Nancy Pelosi
Speaker of the House

This page contains material about the first female Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, her goals and her agenda, and the news and opinion you may have missed if you get all your information from television.

Her main goal, presumably, is the advancement of the Democratic Party Platform, which has a page of its own.

Recently, Ms. Pelosi seems to have come to a fork in the road:  She is a Catholic, but she also is a proponent of abortion, also known as fetal homicide.  This subtopic is now discussed in a subsection of its own, located here.



Pelosi censors poster of troops.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-S.F., has done something worse than commit a crime against the First Amendment.  The speaker's censorship of nonobtrusive posters featuring men and women who gave that last full measure of devotion in service to their country is a blunder that could alienate 23 million veterans and their families from the Democratic Party.  If she is endowed with a crumb of constitutional or political sense, she will reverse course.

Democrats Fumble Ball On Energy.  In a letter just this week to House Republican leader John Boehner, Pelosi touted an extensive record of energy success.  But a look at Pelosi's "record" shows it to be pretty pathetic.  She and congressional Democrats have pursued energy "price-gougers," even though more than 17 studies have shown the practice is virtually nonexistent; they've punished "Big Oil" with higher taxes, while handing subsidies to alternative energy; and they've sought to punish "market manipulators."  None of these ideas work.

Pelosi's Energy Stonewall:  Democrats appear ready to sacrifice their whole agenda, even spending, rather than allow new domestic energy production.  Or even a mere debate about energy.  The Democratic leadership is stonewalling any measure that might possibly relax the Congressional ban on offshore drilling.  Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid know that they would lose if a vote ever came to the floor, and they're desperate to suppress an insurrection among those Democrats who are pragmatic about one of the top economic issues.

The 21st century Boston Tea Party.  On Aug. 1, Speaker Nancy Pelosi — without addressing gas prices that continue to hover near $4 per gallon — adjourned Congress for five weeks, dimmed the lights, turned off the microphones and C-SPAN cameras and attempted to remove the press and visitors from the House chamber.  Republicans refuse to leave the chamber because the issue is about much more than gas prices.  It is about much more than energy.  It is about the U.S. economy, jobs and national security.  It is about who we are as a people.

Where's the Energy?  Locked up, thanks to Speaker Pelosi.  With complete disregard to the rights of the minority party, the Democrat leadership in Congress will not allow a vote on drilling for America's vast domestic resources.  Producers have made great strides in minimizing ecological damage.  Over the past 25 years, 7 billion gallons of oil have been pumped to shore, without a single significant spill.  In fact, the last oil spill of any impact from a drilling rig off our shores occurred 37 years ago.  Yet, congressional Democrats refuse to acknowledge these facts, choosing instead to remain beholden to the fringe environmental extremists who oppose advancement.

Pelosi looks to load up drilling bill.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) may be ready to allow a vote on offshore drilling, but that doesn't mean she's going to make it easy on the Republicans who've been goading her for weeks on energy.  As she announced her willingness to hold a drilling vote Monday night, she stressed that it would have to be part of a larger energy package.  And the contents of that package might include some items that would be tough for Republicans and the energy industry to swallow….

Pelosi's Ploy:  It's not that we think Pelosi won't let something with the word "drilling" in it come up for a vote.  It's just that it's likely to be stuck in one of those big omnibus bills with all sorts of pork-barrel spending, new taxes, restrictions on oil use, new economy-damaging limits on global warming gases or plans to tap the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to lower prices — a silly idea most sensible centrist Democrats are walking away from.

Nancy Pelosi's Power Recipe:  Although 73 percent of Americans favor offshore drilling, Speaker Nancy Pelosi won't allow the House of Representatives to vote on the Republican bill to lift the drilling ban.  In a recent CNN interview, Pelosi said she has "no plans" to schedule a vote on it because she opposes drilling in "protected areas."  She is contradicting the pledge she made in 2007 at her swearing-in as speaker:  "I accept this gavel in the spirit of partnership, not partisanship, and I look forward to working with you, [Minority Leader John] Boehner, and the Republicans in Congress for the good of the American people."  What's her excuse for her recent stand?

Pelosi won't limit vote to offshore drilling.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday firmly rejected the idea of a House vote solely on the issue of offshore oil drilling, calling it "a hoax on the American people" backed by oil companies. ... "You want to drill?  We want the royalties for the American people, and we want that to pay for renewable energy resources," the San Francisco Democrat said in an interview for KQED television's weekly news show, "This Week in Northern California."  "We want to connect all that together."

The Editor interjects...
But Ms. Pelosi, those royalties are not yours to give away.

Pelosi's oil slick.  On one hand, what kind of leader would she be if she didn't acknowledge that movement in public opinion? ... But on the other hand, she hails from California where there's long been a "No way, Jose", or better yet "No way, San Jose" attitude about off-shore drilling.  So she can't just give up on opposing such drilling without inviting a severe backlash from her constituency.

Pelosi's top five list for the next president:  When the next U.S. president moves into the White House on January 20, 2009, he shouldn't be surprised to get a call from Nancy Pelosi on Capitol Hill with a list of legislative demands.  "End the (Iraq) war, expand health care, create jobs through innovation, rebuild infrastructure and ensure our energy independence."  In that order.

The Editor says...
I don't know what the next president will say in reply, but here's what I would say:
  1. We should win the war, not just end it.
  2. Socialized medicine is for socialists.
  3. Private businesses create jobs through innovation -- but only
  when they can overcome layers of bureaucratic red tape and huge tax bites.
  4. The Constitution says nothing about "infrastructure", so that is up to the 50 states.
  5. Energy independence is impossible as long as Democrats oppose every practical source of energy.
What are the next five items on your list, Nancy?

Pelosi's spatula:  Americans don't think the 110th Congress — the one under the leadership of Democrats Harry Reid in the Senate and Nancy Pelosi in the House — has much to say for itself.  Regardless of the issue, Americans are clearly of the mind that Congress is shirking its responsibilities.  The energy/oil issue is no exception.  In fact, Republicans are more in sync with voters than Democrats.

What America's Daughters Need To Know About Nancy Pelosi:  The Democratic Speaker of the House and a co-author hired to try to add flavor to bland Beltway establishment oatmeal have penned a self-help book for "America's daughters" to help them "Know Your Power."  It's a dreadfully pedestrian text ("As long as we recognize the power within us, we will continue to have choices, and we will continue to lead."), surpassed in its dreadfulness only by the timing of its publication.

The Imperious Nancy Pelosi.  Power is known to do some mighty strange things to otherwise quite normal people.  At this perilous moment in our history, we have given a great deal of power to a kindly Catholic grandmother named Nancy.  And, unfortunately for us little people, it seems to have gone straight to the little lady's head.

