Pelosi: Dems Not Caving to Bush

[sabra]

Source: ABC News

ABC News' Rick Klein Reports: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Tuesday pushed back at perceptions that Democrats are caving to President Bush to extend the administration's wiretapping powers, saying that the final bill Congress passes will have far more protections for civil liberties than the administration favors.

Pelosi, D-Calif., told reporters at a lunch meeting in Washington that Democrats are balancing civil-liberties protections with the need to collect intelligence. She was responding to a report in The New York Times that said Democrats would make concessions to the administration to avoid being labeled as "soft" on terrorism.

"The facts are these: Democrats recognize that intelligence is a very important part of protecting the American people," Pelosi said. "This isn't about Democrats being concerned about the next election. This is about Democrats saying: The law needs to be followed, and we will collect whatever information -- intelligence -- we need to protect the American people under the law."

Pelosi also said she will continue to push for Congress to force an end to the war, despite Democrats' inability to move such legislation in the Senate. But she said liberal groups need to be patient in recognizing that while Democrats control Congress, the president still has veto power.

"In the House now, we'll not be confining our legislative initiatives to what is legislatively possible in the Senate," she said. On groups that are agitating for a faster end to the war, she said: "They are advocates -- we are leaders. We have a different responsibility."

Read more: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/10/pelosi-dems-not.html

[Tempest]

1. Actions speak louder than words, Nancy

And your past actions tell us you'll cave.

She is a disgrace.

[populistdriven]

58. KICK! (for Truth!) nt

[krispos42]

2. In related news...

We're winning in Iraq, tax cuts for the rich are good for everybody, and Fred Phelps is a shining example of Christianity.

:eyes:


Saying it does not make it true.

[liberal N proud]

3. ROFLMAO

NOT!

[sakabatou]

4. Reality disagrees

[JerseygirlCT]

5. You know, I'd rather we risk being labeled "soft" than we

actually behave "softly" wrt the Bush agenda.

Instead of caving, how about accusing them of being soft on the Constitution?

[Fovea]

6. "We are leaders"

No, Ms Pelosi, you are merely advocates for a corrupt status quo.
In truth you, Ms. Pelosi, are not a leader but a civil servant.

You are sitting where you are right now due to a mandate from voters.
Those voters were advocating a return to American democracy and an end to
the Iraq occupation.

Leadership accomplishes that mandate.

Work harder. Take more chances.
That is what leadership in this mess demands of you.
Don't by any stretch of the imagination delegate the term to what you have done so far.

[IndianaGreen]

37. "We are leaders" = "We know what's best for you!"

You are sitting where you are right now due to a mandate from voters.
Those voters were advocating a return to American democracy and an end to
the Iraq occupation.

Not surprising that the first event held by Speaker Pelosi was a big bash for corporate donors, and she barred the media from the event.

[tomreedtoon]

65. Leaders lead. They don't say they're leading.

Remember who said he was "The Decider." But if he didn't have a huge apparatus to support him and prod people along, do you think he would have lead anything anywhere?

Saying you're a leader doesn't make it happen.

[Tyler Durden]

7. Two words:

Blow me.

I am SICK that the first woman to be Speaker of the House is this spineless, pandering WEASEL.

The time has come for STRONG, DRASTIC ACTION, and this is what we get?

TURN OFF THE MONEY TAP, YOU SIMPERING IDIOT.

START ARTICLES OF IMPEACHMENT. RIGHT FUCKING NOW.

[librechik]

9. another 2 words: " Presidential Veto"

and 4 more: Bush is a Criminal--

won't give a fuck what laws Congress makes--he does what he wants, and dares them to stop him.

[Baby Snooks]

15. One thing he can't veto...

One thing he can't veto is an impeachment and conviction.

[Divine Discontent]

52. LOL... right on Baby, right ON! c'mon Nancy you seem so OUT OF TOUCH GIRL!!! n/t

[Fovea]

16. And we should make him use it every week

if not every day. Because what he has done is criminal.
And the I word should not only be on the damn table, it should be what the table is made of.

