House Democrats take a hard left
Paul Clinton
Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s appointment to the Democrats’ top leadership
post in the House should lead to a more polarized political
atmosphere in Washington, D.C., Newport Beach’s congressman said.
Pelosi, who took over as House Minority Leader from Rep. Dick
Gephardt on Thursday, was one of the few federal lawmakers to oppose
the creation of a homeland security agency and war with Iraq.
Her appointment, by a 177 to 29 vote, represents a shift from the
more conservative Gephardt to the liberal Pelosi, who represents most
of San Francisco.
“In Congress, we have gone from black to white in the Democratic
leadership,” Cox said. “Minority Leader Gephardt supported the
response to Sept. 11.”
Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, who represents Costa Mesa, could not be
reached for comment.
Republicans on Tuesday appointed Rep. Tom DeLay (R-Texas), the
hawkish conservative who has led the calls for military action
against Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein.
Pelosi promised to return to prominence a party that has lost
ground since Republicans retook the White House and Senate in 2000.
Republicans have held a majority in the House for a decade.
“We will work with the Republicans on [combating] terrorism and we
shall seek common ground on domestic issues and on the economy,”
Pelosi said on her Web site. “But where we cannot find common ground,
we will stand our ground.”
Democrats regained the Senate by a slim margin in 2001 when
Vermont Sen. Jim Jeffords defected. The victory was short-lived.
Last week, the Republicans picked up two seats in the Senate and a
handful of seats in the House.
Of the 435 House seats, Republicans now hold 228 to the Democrats’
204. Two seats are still undecided, awaiting runoffs, and one seat is
held by Vermont Independent Rep. Bernie Sanders.
In recent months, critics have said the Democratic Party has
abandoned its traditional role as an anti-war protester and supporter
of disenfranchised groups.
Cox offered a list of Democrats at the helm in wartime.
“During Vietnam, they were the anti-war party,” Cox said. “But we
had Democratic leadership in World War I, [World War] II and Korea.”
Pelosi said she was disappointed by the low turnout for the Nov. 5
election.
“We need to increase our efforts to connect to the grass roots and
increase turnout,” Pelosi said. “This will require leadership with
results.”
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