Pelosi:  Drilling in protected areas 'a hoax'.  "This call for drilling in areas that are protected is a hoax, it's an absolute hoax on the part of the Republicans and this administration" Pelosi said at her weekly press conference.  "It's a decoy to punt your attention away from the fact that their policies have produced $4-a-gallon gasoline."

That assertion is easily disproven by looking at the causes of high oil and gas prices.

The Drill-Nothing Congress.  The average price for regular gas hit $4 a gallon over the weekend.  Gas prices have risen 75% since Nancy Pelosi took over.  Where's the energy independence Democrats promised two years ago?

Blame Democrats for high gas prices.  Two years ago then Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi boldly proclaimed, "Democrats have a common-sense plan to help bring down skyrocketing gas prices."  Since she became speaker of the House, gas prices have skyrocketed from about $2.33 per gallon to $3.85 as I write this.

Over to You, Speaker Pelosi.  Gas is still at $4 a gallon, but the good news is there's an emerging consensus on a measure that would help:  Drill for more oil here at home.  President Bush dropped the executive ban on offshore oil and natural gas exploration last week, and House GOP leader John Boehner plans to lead a congressional delegation to Colorado and Alaska to highlight America's abundant energy resources this week.  Polls show more than two-thirds of the public support increased domestic energy exploration and production.  Guess who stands in the way.

Power of one:  Pelosi vows to block offshore drilling vote.  A plan to lift the ban on coastal drilling is stalled on Capitol Hill, for one simple reason: A Californian who opposes President Bush's proposal is calling the shots in the House of Representatives.  Despite growing public support for ending the ban, even in California, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said she won't allow a vote.  "I have no plans to do so," Pelosi said Thursday [7/17/2008].

Boehner says majority of Congress wants to drill.  House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio) said Congress is ready to lift the ban on offshore drilling but is being blocked by Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).  "Nancy Pelosi and the liberals here in the Congress, they worship at the altar radical environmentalism.  The last thing that that group wants is more drilling," said Boehner in an interview with Bloomberg TV Saturday.

Pelosi stands firm against offshore drilling.  Her voice carries considerable weight since, as speaker, Pelosi is in a position to prevent a vote on expanded drilling from reaching the floor.  And she and Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, appear intent on holding the line against calls to approve drilling in areas now off limits.

Pelosi blocks vote on Bush request to lift ban on offshore oil drilling.  A plan to lift the ban on coastal drilling is stalled on Capitol Hill, for one simple reason:  A Californian who opposes President Bush's proposal is calling the shots in the House of Representatives.  Despite growing public support for ending the ban, even in California, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco said she won't allow the immediate vote the president wants.

Blunt blasts Pelosi for not allowing drilling vote.  House Minority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) on Sunday [7/20/2008] strongly criticized Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for not allowing a vote on a measure that would allow offshore drilling.  While acknowledging that Pelosi can prevent such a vote, Blunt said the Democratic leader would have to live with that decision, which he argued "does not make sense to the American people."

Democrats target Strategic Petroleum Reserve.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California wants President Bush to tap millions of barrels of oil stored in underground salt caverns near Lake Charles and Baton Rouge.  The West Hackberry and Bayou Choctaw storage facilities, and two others on the Texas Gulf Coast, make up the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, a federal storage system of more than 706 million gallons of oil to be used in a national emergency.

Feckless To Reckless, Pelosi Should Resign.  Any leader with an energy record as derelict as Speaker Pelosi's ought to step down.  Where she once was just incompetent and irresponsible, she has now — with her latest scheme to fix oil prices — become dangerous.  Despite polls showing Americans in favor of drilling more oil from America's huge untapped supplies, Pelosi won't allow it.  She just wants to empty our Strategic Petroleum Reserve for a short-term fix to get through Election Day.

This is Not a Drill.  [Speaker of the House Nancy] Pelosi announced that the Democrats also plan to push for "an historic investment in biofuels, efficiency, conservation and the rest."  The "rest" is apparently what she called our "important and essential" investment in alternative energy.  That certainly would be historic:  We would make history by throwing our money away on unproven energy boondoggles that have eaten up untold billions since the 1960s without producing a single net kilowatt of power while we all starve to death.

The Democrats' energy policy is hot air.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared on "Meet the Press" Sunday morning [8/24/2008].  Pelosi was asked whether it is proper for her to be investing in natural gas at the same time she is pushing for a federal program that would require its use.  "I'm investing in something I believe in," Pelosi replied.  "I believe in natural gas as a clean, cheap alternative to fossil fuels."  Natural gas cannot be an alternative to fossil fuels for the simple reason that natural gas is a fossil fuel.

Pelosi's failure:  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is the pot calling the kettle black.  On Thursday [7/17/2008], she referred to President Bush as a "total failure."  Yet, the Democrat-led Congress that she captains has even lower poll ratings than Mr. Bush.  In fact, according to the latest AP-Ipsos poll, only 18 percent of Americans approve of Congress' performance.  This is the all-time lowest rating for Congress since Gallup began asking voters to rate the institution in 1974.

America's Energy Held Hostage.  A recent CNN poll showed more than 73 percent of Americans in favor of offshore drilling.  But the House Speaker can keep the issue from even reaching a vote, and Pelosi seems bent on just that.  "(In California) We learned the hard way that oil and water do not mix on our coast," she said back in 1996.  Pelosi was referring, of course, to the famous Santa Barbara oil spill of 1969, an event that serves as the Alamo of the anti-drilling cause.

The Editor says...
Nancy Pelosi has gotten a lot of political mileage out of that one oil spill almost 40 years ago.  The Santa Barbara incident was a blowout.  Prior to the development of blow-out preventers, blowouts were common and were referred to as gushers.*  In other words, there's so much oil and gas out there, it can hardly wait to get out of the ground.

Pelosi's Price:  It's bad enough that Rep. Pelosi refuses to embrace reality, evaluate facts and oversee meaningful debate.  But the hissy fits she throws against President Bush and the Republican minority are worse yet.  This is a sad situation.  Pelosi's reaction to Bush's lifting of the ban on offshore drilling is a perfect example.

Pelosi:  'I'm trying to save the planet'.  After promising fairness and open debate, Pelosi has resorted to hard-nosed parliamentary devices that effectively bar any chance for Republicans to offer policy alternatives.  "I'm trying to save the planet; I'm trying to save the planet," she says impatiently when questioned.  "I will not have this debate trivialized by their excuse for their failed policy."

Nancy Pelosi Tries to 'Save the Planet'.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she will block Republican attempts to lift the moratorium on offshore energy exploration because, "I'm trying to save the planet."  David Rogers at the Politico newspaper reports that Pelosi, who initially promised an open debate, has now resorted to what he calls hard-nosed parliamentary devices to block any Republican proposals on offshore oil and gas exploration.

Pelosi's Planet:  If the San Francisco Democrat's magisterial narcissism isn't off-putting enough, her intent should be.  She's saying that her importance to the survival of Earth transcends our system of open government, elections and power-sharing.  Because she's trying to save the world, she can't be challenged and dissent will not be tolerated.  Pelosi's arrogation of power is not unlike that of the monarchs of old who claimed a divine right to rule.

How's That Minimum Wage Hike Working, Speaker Pelosi?  Since the second leg of the minimum wage hike is about to go into effect, and since we are in the middle of presidential and congressional election season that has to a great extent focused on the state of the economy, one cannot help wondering what Speaker Pelosi and the rest of her Democratic cronies have to say about the success of their "progressive economic agenda."

The Goodwill of Nancy Pelosi:  You'd think after giving credit for American success to America's sworn enemies, the Speaker of the House would back off from flattering the mullahs.  She might even attempt to clarify or correct the record.  A mere "'goodwill' was the wrong term" would have gone a long way.  Yet no clarification or correction was issued.

The Democrats' Fairness Doctrine Dilemma:  Congressional Democrats remain silent, acquiescing in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's determination to prevent legislation to block the reimposition of the so-called Fairness Doctrine.  For all their prattling about protecting civil liberties, none of them — not a single one — has so far signed the discharge petition to allow the Broadcasters' Freedom Act to be wrested from Pelosi's grip to protect our freedom of speech.

How's That Minimum Wage Hike Working, Speaker Pelosi?  Since the second leg of the minimum wage hike is about to go into effect, and since we are in the middle of presidential and congressional election season that has to a great extent focused on the state of the economy, one cannot help wondering what Speaker Pelosi and the rest of her Democratic cronies have to say about the success of their "progressive economic agenda."

Speaker Pelosi in Ethical Hot Water?  Campaign finance experts say Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may have violated federal law by appearing in a television commercial advocating a response to global warming.  Cybercast News reports the ad ran nationwide between mid-April and May 6.  The spot was planned and paid for by Al Gore's Alliance for Climate Protection.  It may be a violation of the McCain-Feingold law that Pelosi enthusiastically supported.

Pelosi's Wealth Greater Than Other Congressional Leaders.  Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is the wealthiest of the top congressional leaders, with total assets valued at somewhere between $30 million and $131 million, according to federal financial disclosure statements.

Where's the wealth gap?  Try Congress.  Together with her husband, Paul, [House Speaker Nancy] Pelosi owns a vineyard in St. Helena, Calif., valued at $5 million - $25 million; a town house in Norden, Calif., valued at $1 million - $5 million; rental property in Napa, Calif., valued at $500,000 - $1 million; and a Wells Fargo bank account containing $100,000 - $250,000.… Rent from the Napa property totaled $15,000 - $50,000; rental income from the vineyard totaled $50,001 - $100,000.

House members doing well despite economic slump.  Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., one of the wealthiest members of Congress, and her real estate-magnate husband Paul Pelosi spent between $1 million and $5 million to buy the home they'd been living in on San Francisco's Broadway.  They also own a vineyard in St. Helena, Calif., worth between $5 million and $25 million and a town house in Norden, Calif., valued between $1 million and $5 million, according to annual financial disclosures released Monday [6/16/2008].

Madame Speaker has Reality Slap her in the face in Iraq.  It will be hard for Speaker Nancy Pelosi to go back to her Democratic colleagues and keep declaiming on the House floor about how the surge isn't working in Iraq now that she has been there and seen for herself.  What she saw was buried in an AP report on her trip.  Powerline's Paul Mirengoff:  "Buried deep in this AP report, between news of a crackdown on al Qaeda in Mosul and a suicide bombing in Baqouba, is Nancy Pelosi's concession that the surge is succeeding."

Biblical Scholars Challenge Pelosi's 'Scripture' Quote.  In her April 22 Earth Day news release, Pelosi said, "The Bible tells us in the Old Testament, 'To minister to the needs of God's creation is an act of worship.  To ignore those needs is to dishonor the God who made us.' … Claude Mariottini, a professor of Old Testament at Northern Baptist Theological Seminary, told Cybercast News Service the passage not only doesn't exist — it's "fictional."  "It is not in the Bible," Mariottini said.  "There is nothing that even approximates that."

Biblical Scholars Challenge Speaker Pelosi's Old Testament Quote.  Biblical scholars are challenging House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's continued use of what she characterizes as a Bible verse to support her push for global warming legislation. … She has quoted the same passage on several other occasions.  But Cybercast News reports several experts say the passage does not exist and does not appear to be a paraphrase of something similar.

Pelosi's War:  The cowardly start more wars than the courageous.  Nancy Pelosi's craven altering of House rules to kill off Colombia's trade pact brings that danger to the Andes.  If war breaks out, her name will be on it.

Derailing the Colombian trade pact was political pandering at its worst.  The Democratic Party pandered the life out of the Colombian Free Trade Agreement this week.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi effectively killed the proposal with a deft parliamentary maneuver that was designed to secure votes from trade protectionists and the executive staff of the AFL-CIO.  The fact that the maneuver may have hurt our relationship with a good trading partner, Colombia, apparently doesn't matter.  Colombians don't vote in the Pennsylvania Democratic primary.

Pelosi plays politics.  Pelosi (D-San Francisco) has done well by her party.  The pact is opposed by unions and therefore is opposed by both Democratic presidential candidates, who are courting labor votes.  But because its economic benefits are plain, a vote would force Sens. Barack Obama of Illinois and Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York to choose between politics and the national interest.  Pelosi's solution:  stall.

Petraeus vs. The Party of Defeat:  Thou shalt not speak well of Iraq.  That was the commandment imperiously handed down by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi this week, in anticipation of General Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker's testimony before Congress.

Liberal Meltdown:  Speaker Pelosi complained that antiwar liberals 1) invaded her private space, 2) ticked off her neighbors, 3) set up "protest camps" outside her home, 4) made her life inconvenient with their antics.  Of course, all of that was fine when they were doing it to President Bush outside his home in Crawford, Texas.

Guns And Butter:  A Primer.  Speaker Pelosi says that for the cost of 41 days in Iraq, 10 million children can receive health insurance for a year.  The Constitution says a lot about national defense.  It says nothing about insurance.  Cut-and run Democrats argue that it's an either/or proposition.

Better SAVE Than Sorry.  Why would nearly 50 Democrats not allow legislation they co-sponsored to get to the House floor for a vote?  Because their boss, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, doesn't want meaningful immigration reform that protects our borders.

Pelosi's Bill Could Benefit Husband's Stock Holding.  On July 27, 2007, 28 executives of the Thousand Oaks, Calif., pharmaceutical firm Amgen contributed more than $20,000 to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) campaign.  On Aug. 2, Pelosi (D-Calif.) reintroduced the Early Treatment for HIV Act, a bill that could boost Medicaid coverage of HIV-related drugs, including Procrit, which is manufactured by Amgen and marketed by a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson, a firm in which Pelosi's husband owns at least $250,000 in stock, according to Pelosi's disclosure forms.

Pelosi Won't Divest Drug Stock, Dismisses Conflict Claim.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) dismissed any notion Thursday [3/6/2008] that her sponsorship of Medicaid legislation that would likely help her husband's financial holdings in a pharmaceutical company presented a conflict of interest.

Democrats Ignore Progress in Iraq.  It has been said that there are none so blind as those who will not see. … That's a perfect description of Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Harry Reid, both of whom disingenuously state that that there has been no sign of progress in Iraq and that we are losing the war there and must pull up stakes and run as fast as we can with our tails between our legs.

Pelosi hits bottom.  Just when you think the dominant left wing of the Democratic Party has hit rock-bottom, one of their partisans reaches new depths in slandering people who have an honest difference with them on policy.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi hit the gutter on Thursday [12/13/2007], when she tried to explain why Democrats are losing the budget war to President Bush.

Pelosi-Rangel Really Is "Mother of all Tax Hikes".  The very last thing families need is to see more of their paycheck confiscated by Congress.  Unfortunately, the U.S. House that already has passed $100 billion in tax increases this year to pay for bigger government and wasteful pork thinks otherwise.

Pelosi buys $16,000 worth of flowers.  [Rep. Dennis] Hastert didn't bill much official travel last year, spending only about $1,700, while Pelosi racked up many times that at nearly $60,000 -- a figure that does not include her "congressional delegation" journeys to Europe and the Middle East.  It does, however, include many visits to congressional districts.

Lying to voters carries high price.  One California newspaper summed up the Democrat's first session well.  "The D in Democrat stands for Do-Nothing."  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's hometown paper joined in the criticism, blasting her for reneging on her party's promise to run a more open Congress.  The San Francisco Chronicle went on to attack Pelosi for forgetting her promises about budget discipline.

Pelosi defends refusal to put "God" on flag certificates.  Dayton-area GOP Rep. Michael Turner and more than 100 of his Republican colleagues sent a letter to Pelosi last week after an Eagle Scout in his district asked that a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol be sent to his grandfather with a certificate inscribed with the message:  "In honor of my grandfather Marcel Larochelle, and his dedication and love of God, country, and family."  The boy and his father contacted Turner's office after noticing the word "God" was left off the certificate included with the flag.

Update:
Teen helps lift ban on 'God' in U.S. flag certificates.  A 17-year-old Eagle scout wanting to honor his grandfather's "love of God, country and family" with a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol has helped remove a ban on the word "God" in certificates that accompany these flags.

Democrats Playing With Fire.  Democrats can have any foreign policy they want — if and when they are elected to the White House.  Until Nancy Pelosi came along, it was understood by all that we had only one president at a time and — like him or not — he alone had the Constitutional authority to speak for this country to foreign nations, especially in wartime.  All that Pelosi's trip can accomplish is to advertise American disunity to a terrorist-sponsoring nation in the Middle East while we are in a war there.

Rep. Pelosi criticizes border fence.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi called a plan to build fencing along parts of the Mexico border a "terrible idea" that overlooks local communities.  Pelosi made the comments during her trip to the Rio Grande Valley for the annual Hispanic Engineering, Science & Technology Week conference at the University of Texas-Pan American.

Party Like It's 1822.  On becoming Speaker of the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi said the nation wanted "a new vision, a new America."  "New" apparently includes new taxes — by reverting to rules in force 185 years ago.

Speaker Pelosi sends the wrong message.  One of our endearing traits as Americans is that on most issues we seldom speak with one voice.  On the other hand the Constitution makes it pretty clear who is in charge of what.  The last time anyone looked, foreign policy, with the advice and consent of the Congress on treaty matters and war, is the province of the White House.

Eric The Red Vs. Nancy The Green.  After seeing portions of Greenland's glaciers break off into the North Atlantic, [Nancy] Pelosi opined:  "It wasn't caused by the people of Greenland — it was caused by the behavior of the rest of the world."  Well, judging by the record, she must mean the European Union.  Maybe, just maybe, it was caused by the repeated natural warming and cooling of the earth.  And maybe Greenland isn't melting at all.  Icebergs are not a recent phenomenon.

Pelosi:  Just Forget the Word 'Earmark'.  The more than 32,000 earmarks requested in the Homeland Security spending bill have roiled the House this week, and now Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) wants the word 'earmark' to just go away.  In a Tuesday press conference about appropriation bills, Pelosi said, "Why don't we leave here today forgetting the word earmark?"  She said they should be called "legislative directives" instead.

The Pelosicrats' Coup d'Etat:  By the time Nancy Pelosi left for Syria, she had accumulated a hyper-liberal anti-war track record only Cindy Sheehan could equal.  Syria's leaders sensed that they were dealing with a sucker the likes of whom hadn't been seen in Damascus since Clinton's first Secretary of State, Warren Christopher, visited Daddy Assad.

Pelosi steps out of bounds on ill-conceived trip to Syria.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi crossed a line this week by visiting Syria, where she met with President Bashar Assad.  She violated a long-held understanding that the United States should speak with one official voice abroad — even if the country is deeply divided on foreign policy back home.

Her $an Fran Treat.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi used her clout to get lawmakers to back a San Francisco redevelopment project near her multimillion-dollar rental properties, disclosure documents reveal.  Pelosi got House members to authorize $25 million to improve the Embarcadero port area, clearing the way for cruise-ship-dock development and other improvements to aid the neighborhood's comeback.

Pelosi's Waterworks:  Did Nancy Pelosi do anything wrong when she sponsored a $25 million earmark for a waterfront-redevelopment project near several properties in which her husband has a financial stake?  It depends on whether she had any reason to believe that the project would cause the values of her husband's properties to rise.

The Great Cap-And-Trade Scam:  Of all the crazed global warming proposals being put forth by the new masters of Congress, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Barbara Boxer, chairperson of the Public Works Committee, by far the worst would be a mandated cap-and-trade program that would supposedly offset carbon dioxide emissions.

Samoan fish politics:  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's push for ethics reform didn't get very far.  The California Democrat, who said she'd clean house, so to speak, apparently thinks her district is exempted from under-the-table deals and stinky politics.

Nancy Pelosi May Not Be Only Democrat "Tuna Helper".  The largest employer in American Samoa is Del Monte Foods' StarKist Tuna, home to over 75% of the island's workforce.  Del Monte Foods, as it turns out, is headquartered in the District of the new Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi.  Smelling a whiff of impropriety, House Republicans have thrown up some serious questions about the exemption and who inserted it into the bill.

FNC Reports Speaker Pelosi's Star-Kist Gap in the Minimum Wage Hike.  Over at The Corner*, Kathryn Jean Lopez reported GOP Reps. Eric Cantor and Patrick McHenry have found there's a loophole in the new minimum-wage increase:  no hike for American Samoa.  Why?  Star-Kist Tuna is a major employer there, with its headquarters in Speaker Nancy Pelosi's district.  Will the media notice?

Pelosi Creates Global Warming Committee.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sought to create a special committee Thursday [1/18/2007] in an effort to jump-start long-delayed government efforts to deal with global warming and produce a bill by Independence Day.  Pelosi, D-Calif., said the committee would hold hearings and recommend legislation on how to reduce greenhouse gases, primarily carbon dioxide generated by fossil fuels, that most scientists blame for a gradual warming of the earth's climate.

Did someone mention Global Warming?

The Torch Has Been Passed — to America-Hating Anarchists.  After Nancy Pelosi is sworn in as the new Speaker of the U.S. House and Harry Reid as Majority Leader of the U.S. Senate, major parts of the American Dream will be shattered.  Some parts of that dream will die.  Among the dead parts:  The part that is committed to a strong national defense and victory in the war on terror.  The part that loves freedom and less government and promotes personal responsibility.  The part that recognizes capitalism as the greatest hope for all peoples to escape the yoke of poverty and oppression.  The part that holds to the beliefs of our forefathers in a divine and omnipotent being knows as God.

Cheney Won't Take Back Pelosi Comment.  Vice President Dick Cheney refused Friday to take back his charge that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's opposition to President Bush's Iraq war buildup is playing into the hands of the al-Qaida terrorist network.  "If you're going to advocate a course of action that basically is withdrawal of our forces from Iraq, then you don't get to just do the fun part of that, that says, 'We'll, we're going to get out,' and appeal to your constituents on that basis," Cheney said.

Cheney Remark Rankles Pelosi.  Speaking with ABC News during a visit to Australia, the vice president addressed the criticism of Pelosi, who earlier this week said that Cheney's remarks were "beneath the dignity of the debate we're engaged in."  She also spoke with White House Chief of Staff Joshua B. Bolten to register her complaint.  "She accused me of questioning her patriotism," Cheney said.  "I didn't question her patriotism.  I questioned her judgment."

Enter Pelosi, Stage Left.  This morning it is the Iraq war that is the eight-hundred-pound gorilla, [Tom] Mann says.  And the minute he lets this metaphorical cat out of the bag the other people in the room grab it by the horns and kick it through the goal posts.

Life as normal, &c.  In her opening remarks, Speaker Pelosi said, "This is an historic moment — for the Congress, and for the women of this country.  It is a moment for which we have waited more than 200 years."  Pardon me, but is there a single human being who has been waiting for a woman to be Speaker of the House?  One? … I don't see why Nancy Pelosi's being Speaker helps any woman other than herself, and I don't see why women at large should take pride in her ascendance.

It's estrogen, and plenty of it.  The Democrats finally installed Nancy Pelosi as the speaker of the House yesterday [1/4/2007], and the talk of Capitol Hill was not about what to do about the war in Iraq, the minimum wage, finding that oxymoron quaintly called "congressional ethics," or even the prospect of raising congressional pay.  Yesterday was all about celebrating estrogen. … "This is a historic moment for the Congress, and for the women of this country," Mzz Pelosi told her jubilant partygoers.  "It is a moment for which we have waited for more than 200 years."

[Militant, presumptuous, arrogant feminism has been around for about fifty years, not 200.]

Pelosi Will Bring 'Speaker Pork' to San Francisco.  Tip O'Neill secured down payments for Boston's Big Dig.  Sam Rayburn sent gushers of cash back to Texas, along with tax breaks that helped its oil industry.  Hospitals, schools and nonprofits in Dennis Hastert's hometown of Aurora, Ill., have seen millions roll in during his reign.  Now Rep. Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco is poised to follow them as speaker of the House — a perch predecessors used to channel big cash to pet projects back home.

Speaker-to-be is no stranger to earmarking.  When the House passed a massive spending bill last November, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi made sure her constituents knew what they were getting.  "Pelosi Secures $115 Million for San Francisco Transportation, Housing, Science and Arts," she proclaimed in a news release.  It wasn't an unusual announcement.  Like many of her colleagues in Congress, Pelosi for years has celebrated bringing home the bacon to her district.

The Pelosi News Networks.  If we rigidly applied truth-in-advertising laws to the national media in their coverage of the 2006 campaign, we would have first declared that the stuff between the commercials wasn't "news" as much as a boatload of free infomercial advertising for the Democrats.  The news reports should have led with the sentence, "I'm Nancy Pelosi, and I approved this newscast."

Call her 'Nancy Shrew'?  In just a few short days, House Speaker-to-be Nancy Pelosi has turned into a caricature of the shrill, petty woman boss. … So if "Nancy Shrew" becomes the image of the highest-ranking woman ever in American politics — Pelosi will be second in line of succession to the presidency — it'll be a problem for all women politicos, including 2008 prospect Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.).

Pelosi's First Flop:  House Democrats have made several correct judgments about their victory.  The first is that Nancy Pelosi was not its architect and requires little or no deference.  If anything, they won in spite of her, not because of her. … There are reasons to question Pelosi's political judgment, as Murtha's bungled majority leader bid demonstrates.  The fact that Democrats did question it and went their own way suggests they're not going to march over a cliff behind Pelosi, whose views constitute almost a caricature of American left-liberalism at its most provincial.

Quo Vadis?  Since the results of Tuesday's election became obvious, Speaker-in-waiting Nancy Pelosi has repeatedly made clear her party's priorities are:  "Jobs, healthcare, education, energy independence, a safer America, a dignified retirement — that's what the Democrats are all about."  What about Iraq?  Answer:  The Democrats don't have an easy answer and they have no prescription.

Nancy Pelosi's "San Francisco Values"

Unindicted co-conspirator as House majority leader?  Incoming Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi says she will fight for Rep. John Murtha, an unindicted co-conspirator in the FBI sting operation Abscam, as the next House majority leader.

Speaker-to-be is no stranger to earmarking.  When the House passed a massive spending bill last November, Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi made sure her constituents knew what they were getting.  "Pelosi Secures $115 Million for San Francisco Transportation, Housing, Science and Arts," she proclaimed in a news release.  It wasn't an unusual announcement.  Like many of her colleagues in Congress, Pelosi for years has celebrated bringing home the bacon to her district.

Desperate Congresswomen of Hysteria Lane.  In the past week, there are 476 documents on Nexis heralding the magnificent achievement of Nancy Pelosi becoming the FIRST WOMAN speaker of the House. … So in addition to bringing back a cut-and-run national security strategy, tax-and-spend domestic policy and a no-enforcement immigration policy, the new Democratic Congress is apparently ushering in a return to feminist milestones.

The Real San Fran Nancy:  When the confetti finally settles at DNC headquarters and the bottles of champagne run dry, Americans will get a good, hard look at their new leaders.  With the House, the Senate, and the statehouses in their grasp, the country has spoken.  But for many voters, lured by the promise of fresh faces and ideas, the reality may be sobering.

How Pelosi cleans the House.  She's conducting Beltway business as usual, just like the good old boys she demonized throughout the campaign.  (Madame Pelosi just happens to do it in an Armani aqua blue-gray pantsuit that gets thumbs-up from obsequious Washington fashion writers.)  Well, a back-scratching corruptocrat in pastel is still a back-scratching corruptocrat.

Democrats aren't ready for prime time.  Charles Rangel wants to reinstate the draft.  Nancy Pelosi wants to put a judge who accepted bribes in charge of the House intelligence committee.  And Barney Frank wants to promote inequality.  Well, it did not take long for Democratic leaders in the House to show they are not ready for prime time.

The Nancy I Knew:  [Scroll down…] Impressive ruthlessness, by my lights.  But I suspect Pelosi would never acknowledge the duplicity.  She was just as committed to the appearance of pristine righteousness as she was to her own political success, and assumed she could have both.

If You Thought Impeaching Bush Was a Dead Issue, Think Again.  Incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told other Democrats there will be no talk of efforts to impeach President Bush or anyone else, but that won't stop the anti-war left from clamoring for the President's head this weekend.  The liberal group ImpeachPAC has organized more than 50 protests across the country on Sunday [12/10/2006]….  Democrats as a group may not be pushing the idea but some individual Democrats are.

Update:
Pelosi Slips Impeachment Onto the Table.  As Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich moved a "privileged resolution" to force House to consider the question of whether President Bush should be impeached for lying to Congress and the American people about the reasons for invading and occupying Iraq, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi surprised almost everyone by suggesting that the Judiciary Committee might indeed take up the issue.

Incoming House intelligence chief botches easy intel quiz.  Rep. Silvestre Reyes of Texas, who incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has tapped to head the Intelligence Committee when the Democrats take over in January, failed a quiz of basic questions about al Qaeda and Hezbollah, two of the key terrorist organizations the intelligence community has focused on since the September 11, 2001 attacks.

Republicans Name Panel to Investigate 'Stolen House Vote'.  According to House Republican Leader John Boehner, the GOP proposal passed 215-213 on the night of Aug. 2.  But Democratic leaders promptly reopened the vote and allowed several Democrats to change their minds.  When Democratic leaders ordered the vote closed for a second time, the Republican motion was defeated — and taxpayer-funded benefits for illegal immigrants were restored, Boehner said.

The Democrats will take the economy in a new direction.
Down periscope.  What kind of changes does Nancy [Pelosi] have in mind for this engine of prosperity, besides calling it an instrument of the rich and damning those who depend on its positive returns?  Better kill it with taxes, regulations, and lengthy investigations.  Unemployment is at a 25 year low, hovering around 4.5 percent depending on a few seasonal breaks.  How can Nancy and the new Democrats foul this up?

Caught Between Iraq and a Hard Base.  [In late 2006] Democrats had a foolproof plan to gain power:  Use the "disastrous" war in Iraq to split the Republican base off from the center, force Republicans in Congress to desert the president, defund the war effort, and compel withdrawal.  Declaring defeat in advance, and even embracing it, they tried to cripple the surge before it started.  Nancy Pelosi in the House and Harry Reid in the Senate led a chorus of Democrats who declared the war lost.

Congress frets as its ratings plummet.  "Not only does Congress have an approval rating below bubonic plague and head lice, I saw a recent poll that as many as 40 percent of people still believe that Congress is in Republican hands," says Rep. Jeb Hensarling (R) of Texas.  "I wish we could get a little accuracy out there about who is in charge — and let those ratings fall where they may."  A recent Gallup Poll confirms what many lawmakers say they're hearing from their constituents:  that confidence in Congress has never been lower.

Congressional Approval Falls to Single Digits for First Time Ever.  The percentage of voters who give Congress good or excellent ratings has fallen to single digits for the first time in Rasmussen Reports tracking history.  This month, just 9% say Congress is doing a good or excellent job.  Most voters (52%) say Congress is doing a poor job, which ties the record high in that dubious category.  Last month, 11% of voters gave the legislature good or excellent ratings.  Congress has not received higher than a 15% approval rating since the beginning of 2008.



Pelosi, the pro-abortion Catholic

It is not possible to play on both sides of this fence.  Abortion, or fetal homicide, is not an option that is approved by the Catholic church.  Recently Ms. Pelosi tried to assert that only recently has there been any controversy over abortion, but that is not the case.

Pope Pelosi at the Gate.  When Democrats decided they wouldn't let the GOP be "God's Only Party," they weren't kidding.  Thanks to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, none other than St. Augustine has been summoned to Denver.  He was resurrected as Pelosi was trying to respond to the question that refuses to die:  When does human life begin?  This time, it was Tom Brokaw asking on Sunday's "Meet the Press."

What Makes a Speaker Catholic?  Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, describing herself as an "ardent practicing Catholic," announced that when life begins "shouldn't have an impact on a woman's right to choose."  She explained that "over the history of the church, this is an issue of controversy." Ignoring both embryology and the Vatican, she insisted on giving the impression that abortion is somehow an open, undecided question in the Roman Catholic Church.

Washington archbishop rips Pelosi on abortion.  In a rare public rebuke of a top politician, the archbishop of Washington said Monday [8/25/2008] that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was incorrect when she recently said the moment of conception has long been a matter of controversy within the Catholic Church.

