In April 2006, Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi wrote here at Daily Kos:
I make this pledge to you: every week that Congress is in session, I will come to DailyKos.com and report back on what House Democrats are doing to hold Republicans and the President accountable.
Congresswoman Pelosi (or her staff) hasn't made a single diary, comment, explanation, apology, or other post to this community since that April. Not before or since the 2006 election. Not since she announced she was taking impeachment "off the table". And not since voters made her the Speaker of the House.
It's ironic that she said her pledge was about accountability. It's extremely clear that with respect to warrantless wiretapping and FISA legislation, preventing votes that fund the Iraq occupation, impeachment, and leadership as such, Speaker Pelosi has been ignoring this community and progressives since long before the election. Why? And why hasn't anyone in the leading Democratic blog ever acknowledged her betrayal?
I was tempted to offer a Poll, but I'm much more interested in hearing your serious ideas about this than in creating a "push poll" where folks can critique or endorse my preconceptions.
What does it mean when at the most famously successful "partisan" Democratic blog - in the burgeoning netroots community that's supposedly poised to change the landscape - the party leader breaks all her promises and ignores us, even for the election season, without apology? (Pelosi also promised to attend Yearly Kos, but evidently authorizing warrantless spying took a priority.)
Actually, it looks like the only person posting here who even noticed we were being boycotted and insulted by our party's leader is a snark who calls herself Speaker Nancy (no last name, but the satirical intent is obvious). "Speaker Nancy" has been far more attentive and accurate than the real Pelosi lately. She even predicted that the real Pelosi would rush unconstitutional changes to FISA through the Congress, and offered more of a reason why than Pelosi ever did.
Weirdly, the reaction to Speaker Nancy was largely, 'Delete her account, it's too close to Pelosi's real name, she must be a troll - and we don't want Bill O'Reilly to find out how much the real Nancy Pelosi despises us!'
What's wrong with us? Will this community quietly avoid this discussion - and abandon any influence we might have - to protect the principal actor in "our" party's current leadership vaccuum? Do we so envy the Republicans that we've embraced blind partisanship, selective accountability, cronyistic loyalty and denial as our own core values?
Nancy Pelosi is the one who should be answering the question in this diary's title.
Recommending it might be the only way we'll ever see her around these parts again.
UPDATE WITH ACTION:
This diary has struck a nerve. It has been on the front page for more than 24 hours, with 680+ Recommends and over 900 comments, most agreeing that the nominal party leader has abandoned Democrats - and not just by blowing off her empty pledges to the Daily Kos.
One person questioned my use of the term "boycott". 130 questioned my use of the term "leader".
(Predictably, some floated the idea that Pelosi's critics are "Republican plants" or trolls, but this time we rejected that ruse. Discussions like this are what Daily Kos is about - not a violation of its FAQ.)
Our role must be action, not just criticism. We're not waiting for Nancy Pelosi to show up now. She will listen only when her constituents and former supporters have an alternative. Her San Francisco Congressional seat is 100% safe from Republicans, so the usual "Help, A Third Party Spoiler!" that empowers Bush's Blue Dogs in the South will never be an issue. If you have a primary challenger recommendation, fine. If you like Cindy Sheehan, fine. (Several comments expressed regret over the way Cindy was treated here.) If you want to promote the next Bernie Sanders from the Bay Area, that's probably what we need. Standing up could even spur action in other districts, prying unresponsive incumbents loose from their undeserved power.
I will be posting again on this topic, aiming to turn our passion into action, and I strongly encourage others to do so.
