The incoming Democratic majority includes more than 80 Democrats who served in their last majority ('93-'94) (by comparison, there are just 65 Republicans from that Congress). These are folks who had the football snatched away several times since 1994; folks who thought they were about to become Chairmen again, and who licked their wounds and kept waiting. Remember Charlie Rangel, who promised to quit if the Democrats did not retake the majority? He was the 'cut-and-run' guy here; most intended to die in office if they had to, waiting for the majority again.
There are 10 Democrats who came into office before Jimmy Carter was President. And these are 10 of the most influential - folks like Dingell (sworn in during the Eisenhower administration), Conyers (LBJ), Rangel (Nixon), Pete Stark (Nixon again), George Miller (Ford) and Henry Waxman (Ford as well).
How is Nancy Pelosi going to bring in line these old-line, hidebound liberals, who committed their lives to waiting for Godot (if Godot were a chairmanship)? Keeping everyone from John Conyers to Heath Shuler on board will make herding cats look easy.
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Thursday, November 09, 2006
Nancy Pelosi's Biggest Challenge
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2 comments:
PELOSI can't teach those old dogs new trick. For ten years, maybe longer, the new chairmen (sic) have been nursing old wounds and older ideals and ideas. It's crazy to think that Pelosi can do much with them, even if she wants to. It's the same old liberal democrats we have known well...back in the saddle, but way past prime time.
I observed in my comment on this sell out that there is something wrong with you and me that we have been electing mediocrities to office ovedr the past decade; I especially include Bush in this assessmet. We just did it again this past November, and looking at "the field" for the '08 presidential run, thosepotential candidates from both parties are defining mediocrity even further down. And it's our fault.
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