Recollections of a conservative who was a reporter covering the House back in the earlier days of Pelosi's career.
Personal insight from the past that some of you may find interesting.
By Ethan Wallison
Real Clear Politics
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2006/11/the_nancy_i_knew.html"Nancy Pelosi tried to snatch an early victory in the race for party whip in the summer of 1999. Her tactic was essentially a blitzkrieg, a fast sweep of the Democratic caucus that would wrap up the contest before Members left for the August Congressional recess. This was begun almost three years before the post was even to become available. But at the time, Democrats believed they had a shot at the majority, and a vacancy at whip would have resulted. At first, many of her fellow Democrats expressed annoyance that the cart was being placed before the proverbial horse. Pelosi knew this was an argument promoted by would-be rivals who had been caught off-guard. Settling the whip contest early, she argued, would enable everyone to turn their focus to more important tasks.
It was not to be. But the dry run was useful; it revealed that she was close to her goal. In the next Congress Pelosi moved fast, and within months determined that she had the votes. But now she came upon an obstacle more difficult to finesse than the earlier grumbling. It was David Bonior, the incumbent whip and Pelosi's leadership mentor. A victim of redistricting, Bonior had decided not to even bother seeking another term. But so far he had held onto his leadership position. Pelosi wasn't inclined to wait, but she also did not want to offend Bonior by requesting that he step aside. Instead, her campaign engineered the publication of an article in Roll Call in which Members complained about lame-duck Bonior preventing a new generation of leadership from emerging as he wound down his career. (I wrote that article, finding out only later how it had been carefully planned and planted.) Bonior was out before the end of the first session...
...Given her weaknesses, it's fair to ask how it could be that she was chosen first as whip and then as leader and now as Speaker by her peers. Certainly, over time, I began to wonder whether she was equipped to lead the Democrats. Yet it was true that, whatever her flaws, she was also charming, gracious and constructively energetic. Her leadership role in the Caucus grew largely from her performance during the Gingrich investigations of the late 1990s, when, as a member of the ethics committee, she became one of Newt's most tenacious and effective foes (in partnership with Bonior). And she had tremendous style and charisma. Members were flattered by her attention. When she was campaigning, she would often drop in on Members unannounced, leaving chocolate and a friendly note if they were not around. The strength of her support network also suggested there was more to her than met the eye. David Obey, the top Democrat on Appropriations and nobody's fool, was her campaign manager.
Still, the true key to her success lay in a confluence of phenomena, beginning with some basic Congressional math. Pelosi started with support from virtually the entire California delegation - almost 30 Members - meaning she was nearly a third of the way to victory before knocking on her first door. Add to that large majorities of the sizable women's and progressive caucuses, and it was simply a matter of picking off a few votes here and there from the remainder."
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