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A4 U.S. NEWS
Friday 14 december 2018

Pelosi’s triumph: House speaker-to-be, this time with memes

By LISA MASCARO Democrats who vote for
AP Congressional Corre- Pelosi for speaker when the
spondent new Congress convenes
WASHINGTON (AP) — It has Jan. 3, especially those
been quite a week for Nan- who had vowed on the
cy Pelosi. campaign trail to oppose
The televised meeting with her.
President Donald Trump. Republican National Com-
The deal with restless Dem- mittee chairwoman Ronna
ocrats to secure their votes McDaniel tweeted that “So
to become House speaker. many Dem House candi-
The fashion statement of dates have proven them-
her burnt-orange winter selves to be hypocrites.”
coat, swooshing out the She tweeted, “Voters won’t
doors of the White House, forget it.”
going viral in social media And some House Demo-
memes. crats, including members
It all showed the staying who have been waiting for
power of the Democratic Pelosi to step aside so they
leader, who is relentless could rise in leadership, are
in her drive to reclaim the grumbling over the deal
gavel and wield it with a she cut to impose term lim-
strength that is nothing like its for top leaders. Demo-
Washington has seen — at House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California holds a news conference at the Capitol in crats will vote on that pro-
least since the last time she Washington, Thursday, Dec. 13, 2018. posal in the new year, and
did it. Associated Press it could very well fail. Pelosi
“We’ve seen some strong stration of how effective goes right for that person. of the gavel.” has promised to abide by
speakers like Pelosi and Pelosi is, in both her nego- That’s her thing.” But even before winning the deal regardless of the
some weaker speakers,” tiation skills and in her abil- Pelosi has said this time as back the speakership, she vote. “I’m not for term lim-
said Matthew Green, a pro- ity to stand up publicly to a speaker would be different. is employing its strength. its,” the No. 2 Democrat,
fessor of political science president of the opposite On the campaign trail this Pelosi used it during Tues- Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md.,
at Catholic University who party,” he said. “The most fall, she told The Associated day’s Oval Office meeting told reporters. “Is anybody
has written a book about dangerous place to be in Press she would “enjoy it” with Trump, refusing his $5 confused about — I am not
House speakers. Washington is between more because last time it billion border wall money; for term limits.”
“What we’ve seen this Pelosi and an undecided was all “work.” She said she on Republicans during their But Thursday, the speaker-
week is another demon- vote. It’s like a beeline; she wants to “show the power last days in the majority; in-waiting capped off the
and on her fellow Demo- week-that-was by recap-
crats to give her their sup- ping what had just hap-
port. pened — in case anyone
The public display this missed the social media
week points to the return memes of Pelosi in that
of one of the more pow- coat, exiting the White
erful leaders in the history House.
of the House, even if she’s Pelosi recalled the mo-
now term-limited herself to ment Tuesday in the Oval
serving as speaker no more Office when Trump, argu-
than four years. It’s the start ing with her and Senate
of a long final act of the Democratic leader Chuck
78-year-old mother of five Schumer, finally relented
and grandmother of nine, and said he’d be “proud”
and she’s more comfort- to shut down the govern-
able than ever taking her ment before Christmas —
seat at the table. the “Trump shutdown,” as
“Leader Pelosi really dem- she called it — over the
onstrated this week why border wall.
she is about to become the “Perhaps he doesn’t un-
speaker of the House,” said derstand people need
Rep. David Cicilline, D-R.I., their paychecks,” she said
part of the newer genera- Thursday.
tion of House leaders. “She She all but eye-rolled at
had a great week.” his insistence that Mexico
Not everyone on the Dem- would pay for it. “I mean
ocratic side is pleased with really? Really?”
the turn of events, and And although Pelosi hasn’t
Republicans made clear spoken to Trump since that
they are more than eager day, she confided that he
to accommodate Pelosi’s is in her prayers. “I did tell
rise, employing the kinds of the president that I pray for
attacks they have for years him. He said, ‘That’s news,
used against her. They’ll be go tell the press.” And so
targeting newly elected she did.q