Oh Pelosi...

[WillyT]

<snip>

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was in a determinedly good mood when she sat down to lunch with reporters yesterday. She entered the room beaming and, over the course of an hour, smiled no fewer than 31 times and got off at least 23 laughs. But her spirits soured instantly when somebody asked about the anger of the Democratic "base" over her failure to end the war in Iraq.

"Look," she said, the chicken breast on her plate untouched. "I had, for five months, people sitting outside my home, going into my garden in San Francisco, angering neighbors, hanging their clothes from trees, building all kinds of things -- Buddhas? I don't know what they were -- couches, sofas, chairs, permanent living facilities on my front sidewalk." Unsmilingly, she continued: "If they were poor and they were sleeping on my sidewalk, they would be arrested for loitering, but because they have 'Impeach Bush' across their chest, it's the First Amendment."

And...

Holders of high office typically avoid discussions like that because it makes them look, well, political. But Pelosi did not hesitate to plunge into the political, explaining that "it was so important for us to bring the president's numbers down two years ago on Social Security" because it discouraged Republican candidates from running for Congress. Pelosi may have realized that her words sounded too calculating, for at one point she begged the reporters' indulgence for her to "be allowed a partisan moment." She smiled at her joke, then chuckled.

The ready grin seemed at odds with other body language that suggested Pelosi was not having an enjoyable lunch. She ignored her salad and roll, then waved off the chicken and vegetables and left her dessert untouched. "The tea is fine," she told the waiter, taking her first sip more than halfway through the lunch.

But the smile had its uses. She smiled warmly while telling a reporter in the room that his story was completely wrong. She laughed heartily when somebody mentioned the awkward interview in which Whoopi Goldberg expressed a lust for Pelosi's husband. She grinned when mentioning the fight over children's health care. And she laughed while discussing how she has "striven" to work with Bush on Iraq. "Is that a word? 'Striven'? " she asked. It seemed that only the antiwar advocates had the power to wipe the smile off Pelosi's face. Speaking about ethics legislation, she boasted that "we have drained the swamp" in Congress and pleased government watchdog groups. "At last," she added, "some advocates from the outside who are satisfied."

<snip>

Link: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/09/AR2007100902006_pf.html

Damn Nancy... And I had such high hopes for ya.

:banghead:

[EFerrari]

1. Advocates from the OUTSIDE?

Outside of what?

Is that better than Monday when she called me an agitator?

That damn First Amendment.

[DU9598]

2. Dennis Hastert was so much better

Unreal

[Horse with no Name]

4. And apples taste more like apples than oranges do.

Can you believe that?

[WilliamPitt]

7. I make in my pants sometimes.

:freak:

[WilliamPitt]

6. The 'sarcasm' tag is your friend.

I almost had to destroy you. :P

[silverojo]

28. But you expect disgusting crap from a Repuke

Not a Democrat. That's why We The People voted for the Dems...to make a change from the Hastert B.S. Not for the same-old-same-old.

[lonestarnot]

29. Like a big sack of shit better. What was better?

:rofl: His muffins? I can talk about my sister, but you can't.

[Horse with no Name]

3. Me too.

Seems we were hoodwinked. Again.

[TwilightGardener]

5. She's clearly frustrated on the war. She's in a tough spot.

[EFerrari]

10. So, she's attacking her constituents.

Got it.

[TwilightGardener]

12. She sounds aggravated, but I must have missed the "attack".

[EFerrari]

17. She's marginalizing us by calling us "advocates from the outside"

just as the other day she called us "agitators".

That's just a stupid thing to do. She knows or should know better than that.

[LittleClarkie]

35. I dunno, I might be alittle grumpy if somebody was camped on my lawn

she seems to wonder why the protests aren't being aimed at the Republicans. Sometimes I wonder that as well.

[EFerrari]

42. If our rep was a Thug, we'd be at that address, I guess.

What a mess. :(

[AuntPatsy]

8. So are we to assume she does not appreciate the value of American citizens

enjoying their first amendment rights when she doesn't happen to agree with them?

[TwilightGardener]

11. Well, to be fair, if they're going into her garden, that's trespassing--NOT First Amendment.

[EFerrari]

13. Code Pink didn't do that.

And I LOVE the way she say they should have been arrested JUST LIKE HOMELESS PEOPLE ARE ARRESTED.

:puke:

[KingFlorez]

15. Nowhere in the article did she say that

She said if they were poor and outside her house, they would have been arrested.

[EFerrari]

19. Edit:

You may not know this, but poverty is being criminaized just now in San Francisco. They are making it illegal to stand on the sidewalk too long and Nancy was referring to that.

It's a big deal here at the moment.

[TwilightGardener]

16. I don't care who does it, the woman should get a little peace, privacy and safety

at her own home. Go sleep outside her office, for Chrissakes.

[EFerrari]

21. I didn't attend those actions because they made me uncomfortable

but, I back Code Pink's right to protest on public property.

[DU9598]

24. So do I ...

but that does not include damaging property, littering, or being unreasonably loud in a neighborhood where people live and try to raise a family. Her frustration is justified, IMO.

[EFerrari]

26. Next time, she could just have a townhall meeting and save

her neighbors from all that hassle.

She's frustrated? At least she isn't DEAD like the service people and the Iraqis that have died while she told us to wait for the Betrayus report.

