Pelosi vows more civil approach — next year
By: Jim VandeHei and John F. Harris
Dec 11, 2007 09:40 PM EST
Nancy Pelosi
Across ideological spectrum, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dashes expectations.
http://www.politico.com/news/stories/1207/7335.htmlAcross the ideological spectrum, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has dashed expectations.
On the right, the hope was that Pelosi would be the tallest lightning rod in Washington — playing to type as a “San Francisco liberal” and handing the Republican minority all manner of ideological openings to exploit. For the most part, that has not happened.
On the left, the hope was that Pelosi would lead the newly empowered Democrats to hijack President Bush’s agenda on the issue that matters most to party activists — ending the Iraq war.
To Pelosi’s regret, that has not happened either.
Appraisals of Pelosi’s first year revolve around these fallen hopes and come with still another surprise: For all her history-making status as the first woman to run the House, Pelosi has emerged as a fairly conventional leader. ..