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Speaker Nancy Pelosi Running for House Democratic Leader

In the wake of her party's devastating midterm losses on Tuesday, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Friday afternoon that she will run to stay on as leader of her party in the 112th Congress.

Although Pelosi was widely expected to step down from her leadership position immediately after the elections, she spent Wednesday and Thursday reaching out to colleagues to assess her strength within the Democratic caucus. Pelosi allies in the House also began placing phone calls to gauge her chances in a leadership race, Politics Daily learned.

Believing that she has enough backing, Pelosi sent a letter to her House colleagues on Friday announcing that she will run for minority leader when members choose their leaders later this month.

"Our work is far from finished. As a result of Tuesday's election, the role of Democrats in the 112th Congress will change, but our commitment to serving the American people will not," Pelosi wrote. "Based on (my) discussions, and driven by the urgency of protecting health care reform, Wall Street reform, and Social Security and Medicare, I have decided to run."

As news of Pelosi's surprise decision rocketed around Capitol Hill, Republicans delighted in the possibility that she might stay on as the leader of the House Democrats. As Pelosi's approval rating dropped to a historic low before the midterms, she became a potent target for GOP attack ads and a lucrative foil for Republican fundraising efforts.

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result," said Ken Spain, the communications director for House Republicans' campaign committee. "Of course, if House Democrats are willing to sacrifice more of their members in 2012 for the glory of Nancy Pelosi, we are happy to oblige them."

Pelosi's power has always come from the liberal members of the House Democratic caucus, most of whom retained their seats after Tuesday's elections.

In addition to loyalty from the left, Pelosi supporters point to several reasons she is the leader the party cannot afford to lose, including her vast fundraising network, her history building the House majority in 2006, her goodwill among liberal interest groups, and her mastery of the redistricting process, which Democrats will face next cycle. Since 2002, Pelosi has raised $231 million for her fellow Democrats.

"Was Tuesday bad? Yes," said a senior Democratic aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "Was it bad enough to wash away everything she's done for the party? I'm not so sure."
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Factcheck:
1. 757
2. Boehner gets the same if he needs it, but doubtful since he does not have as far to travel.


Pelosi has used the Air Force equivalent of a Boeing 757 to fly between Washington, D.C., and her San Francisco district. But she has done so exactly once, when no smaller aircraft was available, according to Air Force spokesman Eric Sharman. At other times she flies in a much smaller, 12-seat executive jet, the same type used by her Republican predecessor, Dennis Hastert.

As we pointed out in an Ask FactCheck item on Dec. 12, Hastert was given use of an Air Force C-20B for security reasons following the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. The speaker of the house is next in line after the vice president for presidential succession.
I know she is the rights "whipping" girl and the speaker of the house is usually the brunt of the oppositions rebuke but you cannot minimize her accomplishments as a legislator even if you don't like the legislation that was passed.



Wednesday, Nov 3, 2010 08:01 ET Nancy Pelosi probably deserved better than this
By Steve Kornacki
AP
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's tenure ended with the Democrats' decisive loss on Tuesday nightAs public faces of America's most chronically maligned institution, congressional leaders are never really that popular. Even Tip O'Neill, whose Irish charm and gruff, grandfatherly demeanor won him his share of fans, was a useful tool for Republican ad makers in the early 1980s. So when it comes to mass opinion, the best advice for a speaker of the House is probably this: Keep quiet and let your lieutenants do the talking -- then maybe your image will be as benign as Denny Hastert's.

But Nancy Pelosi wasn't interested in blending in. She was 66 years old when she finally claimed the top job in the House in 2007 and 68 when a president from her party came to power. Democrats in Washington had been playing defense since the Gingrich revolution, but finally, with Barack Obama's inauguration, they had the numbers to make things happen, and she was determined to lead the way.

Asked shortly after Obama's 2008 victory (in an election in which the Democrats' majority in the House expanded to 255 seats) what she wanted to achieve in the next two years, Pelosi identified "growing the economy, expanding healthcare, ending dependence on foreign oil and ending the war in Iraq" as her priorities. And she largely delivered.

The story of the first half of Obama's first term, let's not forget, is one of partial legislative triumph. On issue after issue, Pelosi's House produced for the president. The stimulus was larger before the Senate watered it down. Cap-and-trade made it through the House, before dying in the Senate. A stronger healthcare reform package -- one with a public insurance option -- was pushed through the House, only to be stripped down by the Senate. Ditto for Wall Street reform. And let's not forget the lower-profile legislation, on fair pay, student loan reform, cash-for-clunkers, and credit card reform, that made it through both chambers. The 111th Congress will be remembered for the way it ended, with a seismic Democratic defeat, but that doesn't change the fact that it was one of the most productive -- ever.
I guess this answer the question.

quote:
Cage, I think I should point out that Nancy Pelosi is running for MINORITY leader in the new congress. John Boehner will be the MAJORITY leader and thus Boehner will be riding in the 747. Want to comment on that?




quote:
Presumptive House Speaker John Boehner said Wednesday that he will not use the military jet provided to current Speaker Nancy Pelosi to fly from D.C. to his home district each week, but will board the same airlines as everybody else.


"I've talked to our security folks about the security involved in my new role. Over the last 20 years I've flown back and forth to my district on commercial aircraft and will continue to do that," Boehner, R-Ohio, said.
quote:
Originally posted by b50m:
I guess this answer the question.

quote:
Cage, I think I should point out that Nancy Pelosi is running for MINORITY leader in the new congress. John Boehner will be the MAJORITY leader and thus Boehner will be riding in the 747. Want to comment on that?




quote:
Presumptive House Speaker John Boehner said Wednesday that he will not use the military jet provided to current Speaker Nancy Pelosi to fly from D.C. to his home district each week, but will board the same airlines as everybody else.


"I've talked to our security folks about the security involved in my new role. Over the last 20 years I've flown back and forth to my district on commercial aircraft and will continue to do that," Boehner, R-Ohio, said.


Well good for Boehner, but before this goes any further it should be pointed out that Nancy Pelosi followed HER predecessor as majority leader in using a military jet to fly home from Washington, can anyone tell which party HER predecessor was a member of?????

From THE CAPITOLIST:
Boehner's decision would be a change in protocol from Nancy Pelosi and her predecessor, former Speaker Dennis Hastert, who usually flew back and forth to their home states in whichever Air Force aircraft was available for their use, typically a 12-seat jet.
quote:
Originally posted by rocky:
Cage, I think I should point out that Nancy Pelosi is running for MINORITY leader in the new congress. John Boehner will be the MAJORITY leader and thus Boehner will be riding in the 747. Want to comment on that?


I'll comment on it. Boehner says he will continue flying commercially like everyone else.
Well as I stated, if John Boehner wants to fly commercial good for him. Of course saying and doing are actually two diffent things. Seeing as both Pelosi and Hastert DID use military jets to fly home, let's wait until Boehner has actually been majority leader for awhile to see if he flip flops, like the tea party candidates are already doing.

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