If Obama has proven one thing, it's that he knows how to win elections and avoid mistakes. He can see as well anybody that a powerful and visible Nancy Pelosi poses one of his biggest challenges to a re-election. She has an ideology that is far outside the mainstream and has the same level of likeability as Tom Delay.
She comes across terribly in public and has become convinced that Obama's election means she can run the house unchecked. In that case, it means she can try and pass programs that will win her plaudits in her SF district but will cost the Dems dearly with mainstream voters. Do you think the pragmatists in the White House feel comfortable with Pelosi attacking the CIA while she would not dare criticize the ACLU or Code Pink.
She clearly seems to be lying about what she knew and this week has wounded her. Her missteps have given the Republicans their first winning week in a while.
This week is the first week Republicans have won since I can remember. Cheney came out Sunday on the offensive and since then the Dems have been on the retreat. The Speaker looks out of her depth and has become a liability to the White House. Leon Panetta came out and essentially said Pelosi is not telling the truth about the CIA
Newt has come out hard against Pelosi accusing her of lying and he thinks it is despicable.
Mrs. P is of course trying to backtrack on what she says by falling back to her automatic default position that it is all Bush's fault.
She is struggling and the Democrats have a much more palatable and mainstream Speaker in the wings: Steny Hoyer. As a Republican, I hope Pelosi stays in power and stays visible. But I also know that Rahm and Axelrod are probably salivating over the possibility of hoisting her on her own petard.
I did not think this until I saw that Obama appointee, Leon Panetta, came out so publicly against the Speaker. If this was a Republican the media would be out for blood. So far they have not attacked Nancy too hard, but as they start to figure out that is what Obama wants to happen, watch for the media to diligently follow their marching orders.
She is a loose cannon and replacing her with Hoyer would be a big help for the Dems in 2010. I will miss her because she has been one of the few bright spots for the GOP.
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