Top Dem endorses Pelosi
(CNN) - The man in charge of electing House Democrats in the 2010 midterm elections endorsed House Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi to continue as his party's leader and called Tuesday's election a "perfect storm" against Democrats.
"We saw a convergence of events that created a perfect storm against the Democrats," Rep. Chris Van Hollen of Maryland said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union." "What this was all about, and understandably so, was a referendum on 9.5 percent unemployment… We had not made enough progress."
But he said it would be a "big mistake" for Republicans to assume they now have a mandate to do more than address the economy.
"In some ways the good news is our Republican colleagues now have to share some of the responsibility for getting us out of the mess," Van Hollen told CNN Chief Political Correspondent Candy Crowley.
He also came out in strong support of Pelosi, who announced this week she is running for House minority leader in the next Congress.
"Nancy Pelosi's been fighting for middle-class Americans for the last 24 months… on Tuesday this was a lot bigger than Nancy Pelosi," Van Hollen said.
He declined to say who he would support for the House position of minority whip, but said both candidates - James Clyburn of South Carolina and Steny Hoyer of Maryland - would "stay in Democratic leadership."
Watch State of the Union with Candy Crowley Sundays at 9am ET. For the latest from State of the Union click here.
If Dems are dumb enough to elect here as the voters in San Fran are thats the best thing that could happen for Republicans.
The "Perfect Storm" against Democrats came right after the "Perfect Storm" against the American Taxpayer: A financial meltdown combined with a newly elected inexperienced liberal Democrat in the White House with a Democratic majority in the House of Representatives and a filibuster-proof Democratic supermajority in the Senate.
We all see how that worked out for the Americans. It didn't work out much better for the Democrats. At least things are starting to make sense now.
I find Nancy Pelosi to exude class, education and at least intelligent. Unlike grifter Sarah Palin who has to earn her keep
by being a carnival barker for trickery of the Republicans by selling poisoned tea. At least Nancy is qualified to hold a position on the INSIDE of the capitol and doesn't earn her keep as a traveling snake oil salesman, peddling un-American ideology. Nancy is also not a quitter. Unlike the half-term oddity, Palin. At least she made it farther than the congress floor unlike "Franlkin the tortoise" McConnell. I would hire Nancy Pelosi any day over John "come on in said the spider to the fly" Boehner .
Nancy Pelosi is a tough, intelligent woman in a tough job. She did her job well and it's no surprise that it's a thankless job. The people who are most grateful are the powerless; those who have been kicked out of their health care plans because they became seriously ill; those who can't afford the outrageous costs of health insurance; those with pre-existing condition, those whose companies don't offer a health plan and, most helpless of it, children.
Republicans sing the praises of the "free-market." Look at what the free-market has done for American who could not get health insurance. If Republicans repeal health care, then I'd like to see the legislation include laws that prevent the taxpayers from picking up the tab for the uninsured. People are forced to have auto insurance because insurance companies don't want to pay for damage the uninsured cause. Why should health care be different? Let hospitals turn them away or increase costs to cover them. THAT's a free-market!
Will someone tell Candy Crowley that her TeaParty had nothing to do with the reason the State turned RED, and especially the GOP or Sarah Palin while she's giving her self a pat on the back, they are messing up dearly,messing with SS, Medicare, letting the TEAPARTY try and take over Congress, 2012 will tell it all.
Seriously?
The Democratic Party, and the House in particular needs new leadership. She was the Speaker when this horrible election took place, and any idiot can she that she has to give up her leadership role. Since we do you get rewarded for such a monumental failure.
Her time has passed.
"Four and the Door", you must be another tin-foil hat wearing tea drinker. The Republicans love your kind who are the
real "financiers" of their agenda. Because it will be YOU who will be footing the bill for their "extension of the Bush tax
cuts(fleecing of the middle class)". In layman's terms, which you clearly are, means their "tax cut" will come from your pay check. It will cost a trilliondollars which could be used for jobs for unemployed middle class. Instead its going in their pockets. In the meantime they will raise gas prices in which you only get a free teacup at the pump.
Yet they have convinced you that you have "whooped" big bad Obama, who is STILL President of the United States,
in spite of your being hoodwinked. In the meantime, you will still think you "won the big carnival prize", after it cost you
more to play the game, than the prize is worth. See you at the $5.00 gas pump. There are free teacups at the slurpee machine for you, courtesy of the Republicans .
FIRE BOEHNER! FIRE THE TAN-MAN!
Fire him before he wastes more tax dollars on tanning salons!
The Repubs did nothing but played politics to win these seats – for which most were conservative seats anyways.
The Repubs fix for the economy was and still is: do nothing ... the Bush tax cuts will fix everything!
Keynesian vs. Hayek/Friedman economic policies. That's the debate you need to educate yourself with. Once you've educated yourself, ask yourself if Hayek/Friedman's policies can actually work in democratic country like ours? It can't is the simple answer.
She was the perfect leader, she didn't yeild to the tea bags or the GOP.
Actually, Todd ( November 7, 2010 11:48 am at 11:48 am | ), I will be the beneficiary of the full extension of Bush tax cuts. And so will the people I hire because I have more money available to invest back into my business.
Doe the phrase "let them eat cake" ring any bells for you overly intelligent Dems? Some people will bring down the whole house of cards for their own arrogance!!! Madam Speaker, lol
Van Hollen can try to put the spin on the DemoRat loss, but facts remain that he conveniently refuses to accept:
1. The DemoRat Legislation has kept the economy in nuetral. Rather than focus on the economy the first two years of DemoRat congress control, they sought bigger govt, govt control and takeover, and bigger govt spending......
2. The Demorats, as Sen Reid would have you believe, did not save the country from financial ruin, but have led us down the path to financial ruin with unmanageble deficits and budgets that are fiscally irresponsible......
3. Van Hollen would have you look at that map and all the red repub wins and tell you the US people are only considering the economy. That is hogwash, he is only a cheerleader for the failed far left, socialist agenda that was soundly rejected, and will be rejected again in the 2012 election.....
Where are the jobs? What are the plans to eliminate outsourcing jobs and getting a tax credit for doing so? Cutting corporate taxes? Unbelievable. Deregulate the banks, deregulate everything....the middle class is becoming extinct. Talk about class warfare.
Four and the Door – where were you during the 8 years of the Bush Administration? Stop the BS. We're not buying it. Trickle down economics is an abject failure. Corporations are hanging on the more than a trillion dollars right now when they could be hiring. It's an effort to make the Dems look bad and get Republican control of the government again. If you were successful enough to hire, and had a consumer base for whatever your product(s) may be, you would be hiring.
It sure is fun making fun of the man's skin color, isn't it. Racists! Oh wait.... Boehner is caucasian. That makes it ok, I guess...
Nancy Pelosi is one of the strongest, gutsiest politicians I have seen in my lifetime. And she hasn't sold out to the monied interests. Look who lost the largest percentage in the House. The Blue Dog Dems, the sell outs. Now their remaining faction is making a stand against her because she didn't save their numbers. Seriously? Maybe if they had done their jobs instead of just trying to save their jobs their constituents would have seen a value in keeping them around. What did that have to do with Pelosi?
Annie (November 7, 2010 12:10 pm at 12:10 pm ), in the 8 years of the Bush administration I started my business by emptying my savings from working 20 years for other people. I created 15 jobs. My customers are all industrial companies and they would love me to expand our capabilities right now. I would love to be able to invest more to do that.
Good lord, Dems, it's not about how much progress you think you made. It's about what you were doing to divide this country while playing lip service to doing the people's business: jobs and the economy were and are the issues now, not healthcare. I find it ironic the man who snatches Dem defeat from the jaws of victory in this election endorses Pelosi, two more who still don't get it.
four and the door – what does your adjusted gross income has to do with your business, considering everything you put in the business is tax deducible? if you are one of the 2% of small business owners that actually has an adjusted gross income of $200,000 or $250,000 if married, are you really going to take that extra money and put it in the business? if so, why aren't you putting more in now because obviously you can afford it.
a $200,000 adjustable gross means you should have a decent amount of disposable income. why not take that disposable income and put it in the business? instead of buying a lexus, pay your employees more?
Dave, stop trying to rewrite history. We were loosing 700,000 plus jobs after the market crashed in September of 2008. That has at least turned around. How were the Democrats supposed to get anything done when the GOP filibustered everything. There are 415 bills that the House passed that are stalled in the Senate as a result. Your party doesn't get away scott-free in the responsibility department as far as our recovery goes. How much further along could we have been without the GOP trying to stop everything to make sure Obama is a one term president? Can you answer that for me?
Swatguy, and health care doesn't have no effect on our economy whatsoever? Seriously?
what is undeniable is that G W BUSh is no longer President, and the DEMS have been in charge of the purse strings since 2006, STOP Blaming BUSH!
The DEMS need to understand what was said on Tuesday, STOP Spending, STOP Big FEDERAL Government, STOP OBAMA CARE! CUT TAXES equals more JOBS
Dave, the Democrats "lost", because the Democrats didn't vote their majority. Regardless of the smoke that Sarah Palin
blew out of her glutes. That won't happen in 2012. The MAJORITY of Americans don't drink tainted tea.
But as always the republicans will let their delusions of grandeur cloud their ability to live up to their lies. And it will
be 2008, all over again. Just like last time.
Kevin (November 7, 2010 12:20 pm at 12:20 pm), all of my employees get about 1 month bonus at the end of the year if we do well and medical insurance regardless. I drive a subcompact car and just started taking a paycheck this year. It all goes back into the business because that's most of my retirement plan. Uncle Obama has made much more money off of my business so far than I have.