Pelosi gets more clout, big test of leadership

[babylonsister]

Pelosi gets more clout, big test of leadership

By Rob Hotakainen | McClatchy Newspapers


WASHINGTON — On Capitol Hill, the elections produced one clear winner: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the San Francisco liberal whose relationship with a new crop of conservative Democrats will go a long way toward determining her success in the 111th Congress.

With at least 19 freshmen joining the Democratic caucus, Pelosi will have more power than any speaker of the House of Representatives has had since 1994, when Republicans seized control under Newt Gingrich. With Pelosi's increased clout, however, will come a big test of her leadership skills.

Pelosi's major challenge will be to make peace between her party's often-impatient left wing and the more moderate freshmen who won in Republican-leaning districts. At the same time, there'll be new orders coming from the Obama White House.

"She has a president who's dictating her agenda," said Thad Kousser, an associate professor of political science at the University of California-San Diego. "She's not the leader of her party anymore."

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http://www.mcclatchydc.com/226/story/55475.html

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. In some important ways...

This is a comforting article, like a steaming bowl of split pea soup and country ham soup with rough bread on a cold winter's day.

I do think that Ms. Pelosi is Peter Principle'd to within an inch of her life. She is apparently scared of taking ownership of the office and the agenda.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

2. One way she could make "peace with the left" is to stop funding the war(s).

But, I don't think that's "on the table".

The good news for Nancy is that after the congress's approval ratings drop 11 more points to zero, it can only go up.