This Is How Its Done
As anon notes in today’s Open Thread, Nancy Pelosi was on NPR Morning Edition this AM, discussing the path forward (even though the interviewer wanted to discuss horserace issues).
It was fantastic to hear her again — in the main because she is not indulging in any circular firing squad stupidity, she is not capitulating to the media narrative and she is laying down the markers for how she will be critiquing GOP performance. Listen to her closely — she’s going to be asking the GOP about jobs and working on American’s problems. She is setting up her own framing for the next year or two and I hope this means that there will be someone out there who will be asking the GOP how all of the shenanigans they are setting up is getting anyone employed. More importantly, I hope people at the DNC and President Obama are listening to her. Give them the anvil, people, and ask every single week what they have done to get American’s employed.
She is also clear about not compromising on the upper end tax cuts. But listen to how she talks about it. She talks about how every American should get a tax cut. But that we should not go into further debt to give bigger tax cuts to the wealthy. This is a smart way of talking about tax cuts — because *everyone* would get a tax cut up to their first $250K of income. The rate only goes up on the income you make beyond the $250K.
I’m also liking how she is not in the traditional Democratic crouch because *somebody* says they don’t like her. She clearly doesn’t care for that and it was pretty shabby of Dems not to push back on that, I think.
Do yourself a favor and listen to that interview, it is about 7 or 8 minutes long.
Tags: Nancy Pelosi
I adore her!
and the narrative that will be said about this….
“why does pelosi care so much about jobs now? when she rammed her agenda down the throats of the American people, all she cared about was spending”
It is unfair to the point it enrages me but most of the country will not listen to this interview. Her final win needs to be to take away the GOP’s punching bag. She needs to step aside. History will reward her but because the media has already decided how the american people should feel about her, she has to play the game.
She is also clear about not compromising on the upper end tax cuts.
The only thing that could have made it better is if she explained why it wasn’t already done.
She needs to step aside.
Next up is Steny Hoyer. Believe me, things could be worse than they even are now. I am sure Nancy’s first thought was to stand down, but she is the only one who can block Steny. And Nancy, together with the whip who is also not giving up his spot, is executing a power play that knocks Hoyer completely out of leadership. Well played Nancy.
Also, Renee Montagne is a tool.
Why not do something ballsy (or Thatchery) and throw her entire support behind someone who isnt “next in line”? She should endorse Anthony Weiner… he is the SHIT.
She needs to step aside.
*There* it is — the defensive crouch. Thank goodness Pelosi doesn’t have your defeatist instincts.
For all of the whinging that Democrats don’t have a fighter, you can’t even see one when she’s right in front of your face. Did you even listen to that interview? She is — rightly — blowing right past the GOP spin and demonization to get to the real questions that need to be asked. You could take a lesson from her, a. price, — shaking in your boots over what the GOP will say about you isn’t exactly a path to getting one goddamn thing done.
a.price said:
“why does pelosi care so much about jobs now? when she rammed her agenda down the throats of the American people, all she cared about was spending”
Well said a.p. She’s a hypocrite. Wow! Let’s wait until two years have passed, when I (Dems) had nearly complete control of Congress and the WH and THEN decide to act in the best interest of the people!
Weiner? Y’all need a strong leader who’s a Blue Dog (are any left)?
c’mon cass. It isnt being defeatist. it is being realistic. Her image has been poisoned by the media and the GOP (same thing) They already have the commercials financed by the Koch Bros. ready to air the DAY she becomes minority leader.
It would be a nice victory for pride, but it will spell one term for Obama. It will mean an even MORE conservative house and since she gets attacked to every democrat running for everything… a flipped senate.
Think Ruth Bader Ginsberg will serve another 6 -12 years? hello justice Gingrich.
It isnt worth the good feeling. General Washington spent most of his tenure as commander in retreat. He struck when the situation was right. He only faught when he had to…. and made it count.
Polemical, i was mocking what the Right is going to say…..
im also not sure if you understand how legislation works, but all the work the congress did the past 2 years will start to take effect in this next 2 years. I know you download your APPS instantly, but in real-land things take longer than a 24 hour news cycle to happen. I also cant wait to see the balls on the GOP when they take credit for the jobs created by measures the not only opposed, ut promised would turn us into Kazhakstan
Y’all need a strong leader who’s a Blue Dog (are any left)?
Strong and Blue Dog don’t belong in the same sentence. They are the ones that roll over for the big money boyz and Republicans. This election showed that the country doesn’t like Blue Dogs. They got creamed.
Yes, well, we should all just quit and adjourn to the bar now because the GOP and the media won’t say nice things about us. *sob*
Sheesh.
