Pelosi: We will get through the administration's tantrum

[Rose Siding]

Ms. Pelosi, in a telephone interview from Lisbon on Friday, said she could not account for the Bush administration’s assault, which she at one point equated to a tantrum. (She said her children were teasing her about Mr. Cheney’s accusation of bad behavior.).....“I am used to the administration; nothing surprises me,” she said. “Having said that, I hope we can have the opportunity to convey to the president what we saw.”
...
“I come back thinking, all right, we will get through their tantrum,” Ms. Pelosi said, in a reference to the administration, “but the fact is, we accomplished what we set out to do. I think we improved the understanding among the different parties.”

In Syria, she said Mr. Waxman made a case-by-case appeal to Mr. Assad on the behalf of Syrian dissidents....

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/04/07/washington/07diplo.html?_r=1&ref=washington&oref=slogin

Yay! - the Syrians got a load of, not only an American woman who prefers words to bombs, but a targeted argument presented by Henry Waxman.

The reporters of this aspect of the story are suprisingly thorough here. They make note of a point about the hypocrisy of Pelosi's partisan critics that I first read on TPM yesterday:

Democrats say the complaints have a certain political expediency to them, and note that many of the same people criticizing Ms. Pelosi’s decision to delve into foreign policy were fine when Newt Gingrich, then the Republican speaker of the House, made his own foray into foreign policy back in 1997.

The Republican House leader, John A. Boehner of Ohio, criticized Ms. Pelosi’s trip, telling reporters that she was in Syria “for one reason, and that is to embarrass the president.” In 1997, Mr. Boehner accompanied Mr. Gingrich to China, and called the trip “very educational.”

Here are the more expansive points from TPM-

http://electioncentral.tpmcafe.com/blog/electioncentral/2007/apr/06/flashback_gingrich_visited_israel_as_speaker_blasted_presidents_foreign_policy

[Raven]

1. Only a mother! Only a mother could play this as well as Pilosi

has. She has an innate understanding of immaturity and how to calmly deal with it. The more patient she is, the more shrill and out of control the Bush folks become. Years ago before I taught my first Sunday school class of 4th graders, a seasoned teacher gave me some excellent advice. He said that if the class got noisy, rather than trying to talk over them, I should keep lowering my voice and by doing that the kids would finally calm down. It worked like a charm. Nancy is doing just that.

[Rydz777]

5. Well said

The best way to confront the administration's hysteria is with a reasoned voice and calm demeanor. Worth mentioning is that James Baker, that old senior Bushite, has been pleading that the administration do something sensible - "turn Syria" he keeps saying, but the adolescent Bushites don't hear what he is saying because they themselves are making too much noise.

[cassiepriam]

18. Dealing with BushCo is like handling out of control kids.

The moms are gonna win this one.
Cindy Sheehan, Nancy P., et al.
Go girls.

[Vinca]

2. I love the way she treats Shrub as if he's a stupid, misbehaving,

idiot child. Which, of course, he is.

[pretzel4gore]

3. but it's not shrug i'm worried about, it's the pigmedia

it's the pigmedia pushing the 'Pelosi betrayed us' angle, and someone should take them on...

[Maccagirl]

4. Dimson AND his enablers

both need to be taken to the woodshed and taught some lessons. Pelosi is right-5 year olds are punished for this kind of behavior.

[Randypiper]

26. Exactly

Congress needs to be able to gather information on their own,
and not be dependent on this administration who hasn't been honest.
This is something the media (Suzanne Malveaux and Matt Lauer) need to learn.

[JDPriestly]

27. Nancy Pelosi is third in line for the presidency

If Cheney and Bush are impeached or otherwise leave office for one reason or another, Pelosi becomes the president. Normally, the speaker's becoming president is a very remote possibility. Because of all the horrible abuses of power of the Bush administration this possibility is not so remote at the moment.

[Stinky The Clown]

6. Off to the Greatest with ya! Speaker Pelosi is playing this pitch-perfect.

"Tantrum"

Did anyone ever think they'd hear that word in a political debate? Its fresh and new in this context and absolutely a perfect description of what Il Dunce & Company are doing.

