Nancy Pelosi continues to earn a reputation as the least effective Speaker of the House in generations. She also has an ideological coarseness that is distinctly unpleasant, and is not becoming to the with the office of the Speaker.
Her abdication, aided and abetted by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, of one of Congress’ primary roles, appropriations, is appalling. Congress will adjourn today for a five week break without passing a single appropriations bill - the first time this has happened since the 1950's.
Under Pelosi/Reid Congress continues to spend a great deal of time and money investigating manufactured "scandals" like Valerie Plame and Justice Department hirings and firings. Meanwhile, there has been no investigation of “Friends of Angelo” corruption even as Congress passed the “Bank of America/Countrywide Financial Bailout Act”. Why? Because Democrats, including Chairman of the Senate Banking Committe Chris Dodd, are dirty with it. Contrast this with the Bush executive branch who had no qualms about indicting Republican Senator Ted Stevens on corruption charges in an election year.
Ms. Pelosi has spent all summer maneuvering to make sure no vote on off-shore drilling occurs. To do so she has had to resort to virtually shutting down Congress. If a vote to authorize new domestic production was allowed, there is a good chance it would pass.
Today's Wall Street Journal commenting on the failure to pass an anti-speculation bill said, "But the legislation actually failed to become law -- by design. It needed a two-thirds majority because Speaker Pelosi suspended the rules to prevent Republicans from offering amendments, drilling among them. Ms. Pelosi had decreed that she would not permit a roll-call vote under any circumstances, even if it stopped her own goal of wrecking the U.S. futures market."
When questioned during an interview by Politico about her opposition to any expansion of domestic energy production, she testily replied, "I'm trying to save the planet, I'm trying to save the planet." Since Ms. Pelosi opposes oil, coal and nuclear, 93% of all potential energy production is off limits, with viable alternatives many years away.
Today's Wall Street Journal editorial page suggested that this sort of behavior could have repercussions come November. I, however, am under no such illusions about Speaker Pelosi losing an election this fall. She is no doubt regarded as a hero to her loony left district in San Francisco. But I am not aware of a single position that Speaker Pelosi advocates that stands up to intellectual scrutiny.
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