Otherwise known as Shepard Fairey, why don't you make a poster out of this?
Speaker Nancy Pelosi told reporters Thursday that she wants to see the Bush-era tax cuts for the wealthy repealed "as early as possible."
snip . . .
"Put me down as clearly as you possibly can as one who wants to have those tax cuts for the wealthiest Americans repealed," she said.
A little business to take care of first though . . .
First the House will take up:
- the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act tomorrow
- Next week, The House will vote on a package to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)
- The stimulus package will then take priority.
"We will have a bill before the President's recess," she said. "If we don't have a bill, there will be no President's recess."
My favorite is this quote from Madam Speaker
More broadly, she said that she told the Democratic caucus this morning that they need to rethink the way they approach legislation now that they are no longer in the minority or facing a Republican president. "We're thinking a political way about this," she said. "We have to think differently about this...We've been so used to an uphill fight but now we have arrived."
Claiming that polls show some 79 percent of the American people are behind Obama's stimulus plan, the Congress should "move quickly -- not hastily, but quickly," she said.
Our Lady of the House has hit the nailed on the head, we have what would be called a mandate. Given a much less impressive victory in 2004, our last President said.
"I earned capital in the campaign, political capital, and now I intend to spend it,"
Obama, Harry Reid, and any Obstructionist Democrats take note, the Speaker has put you on notice.
As her press conference ended, she was asked if she had any parting words for the president. She paused as the reporters laughed and finally said, "I have some. And I think I'll share them with the president privately."
Not hard to guess what the first thing she'll bring up is.
Update 1:34 pm EST: I'm amazed by the level of vitriol that merely suggesting Pelosi is a hero and a leader inspired. To be perfectly honest my first reaction was to push back. After all, members of the Daily Kos are known and loved for their hyperbole and lack of perspective. I think what the reaction illustrates is the real and important need for some type of truth and reconciliation process in this country. While I am nervous about such a process derailing all the important things we need to accomplish, I'm also nervous by both the prospect of letting the outrage fester, and letter the perpetrators of crimes get off Scott free.
I think the end product of not addressing the issue is disproportionate and misdirected rage at our own leadership. This is unproductive, but its real and the leaders of the party ought to take it into account and understand that it is not going away without a sincere process to reveal the abuses of the past, air the crimes, and hold the perpetrators accountable.