Is Nancy Pelosi Next to Retire?

National Journal: “With Rep. Henry Waxman’s retirement announcement, many of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s top lieutenants are abandoning ship. Waxman joins his California colleague, Rep. George Miller, and Rep. Jim Moran of Virginia as close Pelosi allies to retire after this Congress. And last July, Pelosi’s leading in-house strategist Jen Crider decamped from her office to work for Microsoft.”

“Their decisions are as strong a signal as any that veteran House Democrats hold little hope they’ll be able to retake the House in 2014, and they probably are pessimistic about their long-term prospects for a congressional majority. Miller and Waxman would be in line to chair influential committees if their party took back the chamber. A third Democrat, Rep. Collin Peterson of Minnesota, wouldn’t commit to running again in an interview this week. He would be in line to head up the Agriculture Committee in a Democratic majority.”