Thread: Pelosi holds onto leadership

Pelosi holds onto leadership

BY MIKE LILLIS - 11/30/16 11:43 AM EST 375

948

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on Wednesday fended off a challenge to her long leadership reign, defeating Rep. Tim Ryan (D-Ohio) in a closed-door vote prompted largely by Donald Trump’s unlikely ascension to the White House.

Pelosi got 134 votes to Ryan's 63 — winning 68 percent of the votes after declaring before the election that she had the support of two-thirds of the caucus. The victory sends a message that while there's a growing appetite for major changes in the party's leadership structure and messaging tactics, it's not strong enough to loosen Pelosi's grip on a liberal-heavy group that's rarely challenged her authority.

Ryan and his supporters had argued that the Democrats' grim performance in this year's elections — the latest in a string of cycles planting Republicans firmly in the majority — was a clear signal that Pelosi's leadership strategy has failed to attract the broad coalition of voters required to return the Speaker's gavel to the Democrats' hands.

The critics pointed, in particular, to the party's alienation of the middle-class Rust Belt workers, who flocked to Trump and secured victories for a long list of vulnerable Republicans down the ballot. Ryan, who represents an Ohio manufacturing district that's struggled to keep pace with globalization and rebound from the Great Recession, said he was the right fit to make inroads with those voters.

Most Democrats disagreed, opting to keep Pelosi and her top lieutenants — Reps. Steny Hoyer (Md.) and Jim Clyburn (S.C.) — in charge of efforts to improve the party's fortunes heading into the 2018 midterm elections.

Moments after the vote, Ryan congratulated Pelosi in a statement, saying he looks forward to working with her on implementing a progressive agenda.

“I ran for Leader because I believe strongly in the promise of the Democratic Party, but November taught us that changes were necessary. Our party’s losses showed our Caucus that we needed to have a serious conversation about our path forward and open the door for new reforms and voices in Democratic Leadership,” he said.

Ryan pushed fellow Democrats to put a renewed focus on blue-collar voters from the Midwest.

“Democrats must adopt a progressive economic message that focuses on large, direct infrastructure investments, affordable health care, portable pensions and public-private investments that promote advanced manufacturing. Hopelessness is a product of economic and social adversity. That is why Democrats must always be the party of aspiration and inclusion.”


The vote sent a message that a majority of Democrats consider the long experience of the current leadership team — combined with Pelosi's celebrated reputation for uniting the caucus — as indispensable assets in the legislative fights to come.
Pelosi was nominated by fellow California Rep. Adam Schiff (D), with seconding speeches by members representing a spectrum of caucus constituencies, including Reps. Joaquin Castro (Texas) of the Hispanic Caucus and Gwen Moore (Wis.) of the Black Caucus.

"No one is a better tactician than Nancy Pelosi," Schiff said, according to an aide in the room.
Pelosi vowed to put the fight behind her in an effort to unify the Democrats for the sake of defending President Obama's legislative legacy from the incoming Trump administration and the Republicans who will keep control of both chambers next year.

But she's also acknowledged the party's internal unrest, particularly among junior members frustrated by the lack of leadership opportunities, and several proposals she introduced to empower younger lawmakers were also adopted by the Democrats during Wednesday's meeting.

While Pelosi's proposed caucus reforms were welcomed by many junior members, some lawmakers in the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) are pushing back hard against the idea that seniority would be an excluding factor in the race up the leadership ladder.

“Such so called 'reforms' are unfair, they deny equal treatment under the rules to all members, and they penalize the accumulation of seniority," said Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.), a CBC member.

Pelosi's victory was sealed by secret ballot, a process allowing members to cast votes anonymously without fear of political repercussions for those opposing the powerful minority leader. Only 12 lawmakers had publicly endorsed Ryan heading into the election — a tiny number relative to the scores of Democrats who had announced their support for Pelosi.

Of the 198 House Democrats eligible to vote, only Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton (D.C.) was absent.

- Updated at 11:58 a.m.

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/30...nto-leadership

Unfortunately this was expected. Hmm, or maybe it isn't so unfortunate. lol

You can be sure that if the GOP slips up again, this ultra left liberal wing will be back in power.

My god I cannot stand this woman, she is one of the worst things to happen to this country. Remember her holding that gavel when they approved Obamacare and her statement that you have to pass it to see what is in it? How in the world she gets away with it is beyond me. I am sure the Donald can outsmart this witch. He will work around her. She is not that bright so I am sure it will not be an effort on his part.

I think Donald will do very well outsmarting Schumer and Pelosi. He knows them both. They both like him. Now that he's President they'll be rubbing up, I think, which they would be wise to do. Trump is going to do such a great job any Democrat who fights him is going to look mean and stupid. It's time for everyone to get on the Trump Train and work together to fix our country because that is all absolutely all that Donald Trump wants to do. He'll need 8 years and the first 4 will be so dramatic that when he said he's going to get 95% of the black vote in 2020, he meant it.

So get ready Inner Cities. You're improvements are coming and they'll be coming fast.

Originally Posted by MW

Unfortunately this was expected. Hmm, or maybe it isn't so unfortunate. lol

There will be no "fresh air" in the Democratic Party and all of the stale, divisive, identity politics are still in place.

Stale Flakes: Average Age of House Democratic Leadership is 76

Jim Hoft Nov 30th, 2016 6:11 pm 154 Comments
Guest post by Joe Hoft


House Democrats overwhelmingly decided to go with the past by keeping Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
The vote was 134 to 63 for second place finisher Rep. Tim Ryan.

Pelosi is 76.

The top three Democrats in leadership are 76 (Pelosi), 77 (Steny Hoyer) and 76 (Jim Clyburn). The average age of the Democratic party leadership is 76.

The top three Republican leaders, in contrast, are 46 (Paul Ryan), 51 (Kevin McCarthy) and 51 (Steve Scalise).

The average age of the House Republican leadership is 47.
The average age of the House Democratic leadership is 76.
— Curtis Kalin (@CurtisKalin) November 30, 2016

House Democratic re-elect Nancy Pelosi. Average age of Dem leadership is 76 years old. Yeah they understand Americans


— Jase Neal (@Elk_Eater) November 30, 2016

Donald Trump at 70 is younger than the House Democratic leadership.

Trump, at 70, is younger than the House Democratic leadership. https://t.co/wNyZpL3CWx
— Dan McLaughlin (@baseballcrank) November 30, 2016


http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2016...leadership-76/


Nancy Pelosi Quotes



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SI4ecR9gWj8