John Nichols: Nancy Pelosi: Farm Girl (The Nation)

[marmar]

BLOG | Posted 02/27/2007 @ 3:38pm
Nancy Pelosi: Farm Girl

Nancy Pelosi has proven to be a far more politically savvy Speaker of the House than most of her critics, and some of her fans, expected. This is not to say that she has done enough to end the war in Iraq or hold the Bush administration to account, nor that she has avoided predictable pitfalls that are discovered by new congressional leaders. But she has kept her caucus together and drawn significant Republican support as the House has addressed minimum wage, stem cell research and ethics issues that were neglected by her Republican predecessor.

Even conservative commentator Bob Novak, via the anything but Pelosi-friendly Evans-Novak political wire, commented that, "The ‘hundred hours' program of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has been a success beyond all anticipation. The passage of poll-approved measures came with a unanimous Democratic vote and heavy -- in some cases majority -- Republican support. This performance shows the error and futility of Republican expectations that Pelosi as speaker would fall on her face…"

But Pelosi's most achievement cannot solely be measure in the legislation that has passed the House. It is also important to pay attention to her outreach to constituencies that Democrats tended to ignore during the Clinton and early Bush years -- to the party's dramatic detriment.

On Friday, Pelosi will deliver the keynote address at the National Farmers Union's 105th annual convention. Her focus will be on opportunities for development in rural communities, with special attention to increasing the use of renewable fuels. The speaker recognizes that there is common ground on which the party's environmentally-conscious base can stand with farmers, and she is paying a lot of attention to that turf.

But the most important thing about Pelosi's appearance at the NFU convention in Orlando will not be what she says. Rather, it will be that the most prominent Democrat in Washington is going out of her way to spend time with farmers and ranchers. ....(more)

The complete piece is at: http://www.thenation.com/blogs/thebeat?bid=1&pid=169989

[zulchzulu]

1. If all that should happen does, it's Pelosi who would be the first woman President

I know John Nichols has been banging the drum for impeachment...of both Bush and Cheney. That would make Nancy Pelosi President.

He and I sometimes see each other at a local cafe in Madison and he understands why Nancy Pelosi says what she says about impeachment "not being on the table". If she was seen as very vocally for it, the obvious return volley would be because she wants to be President.

Politically, that is the only choice she can vocally say at this moment.