Speaker Pelosi has something to teach you about cojones, young man.
Nancy Pelosi is about as close to a progressive leader in the Democratic party that we have right now. She actually gets stuff done, and isn’t afraid to fight. I still find it hard to forgive her for “taking impeachment off the table” when Bush was POTUS, but she was still the best elected Dem leader we’ve had in the last 4 years. I am glad that she is sticking around – the lady is courageous and canny.
Good post, cassandra_m!
cass, i ever said anything about quitting…. although i do like the idea of bar.
I am making the argument that right now, the thing to do is take away their fodder. Regroup and rebrand. I know all the good she did, but perception is reality. The reality for most americans is that “Pelosi=bad oonga oonga”. I also wonder where all of this was the past 2 years. Why wasnt she making her case, why wasnt she fighting back. Too little too late if you ask me.
It is also a little Odonnelleasqu to attack my cojones and it is VERY VERY beneath you.
Says a.p:
“im also not sure if you understand how legislation works, but all the work the congress did the past 2 years will start to take effect in this next 2 years. I know you download your APPS instantly, but in real-land things take longer than a 24 hour news cycle to happen.”
I saw the sarcasm; I’m an editor. Btw, are you on crack? In 2 years? Let’s take Obamacare. The main element of this monstrosity doesn’t kick in until 2014!
It’s like this:
You’re 10 years old and your parents put 4 wrapped gifts under the x-mas tree. You can only open one this year; however, you have to wait until 2014 until you get to open the other three gifts.
By the time you turn 14, your tastes have changed, the gifts have been lost or damaged and you want a rebate. Yipee, how exciting. And if by some wild luck you get to open your other 3 gifts in ’14, when you do, they are US savings bonds, pegged to the US Dollar.
Pelosi is a disease. Focusing on Obamacare instead of job creation was the main result of the mid-term ‘shellacking’ that the Dems took.
I’m sorry that you ‘Progressives’ are now in a fetal position. Why don’t you have George Soros plow some money to Glen Greenwald, E.J. Dionne, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow, Lawrence O’Donnell, Chris Matthews, Ed Schultz, Jane Hamsher, Paul Fineman, Eugene Robinson, David Korn, Dana Milbank, Richard Wolfe, Arianna Huffington, Markos Moulitsas and all the other Obama-is-not-listening-to-us-even-though-we-campaigned-for-and-loved-him-as-a-saint sycophants.
am making the argument that right now, the thing to do is take away their fodder.
And they’ll just make more fodder.
Pelosi understands that when you are good at what you do they send the long knives after you. She also understands that the best antidote to that is to stay put and to keep being the best at your job. There is no reason to give these idiots a scalp just because they’ve been on the hunt for it.
And she has been making her case. If you go back and look at Congressional approval polls the thing that has been true for two years is that the only person close to being trustworthy or liked in government is Barack Obama.
It is also a little Odonnelleasqu to attack my cojones and it is VERY VERY beneath you.
😆
You still need to grow a pair.
Why won’t Obama and the Dems hold pat on their ‘no-tax-cuts-for-the-rich mantra? If they cave, what is the distinction between Progressives and moderate Republicans?
Weak spines as I see it. Looks like your enigmatic leader Obama is the one who needs to grow a pair.
a few cycles back when in was riding a bit higher than now I was given a list of federal office holders that I was asked (strongly urged) to write a bundled contribution to in addition to my regular PAC contribution. Hoyer was one of the few Dems on the list and I wrote the check. I then actually researched the guy and realized why my industry included him. DINO is to weak of a word! He is NOT the answer nor is Clyburn. Go Nancy!
The eleven-dimensional chess board is all set up. Obama has appointed the worst offenders from both sides onto the Catfood Commission, unbelievably including a Democrat who actually voted for the original Bush tax cuts (Baucus), and has given them enough rope to hang themselves.
The austerity promoters now have all the third rails firmly grasped in both hands and several high-tension lines twisted around their bodies. Please God let Obama or Pelosi or somebody, anybody, turn on the juice.
*sigh*
I guess that is just pre-2010 thinking.
thanks cass. i know you mean that with love
Pelosi & Reid were in power when Obama was elected. That was nearly 2 years ago. What exactly have they accomplished, other than empowering the Republicans?
Oh, they passed a watered down “health care” bill that did NOTHING to control costs. Thanks, plastic face & Puppetmaster.
Ugh… Hoyer will be Minority Whip.
Btw, you should at least not have grammatical errors in your ‘Headline.’ It is: It’s , not Its.
Dems need to listen to this Blue Dog.
http://tinyurl.com/33lecg8
You know the saying… only English teachers and a$$holes correct grammar?