by Mark Silva
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, asked why Congress is so unpopular these days, replies: "Because of the war.''
"By and large,'' the speaker says, "the lack of action on the war has eclipsed everything that we have done here.''
Pelosi, a California Democrat, offered her views on this and the standoff between Congress and President Bush over children's health care in an interview last night on All Things Considered, the National Public Radio program.
Pelosi suggests that negotiations with the president -- who "does communicate through the press'' -- aren't going well with the expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program which Bush has vetoed.
"He refuses to meet with us,'' Pelosi said, suggesting that Bush has been telling only one side of the story in his repeated public criticism for Congress. "Lets be clear about this,'' Pelosi said. "You either share the value that 10 million children in our country who are eligible to have access to health insurance – and that’s a value; it’s not even an issue in our country; it’s a value; it’s an ethic. The president is in isolation on this.”
"There are two places to come to agreement,'' the speaker said in the NPR interview. " One is in the Congress of the United States to be able to override a presidential veto. Or the other is for the president to agree that we will be insuring 10 million children in America.
"We have met the concerns that they have raised, and we have been consistent with the SCHIP as it has been enforced under President Bush to date,'' she said of the new bill working its way through Congress. "He shouldn’t have a problem with this.”
Asked why the public holds Congress in such low esteem, Pelosi said: “Because of the war.
"I come to this table at sort of the end of the first session of Congress with great confidence about what we have accomplished to make America safer with our 9/11 Commission recommendations, our big increase in benefits for our veterans, making our economy stronger with our Competes Act, our innovation agenda, raising the minimum wage – first time in 10 years – the biggest package for college affordability since the GI bill, the biggest ethical package in the history of the Congress.,'' she said. "The list goes on and on about protecting the American people, restoring the American dream, and doing so in the most ethical and open manner.”
Asked what has surprised her about her first 10 months as speaker, Pelosi said: "The word surprise is not one that I have very much use for as speaker of the House, because I have to be prepared for anything.
"But what I would have hoped for was that the president would have been more responsive to the wishes and the voices of the American people who so strongly want us to redeploy our troops out of Iraq, when it is safe, honorable, and responsible,'' she said. " And I know now where he is coming from and I didn’t know this before.
"The president wants at least another 10 years in Iraq, and maybe longer,'' Pelosi said. "He envisions a Korea-like presence there for many years to come. This will cost us trillions of dollars. I had hoped that the president was looking for common ground for a redeployment out of Iraq. He has not.”
• 
• 
• 
Comments
At approval ratings down to as low as 14 percent, Ms. Pelosi needs to come to grips with the fact that the Democratic controlled Congress is the one "in isolation" from the majority of the rest of the country. And when he says Congress is unpopular because of the war, is she saying Congress is responsible for the war? Sure sounds like it.
Posted by: Damien | November 1, 2007 8:18 AM
To use comments from Midget Kucinich: I think Nancy Pelooozi has mental health issues.
Posted by: John D | November 1, 2007 9:34 AM
Nancy Pelosi is the one in isolation, although it's true Bush may be there with her.
She is completely inept. She has been unable to put through any legislation unless President Bush agrees with her
on it, has been truly pathetic on ending the war, and now seems to be going along with the demonization of Iran. And she continually blames her own inability to make a deal on the (minority) Republicans.
She had to cave on the Armenia holocaust recognition issue because she didn't do her homework in the first place...if she had, she never would have pushed it.
She is a complete failure but unfortunately her San Francisco ultraliberal voter base will keep re-electing her.
The House should revolt and get her out.
Posted by: Helena | November 1, 2007 9:52 AM
John D, the 'Nurse Ratched' of the Swamp decides who is nuts?
Fly over that kookoo nest, Crazy John, fly.
Posted by: C.Morris | November 1, 2007 10:05 AM
For as low as the Congressional approval ratings are, when divided between parties, Democrats still score 10+ points higher than Congressional Republicans and approval for the "Democratic leaders" is in the mid 40s. Those rubbing their hands in glee may be surprised in Nov '08 to learn that people think that the problem isn't congressional inaction -- it's Republican interference.
Posted by: Jeff | November 1, 2007 10:06 AM
Are you kidding me? Nothing getting done is actually good for the country! That's what check and balance is for. To make sure the Legislative, Executive, and Judicial keep each other in check.
Under the Republican Congress, it was "NO BILLS LEFT BEHIND." What kind of check and balance is that?
I don't care if Congress is controlled by Republicans or Democrats as long as the President is checked.
Posted by: Lou | November 1, 2007 10:13 AM
The problem with the Democrats;
They are still afraid of the the 'base'.
The Republican base, that is.
Posted by: C.Morris | November 1, 2007 10:21 AM
To use comments from Midget Kucinich: I think Nancy Pelooozi has mental health issues.
Posted by: John D | November 1, 2007 9:34 AM
Dude that comment is so...
unfunny. Dumb to be exact. Speaking of midgets, that mental midget Bush is in isolation on just about every issue. What a tard.
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | November 1, 2007 12:59 PM
Frankly, Nancy is not the problem. The problem are the male chauvinists in Congress who are either stalling or adding their own pork barrel legislation just to throw a wrench into the process. What Nancy needs to do is use "fear" just like Bush does to get his way. Also, the presidential veto of the healthcare bill the first time is just another deliberate slap in the face of the Democratic controlled Congress. When he vetoed the healthcare bill, he didn't care about the "childrens"; all King George cares about is "winning," even if the children lose. Wake up - as long as Bush/Cheney are in office, this is not "a government of the people, by the people,and for the people." This is a government of the wealthy, by the wealthy, and for the wealthy."
Posted by: the truth | November 1, 2007 8:19 PM
Wake up - as long as Bush/Cheney are in office, this is not "a government of the people, by the people,and for the people." This is a government of the wealthy, by the wealthy, and for the wealthy."
Posted by: the truth | November 1, 2007 8:19 PM
You are definitely telling the TRUTH!!!
Posted by: An Inconvenient Truth | November 2, 2007 8:53 PM
Since the day Bush walked into office he has cut health care and education. Why is anyone surprised? All in an effort to fund his war machine. Im betting if they tied one more year in Iraq to this bill Bush would be ready with the pen.
Posted by: T. Porter | November 3, 2007 9:56 AM