Speaker Nancy Pelosi dismissed concerns that Democrats could lose control of the House in this fall’s elections, and the California Democrat argued that her party will do much better than has been predicted.
“No, I’m not nervous,” Pelosi said during an interview on ABC’s “This Week,” explaining that a Democratic grass-roots mobilization plan makes her “feel very confident” about the elections.
Pelosi also downplayed recent comments by White House spokesman Robert Gibbs questioning whether Democrats can keep control of the House. “With all due respect, I don’t spend a whole lot of time thinking about what the president’s employees say about one thing or another,” she said.
Pelosi made clear that Democrats will tout their accomplishments while making the case that Republicans have sought to block Democratic agenda items rather than offer alternatives. “We’re very proud of the agenda we’ve put forward for the American people. ... We’ve been legislating for the last 18 months; the other side has been in campaign mode for the last 18 months,” she said.
While careful to avoid prejudging the ethics case against Rep. Charlie Rangel, Pelosi warned that her personal affection will not save the New York Democrat. “Personal respect and affection we may have for people makes us sad ... but we have to pull to a high ethical standard,” she said.
Pelosi also downplayed complaints about the hyperpartisan atmosphere in Washington, arguing that it is less about politics and more about deep differences in philosophy. “This isn’t about interparty bickering,” she said. “This is about major philosophical differences.”
Lois Lerner, director of exempt organizations for the IRS, arrives for a House Oversight and Government Reform Committee hearing on the investigation of the IRS' targeting of political groups. Lerner invoked her Fifth Amendment right to not testify and caused a protest from some committee members when she offered an opening statement and engaged in dialogue with members before invoking the right.
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