(CNN) - Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is now part of the minority party in Congress, but don't expect her to be introspective after the November losses.
"I do introspection, I don't do public introspection," Pelosi said Thursday on CNN's "John King, USA."
"We still would have lost the election because we had 9 ½ percent unemployment," Pelosi told CNN Chief National Correspondent John King. "That came from the policies of George W. Bush and the Republican's support for his initiatives."
She was critical of the new members of Congress who campaigned against the health care law and want to repeal it but are eager to sign up for the coverage they receive under the plan as members of Congress.
"That is hypocrisy," Pelosi said.
Though she now holds the title of House minority leader, Pelsoi said Democrats will be back.
"I have been the minority leader before, and I put forth a plan for us to win the House for the American people and we succeeded. I know how to do that and we intend to do that again," Pelosi said. "We'll be back."
When asked if she is confident she will be speaker again in two years she said, "It's not about me. It's not about me. It's about President Obama being re-elected; it's about Democrats taking back control of the House."
Pelosi said it's not up to her to dole out advice to new House Speaker John Boehner, but said she wished him success, which is "more than they wished of me." She also said the next session of Congress is an "opportunity" for Republicans.
"It's an opportunity because I think as the Republicans now are in office with a Democrat in the White House and the American people see that they're here for special interests, as their handmaidens, that they're here for the tax cuts for the wealthy, that's their job creation initiative," Pelosi said.
From CNN Politics
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remember this Nancy? This is why your party lost – you promised and not only didn't deliver, but it was MUCH worse than before...
"The American people voted to restore integrity and honesty in Washington, D.C., and the Democrats intend to lead the most honest, most open and most ethical Congress in history," Pelosi said
Like her or hate her, this woman is principled, elegant and gracious, but will not back down from a fight. You get this sense that despite the San Fran Nan caricature of her, she has held her own, she can hold her own in past and present role respectively. The ideal Aide de camp to a compromising, oft amenable president. The intractable problem for the republicans is this: NOW THEY HAVE TO GOVERN, they will only compromise when the get most of what they want, and she will not compromise when she gets only half of what they want, unlike the president. She is the ideal tip of the spear. It reminds me of a saying, 'Be careful what you wish for'...
Awesome job Pelosi! Keep those GOP in check-their base certainly isn't. ALL Democrats need to develop a backbone and call out the GOP hypocrisy at every turn.
She will not compromise when she gets only half of what she wants, I meant to say.
They ran on repealing health care, which drove up the deficit in record numbers, causing Obama to be the record breaker in spending. They ran on spending cuts, and not raising taxes. They won on defeating Obama and his policies. They won as a result. You may call it "self interests" but apparently the majority of Americans agreed with the Republicans and the Democrats lost the argument, mainly because it didn't ever make sense and they ignored the will of the American people. Too bad Pelosi still doesn't understand why she lost.
I don't give a crap what party is in there, just turn things around and quit bickering.
Pelosi is right. GOP is all about lies and hypocrisy.
After the last four years, especially after the last two years of a Democrat party dictatorship, this woman has no credibility whatsoever in criticizing anyone in Congress.
Pelosi needs to fade away and get lost in the obscurity of time. shes just wants to see herself on tv
Although I don't care for the woman, her assertions are correct.
Love it. She is STRONG.
Give 'em Hell Nancy!
Sit on the sidelines and throw bash bombs and vote NO on everything.
It is our stated agenda to see Bawlin' Boehner "fail" in 2012!!!
Let me guess Pelosi hasn't given up her gov insurance has she??? She didn't even suggest that members of the house fall under the same plan that she shoved down our throats. They aren't the only hypocrites here. Ask her how much her old man has made off her contacts while she has been in public office. And she has the guts to say the republicans are out for the fat cats. She needs to look in the mirror. The rest of us do not have full time accountants and tax advisors to shelter or money and assets. ...but if you make $250 k a year you are rich. You are out of touch
Nancy Pelosi knows all about hypocrisy – she's the biggest hypocrite of them all! They sound like broken records "It's George Bush's fault". They held the majority in congress for 4 years and managed to increase the national debt by over $5 trillion. They were so intent on spending, spending, spending they didn't care that people were losing their jobs and their homes. The Rep from Florida (Wasserman-Schultz) continues spouting on that Obama has created more jobs in 2 years than President Bush created in his entire presidency. Really? Democrats, PLEASE STOP DRINKING THE KOOL-AID!!!
Pelosi is a major contributor to making the USA a laughingstock to the rest of the world!
You tell 'em Nancy! All the Pelosi-haters are livid with envy because she was a successful legislator and did her job (and still does) very well. Call a spade a spade; don't let up. Hold onto your spine, unlike the other Dems who folded and sold-out our country to the GOP. Bad times ahead with them in charge. . .
This from the queen of hypocrisy, didn't take long for Pelosi to flap her gums after a major defeat of here party in Nov.
.......anyway, in two years they will be gone for good...that is the repugnants
Pelosi is the minority leader of the House of representatives not the whole congress,please be factual.
THey were not even inpower in the house and are already backtracking on spending cuts, wasting valuable time and money on "Repealing the Affordable Care Act". This is disingenuous as there are lots of things in there they would not dare to repeal.
Democrats will be back if they continue as now which is playing political games to assuage the tea Party members, and the party base.
Regards,
Hodgson.
Simple statement is that American voters are near sighted and mostly ignorant. The GOP was in power for most 2000 to 2006. They has the House, Senate and President; yet the country went to hell. Even with the majority change in 2006, the President vetoed most bills, except what was need for his wars.
Voters need to wake up and realize that there's no way this country could have regained its footing in two tears. We are just seeing results; yet, the voters forgot who and what party caused the crash. As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. Ignorants is akin to stupidity. Just as blindness is akin to darkess. In the end, the same voters suffer as there are still more than 15 million unemployed. The question they should should ask themselves is; whoes buying the yatchs?
while I may not agree with pelosi on everything, she does win my appreciation when she says "it's not about her". which is true. it's about the american people. all of them. republicans have show they are NOT for the common american.
Dems will be back eventually but now they are the minority. Pelosi has got it all wrong! Healthcare...funny! It will be defunded and/or repealed. The air is mighty stale in her office. She should get out more!
Just you watch the gop blow this one. It's a no-brainer. They are and forever will be there only for themselves and the special interests of the foolish.
Will you stop worrying about winning back the majority, and start fixing America's issues!
Pelosi – shut your piehole!!! You are done and we don't want to hear anything you have to say!!