Nancy Pelosi no longer has a balcony with the grandest view in Washington. The size of her staff has been cut by a third. And it took months, she said, to get rid of the smell of cigarette smoke from the second-floor suite she received in her swap with now-House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio).
(...)
On Sunday, Pelosi indicated in an appearance on CNN’s “State of the Union” that Republicans shouldn’t count on support from her caucus for the legislation — which must pass by early August to avoid a default on the nation’s debt — unless they are willing to consider boosting taxes as well as cutting spending.
“We’ve all said we would vote for the full faith and credit of the United States to be honored by voting for this increase in the debt ceiling,” the Democratic leader said. “If they don’t want to do taxes, maybe they don’t want to do anything.”
(...)
The caucus regularly splits into factions on votes ranging from taxes to federal spending to intelligence surveillance. A Washington Post database of House votes shows that 22 House Democrats have voted at least 20 percent of the time against a majority of their own caucus this year, compared with only five Democrats who were out of step that often in 2009 and 2010.
At times, Pelosi has found it difficult to enforce her will. It took weeks before Rep. Anthony Weiner (D-N.Y.) resigned amid revelations that he sent inappropriate photos to women over the Internet, despite Pelosi’s private and then public pressure. In the meantime, virtually no other message could break through the scandal, and Democratic fundraising all but dried up, according to one official who had access to the numbers.
Full:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/inside-nancy-pelosis-drive-to-win-the-house-majority-back-for-democrats/2011/06/23/AG6gSemH_singlePage.html
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