[The Count]

7. Which requires this pic:

[in_cog_ni_to]

9. LOL! That pic says, "Now, George, you sit here in Timeout until I tell you you can get up."

Preferably, 20 months from now.:7

[sakkatta]

8. she is so great

she should go to Iran next.

[Cabcere]

23. Welcome to DU, sakkatta!

:hi: Good to have you here. :)

[calimary]

28. Welcome to DU! She IS great, isn't she?

Now if we could just get her to put IMPEACHMENT back on the table...

But she's treating him exactly as he should be treated - like a disobedient, disrespectful, spoiled-brat, petulant, snot-nosed child. A child of about five or six years old. A spoiled, over-indulged, poorly raised, undisciplined child who isn't getting his way for once, and who IS INDEED throwing a public tantrum.

We have a saying around our house that was applied to our son when he was an itty-bitty: "if you act like a jerk, you're gonna be TREATED LIKE A JERK!!!" Nancy understands that george is a petulant brat who deserves to be treated like one. When he grows up a little and joins the human race again, he can expect to be treated accordingly. When I first heard her say "take a deep breath, mr. pResident" - I KNEW she was onto him. What is he - 60 years old? And he's only NOW being told "no"??? Who the hell brought him up???

Don't answer that - I know, I know... And she did a world-class crap-ass job.

[otohara]

10. Ouch, Jr Getting A Time Out

notice from Granny Pelosi

[Cameron27]

11. I love this woman.

She verbally put little boots & friends in the corner where they can continue their tantrum without disturbing the adults. That's the best way to deal with bullies.

[jazzjunkysue]

12. Tantrums! Woo Hooo! My new favorite word! Scold those nasty neocons!

Let's see some governing. :kick:

[Vickers]

13. "the Republican House leader"

:wtf:

It's the MINORITY House leader.

Notice how the M$M went from Speaker to Democratic House Leader, and from Minority House Leader to Republican House Leader? Like they are equals.

THEY AIN'T.

[babylonsister]

14. Perfect response, Speaker Pelosi; I salute you! nt

[Forkboy]

15. She is killing Bushy softly with her words.

She has returned every one of their volleys like Serena Williams on crack!

[Laurab]

16. I am loving her responses to the WH

"her children were teasing her about Cheney's accusation of bad behavior" - cracks me up. I like Nancy Pelosi more and more - she knows exactly who she's dealing with and how to deal with them.

[grannylib]

17. Go, Mother Nancy! "Tantrum" is exactly the word to use with this juvenile

spoiled brat who thinks he is in charge. Unelected little imbecile...

Make him sit in his corner, Madam Speaker...just like the misbehaving little toddler he is.

[HCE SuiGeneris]

19. A kick and R for them demonstrating real leadership.

Enough of the petulant BushCo.

[cascagraphic]

20. Ouch! Whadda smackdown! Good job, Nancy.

[NastyRiffraff]

21. You GO, girl!

She's treating him like the spoiled brat he is. He's never had to answer to anyone, for anything, before, so he throws a tantrum when finally someone expects him to act like an adult.

[kdpeters]

22. We got your back, Nancy!! We got your back!!

Don't get distracted and don't let up!!!

It's about time we had a F%%#$ LEADER in Washington.

[StrictlyRockers]

24. Pelosi rocks! I love that woman. End the war, Nancy!

The moms will help you. Cindy, Barbara Boxer, maybe even war-profiteer Feinstein. Ya never know.

[madfloridian]

25. Rose I am going to post this on Swanson's post where he is picking on Pelosi.

They are going to protest her. Just like groups are protesting Dean in Denver.

[RestoreGore]

29. I will believe that when IMPEACHMENT is really on the table

Instead of this war of words to make people believe they are really getting tough on the criminal.

[job777]

30. I'm worried

what if they bring charges against her for a felony, the logan act comes to mind. That would not be good.

[Beetwasher]

31. LOL! Let Me Guess, This Is The New Idiot Theory Circulating Around Rightwing Nutjob Blogs

That Pelosi should be charged w/ a felony. Am I right? Please explain the Logan act and why Newt Gingrich wasn't charged w/ it years ago when HE did this, or how about the other Repubs who WENT W/ PELOSI TO SYRIA. :rofl: Charge her, charge them.

I can see that you are very "concerned".

[samsingh]

32. Pelosi is good that making the repugs looks as stupid as they really are.