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Pelosi on Clinton: 'She May Run Again'

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June 24, 2008 1:45 PM

ABC News' Karen Travers Reports: Addressing the question of whether sexism played a significant role in Sen. Hillary Clinton’s failure to win the Democratic nomination, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi wouldn’t say it was responsible for her defeat but acknowledged that sexism is “a given.”

“Is there sexism? Probably so. Is it responsible for the defeat? I really wouldn’t have the scientific knowledge, all of the information to know that,” the Speaker said. “My impression is, ‘Yes there was sexism.’ My knowledge is, ‘Yes there is sexism because there has been.’

“I’m the victim of sexism myself, but I think it goes with the territory. I don’t sit around to say but for that, but for that.”

Speaker Pelosi said that Clinton benefited from being a woman with the strong support she received from women voters and that perhaps she takes another shot at the White House.

“[W]omen are wildly enthusiastic about her candidacy. Not just a woman but this woman, this talent, this intellect, stamina,” she said. "I think her candidacy was a bright bright moment for us and she may run again."

The reason that the approval ratings for Congress are at an all-time low is because the legislative branch has not ended the war in Iraq, Speaker Pelosi said Tuesday.

In a breakfast with reporters in Washington, D.C. Pelosi noted that the two main issues related to Congress’ low approval ratings are the war in Iraq and rising energy costs and said that it is Democrats who are the most “down on Congress.”

“I think that the reason that the Congress is at an all time low in the confidence of the American people is that we did not end the war,” the Speaker said. “The issue of the economy is the big issue but the issue of the war is still there. And if you look at those numbers of Congress’ approval rating, the Democrats are the ones who are down on congress. Republicans too, but the Democrats more so. And it’s about the war.”

ABC News’ Polling Director Gary Langer reports that in a recent Gallup poll (June 12), just 19 percent of those polled approved of the job Congress was doing, while 74 percent disapproved.

Obama opting out of public financing
Speaker Pelosi toed the party line with her reaction to Sen. Barack Obama’s decision to withdraw from the public financing system in the general election, saying that his decision is based on the fact that he has a large pool of small donors, instead of relying on big money donors, which is a “tremendous difference.”

“The comfort level I have with the decision made by Sen. Obama springs from the fact that he has over a million and a half small donors. And if he was saying I am walking away from public financing because I have a lot of big donors, then that would be one thing,” Pelosi said. “He is taking a different tact because he has over a million small donors.”

Speaker Pelosi said her own opinion is to have “public financing across the board” but said that Obama’s decision is acceptable because “he has honored the spirit of small donors participating in campaigns and frowning on the participation of outside groups.”

When asked about the meeting that Obama will have on Thursday with several dozen of Clinton’s top fundraising bundlers, Speaker Pelosi said she views that meeting as a “political event” rather than a fundraising one.

“I don’t know that he’s asking them to do that [bundle money]. Sen. Obama was one of the biggest proponents of the bundling piece that was in the ethics committee bill,” Pelosi said. “I imagine that is a political meeting to say to those people who are opinion makers in their universe of politics that they would be supportive of him. I don’t frankly view that as a fundraising event, I view it as a political event.”

June 24, 2008 in Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (117)

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Mary,

Come on now - questionable background? Compared to the Clintons? Come on, now.

Posted by: AllFemale | Jun 24, 2008 2:44:26 PM

Angie that's because you will be cheering for the next fake that fools you into believing the hope and change slogan that is wearing thin by now. he's just a typical politician that would say anything to win. you can take that to the bank.

Posted by: Persio | Jun 24, 2008 2:49:59 PM

cloud123

The world is more complicated than you apparently understand!


Posted by: T | Jun 24, 2008 2:55:41 PM


Of course, Pelosi helped engineer Obama's campaign because she didn't want to share her power with another woman! Plain and simple -- even Obama kids should be able to understand it!

Say no to Pelosi, Dean and company!

Posted by: T | Jun 24, 2008 3:02:56 PM

Pelosi should stick to making all the laws she does for the gays and illegals. If in fact there was any sexism she or many of her kind would not be holding any office. Pot calling the kettle black as we all know most women care less then idiots like hillary are they just vote because for her because they are sexists.
Cry babies, when women or blacks do not get their way or lose they have to blame it on the poor white guy who does nothing but work his whole life and die for them

Posted by: JR | Jun 24, 2008 3:05:59 PM

How about that utterly ridiculous-looking "Obama Seal" he was recently putting on his speaking podium. I mean, honestly, just how self-absorbed and narcissistic is this guy?? But hey, people like Anderson Cooper, Keith Olbermann, Chris Matthews, Mark Halperin, (and way too many more to list), and all his enthralled followers are just feeding into this guy's love affair with himself.

It would seem Jeffrey Toobin applied his "deranged narcissism" remark to the wrong person. But, whatever, I wasn't ever thinking of voting for the guy anyhow.

Posted by: Scott | Jun 24, 2008 3:07:58 PM

Damn straight Angie,

There are 18 million of us too. . .proud to support Obama. If you Hill supporters think we will flock to her if her supporters turn their back on Obama, you are in for a rude surprise. If it is McCain in '08, we will work our hearts out to make sure it is not Hill in '12, but if it is, then for McCain in '12.

Posted by: JD | Jun 24, 2008 3:18:30 PM

Anyone who doesn't think sexism isn't alive and well in this country isn't paying attention, or reading the news. It is not as blatant as at the time when women could not vote, for example, but the less obvious, taken-for-granted mind set is really worse to deal with.

