In Obama’s Corner, Many of Pelosi’s Top Allies

[babylonsister]

In Obama’s Corner, Many of Pelosi’s Top Allies
By Alan K. Ota, CQ Staff

Members of Speaker Nancy Pelosi ’s inner circle have been moonlighting as whips for presidential candidate Barack Obama .

Democratic Reps. Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, George Miller and Xavier Becerra of California, and John B. Larson and Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut have been prodding “superdelegate” colleagues to choose Obama, the first-term senator from Illinois, over Hillary Rodham Clinton , the second-term senator from New York.

All of those lawmakers are close allies of Pelosi, who will preside as chairwoman of the Democratic National Convention.

“They don’t consult with me about politics,” Pelosi, D-Calif., said Wednesday. “I am completely neutral.”

Within the ranks of House Democrats, though, many connections and alliances are well-known and clear.

Larson is vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus; Schakowsky, who heads Obama’s operation in the House, is a chief deputy whip for the caucus; DeLauro has served as co-chairman of the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee since 2002; Miller is the other co-chairman and for years has been one of Pelosi’s sounding boards; Becerra is the Speaker’s assistant, a job Pelosi created last year.

They are all Pelosi lieutenants.

And like all members of Congress, they also are “superdelegates,” who would be in a position to play a deciding role at the Democratic convention if neither presidential candidate locks up the party’s nomination before then.

more...

http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?docID=news-000002677819

[democrattotheend]

1. I pointed that out a while ago

I think Pelosi secretly supports Obama (I even read a rumor that she was considering endorsing him, but was afraid it would interfere with her ability to be Speaker and represent the entire House Democratic Caucus). I noticed a while ago that most of the members of Congress closest to her had endorsed Obama, and her comments about not overturning the will of the people are another clue.

I get the sense that if nobody has enough delegates and both are in the race after Puerto Rico, she might endorse him and help deliver the rest of the undecided House Democrats, in order to avoid a messy convention where the supers throw it to Clinton despite Obama having more delegates.

[MadBadger]

2. I personally thinks she likes him for good reasons as well as bad ones

I just have a hunch that she's against Hillary for her own reasons.

[xultar]

3. I thought DU hated Pelosi. But now she's all good cuz of this right?

ROFL

[babylonsister]

4. She'll be presiding as chairwoman of the DNC. It'd be nice for

us if she had some enthusiasm going in.

[bigtree]

5. .

[KLee]

6. Contrary to...

a few's belief..we all can think for ourselves around here

"I thought DU hated Pelosi. But now she's all good cuz of this right?"

[NeedleCast]

9. DU hates Pelosi?

I think that's a bit of a stretch. I'll grant that there's a vocal group here that don't like her because she's not giving them their impeachment pony RIGHT. FUCKING. NOW. but I think to say that DU hates Pelosi is false. I don't hate her. I don't like her position on impeachment, but I understand it. She's also done quite a bit of good, which her detractors love to overlook because she's not impeaching RIGHT. FUCKING. NOW.

[Occam Bandage]

11. I think the Pelosi "hate" comes from a small but vocal group of malcontents.

She's done a pretty good job so far, given the filibuster-mad Senate blocking everything up.

[mtnsnake]

7. It figures. Obama reaches out to Republicans & Pelosi caves in to them, so no surprise there n/t

[UALRBSofL]

8. babylonsister that's great news

Thanks for reporting. And you know, I think the super delegates should be considering Obama, it appears he has the momentum and if he happens to win in texas and/or ohio I can understand more super delegates going for him. This is the way our primary process works. I would suspect if Hillary had the momentum they would lean toward her. They know they need to follow the candidate with the momentum and it appears it's Obama. :)

[babylonsister]

10. You're welcome! nt

[Captain Hilts]

12. But DUers HATE Pelosi! She's a wimpy corporate shill who's enabling Pres. Bush! Now she's okay?

[Scurrilous]

13. Good news!

:thumbsup:

[jlake]

14. That makes sense. The "Impeachment is off the table" crowd doesn't impress me.