Pelosi analyzes political landscape

ORINDA - National Democratic activist Christine Pelosi, daughter of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-San Francisco, vows to leave no Republican charge unchallenged in the upcoming mid-term elections.

"A charge unchallenged is a charge conceded," Pelosi told enthusiastic members of the Lamorinda Democratic Club Thursday night, where she delivered the evening's keynote speech to a largely agreeable audience. "And we will not concede."

Pelosi is a California delegate to the Democratic National Committee and the director of a boot camp for Democratic congressional candidates sponsored by a collaboration of labor and a political action committee formed to support the effort.

In a wide-ranging and lively speech peppered with personal stories and partisan zeal, Pelosi delivered advice for volunteers, visited lessons learned from the 2004 campaign, talked about possible 2008 presidential candidates, outlined the party's "New Direction" platform and offered a detailed rundown of the most competitive races nationwide.

"The pundits say it's going to be (Sen. John) McCain (R-Ariz.) and (Sen. Hillary) Clinton (D-N.Y.) but I think the field is still wide open on both sides," Pelosi said.

In the mid-term elections, Pelosi described the Democratic field of candidates as strong and well-positioned to take majority control of the House and perhaps the Senate.

But she also encouraged area Democrats to volunteer in the campaigns of two Northern California congressional races where Democrats face a decidedly uphill battle in their races against strong GOP incumbents -- District 11 between Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, and Democrat Jerry McNerney and District 4 between Rep. John Doolittle, R-Rocklin, and Democrat Charlie Brown.

Her advocacy comes despite the fact that neither challenger qualified for the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee's "Red To Blue" fund-raising initiative, largely because the men failed to raise enough cash on their own and their districts voted heavily GOP in the 2004 presidential election.

"But these are emerging candidates," said Pelosi, "so be prepared for surprises. You never know what will happen in a campaign."

In addition to the boot camp, Pelosi has helped organize her party's outreach to veterans and their families in what she characterized as a direct response to 2004 Republican charges that Democrats were disinterested in the military and national security.

"Our party was Swift-boated out of recognition," said Pelosi, referring to the controversy over Democratic presidential candidate and Massachusetts Sen. John Kerry's record as a Swift boat commander in the Vietnam War.

The result is what the party calls its "Fighting Dems," Pelosi said, a group of more than 40 military veterans seeking congressional office in the mid-term elections. The field includes Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, a helicopter pilot who was shot down in Iraq and lost her legs.

"We needed an outreach program so that veterans would know they have a home in the Democratic Party," Pelosi said.

Pelosi drew the biggest laugh with her story about a fund-raising solicitation letter signed by House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., where the lawmaker described Nancy Pelosi as the greatest threat to America.

Of all the dangers facing the nation like terrorism and high gas prices, Hastert "is worried about my mom," Pelosi said.

Hastert is referring, of course, to the possibility that Nancy Pelosi could become House speaker if the Democrats win 15 new seats in November and take majority control.

The party's 100-day plan calls for adopting the 9-11 Commission's recommendations, raising the minimum wage, permitting stem cell research, cutting the interest rates on college loans, eliminating subsidies for oil companies and preserving Social Security as a government program.

California delegate to the Democratic National Committee and an organizer in the party's efforts to take majority control of Congress, Pelosi blogs regularly from the campaign trail. Visit her blog, Trail Mix, at www.challengernet.com.

it appears that Pelosi’s daughter was hired by Rep. John Tierney as his chief of staff. Soon after Pelosi appointed Tierney to the very powerful House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Very interesting.

It was recently reported in a local paper that Rep. Tierney has been appointed to serve on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. In his press release, he states:
“I am honored to be appointed by Leader Pelosi to serve on HPSCI, which has principal oversight responsibilities over our intelligence community and confronts the most challenging national security issues currently facing the United States,” said Tierney, who will be the sole New England representative on the Select Committee.
“Congressman Tierney will be a powerful voice for aggressive oversight of all intelligence activities, whether conducted by civilian agencies or the Department of Defense,” House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi said. “I am proud to name Congressman Tierney to the Intelligence Committee; he will be an outstanding Member.”
The HPSCI is a highly sought after committee assignment. Former Massachusetts Representative Peter Blute stated on his AM 680 Talk Show “Blute and Scotto” last week that he would have loved to serve on this committee.

Members of this committee receive full intelligence clearances. Blute’s co-host, Scott Allen Miller (”Scotto”), pointed out on his blog an interesting side note to this story, thanks to an astute listener of the show. In the Parade Magazine supplement in last week?s Sunday Boston Globe, in the story titled One-on One with Rep. Nancy Pelosi, it was revealed that “[n]ow one of Pelosi’s daughters is chief of staff to Rep. John Tierney (D., Mass)…” The astute reader also points out that Christine Pelosi has a reputation for “romantic liaisons with members of Congress,” particularly, Texas congressman Max Sandlin. (Note: Christine Pelosi has not been linked romanticly with Rep. Tierney, her married boss–at least, not yet.)

…

As President Bush embarks on his second term, many of his cabinet nominees have been criticized, despite being eminently qualified for the positions (case in point, Condoleeza Rice and Alberto Gonzalez). It has always been the position of the President to nominate only qualified individuals. So is this appointment to the HPSCI a reward for cronyism? Pelosi’s daughter has been Tierney’s Chief of Staff for some time, but I’m sure her association with the relatively unknown Congressman didn’t hurt Tierney’s chances for the appointment. Should not an individual appointed by the House Minority Leader to serve on the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence be the most qualified individual to serve, not the one who employs the House Minority Leader’s daughter?

It is also worth noting that Nancy Pelosi is no stranger to this type of cronyism, as she is the daughter of former Baltimore mayor Thomas D’Alexandro Jr. and the sister of former Baltimore mayor Thomas D’Alexandro III. It is doubtful she would be where she is today if not for her family’s political history.

I suppose the first counter-argument to this assertion is that President George W. Bush comes from a long political lineage, and perhaps would not be where he is today had that not been the case. Perhaps, however, there is a distinct difference. President George W. Bush was elected president, not appointed. Had Rep. Tierney been elected by his colleagues in Congress to the committee, there would be no argument–but he wasn’t, he was appointed to this committee position by the mother of his chief-of-staff. There is no doubt in my mind that had a Republican Congressman been appointed to such a committee as the HPSCI by the parent of said congressman’s chief-of-staff, the Democratic propaganda machine would be working overtime and in high dudgeon.

http://www.floppingaces.net/2005/05/04/glass-houses-update/

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