Pelosi's Badge of Honor

Roll Call reports that with Democrats effectively hammering Tom DeLay for his ethics problems and bludgeoning the President's Social Security privatization plan, "Republicans in recent weeks have stepped up their individual attacks on Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)." Pelosi should walk tall and wear these attacks as a badge of honor for a number of reasons.

- First and foremost, when you are attacked by a bunch of radical elitist neanderthals like the congressional GOP, it means you are standing up for America's middle-class and doing something right.

- Second, Roll Call notes "GOP lawmakers and strategists have recently shifted their tactics toward highlighting the alleged distance between Pelosi and Members of her own party." Specifically, "Republicans have been touting several bills, including bankruptcy reform, class-action reform and the estate tax repeal, that each attracted more than 40 Democratic votes despite Pelosi’s opposition." Let's be clear: criticizing Pelosi for voting against the bankruptcy, class action, and estate tax legislation is essentially acknowledging that she's willing to take tough votes to stand up for average Americans. Those bills were written, bought and paid for by credit card companies, Big Business, and super-wealthy billionaires, respectively. Deep down in places they don't talk about at their cocktail parties, politicians/staffers/operatives in Washington, D.C. know that no matter how much populist rhetoric they put around these bills, they are designed to reward wealthy campaign contributors to the detriment of everyone else. Pelosi's willingness to vote the right way shows something Democrats could use more of: guts.

- As Roll Call reported earlier, Pelosi has had the backbone not only to take these tough votes, but to also call her Democratic colleagues on the carpet when they are selling out average Americans and thus hurting the party. For far too long, congressional Democrats have been allowed to stab their own party in the back with no consequences. The fact that Pelosi is letting it be known that such behavior will not be tolerated is a good thing, as it will build party unity. The majority only comes when parties stay together – and Pelosi's efforts to enforce unity means she understands that.

Hilariously, Rep. Deborah Pryce (R-OH) claimed that those who defied Pelosi are "rank-and-file Democrats [who] abandon leadership to support marquee legislation that shows their constituents they’re working to help improve Americans’ quality of life." Quick note to these Democratic defectors Pryce refers to: when the fourth ranking House Republican is lauding you for voting for a bill to persecute debtors, limit people's legal rights, and give the wealthiest 2 percent of Americans a massive tax cut – that's a bad thing that helps keep the Democratic Party in the minority. Keep it in mind.

Remember, I am no shameless Pelosi partisan and don't pretend she's perfect. I agree that she's got some inherent drawbacks as leader, such as hailing from San Francisco. But she can't change - or be blamed for - these ascribed characteristics. In the areas that she can control, however, she has excelled in pushing the progressive cause and strengthening the party. I hope Ms. Pelosi opened up her copy of Roll Call today and felt good. She should walk tall, because she's standing up for the silent majority in America who Congress now screws over on a daily basis.