A Shift in Power, Starting With ‘Madam Speaker’

[DeepModem Mom]

NYT: A Shift in Power, Starting With ‘Madam Speaker’
By KATE ZERNIKE
Published: January 24, 2007

WASHINGTON, Jan. 23 — The first two words of the evening on Tuesday were evidence of how much has changed here: “Madam Speaker,” boomed Congressional escorts, “the president of the United States.”

Even Mr. Bush acknowledged the transformation, setting off a wave of applause. “Tonight, I have the high privilege and distinct honor to begin a speech with the words ‘Madam Speaker,’ ” he said in a nod to Representative Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to be speaker of the House.

But all the courtesies and flourishes of the evening could not paper over the reminders of how power has flowed away from the president in the new Washington.

Not just because for the first time Mr. Bush delivered his address with a Democrat staring down his back. Not just because his poll numbers are dismal. Not just because the mayor of the nation’s capital rejected the White House’s invitation to sit with the first lady, Laura Bush, in her box and instead came as Ms. Pelosi’s guest. Even Republicans, while noting that it was “the president’s day,” as Senator John W. Warner of Virginia described it, yielded only a share of the spotlight.

Mr. Warner and others were working with Democrats, whom six months ago they derided as Defeatocrats, on resolutions opposing Mr. Bush’s proposal to increase the number of troops in Iraq. They unveiled their resolutions in the days before the speech and were planning to take them up the morning after....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/01/24/washington/24scene.html?hp&ex=1169701200&en=c7234ec3890b58f1&ei=5094&partner=homepage

[Erika]

1. Yeah, the Dems were slime to the GOP until after the election

Now they are kissy kissy. We're so touched.

[calimary]

2. DON'T BELIEVE A WORD OF IT. Because of TWO letters.

The "Democrat Majority."

If anybody thought he was being nice, or conciliatory, or a good sport, or made a sincere attempt to reach out to the other side, or made "nice" with Nancy Pelosi, that was ALL blown to smithereens by his deliberate, and I think QUITE calculated, reference to the "Democrat Majority." It was a cheap-ass smack in the face. As my husband put it - it was like the sore loser sulking home and then kicking the dog.

But frankly, I was already predisposed to take anything and everything he said with a grain of salt the size of the Rock of Gibraltar.