Pelosi marks a quarter-century in the House

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic leader in the House, is celebrating 25 years as a member of Congress on Saturday and the celebrations and commemorations of the milestone have been epic. There have been million-dollar fundraisers and lectures with former presidents; San Francisco streets have been named after her and there were concerts with rock star Bono and the remaining members of the Grateful Dead.

And it is not lost on Pelosi — what a long, strange trip it’s been.

“I’ve exploited it to the hilt,” she joked with reporters recently, adding, “We’ve got music, we’ve got streets, we’ve got bridges. Very immodest.”

The Pelosi celebration tour is the latest evidence that she remains an indomitable force in Democratic politics and unequaled in star power among House Democrats. At the same time the moment has also served to highlight the lack of any obvious heirs apparent to the 72-year-old Pelosi, who is now in her 10th year leading the caucus.

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