Frustrated G.O.P. Tries to Drive Wedge Between Obama and Pelosi

[cal04]

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/01/us/politics/28web-hulse.html

Barack Obama might be the new president, but to hear Republicans tell it, Nancy Pelosi is really running things.

At least that is how it appears from the way Republicans single out the speaker as the cause of everything from their near-blanket opposition to the economic stimulus legislation, to the 9,000 earmarks in the overdue spending bills.

“It’s disappointing that less than 24 hours after President Barack Obama urged Congress to restore fiscal responsibility, Nancy Pelosi’s House Democrats passed a spending bill laden with pork,” Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee, said as he chastised the speaker.

Ms. Pelosi is indisputably a liberal political force and a person of fierce determination. But whether Republicans can succeed in portraying her as a one-woman legislative wrecking crew, keeping them from joining hands with Mr. Obama, remains to be seen.

No matter. For Republicans, it makes much more sense to focus their disdain on the speaker rather than Mr. Obama, who remains very popular.

They cannot afford to attack him too harshly because any assault could easily boomerang, especially since Mr. Obama has been openly reaching out to Republicans. And by trying to associate themselves with the president, Republicans also hope to create a perception of some distance between the White House and the Democratic Congress, a gap Republicans would like to wedge themselves into.

[joeunderdog]

1. Obama's too sexy to the public. They'd rather have Nancy up front.

Nice try.

[opihimoimoi]

2. Instead of making Themselves Look Good...they make others look bad...

Its worked before until 4 years ago...

[Still Sensible]

3. If the sound bites coming out of the hate-fest are

attacks on Obama, a popular President that polls say has been trying to reach across the aisle, they are simply seen as the obstructionists they are. But if the sound bites are attacks on Pelosi, they are more likely to be seen as principled--they think.

The truth is most of that vast impressionable middle that broke for Obama in the election and has even more strongly supported the President in the polls since, has a pretty strong, long held dislike for the Speaker. Just the way it is.

[madmom]

4. Could it be that they saw how upset the dems were with Pelosi during

the bush regime that they if they put her in charge we might get angry at her trying to usurp Obama's position? If she is the one calling the shots in Washington, we might turn against them? Just a thought.

[GoCubsGo]

7. That's part of it...

They cannot function without an enemy, and she's the most convenient one to foot that bill right now. With an approval rate pushing 70%, they can't make President Obama their boogeyman. Everyone loves him, so their attempts to vilify him would more likely backfire. They could go after Harry Reid, but Nancy has more things they can pick at. She's a woman, she's from that Libralcommiesocialist bastion, California, and she's perceived as more liberal.

[biopowertoday]

5. Pelosi said early on the House was not going to rubber stamp items

from the WH. This is not a story.

[spanone]

6. michael steele is a republican stooge...i'm proud that he's disappointed

[pinto]

8. Guess their attacks on FDR and the New Deal didn't go too well.

:eyes: