Pelosi To House GOP: Be Thankful For What You Have

Speaker Nancy Pelosi has a message for House Republicans who think they weren't given enough time to debate or amend the stimulus package that moved through Congress over an eight-day period earlier this session: You could have had much less.

"To tell you the truth, I could have fast-tracked this much faster," Pelosi, a California Democrat, told a group of reporters and progressive writers at a breakfast gathering Tuesday.

Pelosi had been asked about an anonymous White House aide's suggestion that the administration didn't approve of the speed with which the Speaker handled the package.

"Let me get this straight," she said. "You're the president of the United States; you have a recovery package that you want done by the president's break; we get that done -- and we 'fast tracked it over the president's objections'? It couldn't be farther from the truth."

Pelosi also denied assertions that she has instructed the White House not to talk to her members without going through her first. She said she told the administration: "Talk to the members. Talk to the chairmen. Talk to the different caucuses. They have a lot of ideas."

She rejected the notion that she keeps a grudge list of folks who have crossed her, saying that every day is a new day. "They're saying I keep a list of members. It couldn't be farther from the truth. My commitment is to all of my members," she said. "I don't have any list."

Republican objections that they were not included and didn't approve of the process through which the stimulus was passed, said Pelosi, only mask ideological differences that they had with the bill. "We gave them the regular order," said Pelosi. "We were not going to go backward and adopt their economic failed policies and that's what they're upset about."

Comments

[US American]

Elections have consequences

[iver]

The walking zombies who are the remaining GOP House members, are from the most conservative districts and are totally divorced from what regular America is dealing with. If they are so upset, they should take their marbles and go home to Rushland where reality doesn't matter. Pelosi should just go on about the business of undoing the Bush damage to America.

[newworldman777]

"Waaaahhh! Waaaaa..aa­a..aaahhh!­" cried the widdle Repub, as he plopped down onto the floor and crossed his widdle arms. "The Demmys won't do anything that I want! I wanna keep on cuttin' taxes for my rich friends, but they won't listen to me! They are ignorin' me, like I used to ignore them, and they are doin' what the voters elected them to do! Waahhhh!!" He sprawled out onto the floor, furiously kicking his widdle legs and holding his breath until his widdle face turned blue. "Waaahhh!!" he again cried, to no avail.

"Now widdle Repub," said the Demmy, "you have to learn your lesson: If you treat others with disdain and irrelevence when you have power, then you can expect the same treatment from them when they have power."

"Waaahhh!!!" cried the Repub. "That isn't fair! I'm gonna tell Unca Rush on you! He'll hope that you fail!"

[Glengray]

very, very funny. Nice post.

[janice4335]

Go Nancy!

[Erdgeist]

Why include the Republicans in anything? Their economic model is taken from the "truck and barter" economy before universal currency.

[j0em0mma]

There is nothing to lose. We try to work with them, so we are inoculated against their inevitable attempts to paint us tyrants, and they expose themselves to America, those increasing public pressure on them to relent. Win/Win.

[CoffeeWithGibbs]

I love how she doensn't take any cr ap from anyone!

[mollymac]

You go Ms. Pelosi! Be the strong woman we always knew you to be!

[FederalistBlogs]

I do honestly think that President Obama would like to work with the Republicans. He would have on the Stimulus, but his own party will not. This shows that Pelosi did not want to work with the other side then, and has even less desire to do so in the future.

Obama is smart enough to know that in the future he may need both sides to get things done. Party members like Pelosi have built a career on short sighted decisions. In 2-4 years she may be back to whining about being the minority party again.

http://federalistblogs.wordpress.com

[hardlyhikin]

Don't hold your breath waiting for that to happen.

[anelder]

I don't agree. Yes the President would like it to be a bi-partisan decision. We would all like our government to work together for the good of all.
When it became evident that neither the house of Senate had any intention of voting for the bill - why bother. If they had tipped their hands sooner we could have eliminated much of what they asked for that was included in STIM.
I doubt we will be changing our leaders that soon. You may wish to return to that past 8 years but I don't think much of the citizenry does. To add to my assurance I absolutely don't believe we want to have a republican congress of adminstration in power during this time of great need economically.
What I still puzzle over is how so many republicans remain faithful to a failed ideology. I know I woke up when the facts would not be be something I could ignore. I realize many others can and will continue to look but not see what they don't want to see. Sad and in some cases shameful.

[latina27]

Hey Pelosi don't forget that you work for us the American people.

[j0em0mma]

She hasn't.

[LizinOhio]

She is an intelligent woman on a mission..g­otta love her!

[mccainsupport]

It must of been California that made her so intelligent!

[Misha1234]

Great job Ms Pelosi!

[Mayoyo]

You go girl....

[maggienash65]

Perhaps if she would stop giving the Republicans an audience, they would keep quiet.

[j0em0mma]

No, we want them exposed.

[master09]

I trust Nancy pelosi more than anyone in washington and that includes the president.

GIVE EM HELL MAMA BEAR !!

[dayala]

LOL!!

I was thinking the same thing, she has more "cojones" than the entire pack put together!!
GIVE 'EM HELL NANCY!

[spbm]

I have to disagree. Her apathy for the misdeeds of the last administration have formed the impression of her complicit alliance.
Until she is unseated, I and many others cannot believe in or hope for change from Obama.

[Dolphyn]

I would trust her more if she had done her part to impeach the previous administration.

[j0em0mma]

Success trumps revenge. This story isn't done yet, either.

[mamacat]

I love this woman. Keep up the good work, Madam Speaker.