A few words are in order regarding Nancy Pelosi following her announcement yesterday that she will retire after 20 terms in the U.S. House of Representatives. When it comes to the former House Speaker, I have been more inclined to disagree than agree with her over the years.
I have objected to her demands for Benjamin Netanyahu's resignation (this isn't the place of any American politician), telling American athletes not to criticize the Chinese government during the Beijing Olympics, demanding Joe Biden not debate Donald Trump (in 2020, not 2024) and her tolerance of Ilhan Omar's anti-Semitism (hell, she posed with Omar and AOC on the cover of Rolling Stone).
If we go back further there was her ill-advised meeting with then Syrian dictator Bashar al-Asaad and her infamous remark that Congress had to pass Obamacare to find out what was in it. This might have very well helped Republicans reclaim the House of Representatives and end her first tenure as House Speaker.
From where I stand, however, Nancy Pelosi had one saving grace.
She had Donald Trump's number.
I'm sure that Pelosi smiled when she learned that Trump called her "an evil woman" following her announcement. She might have played a certain ELO song.
When Pelosi returned to the Speaker's chair in 2019, I made this prediction:
Trump isn't going to play nice. He never does. Pelosi will be ready for him. She will see to it that his Wall comes down crashing around him. As long as she can do that then I have no problem with her back in the Speaker's Chair.
Well, it wouldn't take long. During the 35-day government shutdown during Trump's first term, Pelosi beat him at every turn and ran circles around him getting him to admit it was a "Trump shutdown." Pelosi got into his head when she delayed his SOTU address.
As I write this, we are in the 38th day of a government shutdown which shows no signs of ending as it now affects air travel. Frankly, I think Trump doesn't want the government to ever reopen or at least the "Democrat programs" such as the SNAP food program.
Although voters made Republicans pay in New Jersey and Virginia, I don't Chuck Schumer or House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries are equal to the task. I cannot help but wonder how Pelosi would have handled this situation. Granted, Pelosi would not have had the same power as House Minority Leader as she would as Speaker.
But Pelosi knows how to get into Trump's head as evidenced by his "evil woman" tribute to her. Had Pelosi still been in the House leadership, I think she would have once again a found a way to knock Trump off his game and weaken his position
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