How Pelosi propelled the Democrats (11/10)

[rodeodance]

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/c/a/2006/11/10/MNG2TMA8FR1.DTL

How Pelosi propelled Democrats to power
As minority leader, she got members to stick together, recruited moderates as candidates and raised millions of dollars

Marc Sandalow, Washington Bureau Chief

Friday, November 10, 2006

Democratic Rep. Nanci Pelosi of San Francisco, who is poi... Former President Bill Clinton has a word with Nancy Pelos... Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada conferred wit...

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RISE OF NANCY PELOSI
Elections 2006

Spotlight on San Francisco (11/11)

How Pelosi propelled the Democrats (11/10)

Speaker-to-be soaks in reality of making history (11/9)

Pelosi vows cooperation (11/8)

Lifetime commitment to politics, Dems (11/8)

Two Cents

Election Page | More Stories

Chronicle Series

Part 1: Inside power player (4/2)

Part 2: The money network (4/3)

Part 3: A referendum on GOP (4/4)

(11-10) 04:00 PST Washington -- On a snowy morning last December when the talk in Washington was that Rep. Nancy Pelosi's support for pulling troops from Iraq might cost Democrats the 2006 election, a reporter asked Pelosi whether she needed to gain seats in the coming election to return as Democratic leader.

"I fully intend to be standing here as speaker of the House next year. Any other questions?" Pelosi responded.

Nearly a year later, Pelosi has exceeded even her own expectations. Not only will she be speaker, but her party will govern with a comfortable majority after picking up at least 28 seats. The Senate will be in Democratic hands. Her picture is expected next week on the covers of Time and Newsweek, and there is already talk that she should run for president in 2008.

So how did the San Francisco congresswoman, who even some Democrats said was too partisan, liberal and shrill to lead the party, take them to the majority?

The answer has as much to do with the tactical skills Pelosi developed as chairwoman of the California Democratic Party in the early 1980s as her positions on policy matters such as the war, which now are regarded well within the mainstream of American politics.

[williesgirl]

1. K&R

[elocs]

2. Yet many do not appear to trust her judgment

when she says that impeachment is off the table. Wouldn't she look weak and powerless if Conyers or Waxman went off and started impeachment hearings on their own regardless of what she has said.
I think that I will trust her judgment rather than that of the many armchair political experts.

[Old and In the Way]

3. I think Pelosi will be a wonderful SOTH.

I think she has outstanding tactical and strategic skills....her experience as minority leader dealing with a monolithic, rubber stamping house majority proved that to me. She certainly deserves to lead us there.

And I understand why she had to take the "I" word off the table for now. As long as she doesn't permanently try to bottle up the results of these investigations in committee, I'm fine with this.

[bemildred]

4. I don't think Pelosi went to all that trouble to sit on her hands.

I am more than willing to "stay the course" with her.