UPDATED - Obama hails Pelosi as 'an extraordinary partner' amid speakership fight
Source: The Washington Post
By Mike DeBonis November 20 at 4:08 PM
Former president Barack Obama hailed House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday as “one of the most effective legislative leaders that this country’s ever seen,” praise that could boost her embattled campaign to reclaim the speaker’s gavel next year.
Pelosi is fighting to repel a small group of challengers inside the Democratic caucus who want to force a leadership shake-up after 16 years with the Californian at the helm. And no living Democrat holds more influence than Obama, who signed the Affordable Care Act, the Dodd-Frank financial reform bill and economic stimulus legislation that all passed through Pelosi’s House in 2009 and 2010.
Obama prefaced his remarks, made in Chicago during the public taping of a podcast hosted by his former political adviser David Axelrod, by saying he was “not going to wade into House Democratic caucus politics.” But he then proceeded to deliver what amounted to an unqualified endorsement.
“Nancy is not always the best on a cable show or with a quick sound bite or what have you,” Obama said. “But her skill, tenacity, toughness, vision, is remarkable. Her stamina, her ability to see around corners, her ability to stand her ground and do hard things and to suffer unpopularity to get the right thing done I think stands up against any person that I’ve observed or worked directly with in Washington during my lifetime.”
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/11/20/obama-praises-rep-nancy-pelosi-says-she-will-go-down-in-history-as-one-of-the-most-effective-legislative-leaders/
ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Obama praises Rep. Nancy Pelosi, says she will go down in history as ‘one of the most effective legislative leaders’
By Washington Post Staff November 20 at 3:42 PM
Former president Barack Obama made the comments Tuesday as Pelosi is trying to secure the votes to become the next House speaker, facing opposition from more than a dozen Democrats. Obama said the California congresswoman’s “skill, tenacity, toughness, vision, is remarkable.” He made the comments in Chicago in an interview with his former top strategist, David Axelrod, for his show “The Axe Files.”
This is a developing story. It will be updated.
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Thank you, Mr. President for coming out in defense of an incredibly strong and effective Speaker against a concerted effort to demonize her.