[Fovea]

41. And so they should stop him

like they should stop any dictator.

Signing statement as used by Bush, put the executive above the constitution. What do we have impeachment for, if not to use against criminals in office?

[Prophet 451]

64. Blowjobs, apparently

Remember that guy from Watergate who asked if the US was a nation of men or a nation of laws?

You're a nation of men. All hail His Imperial Majesty. I'm British, we actually have a monarch and even they don't have this kind of dictatorial power.

[librechik]

26. and 2 more: "Signing Statements"

could our Congress make themselves any more irrelevant? Why has there not been a showdown over these?

Is this my country, really?

[seriousstan]

8. Pelosi is praying that her powder is dry, as a Grandmother, that is.

[bullimiami]

10. big talk, little action.

[rAVES]

11. Aaaahahahahahahahaha!!!

hahahahahaha...

oh lawdie... funny.. real funny.

[FREEWILL56]

12. How the hell do you balance civil liberties with spying on us?

That is a total contradiction that is quite assinine for us to believe. There's no such thing as balancing those 2 subjects as one is contrary to the other. That sounds curiously like being a little pregnant doesn't it? A little infraction upon my civil rights is a blatant violation of my civil rights. Next we'll be hearing of her stained dress from being with W.

[gratuitous]

13. Your responsibility as a leader, Ms. Pelosi

Your responsibility as a leader is to enact the will of the people. We sent a message loud and clear back in November 2007, remember? We had one chance to let the folks in Washington know what we thought and wanted, remember? And all the Washington insiders said that while maybe the House might go to a Democratic majority, the Senate would remain in Republican hands, remember? And we the people threw every last Republican in Congress off their committee and subcommittee chairmanships.

What are you doing to follow through on that, Ms. Pelosi? I counseled patience in the first months of this Congress, but that patience is at an end. It's time for the leaders to live up to the responsibilities we the people entrusted you with. Maybe it's time for different leaders?

[Baby Snooks]

14. And what about the Constitution?

The Constitution used to protect the American people, Madame Speaker, which is more than most can say about you and your "concessions" to the "veto" power of a corrupt and evil president.

[kath]

69. And what about your friggin' OATH OF OFFICE, Ms Pelosi?? Huh?

Huh? Huh?

crickets...

[Amonester]

71. Yes. True Leaders Respect Their Oath Of Office Above All Things.

fake leaders don't wanna work night and day to bring solid arguments that will ultimately rally the majority to do the same...

that self-proclaimed leader must think it's too much "hard werk" at 60+ (imagine 4 or 5 sleepless nights/week every week)...

[Pastiche423]

Whatcha leadin', Nancy?

[Pastiche423]

17. Hiccup

[Hawkowl]

18. Liar!

Veto power?!?! What good does it do him to veto the war budget Nancy? You CAN end the war and simply choose not to. You'd rather just keep funding the useless slaughter and simply wash your hands like a Pontius Pilate?

[kysrsoze]

47. Kysrsoze: "Pelosi can kiss my ass"

To think I once supported this turncoat.

[EFerrari]

19. "groups that are agitating for a faster end to the war"

you mean, like the majority of American voters? Like that group?

[truthisfreedom]

21. Our own leader calling us agitators. What an idiotic choice of words. She's just feeding the GOP

more evil ideas.

[bdamomma]

59. exactly just a suggestion all Californians please call her office.

and where does she get this idea of saying WE ARE LEADERS, they are not leaders they are there to represent us. Geez, these people are really fucked up.

[hatrack]

20. Don't piss in my face and tell me it's raining

EOM.

[leftchick]

22. looks like nnancy lives in bushworld**

where everyday is opposite day.

[MasonJar]

23. Actually it is better to be informed. The bill described above by Will Pitt

does not seem a cave-in. So let's get our facts before we implode!

[PaulaFarrell]

24. I just called madame speaker's office

and told them she should resign her position if she's not going to do her job and 'lead'. They promised to pass on tyhe message...

