Nancy Pelosi ¢â¬â A voice that can be bought?

Who is Nancy Pelosi? I wondered. It was 1987 and a long haired guy was photographing a doctored Pelosi campaign poster in San Francisco’s Haight Ashbury district. The poster originally said, "Nancy Pelosi, a voice that will be heard." Now it read "Nancy Pelosi, a voice that can be bought." Why?

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After the Democrat’s victory in the Congressional mid-term election, Pelosi will become the first female Speaker of the US House of Representatives. Pelosi represents California’s 8th Congressional District — San Francisco. She first ran for Congress in 1987, after the death of the sitting congresswoman Sala Burton. As Burton lay dying, she asked Pelosi to run for her seat. And after a hard fought primary campaign against San Francisco Supervisor Harry Britt, Pelosi won the seat. According to Doug Ireland of the LA Weekly, "Pelosi buried Britt in money, and ran a nasty campaign that portrayed him as a ‘gay socialist.’"

Pelosi began her political career as a fundraiser. The daughter of Baltimore mayor, Thomas J. D’Alesandro Jr, Pelosi grew up with an inside view of the business of raising money and exchanging favours. She is widely regarded as one of Washington’s most effective fundraisers. According to Jennifer Steinhauer in the New York Times:

Ms. Pelosi’s version of the favor bank involves seeking money and support from Democratic officeholders, donors and organizations around the country. She makes it clear in phone conversations that she knows what their individual wishes may be, and that if they hope to see them attended to should “her candidates” take back the House, they need to pay upfront, several people whom she has contacted said.

“She’s relentless,” said a national union official, who said Ms. Pelosi had been calling in recent months, looking for money for campaigns and volunteers. The official, an admirer who spoke on the condition of anonymity because getting on Ms. Pelosi’s bad side “ain’t pretty,” added, “She can really smell the goal line.”

Pelosi has run into problems with fund raising in the past. In 2003 a fund-raising committee she was running was fined $21,000 for improperly accepting donations over federal limits. With her elevation to the Speaker’s job, her opponents will now have even more incentive to follow the money.

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whyisitso
whyisitso
17 years ago

Isn’t she next in line after Bush and Cheney for the Presidency? And does that mean the US is only two successful impeachments away from having its first female President?

Patrick
Patrick
17 years ago

She’s starting very badly with, apparently, no intention of punting once-sacked Mollohan and every intention of putting even more ethically challenged (ie actually impeached not merely investigated and sanctioned) Hastings in charge of the Intelligence Committee!

She certainly realised that corruption, or the perception thereof, was an election issue (politics-geeks remember ‘drain the swamp‘?). But she seems quite happy to do just what the Republicans did and assume that the other side being at least as bad the issue won’t bite them.

Jc
Jc
17 years ago

I am going to enjoy watching the writhing on the Dems side with the Hastings appointment. This is one of those times when you get out the popcorn, put up your feet and enjoy the show.

It’s gonna be a corker of a Congress the next 2 years. Nothing gets done (good) and the blood sport is simply superb

derrida derider
derrida derider
17 years ago

Jeez, don’t you RWDBs know anything except “smear and fear”?

There was nothing more predictable than that the right would start smearing each and every Dem in any position of power while the votes were still being counted. I know nothing about Pelosi, and this article means I still know nothing about her, because it’s just more of the same shit we used to see from your lot when the Clenis was President. It lacks all credibility.

Jason Soon
Jason Soon
17 years ago

Hear that Don? you and the NY Times are now RWDBs because DD can’t handle the truth :-)

Don Arthur
Don Arthur
17 years ago

Jason – I’ll add it to my collection. Here’s one of my favourites from Crooked Timber:

I’m sorry, but I think that American conservatives, like Don Arthur…

John Quiggin came to my defence by pointing out that I was neither American nor conservative (which is almost, but not quite, true).

DD – If you know nothing about Pelosi how do you know I’m smearing her in this post?

As far as I can tell, Pelosi operates pretty much the same way most powerful American politicians do. You can’t win elections without money and you can’t get money for nothing. Even my fellow RWDB Janet Albrechtsen has worked that one out. Does this mean Pelosi’s corrupt? I doubt it.

Maybe I wrote this post because I’m insecure about my masculinity.

Don Arthur
Don Arthur
17 years ago

And just by the way, strictly speaking was it the Clenis that was sworn in to office? Or did it just go along for the ride?

Jc
Jc
17 years ago

DD
If they make Hastings the chair of the intel committee it’s even worse than what the GOP has being doing.. At least they got rid of sleazy characters. If Hastings gets the nod, it will the proof the Dems promote their sleazy people. Not that we need proof of that after Clinton.

Don’t get me wrong. I was in favour of the GOP copping a good hiding for waht they have been doing. People hold the GOP to a higher standard then the Dems. In other words there’s only room for one sleazy party in the congress.

Anyway lets enjoy the show while it lasts because nothing else will get done for the next two years.

Andrew Reynolds
17 years ago

JC,
Which includes progress in free trade. Oh, well – can’t have everything.

contrapunctus
contrapunctus
17 years ago

seem like a simple game of join the dots.

look at the number of republican fund raisers jailed or indicted
extrapolate that ANY fund raiser in order to compete must be using the same tactics

Wyatt Wingfoot
Wyatt Wingfoot
17 years ago

Q: Isn’t she next in line after Bush and Cheney for the Presidency? And does that mean the US is only two successful impeachments away from having its first female President?

The answer, quite simply, would be for Mr. Cheney to take Ms. Pelosi hunting.

There will be the camaraderie, the cold winter air, and, of course, the usual disagreement about the quarry.

She will scream WABBIT season! He will declare DUCK season!

Then…she should’ve ducked. Quack!

murph
murph
17 years ago

Isn’t she next in line after Bush and Cheney for the Presidency? And does that mean the US is only two successful impeachments away from having its first female President?

In. your. pinko. wet. dreams. mate.

The House can impeach, but it takes the Senate to convict.

Impeachment is like being charged. It is not the same as being convicted.

Impeachment requires a simple majority in the House. The Senate must pass a 2/3 majority to convict. That ain’t gonna happen. Even then, it’s unlikely that an Impeachment would pass the House. Thankfully, there are more than enough Dems who aren’t mentally deranged commo freaks.

DaveP.
DaveP.
17 years ago

Isn’t she next in line after Bush and Cheney for the Presidency? And does that mean the US is only two successful impeachments away from having its first female President?

Oh please.
Oh PLEASE.

Oh pleaseohpleaseohplease…
Oh please shut down the government during a war in a juvenile attempt at revenge for Bill “Money From The PLA” Clinton.

Oh please, after assuring the American public that the Republicans were lying when they said that you just weren’t mature enough to be trusted with leadership, throw an impeachment for President Bush. Make it as media-centered as possible, too- make sure you grab as much face time, as many sound bites as you can- we all know how much media presence substitutes for thought on your side of the aisle.

I’m begging here.