Pelosi stands by abortion comments.  Under fire from U.S. Catholic bishops, Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not backing off contentious comments about abortion she made during a weekend television talk show appearance.  Pelosi said Sunday [8/24/2008] on NBC's "Meet the Press" that "doctors of the church" have not been able to define when life begins.  That prompted swift rebukes from Washington Archbishop Donald Wuerl and Denver Archbishop Charles Chaput, who said Pelosi was incorrect and that Catholic teaching has consistently condemned abortion.

A Huge Embarrassment.  Pelosi's big mouth has ensnared Obama in Catholic abortion issues, and campaign issues from four years ago that he wanted no part of and wasn't a part of just a week ago.  Further, Pelosi's continued gaffes on the subject have renewed examination of Pelosi's poor standing in the Catholic Church.

Pelosi gets unwanted lesson in Catholic theology.  Politics can be treacherous.  But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi walked on even riskier ground in a recent TV interview when she attempted a theological defense of her support for abortion rights.  Roman Catholic bishops consider her arguments on St. Augustine and free will so far out of line with church teaching that they have issued a steady stream of statements to correct her.

When does life begin?  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, in an appearance on NBC's "Meet the Press," said "as an ardent, practicing Catholic" and someone who has extensively researched church teachings on this issue, she has found church fathers were unsure when life begins.  She further claimed that the Catholic Church has only during the last 50 years begun to insist that life begins at conception.

Speaker of the House (of God).  As a theologian, Nancy Pelosi is a great politician.  This was evident in her unnecessary foray on "Meet the Press" into the history of Catholic thought about when human life begins.  The San Francisco Democrat's statement "as an ardent, practicing Catholic" that "doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition" was imprecise and impolitic.

Pelosi slapped down by Catholic Church -- again.  It appears the Catholic Church is not about to let Nancy Pelosi have the last word on abortion.  As discussed here yesterday, high Church officials rebuked Pelosi for her erroneous statements about Catholic abortion doctrine on a Sunday news show; undeterred, Pelosi had a spokesman announce that she stood by her statements.  Wednesday, the Church made it clear it was standing just as firm.

Catholic lawmakers decry Pelosi 'error'.  Nineteen Roman Catholic Republican members of Congress have written to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, urging her to "correct the public record" on remarks she made a week ago on NBC's "Meet the Press" about the Catholic Church's teaching on abortion.

18 months earlier...
Pro-Abortion Pelosi Insults the Catholic Faith.  The new speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, is showing what I consider extreme arrogance, even for a pro-abortion figure in public life who claims to be a faithful Catholic.  Her handlers are making it abundantly clear that anything goes in their effort to showcase Pelosi and her life story, including the use of a Catholic Mass to cement her public image as a Catholic mother and grandmother.  That, my friend, is a disgrace that I cannot ignore.

Pelosi's church has not withheld communion.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said she, unlike other Catholic politicians who support abortion rights, has not clashed with her church about receiving communion. ... Pelosi, a Roman Catholic whose district includes most of San Francisco, said she has not encountered such difficulties in her church.

Pelosi:  God Bless the Child that's not at Home.  The history-making first Madame of the House marketed her recent three day victory-dance as a celebration of children. … At a trendy afternoon tea with like-minded ladies, Pelosi reiterated her campaign promise that the 110th Congress would be "all about children." … But just how does one of the most outspoken advocates for unrestricted abortion in Congress — with a perfect 100% rating from the radical pro-abortion group NARAL, — maintain a straight face when declaring a concern for children? … Beneath the surface, the Femocrat's broader scheme genuinely is about the children, albeit hardly as advertised.  Rather, it involves the little tykes' removal as obstacles to the empowerment of ambitious liberal-minded women.

Video:  "Catholic Scholar" Nancy Pelosi Lies To Help Obama.

The Gospel, According to the Book of Nancy.  Attempting to defend her support of abortion rights in response to a question posed by Tom Brokaw on "Meet the Press," Pelosi startled everyone who has ever been, is now, or is even considering becoming a Catholic with this comment, in part:  "I would say that as an ardent, practicing Catholic, this is an issue (abortion) that I have studied for a long time.  And what I know is, over the centuries, the doctors of the church have not been able to make that definition."

Congressman Calls Pelosi's Abortion Remarks 'Scandalous'.  Anti-abortion advocate Michigan Rep. Thad McCotter blasted House Speaker Nancy Pelosi Tuesday [8/26/2008] for controversial statements she made over the Catholic Church's teaching on abortion.  In an interview with FOX News, McCotter said Pelosi is "free to join other faiths" if she disagrees with the church.



Air Force Three -- Nancy Pelosi's new gas-guzzling jet

Nancy Pelosi, as Speaker of the House, is third in line to the Presidency.  In this new position, she has demanded and received a very large Air Force jet to shuttle from Washington to San Francisco without refueling.  (Mustn't stop for fuel — security concerns, you know.)

But isn't that one of the arguments Ms. Pelosi had against Tom Delay — that he flew around the country in a gas-guzzling jet at the government's expense?

And here's a little detail that is left out of the very few news reports about this story:  the Speaker's jet has a military escort.  That means there is at least one more gas-guzzling jet flying alongside Air Force Three as Ms. Pelosi shuttles from coast to coast.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi Gets Big Jet.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will have access to an Air Force jet larger than the one used by her predecessor so she can fly nonstop between Washington and her San Francisco district.  Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the speaker — who is second in line for the presidency after the vice president — has been able to use a military aircraft for security reasons.  But the jet used by the previous speaker, Rep. Dennis Hastert of Illinois, was too small to fly to California without refueling.

Pelosi's hard landing.  As this newspaper reported yesterday [2/7/2007], for travels to her home district in San Francisco Mrs. Pelosi wants the best air accommodations the U.S. military can offer.  No wonder:  The craft she has reportedly requested, the Air Force's C-32, seats an entourage of 42, business class, with a state room, entertainment center, private bed and a fully operational communications center.  Its crew numbers 16 and reportedly costs $15,000 per hour to operate.  That's downright presidential.

The Speaker of the House — Her 747 request and competing publicity.  Given that Ms. Pelosi is two heartbeats from the Presidency, I felt perhaps her request was not unreasonable.  That is, until I learned the following:  the plane former Speaker Hastert used is capable of flying 3,700 nautical miles without refueling.  That is well beyond the requirement for a San Francisco to Washington D.C flight.  No, that wasn't good enough.  She wanted the larger aircraft.  Then I learned that the Speaker had sought a change in the rules that govern such trips.  If anyone other than a spouse rides along he must pay commercial rates.  She wanted an exemption so she could take grandchildren and a larger staff and maybe even lobbyists or financial contributors.

