Pelosi Should Take the Backseat

 

 

Madam Speaker

She the votes to win; that seems certain. She makes no secret of that. But are those votes true barometers of her ability to steer the ship of the Democrats at this point, or are those votes largely chits being called in because of the amount of money Ms. Pelosi has raised for her fellow Democrats? By late October 2010, Ms. Pelosi had put her powerful fundraising skills to work for the benefit of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, at the tune of $57M, a significant portion of the overall amount raised. She directed this money to just about any candidate that asked, and she undoubtedly made it clear that the money came with strings. Always does, doesn’t it? After all, money is politics, but simply following the money to guide one’s vote – while ignoring common sense – is bad policy.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi became Speaker of the House in January 2007. Her tenure was not the longest, but it was not the shortest either. More importantly, by all accounts, this congressional session was one of the most productive sessions in recent memory, and much of that is due to her leadership, drive and political skill. Congratulations, Madam Speaker. That is a great legacy.

However, in two short years, Ms. Pelosi led the congressional Democrats from one of its strongest positions in recent history (256-178) to its greatest midterm electoral defeat in history (loss of 60 seats, with Republicans holding 242 seats to the Democrats’ 193). This demise has the hallmarks of being a swift one, especially given the acclaim with which she took the position as the first female Speaker and the subsequent election of Barack Obama, who as a primary candidate received an early and strong endorsement from Ms. Pelosi.

Generally in life, such a rout would require an examination of the causes and a reconsideration of the leadership structure. If a business fails, this typically happens. Sports franchises go through these shake-ups. But seemingly not the congressional Democrats. Oh, apparently they have done some soul-searching, but the blame for the historic losses seems to be left squarely on the 9.5% unemployment rate – as if the unemployment rate is some sort of ethereal creature pulling the levers in the voting booth. In a clear statement that reeks of defensiveness, Ms. Pelosi found herself having to say:  “We didn’t lose the election because of me.” Really? Yes, there were a number of factors, but to not acknowledge your part in the rout is a classic case of living in denial. She ought to remember her own words from 2008 when the Democrats enjoyed their second straight increase in congressional seats: “The American people have called for a new direction. They have called for change in America.” So what did they ask for this time? New carpeting in the Capitol? In actuality, these types of ads from the Republicans – however repulsive – were effective:

So where is the change? Well, in the classic Pelosi move, she helped engineer the ascension of Rep. Jim Clyburn to a new, as-yet-unnamed, position. All this to make sure there was no fight over the #2 position with Steny Hoyer. So , there’s the change! This was not too hard since Mr. Hoyer’s base, the moderate Democrats, were decimated in the 2010 elections, making it impossible for him to challenge Ms. Pelosi. Many analysts point to the very legislation that Ms. Pelosi helped pass as the catalyst for the stunning losses in 2010. Sorry, Mr. Hoyer.

Ms. Pelosi said that her supporters “understand [the Republicans] made me target because I’m effective.” Yes, some would say that her effectiveness was in passing some legislation – namely the health care bill – that runs counter to popular support. While there is some private consternation over her decision to seek a leadership position, there does not appear to be a groundswell of opposition to Ms. Pelosi’s election as the House minority leader. Too bad.

This would be a good time for the Democrats to show that they are ready to govern as opposed to just passing legislation. Don’t get me wrong – a Democratic Party in the lead is better than a Republican Party – but that is why Pelosi should sit in the back.