[partylessinOhio]

25. Madame Squeaker is just spewing double talk. She was a mistake as

squeaker. I don't know who decided to put her in that position because I am certain that most of the Dems in the House were not that enamored of her. Whomever it was should be thrashed!

[bdamomma]

60. but I would rather have her than Bohner, even if she has her FAULTS.

[Name removed]

27. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Orsino]

28. ...more than a few times per week. n/t

[martymar64]

29. I bet that . . .

Tip O'Neill's decomposed corpse would do a better job as speaker than Ms Pelosi.

She's as big a failure as speaker as bush is a failure as president.

[Lerkfish]

30. a compromise is not always the best solution: how about just a little torture, or we just

abridge your civil liberties a little?

are you sort of pregnant?


These issues are either/or, there is no compromise. The only compromise abridges civil liberties

[SKKY]

31. You're exactly right Nancy, you're not caving in to Bush...

...you're getting down on your knees and doing your best impression of a circus seal for him. It is nice to know however that the speaker of the house is not burdened by such trivial things as reality.

[ShortnFiery]

54. "getting down on your knees and doing your best impression of a circus seal for him."

Our Illustrious Madame Speaker, one each, Nancy Pelosi
*sans her thousand dollar pants suit
:rofl: I hope you don't mind if I file that away for future use? :blush: :thumbsup:

[SKKY]

66. By all means. Tell it early. Tell it often. Make it yours.

But if asked, you should credit Kevin Smith for that one.

[deacon]

32. Nancy, Yes they are, and you are the biggest cavererer n/t

[deacon]

33. He broke the law and Nancy is turning a blind eye to that part of it. n/t

[superconnected]

40. Your act is getting cold Nancy. Nobody believes it anymore.

[mark414]

34. why are ANY new powers needed when the ones we had worked just fine?

it wasn't the lack of spying powers that let 9/11 happen, it was rash fucking incompetence

[PlanetBev]

35. Yeah, Nancy, you just go ahead and believe that..

The horrible truth is, since November, 1980, all Repubican atrocities have had the eager cooperation of what we used to call the Democratic Party.

[IndianaGreen]

36. What a pile of manure Pelosi is trying to push on us!

Democrats are balancing civil-liberties protections with the need to collect intelligence.

Translation: They are going to throw what's left of our freedoms under the bus of tyranny.

This is about Democrats saying: The law needs to be followed, and we will collect whatever information -- intelligence -- we need to protect the American people under the law."

LIAR! If Pelosi wanted to follow the law, she would be taking impeachment off the table!!!!

Pelosi is an enabler of tyranny!

[superconnected]

38. There's a name for that.. the lip service thing, ah yes... DINO! DINO! DINO!

[kysrsoze]

48. Hey, that gives Dino a bad name. I love Dino, but I hate Dino Dems.

[Magleetis]

39. Wrong again moose breath

Not only are you caving to the chimp, you have become his enabler. You even sound like him.

[kurth]

42. Yeah, yeah, yeah - the president thinks you're a nice girl too

"A West Texas girl, just like me." - George W. Bush, May 27, 2004

[JVS]

43. It would be laughable if it weren't so sad

[dchill]

44. If it's not caving...

then it must be genuflecting!

[Triana]

45. Whatever, Nancy. Call it whatever you want. For me the words...

.."ENABLING" and "PANDERING" come to mind.

[Oak2004]

46. I'm an American "People" and I want to be protected...

protected from George W. Bush and all the other internal enemies of the Constitution.

There are, oh, maybe 70% or so of the other People who share my interest in being protected from these dangerous fanatics who seek to destroy the American way of life. Will you submit a bill to protect us, too (hint: what you need to submit is called "articles of impeachment")? Or do we lack something, like, say, lobbyists with big checks payable to you?

[Faux pas]

49. bushit nancy. n/t

[Yavapai]

50. Neville Chamberlain in drag!!!

:puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke: :puke:

[harpboy_ak]

51. Time to walk the talk, Mme. Speaker

Time to get rid of these Leadersheep. You can't even send that DINO Stoyer an email --- the Majority Leader's web site has no way to do so, just to get on his propaganda email list, and his district site won't accept emails from anywhere but his district.

