Former Speaker Hastert: Nancy Pelosi Blew It

The guy who served as Speaker longer than any Republican in history says his successor blew her chance in the health care debate:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi miscalculated by not forcing a House vote on health care reform prior to the summer recess, former House Speaker Dennis Hastert said today.

"The speaker probably made a strategic mistake by not jamming a (health care) bill through before they went home for break," said Hastert, in town to campaign for his former colleague, Congressman Todd Tiahrt who is running for the U.S. Senate in Kansas.

"When you have (lawmakers) go back (home) and listen and see what the reactions are and also have an election coming up...I think they get a little cold feet."

Democrats who make up the conservative Blue Dog coalition, including Kansas' Dennis Moore, urged Pelosi to slow down consideration of the bill because the magnitude of the issue, and its cost, were so huge.

Hastert, a Republican from Illinois who served as speaker for eight years, said Pelosi also erred in opting for an unpopular vote on cap-and-trade prior to the health care vote.

That vote gave Republicans more ammunition about big-spending Democrats, he said.

During an interview with Prime Buzz, Hastert said the Democrats rarely helped Republicans with legislation when the GOP held the House. It's not surprising now that Republicans are reluctant to aid the Democrats on health care reform.

“You’re going to have a difficult time shoving something down the throat of American people that they don’t want," Hastert said. "At some time, they’re gong to gag, and the gag will probably come in an election.”

The public is now so wary of anything Pelosi and the Dems do, jamming a bill through at this point will only stir up more trouble for them.