Dems missing golden opportunity with Pelosi keeping role as party leader

[Buford]

Nancy Pelosi Announcement: House Democrat Retaining Role As Party Leader



WASHINGTON -- House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Wednesday to her caucus that she's staying on as the top Democrat in the House, ending weeks of intense speculation about whether she might bow out, a Democratic source confirmed to The Huffington Post.
The source also confirmed that Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.) will remain as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.
Pelosi's decision, which she kept so quiet about that even her Democratic colleagues and staff didn't know until the last minute, means that the current line-up of House Democratic leaders will largely stay intact in the next Congress.
Pelosi has kept observers on edge for months. In addition to not giving any details on her future plans, she recently pushed back the date of House Democratic leadership elections for no apparent reason by two weeks, to the end of November -- a move that some read as a sign that she was giving herself more time to make a decision on her future. In addition, Pelosi, now 72, made a big production over the last year about hitting 25 years in Congress, to the point where it seemed she may have been trying to cement her legacy before making a departure on a nice round number.

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Seeing how the GOP is keeping guys like Boehner and McConnell and Cantor in power after their whooping, this would have been the perfect time for the Dems to show they are looking towards the future. I know if she had stepped aside, guys like Hoyer and Clyburn were likely to be favorites. But why not look at the younger members of your party and do something that would be noticeable? Nancy is a motivator....for the opposition. Stepping aside at 72 would show actually some leadership which never comes from the Hill anymore. She's not the future. She's a fundraiser and could have been a king/queen maker by backing somebody fresh.

Shambles.

[Larry]

Agree with you that nominating somebody else would at least have been a token good gesture.

[Buford]

Agree with you that nominating somebody else would at least have been a token good gesture.

Not even just "token" it would have been good for the future of her party. This is selfish and doesn't help their "goals" if they truly have any.

Get away from the old Men/Women and get younger now while the guys who just lost are pointing fingers at each other.

[AsburySkinsFan]

Agree with you that nominating somebody else would at least have been a token good gesture.

Yep, there is such a viceral reaction to her from the Right that moving her off point would go a long way to showing good faith in bipartisanship.

[SnyderShrugged]

Establishment power abounds! Long live the establishment!

[Buford]

Crazier to me is the GOP sticking with McConnell after dedicating the past few years in defeating Obama.....failing....and then willing to kill his party by staying the course.

[Prosperity]

Doesn't matter the GOP will keep the house for at least the next few cycles because they have gerrymandered the **** out of the country. There were more votes for Democratic candidates than GOP this past House elections but the GOP still will get 235 seats for that reason.

[Rdskns2000]

Nancy thinks she will be speaker in 2015. The GOP House will be blamed for everything that will go wrong in the next years; leading to Democratic takeover in 2014.


AS for Mcconnel; he needs to be the Dems #1 target in 2014. Some people were suggesting actress Ashley Judd- silly idea. They need to find someone who can beat him. Also, they should also fund a tea party challenge against him also- to ensure another beatable Tea Party wacko is there to beat.

[Kilmer17]

Nancy thinks she will be speaker in 2015. The GOP House will be blamed for everything that will go wrong in the next years; leading to Democratic takeover in 2014.


AS for Mcconnel; he needs to be the Dems #1 target in 2014. Some people were suggesting actress Ashley Judd- silly idea. They need to find someone who can beat him. Also, they should also fund a tea party challenge against him also- to ensure another beatable Tea Party wacko is there to beat.

They should fund a tea party challenger? Well at least your not being phony and claiming the Dems should try and work with the GOP or vice versa.

[deejaydana]

The GOP House will be blamed for everything that will go wrong in the next years...

.

Maybe by the legacy media they will. If the economy continues to implode I think people will get weary and impatient with both parties. Still don't know if any substantive compromises are forthcoming however. Not with this Administration and not with a swath of the GOP.

[Predicto]

Can't disagree with the OP. Pelosi has become too much of a lightning rod to be effective.

I say this even though I think much of the criticism of her from the right is unwarranted and exaggerated.

[SkinsHokieFan]

I do agree that Pelosi feels she will have the speakership back in 2015.

Why?

If President Obama keeps hammering away that he will keep taxes frozen for the middle class in exchange for raises on the wealthy, and really uses that bully pulpit, BUT we still end up jumping over the fiscal cliff for whatever reason, Republicans will get the blame.

In fact, if I am a Dem strategist, I tell the President that under no circumstances do I prevent the fiscal cliff from occurring.

Republicans generally get the blame for budget disasters, and this would pretty much finish off the "modern" Republican party if the President plays this right.

[Predicto]

I do agree that Pelosi feels she will have the speakership back in 2015.

Why?

If President Obama keeps hammering away that he will keep taxes frozen for the middle class in exchange for raises on the wealthy, and really uses that bully pulpit, BUT we still end up jumping over the fiscal cliff for whatever reason, Republicans will get the blame.

In fact, if I am a Dem strategist, I tell the President that under no circumstances do I prevent the fiscal cliff from occurring.

Republicans generally get the blame for budget disasters, and this would pretty much finish off the "modern" Republican party if the President plays this right.

I feel like I have heard this kind of prediction from you before.

Anyhow, there is a big flaw in your reasoning. You say: "if I am a Dem strategist, I tell the President that under no circumstances do I prevent the fiscal cliff from occurring." Problem is, Obama is not a big enough dick to do that kind of damage to the country just to win political points.

Eric Cantor on the other hand - him I'm not so sure.

Have we forgotten so soon the debt ceiling debate, and who was perfectly willing to play chicken with the nation's finances? It wasn't Obama and the Democrats.

[SkinsHokieFan]

I feel like I have heard this kind of prediction from you before.

Anyhow, there is a big flaw in your reasoning. You say: "if I am a Dem strategist, I tell the President that under no circumstances do I prevent the fiscal cliff from occurring." Problem is, Obama is not a big enough dick to do that kind of damage to the country just to win political points.

Eric Cantor on the other hand - him I'm not so sure.

Have we forgotten so soon the debt ceiling debate, and who was perfectly willing to play chicken with the nation's finances? It wasn't Obama and the Democrats.

The President has ALL the leverage on this. I don't think people realize what he has.

From an R perspective this is a disaster for "core R constituents"

DC area DOD contractors are going nuts right now because of the potential 55B in cuts next year. Taxes would go up for everyone!

The President would be able to come back on January 2nd and say "here is my new plan"

Would be able to lower taxes and thus win the "lowered taxes" argument

He could, if he chose to, offer to raise spending again on the military.

Or he really could do nothing and we are looking at tax levels that existed in 1998, which seemed to work just fine in 1998.

[Rdskns2000]

They should fund a tea party challenger? Well at least your not being phony and claiming the Dems should try and work with the GOP or vice versa.

It's actually a good strategy. Sen.Claire Maskill donated money to help out Todd Akin during his primary race because she knew he would be the best candidate to beat.

Since the Republicans are bound to be Tea Partied in the 2014 Primaries; their Dem opponents will help out to ensure the right wacko becomes their opponent. The Republicans cost themselves at least 5 seats the last 2 cycles by going with wackos. They are bound to do that again in 2014 and 2016.

---------- Post added November-14th-2012 at 06:59 PM ----------

Obama can get most of what he wants. He will have to take his case to the people. See- the Republicans only care about the rich. He can even put in a new tax break for those he will be getting a tax hike. For whose over 250,000 who are getting a tax increase; you will get a break if you hire X amount of people. Yes, a gimmick; but it is something that could give him more leverage.

Frankly, Obama should just let the cliff happen and forget about it. Everyones taxes will have to go up.