Thank goodness I just signed up for a new phone plan that gives me 150 minutes/month of out of state calls, so I can call Nancy, Steny, and the other Leadersheep and tell them HELL NO.

Time to stop Bushco from pissing on the Constitution.

[ShortnFiery]

53. Yes, Nancy needs Fleetwood Mac back-up: "Tell me lies, tell me sweet little lies? TELL ME LIES!"

:eyes:

[Javaman]

55. so, nancy, how is that cesspool draining job going? nt

[bdamomma]

56. hmmmm....sounds like we have to push Nancy more.

her response should be recountered with a response from us like we do not need protection the fucking Constitution needs protection. Not exactly with the expletives.


Oh, Nancy you serve us, what is this shit about "we are leaders" and "we have a different responsibility". That is a rude remark isn't it?

[MLFerrell]

57. Shut the fuck up, you corporatist shill.

You represent the interests of the rich and powerful at the expense of ordinary Americans.

Fuck you, Nancy. You will be remembered in the same breath as Neville Chamberlain, you fucking traitor.

[IndyOp]

61. They are the rabble -- we are the elite.

"They are advocates -- we are leaders. We have a different responsibility."

:eyes:

[Neecy]

62. interesting choice of words

we will collect whatever information -- intelligence -- we need to protect the American people under the law

I'm trying to remember where I recently read about this - I think it was in Naomi Wolf's new book. Anyway, remember the days of the military-industrial complex? It still exists, but it has now been joined by the intelligence-security complex - companies that are raking in huge Homeland Security contracts and administration favors (think AT&T) for collecting not just intelligence but 'information' as Ms. Pelosi lets slip above. While there's little these companies can do to collect useful information about terrorists overseas, in order to rake in the dough they have to turn to collecting information about...us.

This has nothing to do with protecting the American people. It has everything to do about the intelligence-security complex, their campaign contributions, and their push to turn us into a police state in the name of profits. This is corporatism at it's ugliest and most sinister and instead of pushing back Pelosi is playing right into their hands. Shameful.

[truebrit71]

63. I just love this line...

"we will collect whatever information -- intelligence -- we need to protect the American people under the law" You forgot this part Madam Speaker "just like in Vietnam they used to burn villages in order to save them"

You CANNOT have warrantless wiretaps AND the 4th Amendment at the same time...

It's like fucking for virginity...

[roody]

67. She is also stabbing teachers in the back

with the reauthorization of No Child's behind left. She and George Miller plan to tie teacher pay to test scores, which happen to correlate with socio-economic status AND to take away teachers' right to collective bargaining!!! Who's the Democrat?

[IndianaGreen]

68. We were so happy to have the first woman Speaker, that we didn't ask ourselves if...

We were so happy to have the first woman Speaker, that we didn't ask ourselves if she was the right woman for the job.

Many are so happy at having the first woman President, that they are not asking themselves if she is the right woman for the job.

[humbled_opinion]

70. What happened to you Nancy?

I Remember the respected minority leader that stood up and said Bush admitted to comitting an impeachable offense. If the Democratic leaders in Congress buckle to this President that who will stand for this country? Impeachment is necessary that is why it is in the Constitution. What will it take. Does Bush have to declare Marshall Law, violate Posse Comitatus, and declare himself President for ever in the name of protecting this country from terror? ... What will Nancy say then well we will give some concessions because of the War On Terror.....


BOO Nancy see there are not terrorists hiding in the dark corners just waiting for you to take the lead and then spring into action...

Honestly I think the Democrats in Congress think that if they make a decision and it changes something that Bush is doing and then we have another 911 type attack the Repug machine will somehow make it all the Democrats fault and the country will rebuke them. Sadly that may not be too far from the truth... Something like that could possibly start a civil war in this country... hmmmm

[Vidar]

72. Pelosi is partially right: "Caving in" would imply that the Democrats had

actually stood up to Bush at some point, which is clearly not the case.

[mogster]

73. She risk being called 'soft' on liberalism, though

And that's much worse, in my eyes.