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Top House Democrats Calls for New Leadership

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Rep. Linda Sanchez (D-CA) said that “it’s time for House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and her leadership team to prepare to step down and make way for the next generation of lawmakers in her caucus,” the Washington Post reports.

Said Sanchez: “I do think it’s time to pass a torch to a new generation of leaders, and I want to be a part of that transition.”

The comments by Sanchez, “who as vice chairman of the House Democratic Caucus ranks fifth in the 194-member body, are the most explicit to date by a senior congressional Democrat and a member of the California congressional delegation about Pelosi’s political future.”

Democrat Runs with Pledge to Vote Against Pelosi

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Paul Davis (D) announced his entrance into the race for the Kansas 2nd congressional district with a promise that if elected, “he does not plan to vote for Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the current House Democratic leader and former speaker of the U.S. House when Democrats last held the majority,” the Kansas City Star reports.

Said Davis: “This is a broken Congress right now, and I think the leaders of both political parties bear responsibility for that. And I think that we need new leadership in both political parties.”

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Democrats Begin to See Pelosi as a 2018 Problem

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McClatchy: “In a survey of 20 Democratic House candidates, only one – a former Senate staffer from Orange County, California – would state support for the congresswoman staying on as leader of the House Democratic Caucus. Of the rest, 18 declined to say if Pelosi should keep her job, while one, a political newcomer from a culturally conservative Ohio district, said he would vote for someone other than Pelosi.”

“Their refusal is a remarkable development for an already embattled minority leader. But even more significant are the implications that their refusal carries for next year’s midterm elections.”

McAuliffe Hits the Road with Pelosi

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USA Today: “Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Rep. Nancy Pelosi have been quietly courting major party donors during a series of weekend trips that illustrate how the Democratic Party’s road to rebuilding begins with changing the habits of labor unions and traditional donors.”

“The duo has traveled to San Francisco, Los Angeles, Boston and New York to try to convince traditional donor groups and grassroots organizations to channel more funding to local and state elections — with a particular focus on the next generation of governors who will oversee redistricting around the 2020 Census — as well as legal battles and ballot initiatives to challenge gerrymandered congressional districts.”

Said McAuliffe: “I don’t care who the president of the United States is, it doesn’t matter in the sense that, if we don’t have governors to stop these horrible maps, they’re going to pass a lot of this stuff at the state level. Politically, this is what I’m going to do. I’m obsessed.”

Pelosi Defends Her Leadership

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) defended her leadership “amid suggestions from some Democrats that it may be time for her to step aside after more than a decade leading the caucus,” The Hill reports.

“Some Democrats had expressed frustration since the party fell short of picking up a seat in Tuesday’s special election in Georgia. A handful even went as far as suggesting Democrats couldn’t win back the House next year with Pelosi still as their leader.”

But Pelosi brushed the criticism aside: “I thrive on competition and I welcome the discussion. But I am honored by the support.”

Pelosi Faces Growing Doubts

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other top Democrats “put a brave face on Wednesday morning after a disappointing loss in the Georgia special election, yet there is no disguising the unhappiness in the party ranks,” Politico reports.

“There is no challenge to Pelosi’s leadership, and none is going to happen at this point, said numerous Democrats. But it’s clear frustration is growing with the longtime Democratic leader following the extensive losses Democrats have suffered over the past half-decade.”

“And the fact that Republicans spent millions of dollars on TV ads tying Democratic hopeful Jon Ossoff to Pelosi — and the brand of progressive policies she represents — shows that she will once again be an issue for Democratic challengers in the very districts that the party needs to win to make her speaker again.”

Pelosi Was a Huge Drag on Ossoff

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First Read: “While national Republicans threw the kitchen sink at Ossoff, perhaps their most potent — and consistent — attack was linking him to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Democrats have to admit they have a Pelosi problem, especially in red states and districts. Yes, she brings money and legislative savvy to the party. But if Democratic candidates like Ossoff are going to campaign on change, Republicans can quickly undercut that message by simply showing Pelosi. It’s a legitimate question Democrats must ask themselves: Can they win back the House with Pelosi promising to stay in power?”

