Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said, “I didn’t come [to Washington] to be partisan, I didn’t come here to be bipartisan, I came here, as did my colleagues, to be nonpartisan, to work for the American people, to do what is in their interest.” (Pelosi press conference, Jan. 29).
Hmmm … She said one of her favorite moments from Inauguration Day was when Marine One lifted off the Capitol grounds, signifying former President George W. Bush’s exit from Washington. “It felt like a 10-pound anvil was lifted off my head.” Perhaps the comment wasn’t really partisan – maybe it was just a hateful observation from a demure, engaging, saintly grandmother caught up in an idiopathic moment consistent with her character.
In the aftermath of Republican Jean Schmidt’s narrow victory over Democrat Paul Hacket, in the special House of Representatives race in Ohio, the nonpartisan Pelosi crowed, “Americans will no longer tolerate the Republicans’ continued abuses of power and catering to corporate special interests” (Aug. 3, 2003). Pelosi’s trying to portray that statement as nonpartisan is like Bill Clinton defining what “is” is. That said, one must ask how she thinks the American people viewed memogate, Elaine Jones’ being forced to resign from the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund because of memogate, judicial nominees having their appointments delayed at the request of Ms. Jones, and the Democrat Party dancing to the interests of Planned Parenthood and others – partisan, nonpartisan or corrupt?
Dec. 16, 1998, Pelosi said, “Saddam Hussein has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology, which is a threat to countries in the region, and he has made a mockery of the weapons inspection process.” There was nothing partisan in that statement, the fact that Bill Clinton was president notwithstanding. On Nov. 17, 2002, on “Meet the Press,” she said, “Saddam Hussein certainly has chemical and biological weapons. There’s no question about that.”
In November 2002, Pelosi told Tim Russert on “Meet the Press,” “We should stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the president in the fight against terrorism.” Pressed by Russert’s question, “But if the president decides to go it unilaterally or with the British and the Turks, without U.N. approval, you would support the president?” She replied, “Yes, I would support the president.”
In a press statement on Dec. 14, 2003, pursuant to the capture of Hussein she said, “The capture of Saddam Hussein by U.S. forces is great news for the Iraqi people and a morale boost for our troops. I congratulate President Bush and join him in commending our men and women in uniform and the civilian members of the intelligence community on a job well done. … Saddam Hussein’s capture could be a significant step toward the achievement of a safe and secure future for the people of Iraq.”
But on Jan. 20, 2004, in response to President Bush’s State of the Union Address, a different tune emerged: “The president led us into the Iraq war on the basis of unproven assertions without evidence. He embraced a radical doctrine of pre-emptive war unprecedented in our history, and he failed to build a true international coalition.”
She attacked President Bush, saying, “Therefore, American taxpayers are bearing almost all the cost: a colossal $20 billion and rising. More importantly, American troops are enduring almost all the casualties – tragically 500 killed and thousands more wounded.”
Keeping in mind that she was the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, note the progression of her statements. Were same outright lies? Was she being nonpartisan, or was she playing the rawest kind of partisanship in a transpicuous attempt to regain power?
Today, she proposes a liberal stimulus bill packed with more pork than a Cargill transport. A bill that proposes $150 million for honey bee insurance, $400 million for STD prevention (a gift to Planned Parenthood, et al.), $20 million for fish barriers, $25 million for ATV trails, billions for the auto industry (that will allow Congress to dictate how the free market will operate), and until recently hundreds of millions for contraceptives and birth control (i.e., more money for the abortion mills).
With her lengthy and well-documented track record of partisan obstruction, fraud, lies, favoritism, treachery and flip-flops – perhaps she would like to explain what her understanding of nonpartisan is. Because accusing former President Bush and Republicans of attempting to undermine Social Security without looking in her own Democrat mirror sure resembles partisan politics to me.
Birthright citizenship is a breach in the border
Daniel McCarthy