Seven months ago Speaker Nancy Pelosi spent a busy week rounding up votes to pass the Senate version of the Democrats' health care legislation.You can read the rest of the post for examples of individual Democrats who are giving up their political careers for Obamacare and Nancy Pelosi.
It wasn't easy. She had to get Democrats who had voted no in November to switch to yes in March. And she had to get Democrats who had refused to vote for the bill in November without an anti-abortion amendment to vote for a bill in March that lacked that language.
She took the unusual step of scheduling the roll call for Saturday -- so members wouldn't go back to their districts and be besieged by Obamacare opponents.
Those opponents, according to polls at that time, included most American voters. But Pelosi, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton predicted the bill would become more popular after it was passed (and, Pelosi said, after people had a chance to read it).
National polls indicate that hasn't happened yet. But what about the districts of the House Democrats who cast the key votes that made Obamacare law? Those Democrats have an interest in persuading constituents of the law's merits. So how are they doing?
In general, not very well.
If the Democrats take the kind of beating expected on Nov. 2nd what's going to happen to Pelosi? Her arm-twisting is directly responsible for the passage of Obamacare and the loss of the House. How can she possibly continue in any form of House leadership? Generally, when the majority shifts control the ousted leader resigns from Congress. I don't think Pelosi has that level of integrity, but what are they going to do with her - just let her be the crazy old lady with stories about how she used to run things?
The post-election period will be pretty interesting between the lame-duck shenanigans and the leadership battles that are sure to take place.
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