James Hohmann: “Republican operatives say that 98 percent of voters in the 6th District already had an impression of Pelosi when they conducted their first internal poll, and she was 35 points underwater. When presented with the choice of whether they wanted a representative who would work with Paul Ryan or Pelosi, six in 10 picked the Speaker and three in 10 picked the minority leader.”

Pelosi Predicts Trump Will ‘Self-Impeach’

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) believes President Trump will “self-impeach” and that Democrats should wait for the Russia investigations — especially special counsel Robert Mueller’s probe — to play out before pushing to remove him from the Oval Office, Politico reports.

“Pelosi’s views are important because while she has publicly dismissed discussions on impeaching Trump, her remarks show she thinks the president will ultimately take some action that will be egregious enough to make it easy for Congress to act.”

Pelosi Says Abortion Should Not Be Litmus Test

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told the Washington Post that the Democratic Party should not impose support for abortion rights as a litmus test on its candidates.

Said Pelosi: “I grew up Nancy D’Alesandro, in Baltimore, Maryland; in Little Italy; in a very devout Catholic family; fiercely patriotic; proud of our town and heritage, and staunchly Democratic. Most of those people — my family, extended family — are not pro-choice. You think I’m kicking them out of the Democratic Party?”

Republicans Revive Pelosi as Boogeyman

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This piece is only available to Political Wire members.

In special elections in Georgia and Montana, Republicans are trying to tie their Democratic opponents to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in a coordinated assault:

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Pelosi Would Have Retired Had Clinton Won

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said that had Hillary Clinton won the presidency, the California Democrat would have left her longtime position in Congress because a Democratic White House would have ensured the 2010 health care law stayed in place, Roll Call reports.

“Pelosi said her decision to keep her position in leadership, in which she was challenged in November after rank-and-file members agitated for change following stunning loses, was to keep fighting for the landmark legislation she helped pass.”

Pelosi Smells Blood in the Water

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to immediately resign after revelations that he spoke to the Russian ambassador on at least two occasions during Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

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Pelosi Accuses Republicans of ‘Power Grab’

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House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi accused Republicans of attempting a “power grab” to snuff out free speech on the House floor with their controversial new rules package, Politico reports.

“Democrats say the proposed fines, a response to their gun control sit-in over the summer, is an unprecedented breach of decorum. And some experts have questioned the constitutionality of such a move, which House members are expected to approve as part of a broader rules package in early January.”

Ivanka May Play Big Role in the White House

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New York Times: “When Nancy Pelosi, the minority leader of the House of Representatives, called Donald Trump shortly after the Nov. 8 election, they talked about domestic policy and infrastructure. But when Ms. Pelosi raised the specific subject of women’s issues, the president-elect did something unexpected: He handed the phone over to another person in the room — his 35-year-old daughter, Ivanka.”

Pelosi Agrees to Changes In Democratic Leadership

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“Just hours after fending off the first real challenge to her control in years, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi has decided to support changes to the leadership that will loosen — somewhat — her grip on the Democratic hierarchy,” Politico reports.

“Pelosi will back the election of the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee… The California Democrat will also throw her weight behind plans to add five new leadership spots, including two for junior members.”

Earlier for members: Pelosi Must Groom Future Party Leaders

Pelosi Fends Off Leadership Challenge

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Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) beat back a challenge from Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH)  to win her party’s re-election to continue serving as House Democratic leader in the next Congress, the Wall Street Journal reports.

“Mrs. Pelosi prevailed despite concerns from some rank-and-file Democrats that she represented an outdated approach that neglected to see the party’s failure to connect with voters in the Midwest and South, particularly the white working-class voters who flocked to Donald Trump on Election Day and probably provided the margin for him to defeat Hillary Clinton.”

About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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