Pelosi gains ground in bid to become speaker

[DonViejo]

Source: Politico



A rules change that would have made it much more difficult for her to clinch the top post was withdrawn after garnering only 11 backers.

By JOHN BRESNAHAN and RACHAEL BADE 09/26/2018 01:59 PM EDT

An effort by some House Democrats to slow down House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s possible return to the speaker’s chair fizzled out Wednesday, leaving the California Democrat free to pursue a historic comeback if her party wins a majority on Election Day.

House Democrats also moved the date of their leadership elections up by a week, another move that likely helps Pelosi’s cause. The rescheduling will help align those proceedings with orientation for new members.

Reps. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) and Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) had been pushing a proposal to require at least 218 Democrats to support the party’s speaker nominee inside the caucus, provided Democrats have a majority. That threshold would be impossibly high for Pelosi or anyone else to meet, and would essentially allow a minority of Democrats, in a secret vote, to effectively hold veto power over their party’s choice for speaker.

The Democratic candidate for speaker would still have to get 218 votes in an open roll call on the House floor, but that is considered a much more difficult vote to go against the party.

Read more: https://www.politico.com/story/2018/09/26/pelosi-gains-ground-speaker-bid-843165

[NurseJackie]

1. Excellent! She's experienced and qualified.

She's exactly what we'll need! Especially right now. I'm not willing to hand over the reigns to some untested "newbie" simply to be able to satisfy the vanity of those clamoring for "new blood" and who think she's "too old" and "give the younger generation a chance".

[workinclasszero]

4. I don't care about the Speaker's age, sex or race, that's ridiculous and stupid

I care about results and Nancy Pelosi has a great track record.

[rurallib]

6. I second your statement

[iluvtennis]

11. +++ Agree.

[NurseJackie]

2. This sounds like an underhanded and dirty-pool tactic to me.

Reps. Ed Perlmutter (D-Colo.) and Kathleen Rice (D-N.Y.) had been pushing a proposal to require at least 218 Democrats to support the party’s speaker nominee inside the caucus, provided Democrats have a majority. That threshold would be impossibly high for Pelosi or anyone else to meet, and would essentially allow a minority of Democrats, in a secret vote, to effectively hold veto power over their party’s choice for speaker.

This sounds like an underhanded and dirty-pool tactic to me. What good purpose would it serve. It would certainly create division, chaos and distrust. It would not create unity and a sense of common purpose. I don't see how that strengthens our party or our resolve. Seems like this is something that the GOP would benefit from, ultimately.

[JHan]

5. They can't persuade their colleagues the normal way..

so they do it the underhanded way.

Discontents seem to like minority rule.

[JHan]

3. Great news.

[displacedtexan]

7. Just got back from walking the dogs down Nancy Pelosi Way...

...in Golden Gate Park. She's my representative. We love her here.

[Javaman]

8. I don't like counting my chickens before they are hatched.

I would first like to be sure that we have the house first, before we started measuring for carpet.

we've been played before in 2000 and 2016.

I take nothing for granted.

[riversedge]

13. agree. Worry about this issue later.

[hedda_foil]

9. It's tremendously important for Nancy to be speaker next year.

Provided the election will be at least somewhat on the level, there will be a LOT of new Dem representatives who have no idea how things work in the House. There will also be a decent number who have never been member of Congress while Dems held the majority. Nancy know exactly how to play the game as speaker. She kept the entire caucus together for the four years she held the gavel and played hardball with the Repubs. The last thing we need if we take the House is an inexperienced speaker.

[marble falls]

10. This is an important thing. President Pelosi has a nice ring about it ...

Take Congress and clean out the White House.

[groundloop]

12. OMG People, shut the fuck up about who's gonna' be Speaker and GOTV !!!!!!

First we need to WIN IN NOVEMBER, then we can bicker over who's going to be Speaker. Bullshit like this will only serve to disenfranchise new voters and independents and kill our chances.

[MrsCoffee]

14. K&R Glad to hear it!