox, you get venom in return.
Clearly, this queen is going to rework her soldier and worker bees and show the treacherous ones how treachery is done.
Former Speaker-Minority Leader, Rep. Nancy Pelosi is a power hungry sponge; she believes she’s queen when she’s nothing more than a representative of San Francisco, California. Her hubris is about as all-consuming as Obama’s narcissism. She has delusions of grandeur & the last person to be leading anything. She’s dangerous to the Republic as shown in her force to pass ObamaCare & other power grabs, despite we the people’s objections.
After the 60+ loss, Pelosi is nothing more than rotting fruit collecting flies & maggot eggs as she believes them to be ornaments of gold. The people can smell the rot when she speaks & projects corruption.
She knows where the bodies are buried, having put some there herself. I imagine she’s telling the troops that “….when we take back the House in 2012, AND WE WILL”, you committee chairs will get back your seats. But, you have to do as I say for that to happen”. She’s a divisive and delusional fool who truly believes that the voters are stupid and will soon come to their senses (after all, her district is full of “smart” people). If we’re lucky, they will and turn the Senate in two years as well. It seems that there is a civil war brewing in the House of the Donkeys. I don’t care which side wins as long as they fight until exhausted.
Well, while Congressional Democrats are living in the Land of Oz, with the Wicked Witch of the West and her flying monkeys, we’re stuck with a president so paranoid and delusional he seems to be possessed by Richard Nixon.
Sounds like a great recipe for even bloodier Democrat carnage in 2012.
i must disagree with “Those moderates who survived, but just barely, will want to avoid the fate of their colleagues who, through no choice of their own..”
they did choose their place to lay, thereby rising with fleas.