Pelosi at the helm
By Michael J.W. Stickings
Looking back, I've been rather hard on Nancy Pelosi lately, criticizing her support for Jack Murtha and her opposition to Jane Harman, but I want to stress that I still welcome her speakership and support her leadership enthusiastically. Indeed, despite these two high-profile personnel missteps, I think she's already doing an exceptional job.
As The Boston Globe reported the other day, for example, Pelosi has been emphasizing unity in her caucus and "has urged House Democrats, including incoming committee chairmen, to use the first weeks of next year's congressional term to focus exclusively on proposals on which the party is unified and legislative goals that are within reach". The Globe refers to this -- mistakenly, I think -- as "chart[ing] a centrist course," but what it really amounts to is an admirable pragmatism, a realistic sense of what's doable and what isn't, a keen focus on getting things done. There may still be tensions between Pelosi and rival Steny Hoyer, but they seem to be working together to ensure that core Democratic principles and key Democratic initiatives aren't lost to petty bickering. The divisions within the caucus are still there, of course, and they will no doubt emerge over issues like Iraq, but for now unity seems to be the order of the day.
And, too, Pelosi is showing real toughness, just the sort of toughness that the Democrats need going forward as they work to push ahead with their ambitious legislative agenda and to check and balance (and investigate) the abuses and excesses of the White House. The San Francisco Chronicle explains:
Nancy Pelosi knows what she's doing. With Bush looking to control the narrative on Iraq and national security, and with the Republicans in the House looking to block the Democrats whenever and wherever possible, she is providing just the sort of leadership her party -- and the country -- needs.
Looking back, I've been rather hard on Nancy Pelosi lately, criticizing her support for Jack Murtha and her opposition to Jane Harman, but I want to stress that I still welcome her speakership and support her leadership enthusiastically. Indeed, despite these two high-profile personnel missteps, I think she's already doing an exceptional job.
As The Boston Globe reported the other day, for example, Pelosi has been emphasizing unity in her caucus and "has urged House Democrats, including incoming committee chairmen, to use the first weeks of next year's congressional term to focus exclusively on proposals on which the party is unified and legislative goals that are within reach". The Globe refers to this -- mistakenly, I think -- as "chart[ing] a centrist course," but what it really amounts to is an admirable pragmatism, a realistic sense of what's doable and what isn't, a keen focus on getting things done. There may still be tensions between Pelosi and rival Steny Hoyer, but they seem to be working together to ensure that core Democratic principles and key Democratic initiatives aren't lost to petty bickering. The divisions within the caucus are still there, of course, and they will no doubt emerge over issues like Iraq, but for now unity seems to be the order of the day.
And, too, Pelosi is showing real toughness, just the sort of toughness that the Democrats need going forward as they work to push ahead with their ambitious legislative agenda and to check and balance (and investigate) the abuses and excesses of the White House. The San Francisco Chronicle explains:
House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi made clear Tuesday she's not willing to cede the public spotlight to President Bush in the weeks before his State of the Union speech.
Pelosi plans to start the 110th Congress with a bang on Jan. 4 -- when the House holds its ceremonial swearing in and elects her as speaker -- by immediately setting off on a sprint of several weeks to enact the Democrats' ambitious 100-hour agenda.
Lawmakers usually return home between the swearing-in ceremony and the president's speech, but analysts say the hurried schedule gives Democrats a chance to show instant results. It could also put Bush on the defensive, forcing him to sign or veto a host of popular initiatives.
Nancy Pelosi knows what she's doing. With Bush looking to control the narrative on Iraq and national security, and with the Republicans in the House looking to block the Democrats whenever and wherever possible, she is providing just the sort of leadership her party -- and the country -- needs.
posted by Michael J.W. Stickings at
5:30 PM
1 Comments:
Michael, an excellent post about Pelosi, full of good insight. I thought I was the only one of us who was not feeling critical of her. It is going to be awfully easy to take pot shots at her. I feel that it is OK for the Dems to have some misteps and disunity. The Republicans have been so incredibly disingenuous, so inauthentic, so manipulative and contrived that our new leaders are absolutely refreshing in their idealistic earnestness. On this Thanksgiving holiday here in the U.S. I am grateful for their imperfections.
By
Anonymous, at 7:09 PM
Post a Comment
<< Home