Nancy Pelosi: is this the most powerful woman in US history? (Guardian UK)

[Jackeens]

Hailed at first as an anachronism and a political gift to Republicans, the 'extreme liberal' is being seen as the best US Speaker for a century

Chris McGreal in Washington, Friday 26 March 2010



Just a few years ago, Republicans greeted Nancy Pelosi's rise to the upper echelons of the Democratic party as a political gift.

She was, her rightwing foes asserted, an extreme liberal of the kind true Americans just don't like – vocal in her support of gay rights, feminist causes and policies frequently branded as socialism.

Worst of all in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, she was strongly against the invasion of Iraq, just as she had been opposed to the earlier war with Baghdad over Kuwait. Republicans smirked that the Democrats had doomed themselves to irrelevance when they chose Pelosi as the first woman to lead them in the House of Representatives in 2002, and later as Speaker.

Not a few in Pelosi's own party and beyond agreed. Among other things, she had a reputation for shooting her mouth off, once calling the elder President Bush a "jerk". She would come to say much worse about his son.

More: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/mar/26/nancy-pelosi-politician-speaker

[Demeter]

1. As Abraham Lincoln Said Upon Meeting Harriet Beecher Stowe

"So, you are the little lady that started the civil war!"

Not by any measure does Pelosi rank.

[Captain Hilts]

3. JFK admitted that there was only one woman who "had what it takes to be president."

[NNadir]

7. That woman more or less held JFK in contempt.

She regarded him as sniveling upstart who was totally a creation of his father.

Mrs. Roosevelt considered an afternoon with JFK's father as one of the most unpleasant afternoons of her life.

JFK was afraid of Mrs. Roosevelt, and any praise he offered her was a function of trying to charm her, not that she would be or was charmed. At the time of her death, she was organizaing to go after JFK's Civil Rights policies.

However she felt about the Kennedy's it happens that Mrs. Roosevelt was the greatest Democrat of the twentieth century, and in some ways the greatest American of the 20th century.

And yes, I include her husband when I say that.

Her Declaration of Human Rights should still be the aspiration of the human race.

[Captain Hilts]

9. Yes, I agree with 90% of that. It was a private conversation with GKGalbraith in which

he said that when he told JKG that women inherently did not have what it took to be president. JKG disagreed, and JFK said, "Name me one that does." "Eleanor Roosevelt." "Okay, name me another."

[NNadir]

10. That rings true. JFK certainly wasn't known for deep respect for women.

I personally regard him as the most over rated President except for Ronald Reagan - Reagan having been an unmitigated disaster - just as I regard U.S. Grant as the most under rated President.

It is probably true that Kennedy was outstanding in his approach to the Cuban Missile Crisis, but on the other hand, one might consider whether or not giving him praise for this is rather like praising an arsonist for heroism in saving people from a burning building.

Kennedy was a blatant cold warrior, cavalier, distractable and childish. He seemed to think that nuclear brinkmanship was a game of touch football on the lawn at Hyannisport. I think we all feel pain about the way he died, but the fact is that Lyndon Johnson, for all of his great failures in Vietnam, was a better President than the man he replaced.

[GreenPartyVoter]

11. Yes, she comes to mind first for me too.

[Vidar]

16. Agreed. I regard FDR as our greatest president, but he owes

a lot of that to Eleanor & George Marshall.

[Captain Hilts]

17. LOVE that you mention George C. Marshall. Eleanor would love it too. nt

[Captain Hilts]

2. No, she isn't. But she's done a GREAT job here. nt

[ClarkUSA]

4. Yes. She. Is.

Happy 70th Birthday to Speaker Pelosi!

:party:

[Hell-A Liberal]

5. Thanks for sharing

I really enjoyed it :)

[karynnj]

6. In terms, of actual power - it may be the case

[Robb]

8. Despite all the DU bus axle grease on her blazer?

Shocking. :D

[Hekate]

12. That part's amazing, isn't it?

I won't forget how many here were screaming about her and calling her a "traitor" to Progressives and the Nation. That should resume in ... 3... 2.... 1 :eyes:

Hekate

[Captain Hilts]

13. Correct. She's a realist. nt

[Ikonoklast]

14. Nope. My Granma was.

But Nancy is a close second, for sure.

[Beacool]

15. It depends on the criteria that is used to measure power.

If it's by actual power held, then she is the most powerful woman in US history due to her position as House Speaker and being second in line to the presidency.

If we measure power by the influence that said person exerts in the nation and world at large, then Eleanor and Hillary are far more powerful.

Personally, I'll take Eleanor and Hillary over Pelosi any day of the week.

;-)