Why does D.C. care so much more about Pelosi than about Reid?

[ProSense]

Why does D.C. care so much more about Pelosi than about Reid?

By Ezra Klein

For all the hubbub over the decision House Democrats made to keep Nancy Pelosi, there's been almost nothing said on the decision Senate Democrats made to keep Harry Reid. But what's the difference? Pelosi might be a bit more unpopular, but they're both pretty unpopular. And Pelosi is a lot less vulnerable in her district than Reid is in his state.

Another possible answer is that Democrats lost their majority in the House, but not in the Senate. But it's hard to give that explanation much credit, either: Senate Democrats would have lost the majority if all of them had been up for reelection. They hold the chamber because only a third of the Senate was up for election, not because Reid's forces were more popular than Pelosi's.

So what gives?

With all the calls for the President to step it up against Republicans, why would DC be so interested in handicapping him?

My guess: Nancy Pelosi doesn't take their crap and some people were hoping Democrats would stand down. Not going to happen:

That’s why I ran. That’s one of the reasons I ran for leader — to fight any changes. Any undermining of the health care bill, of the Wall Street reform bill, of the consumer protection bill — I’ll fight that.

[napi21]

1. Because Nancy s effective & reid is not. at least not nearly AS

EFFECTIVE as Nancy has been. She's a fightr and the Pbbies don't like anyone who fights their BS!

[stranger81]

7. Exactly right. Pelosi delivers and is a threat to them.

Reid can't control his caucus and is not.

[DFLforever]

2. She's the strongest backer of the Presidents agenda in

the House and Senate?

key to defeating Pres Obama is defeating Nancy Pelosi

[AlinPA]

3. Plus she is tough and gets the job done. And I like her. I criticized her at one time

for cozying up to Bush, but since then she has worked hard for Obama's agenda.

[DCKit]

4. ~480 bills passed in the House and stalled in the Senate tell the story. n/t

[4lbs]

6. It would be interesting how many would have been passed if the House had the same filibuster rule

that the Senate did. That being that 60% of the House would have had to vote for cloture

My guess would be very little would have been passed, since before the election 3 weeks ago, we Democrats only controlled 59% of the House (257 Democrats). We would have needed 260 votes to proceed to an up-or-down vote where only 218 would have then been needed to pass.

[frazzled]

5. I don't know that the premise is in the least bit true

Do they actually care about Pelosi more than Reid? And who is "D.C."? The press? Members of Congress and the Senate? Government officials and workers? Cocktail party attendees? Ezra sometimes writes stupid posts.

It's not worth pondering. The problem with blogs is that there is too much thinking out loud in order to fill up a certain number of posts in a workday. And it gets silly and boring sometimes.

[ProSense]

8. "And who is "D.C."? The press? Members of Congress "

The blue dogs, the media, the detractors. They are still writing articles and talking about Pelosi as leader after it has been decided.

There is at least one article on this page advocating that she should have been dumped, and it cites a poll and another opinion.

[Phx_Dem]

9. Because the GOP told them she was the boogie man. And the

reason they turned her into the boogie man was because she is so damn effective. They had to do something to try to discredit her.

And the media does the bidding of the GOP.

[DrToast]

10. Because we still control the Senate?

It doesn't matter that the only reason is because only part of it was up for election. I wouldn't expect the media or the public to be able to grasp such a distinction.

[ProSense]

11. Why should that matter?

She was elected leader. It's over.

The other point is that most of the people speaking against her are offering up replacements that make no sense: Steny Hoyer and Heath Shuler.

[DrToast]

12. It's not unheard of for there to be new leadership when a party loses control of a chamber

[ProSense]

13. The election is over

She was elected leader by the only people who have a say: House Democrats. Why does the handwringing need to continue, especially by those who have no say?

[DFLforever]

15. They can't accept they were ignored?

Or lost the contest? (the DLC/New Democrat types - I imagine Hoyer would have been their man). I suppose they think the Dems should reverse policy now and Pelosi pointedly said she was running in order to defend the achievements of Congress.

What's particularly senseless in this brouhaha is: Nancy would never have announced her candidacy if she hadn't known she had the votes.

[ProSense]

16. Exactly. Here's irony:

These detractors are blaming Nancy Pelosi for the House losses because they say she's perceived as divisive. President Obama is being blamed for the House losses because he's perceived as too appeasing.

So who and which demeanor is actually responsible?

[DFLforever]

17. I'll jump in and venture they're both being smeared

because of policies/politics rather than personality. That's what the Pres and Speaker have in common- the same political agenda. They've both been demonized by the right and are now being smeared by those more closely allied to them.

Pelosi is too divisive, the Pres is too accommodating - whatever works to get rid of both of them.

[ProSense]

18. True. The interesting thing is that

in Pelosi's case, the "divisive" claims are clearly coming from people who want the Democrats to appear more appeasing. In the President's case, there is a legitimate argument to be made for taking a tougher stance against Republicans going foward, but the intent of that message is being distorted by opportunists.

[joe1991]

14. Add that she's a woman

In right-wing world, strong conservative women are godly "Mama Grizzly's", while strong liberal women are baby-eating shrill nazi feministas.

The left is despised for making fun of Palin and Bachmans real antics, but Pelosi is fair game to the right, no character assasination is off-limits to them.

[boppers]

19. Who would you rather wait on at a Restaurant?

Reid or Peolsi?

[Rosa Luxemburg]

20. Nancy is a woman and is from Baltimore!

[applegrove]

21. Maybe the GOP isn't highlighting Reid because he beat the nutjob and they don't

want any attention on the fact Sharon Angle is a big looser and thus Reid is a big winner. So they concentrate on Pelosi.

[Dulcinea]

22. That's easy.

She's a smart, strong, effective Democratic woman who has more power than they do. In short, the same reason so many conservatives frothed at the mouth over Hillary.