Committee of One (Nancy Pelosi)

[rodeodance]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/10/31/AR2007103102559.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

Committee of One

By Robert D. Novak
Thursday, November 1, 2007; Page A21

A story told in cloakrooms of the House of Representatives shows how ironic life on Capitol Hill can be. Jim McCrery, the low-key, hardworking ranking Republican on the Ways and Means Committee, has spent all year trying to establish good relations with the tax-writing committee's first Democratic chairman in 12 years, Charles Rangel. He succeeded, only to discover that Rangel does not really run Ways and Means. Nancy Pelosi does.

Rangel, a crafty New York politician, so far looks like the weakest Ways and Means chairman during my 50 years in Washington. That's only because Pelosi so far is the most powerful speaker of the House during that same period, a reality obscured by her historic role as the first woman to hold that office. She does not confer with or defer to standing committee chairmen, whose predecessors made previous speakers dance to their tune.


On both sides of the aisle, the 67-year-old grandmother from San Francisco is referred to as the "Committee of One" who rules the House. Many speakers over the years relied on their majority leader, as Republican Dennis Hastert let Tom DeLay handle day-to-day operations. But not Pelosi, who actually opposed Steny Hoyer's election as majority leader.

[reprobate]

1. Nancy "George W." Pelosi is drunk with power. Power is not leadership. Resign Nancy!

[terisan]

2. So powerful she had to accept Hoyer, who was not her choice. Uh? Novak as a source?

The guy who splashed Plame's name and destroyed her networks? Cheney and Rove's buddy. Traitor in our midst?

[Demeter]

3. Sounds Like Novack Trying To Curry Favor With Nancy

Powerful, my eye! If that's power, we need more weakness.