House Democrats send wrong signal

I think Pelosi's ego needs some downgrading. Our country does not need "me-me" politicians.  We need to watch them closely (and I'm not just talking about Pelosi-even though I can't stand her) but this article shows how much she doesn't care for protocol or the rules.

When the rules of the House of Representatives forced the Democrats to confront a painful choice among their leaders, they did what Democrats are often inclined to do. They changed the rules.

Usually, such a stunt would matter only to the members affected by the change. But this one sends a dangerous signal at a crucial moment, when both parties are being tested on their willingness to respond to the lessons of the last election. This is a disquieting development.

When the Democrats lost their House majority in the political upheaval on Nov. 2, they also lost one of their four leadership posts. Since the speaker would no longer come out of their caucus, House rules required them to yield it to the Republicans, who will use it to elevate John Boehner.

Instead of having four people in the formal leadership of the House, the Democrats should have three, a minority leader, a deputy or whip, and the chairman of the caucus.

It has always worked this way whenever an election shifts control on the House between the parties. Someone on the losing side loses his leadership job.

Republicans have established a pattern and precedent of trimming their leadership from the top, either by deposing the outgoing speaker or encouraging him to leave the House. When Republicans lost their majority in 2006, Speaker Denny Hastert took it as a cue that it was time to go home to Illinois.

There was ample precedent for firing from the top on the Democratic side as well. Speaker Tom Foley lost his seat when home district voters rebelled in the Republican rout of 1994. Speaker Jim Wright was forced out after being investigated for financial ethics violations.

But Speaker Nancy Pelosi lost no time after the returns came in this month in signaling that she would not go gently. Within 24 hours of learning that she would no longer be speaker, she informed her caucus that she would run for minority leader — a post she won on Wednesday.

Except for a few disgruntled members of the conservative Blue Dog caucus and some Republicans, no opposition surfaced. Pelosi has been the best fundraiser on the Democratic side, funneling money to both liberals and moderates. And she has been President Barack Obama’s loyal lieutenant in the legislative fights of the past two years.

Her decision triggered other battles. When she claimed the minority leadership, Steny Hoyer was demoted one level to whip, and he in turn bumped Jim Clyburn from that job.

Read the rest of the article here:

http://www.limaohio.com/articles/speaker-57613-house-lost.html