So I do have a bias against Obama. He is just another male chauvinist. Of course he doesn't think he really is but that makes his condescending attitude more difficult to take, not easier. And as long as that is the attitude our "leaders" take, they are doomed to fail in their efforts for hope and change.

Posted by: Kasha | Jun 24, 2008 3:18:54 PM

D,

I am from Chicago and trust, there is nothing more shameful than the Clintons, not even Nixon. No other presidency has had the Clinton's misspeaks. I am a 55 year-old woman and I do not need to do research or watch television to learn about the Clintons. I lived through their scandals.

BTW, I voted for Bill twice. I guess some people, myself included, never learns.

Posted by: AllFemale | Jun 24, 2008 3:22:43 PM

When you are black, sexism is irrelevant.

Posted by: jack | Jun 24, 2008 3:23:43 PM

Persio,

Can I get you a doctor?

Posted by: jack | Jun 24, 2008 3:25:46 PM

Obama has all that money--and no integrity.

His biggest political tactic is free...playing the race card.

Posted by: riley | Jun 24, 2008 3:26:24 PM

Nancy sweetie Pelosi is a traitor to our country. I would have her arrested and imprisoned in Gitmo.

Posted by: Pelosi is a traitor | Jun 24, 2008 3:27:03 PM

It's fascinating that women believes that all women should vote for Hillary, but all blacks should not vote for Obama.

Fascinating!

Posted by: AllFemale | Jun 24, 2008 3:28:50 PM

So Nancy says Hillary may run again, does that signal that Obama won't be elected in November?

Posted by: tiredtoo | Jun 24, 2008 3:31:00 PM

I have never seen any other political contest where there have been so many sore losers, sour grapers, whiners, blamers and misrepresenters (so as not to say liars). As a Latino female who is senior citizen, I resent the inference that I support Sen. Obama because I have drunk some kool aid or swallowed some story line. I support and voted for him because, among many other things, unlike Hill, he did not cheat by leaving his name on the ballot and then later explain that it didn't matter anyway and later again wanted to claim all the votes (and did claim them)since only Her name was on the ballot and finally used all those votes to boast that she had won the popular vote...hogwash! She didn't step out of the race because of the DNC...she stepped out because all her surrogates, the people she needs in the future if she wants to run for anything again told her that enough was enough...it was over...and even then, she was churlish and gauche and had to be told again, by her top level supporters to "knock it off". Yes, there was sexism and there was racism...but while Sen. Obama never used the sexism, Hill was quick to point out that he could never win with hard-working white men (as opposed to lazy blacks and latinos?).
Regardless, I firmly believe that Clintonites don't want to see the truth. No matter, they are not Democrats and I hope Sen. Obama will be our next president in spite of the whining and bellyaching of Hill's henchmen who with their inane slogan: Party Unity My Axx (PUMA) bludgeon the party that is committed to returning our loved ones from a war that was sanctioned by the vote of many Republicans and at least one Democrat (Hill) who later groused she was misinformed.
I am glad that many women who are leaders in various fields and who supported Hill are now committed to supporting the Democratic Party...among them Ms. Malcolm of Emily's List.
For those who will never vote for Sen. Obama...do what you will...That's the beauty of this wonderful Country. My hope is that this great Country have many more people committed to party unity than to narrow-minded and spiteful exploits.

Posted by: elen | Jun 24, 2008 3:31:40 PM

I think Hillary humiliated herself enough to last a life time!


And Pelosi should be impeached for taking impeachment off the table for Bush and Cheney!

I have no respect for either Hillary or Pelosi. Two strong women don't mean they are the RIFHT women!


Posted by: Woman4Obama | Jun 24, 2008 3:37:51 PM

Howard Dean, Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy, John Kerry, John Edwards, and on and on and on, put the screws to the Clintons - and now they want both the former President and Hillary to endorse and campaign for St. Obama??? I don't care if they kiss his butt on network TV, I will not vote for him! Ever!

Posted by: disgusteddem | Jun 24, 2008 3:38:38 PM

elen

this is not time for soaring rhetoric... yu Obama people must wait for the election and the inauguration(if there is one) of Obama in 2009! you still cant forgo the process! you will be patient and if something happens betwen now and election day that causes Obama not be the president... you will accept it

Posted by: thinkingdem | Jun 24, 2008 3:40:16 PM

Hillary lost because she mismanaged her campaign. She was too arrogant and assumed she was some queen bee that could outsmart anyone else. She was wrong and she failed. Many woman jumped off the Hillary train after they watched her attempt to dehumanize her Democratic rival. The last straw for me was when I watched her hem and haw on 60 minutes and refuse to give a straight answer over whether Obama was a Muslim or not. I knew that I was not interested in a leader who was willing to play games and deceive the American public without giving it a second thought.
It didn't help her that she was willing to outright lie over and over about running for cover and having to dodge sniper fire in Bosnia.
I then watched her as she tried to convince herself and her supporters that she was not winning for this reason and for that reason and every reason except looking in the mirror and being willing to take a bit of personal responsibilities for her own failings.
Did she have people in the media who where unfair to her? Probably, but how is that any different than for anybody else?
In the end, too many people decided that they wanted an honest candidate with integrity. That is not a quality that Hillary Clinton has.

Posted by: Eileen From Maine | Jun 24, 2008 3:41:11 PM

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