[Cha]

36. Better Frusterated than

Dead, nancy.

[Cha]

33. I know..that was real tactful...

looks like the protestors are causing Nancy to lose her famous cool.

[AuntPatsy]

20. Fair enough and valid point but I think that she has not honestly explained

to us her reasons for keeping impeachment off the table enough that it quiets the feeling of impending doom with each day that passes while this country goes further and further away from the country most of us once enjoyed and was proud of.

I have heard what many have argued were the reasons discussed and debated on du many many times and yet I found not one valid enough to ignore the growing echo of Impeach Now.

[TwilightGardener]

25. I don't understand it either, and I'm not happy with her about it--

but constant harassment just tends to create a "me against the world" obstinacy--if you give in to what you feel is undue harrassment and badgering, you'd feel like you were letting these forces get away with those tactics, even if you might be inclined to agree with some aspects of their positions. Just human nature. I do not advocate bothering people at their homes. Fuck, I HATE it when I am unshowered, still in my jammies at noon, and the doorbell rings, and it's the damn Boy Scouts selling their popcorn, or whatever. If my career was wheeling, dealing and negotiating with people at her level, I'd want some fucking peace at home too. For many of us, it's our only inviolable (is that a word?) sanctuary.

[AuntPatsy]

30. In that respect your entirely accurate that everyone should be deserving of some down time..

[EFerrari]

45. Beginning with our stop lossed troops. n/t

[AuntPatsy]

46. True as well....

[still_one]

9. I am the first to critisize our Democratic leaders, however, the press are the ones to be questioned

Where were they when the run up to this war was being made? Were they the objective "reporters" they should have been or proxies and cheerleaders for the administration the past 7 years?

THEY HAVE NO RIGHT TO ASK ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC BASE, WHO ARE THEY?

they aren't jounalists that is for sure.

Why don't they go bother bush at his lunch. Oh, wait, I have a better idea, why don't they go to hell

[KingFlorez]

14. Harrassing someone at their home isn't the way to change things

That kind of behavior is not okay and she has a right not to like it.

[EFerrari]

22. Fair enough. And I have the right not to like her enabling

of Bush's war AND her refusal to have a town hall meeting with her constituents for over a year.

[LittleClarkie]

37. As a constituent, you have a special perspective. Fair enough in return

She represents you, and shouldn't be afraid to communicate with you.

[EFerrari]

39. I apologize for posting mad as hell and I am.

:(

[AX10]

18. It's not easy being a REAL leader during trying times.

I expect that Pelosi mis-spoke, i.e: "some advocates from the outside who are satisfied". I do agree that it is wrong to go to her house.
Still, I expect that she would do more to counter Bush, such as killing Bush's draconian Soviet Styled spy-bill.

[EFerrari]

23. If she'd had the decency to meet with her district

there would have been no need to protest outside her home. She refused.

[partylessinOhio]

27. Is there no way to put Pelosi on the table and get rid of her?

Her condescending attitude needs adjusted.

[omega minimo]

31. good gods in heaven -- people are arguing about whether folks should go to her yard or not?!!!!1

:wtf:

howzabout the part where her answer was ALL. ABOUT. HER.?

[Cha]

34. Yeah, "they arrest homeless

people, don't they?" :grr:(nancy)

[scarletwoman]

40. They're just being good little liberals. (nt)

[EFerrari]

44. "Hey, you, get offa my lawn -- I have a war to fund!"

[unkachuck]

32. they....

"...would be arrested for loitering, but because they have 'Impeach Bush' across their chest, it's the First Amendment."

....testy, testy, testy....try doing the peoples business properly and you might not have such problems, nancy....

[scarletwoman]

38. Love the "advocates from the outside". Indeed. Outside the Beltway power structure.

We are the "outside" because she is not on our side, she is on the side of political aristocracy.

sw

[EFerrari]

41. The truth comes out under stress.

Were we "agitators" on the "outside" when we were phonebanking for her?

[scarletwoman]

43. People need to get over the false idea that it's Dems vs. Repugs.

What's really going on is that it's the DC power structure against the rest of us.

sw

[orleans]

49. i'm glad to see you on this thread. i really don't understand some of

these posts. someone upthread noticed her response to the base being angered over her failure to end the war and her answer was "ALL. ABOUT. HER."

no shit.

if i was in the neighborhood i'd be going to stand out on her sidewalk tonight. this bullshit response of hers just really pissed me off--to be honest i can't even stand to look at her anymore (i have acquired a pelosi aversion just as i have for bush).

again, i'm glad to hear your dissenting voice within this supposed "dissenting" group.
(this crap about well, if they were walking through her garden, well she really needs down time---wtf?? i say well, maybe if she'd put an end to this fucking war she could get some peace and quiet and even have a guilt-free night's sleep for a change. she's been looking a little medicated to me for the last number of months. but i think if i was in her shoes i'd be fucking medicating too! out of guilt!)

[BuyingThyme]

47. Opelosi. That's just north of Opelika.

You can't buy booze on a Sunday unless you eat at the Red Lobster.

[EFerrari]

48. "Don't cry for me, San Francisco!"

:rofl:

[WillyT]

50. Where's SwampRat When We Really Need Him, LOL !!!

:rofl: