California: Nancy Pelosi

While tomorrow’s California general elections are understandably receiving the vast majority of coverage throughout California, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has garnered more than her fair share of the national spotlight in recent weeks. Any time that the highest ranking Member of Congress – and third in the line to be president of the United States – says that the CIA misled her and others in Congress (Washington-speak for lied)…that’s not only newsworthy but will also inspire the news media to dig deeper.

What is known is that Nancy Pelosi, as a member of the House Intelligence Committee and before she became Speaker, received briefings from CIA professional staff, not Bush Administration appointees, as she would lead us to believe, in the 2002-2005 timeframe.

George Orwell was right when he wrote "1984".  Words can mean what you want them to mean, especially if you are government.  To Democrat Nancy Pelosi, enforcing our immigration laws is UnAmerican.

"Who in this country would not want to change a policy of kicking in doors in the middle of the night and sending a parent away from their families?" Pelosi told a mostly Hispanic gathering at St. Anthony's Church in San Francisco.

"It must be stopped....What value system is that? I think it's un-American. I think it's un-American."  So. bank robber, with a wife an kids should be let go?  Yes, according to Pelosi--families should not be divided.

Late last week, Democrats temporarily shelved a bill that would allow bankruptcy judges to modify the terms of mortgages on primary residences (also known as "cram-down").  Moderates who put the hold on this legislation, particularly former Wall Street investor Ellen Tauscher, crowed about it to the media.
This hardly amounts to a breakthrough win for party moderates - or a major concession by the speaker. But it was a consequential moment in the minds of moderate leaders who often find themselves marginalized in a caucus dominated by liberals.

"It shows we have bench strength, and it shows we can flex," said California Rep.

From Rob Hotakainen in the Washington bureau:

As the House prepares to vote on the $789 billion stimulus, the largest spending bill in history, Democrats are releasing details, though there's still no official word on how much money individual states will receive.

The Los Angeles Times says the bill could send $26 billion to California.

Wonks who want to start plowing through the details can go here.

Some House Republicans are complaining about the rush to vote.

See the spin from the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of San Francisco after the jump: