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Pelosi leader sells out { November 15 2002 } Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/15/politics/15CONG.htmlThere are already indications that Ms. Pelosi's new role may be influencing her positions on issues. Though she was previously a leading opponent of the Republican measure to create a Department of Homeland Security, on Wednesday night she voted for it, unlike most other House Democrats.
http://www.nytimes.com/2002/11/15/politics/15CONG.html
November 15, 2002
Pelosi Easily Wins Election for House Democratic Leader
By CARL HULSE
WASHINGTON, Nov. 14 — House Democrats turned to Representative Nancy Pelosi of California today to try to reverse their political fortunes, electing her their leader. She becomes the first woman to head a party in either house of Congress.
As she left the closed meeting where she had easily dispatched a challenger, Ms. Pelosi was exultant. But she acknowledged the task she faces leading a caucus that lost seats in the elections last week and confronting an emboldened and determined Republican majority.
"We have a big job to do," she said as she stood with Representative Richard A. Gephardt of Missouri, the Democratic leader since 1995, who stepped down after failing to win back the House on his fourth attempt. "We're ready for it, and we're getting ready for victory."
Ms. Pelosi, 62, said she had not sought the position to make a statement on behalf of women but appreciated the significance of her election nonetheless.
"I ran, again, as a seasoned politician and experienced legislator," said the congresswoman, a member of the House since 1987 who was elected last year to her caucus's No. 2 position, that of minority whip. "It just so happens that I am a woman, and we have been waiting a long time for this moment."
Ms. Pelosi has a solidly liberal record, and some opponents had expressed concern that a victory by her would be viewed as a leftward turn for the party. But she received strong support from the caucus today, defeating Representative Harold E. Ford Jr. of Tennessee by a vote of 177 to 29. A last-minute challenger, Representative Marcy Kaptur of Ohio, who announced her candidacy only Wednesday, withdrew before the voting.
House Democrats also elected Representative Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, a seasoned veteran with leadership experience, as their whip and picked Representative Robert Menendez of New Jersey as caucus chairman. Mr. Menendez defeated Representative Rosa DeLauro of Connecticut by one vote, giving the Hispanic Caucus a member among the leadership.
Republicans are eager to contrast their positions with those of Ms. Pelosi, who voted against President Bush's tax cuts and helped lead House Democratic opposition to the resolution authorizing his use of force against Iraq. But the House majority leader, Representative Dick Armey of Texas, who is retiring from Congress, said Ms. Pelosi should not be underestimated.
"I think she represents her party better than people who feel the need to pretend to be not of their party's values," Mr. Armey said. "She's a decent, hard-working person. I think she's got more ability than people recognize. "
There are already indications that Ms. Pelosi's new role may be influencing her positions on issues. Though she was previously a leading opponent of the Republican measure to create a Department of Homeland Security, on Wednesday night she voted for it, unlike most other House Democrats.
"It was time to move on," she said. "All the Democrats and Republicans want homeland security. Chapter and verse of any one bill does not define that."
Running against Ms. Pelosi, Mr. Ford, a 32-year-old considered a potential Democratic star, drew most of his public backing from members of a moderate group known as the Blue Dog Coalition. He and Representative Martin Frost of Texas, who dropped out of the running last week, expressed fears during the race that Ms. Pelosi would move the party to the left and perhaps cause some conservative Democrats to defect.
On Wednesday, in an effort to mollify the moderate wing, Ms. Pelosi named Representative John M. Spratt Jr. of South Carolina, a fiscal conservative with a background in budget and military issues, as her choice for assistant to the leader.
Mr. Gephardt today praised his successor, saying she "won this on her merit and her leadership capability."
She also won in a traditional way, raising large sums of money during the 2002 campaign and contributing it to House candidates in the expectation that her generosity would be rewarded. According to the Center for Responsive Politics, campaign reports through September showed that Ms. Pelosi had donated more than $1 million from her personal campaign account and leadership committee to various candidates, making her No. 1 in that category, just ahead of Representative Tom DeLay, Republican of Texas, who was elected House majority leader on Wednesday.
The new minority whip, Mr. Hoyer, pointed to the diversity of the new Democratic leadership team. In addition to a woman and a Latino, that team includes Representative James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus, who was elected vice chairman of the Democratic caucus, its fourth-ranking official. Mr. Hoyer said that "House Democrats reflect America."
In a meeting with reporters, Ms. Pelosi would not be drawn into comparing herself with the Republican leaders of the new Congress.
"What the Democrats will do, working together, is to build consensus around an economic growth message, and that will be right down the center," she said. "So it's not about contrast right to left, it's about a message for economic growth."
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