Nancy's New Ride?  After cutting $3.1 billion from the President's budget request to pay for military restructuring efforts, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) was exposed trying to commandeer an Air Force jet from the Pentagon for routine trips.  An aide to Pelosi's has confirmed that an inquires were made from her office to the Department of Defense to seek approval for a federally-funded military provided flight approximately 152-miles from Washington, D.C. to Williamsburg, Virginia for House Democrats' February 3 retreat.  The request was made with the intent of making the jet permanently available to ferry her on a regular basis.

CBS Covers Pelosi Jet Controversy Skipped by Other Networks.  On Wednesday evening [2/7/2007], CBS became the first of the broadcast networks to cover the controversy over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's efforts to acquire access to a larger jet than what her predecessor used.  CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric relayed that Pelosi's request for a "big travel upgrade" was coming at a time when "they're cracking down on congressional perks."

Pelosi's push for jet remains up in the air.  Minority Whip Roy Blunt of Missouri called it a "flying Lincoln Bedroom," and Rep. Patrick T. McHenry, North Carolina Republican, labeled the speaker's plane "Pelosi One."  "This is a bullet point to a larger value -- Pelosi's abuse of power continues," Mr. McHenry said yesterday.  "It began when the speaker denied minority rights to Republicans, continued with her 'TunaGate' scandal, and now she's exploiting America's armed forces and taxpayers for her own personal convenience."

Pentagon limits Pelosi jet size.  The Department of Defense yesterday [2/7/2007] sent a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi that puts limits on the size of the plane she may use to travel across the country and restricts the guests she can bring, The Washington Times has learned.

Speaker's Plane Becomes a Point of Criticism.  Republicans said one plane that might be available for the speaker had a game room, stateroom, entertainment center and bedroom and seated 42 to 50 people.  "I hardly think these amenities help with security, and I personally would describe them as inappropriate and unnecessary extravagances," said Representative Eric Cantor of Virginia, chief deputy Republican whip and sponsor of the amendment.

Liberals:  A very modest proposal.  First off, [Nancy Pelosi] insisted on an upgrade to a larger military jet than the one her predecessor had.  She wanted one with a private bedroom, a kitchen, and room for her entire family — second cousins included — on a jet that was capable of flying non-stop from Washington, D.C., to San Francisco.  When some people began to question the need she had for this airborne palace, she insisted that rabble-rousers were only raising a stink because she was a woman.  Poor dear!  She had no sooner lifted that marble ceiling all by her wonderful self, and here it came crashing down on her tiara!

Pelosi's jet request met with partisan bickering.  Most media reports said Pelosi had requested a C-32, a military version of the Boeing 757-200 that seats 45 passengers and has a crew of up to 16, according to an Air Force Web site.  The Los Angeles Times reported that Pelosi had asked for a C-40, a modified Boeing 737-700 that seats at least 26 passengers and has a crew of 10, according to the Air Force.  The C-20 used by Hastert is described by the Air Force as a military version of the Gulfstream III, with seating for 12 passengers and a crew of five.

Photos of the Boeing C-32:  [1] [2] [3] [4]
Photos of the Boeing 757-200:  [1] [2] [3]

Controversy flies around Pelosi's plane request.  "It has nothing to do with family and friends and everything to do about security," Pelosi said yesterday.  Still, it's a potential image problem for the first female speaker -- already caricatured for her wealth, love of designer clothes and chocolate obsession -- to be portrayed as thinking she deserves her own Air Force Three.  Pelosi and the Defense Department are discussing letting her fly in a C-32 plane, a military version of the Boeing 757-200.

Only the little people fly commercial.
Nancy Pelosi Demands Big Private Jet.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants taxpayers to finance a lavish private jet large enough to ferry her and her entourage — including family members — from coast-to-coast without stopping.  Like all members of Congress, House speakers use commercial flights to travel but Pelosi claims she needs a private U.S. Air Force jet for security reasons, even during personal travel with her family and supporters.

Global Warming:  What Are You Willing to Do?  How can a believer in man-made global warming be so utterly unconcerned about accelerating the coming catastrophe?  Is the convenience of a non-stop flight more important than helping to prevent the rising seas from destroying coastal cities?  Shouldn't she be arguing against a private jet and perhaps closing down one of her homes or moving her family within a few blocks of her office?  She, of course, is perfectly willing to champion regulation of others, but, again, I ask, what is she willing to do personally.

Pelosi flies disputed military jet home.  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the subject of Republican criticism for her mode of air travel, flew home nonstop Thursday night [2/8/2007] aboard a 12-seat [C-37A] military aircraft set aside for use by lawmakers.  Republican House members, aided by friendly radio and television talk show hosts, created a political tempest this week, claiming Pelosi was pressuring the Pentagon for the use of an "Air Force Three" and a "flying Lincoln Bedroom."

In D.C., non-stop plane talk.  Pelosi wants to fly non-stop, which means a bigger plane.  Critics have assailed her request, saying she wants the bigger plane solely so she can have parties at 30,000 feet with her family and supporters.  On Thursday, Pelosi announced at a news conference that she would fly commercial if the military could not provide a plane with a cross-country-size fuel tank.

House GOP Blasts Pelosi for Plane Request.  A waste of the taxpayers' money, some said, claiming her trips would cost $15 million a year if she used planes such as the military version of the Boeing 757-200.  In its commercial configuration the 757-200 usually seats 175-190 passengers.  Pelosi should lead by example, argued others, because a bigger plane consumes more fuel and contributes more to the global warming she expresses concern about.  "The jet that Pelosi has produces 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide an hour, far more than the previous speaker used," said Rep. Patrick McHenry, R-N.C.

Jim Webb Pulls a Pelosi.  Shortly after becoming Speaker of the House, Representative Pelosi began a feud with the Pentagon over private air service for her travel needs to San Francisco.  After September 11, 2001, the Department of Defense provided Speaker of the House, Denny Hastert, a Gulfstream jet to fly back and forth to his constituency.  Speaker Pelosi then blindsided the Pentagon with her insistence that she be granted a Boeing 757 to fly her friends, family, and staff with her back and forth to San Francisco.  According to Senate sources, Senator Jim Webb is now staging a similar struggle for family travel.

Pelosi Jets out of Town Leaving Energy Bill Hanging.  As Nancy Pelosi and the Democrats jetted out of town negligently neglecting to deal with the urgent energy situation I'm reminded of the unseemly scandal over her use of military jets that erupted shortly after she was sworn in as Speaker of the House.



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