Wednesday, August 18, 2010

Short Takes on Nancy Pelosi

Pelosi's latest foray into never-never land brought to mind a short list of some of her most recent follies that exemplify her absurdity and hypocrisy. 

I refer, of course, to her statement that “there is no question there is a concerted effort to make this (the Ground Zero mosque) a political issue by some. I join those who have called for looking into how is this opposition to the mosque being funded.”

At the same time, she also called for "transparency about who is funding the effort to build this Islamic center."

She went on to say that the mosque’s location is a zoning issue that New Yorkers should work out among themselves.

So if I understand her position(s), both the supporters and opponents of a local issue should be investigated by the federal government. What a masterful piece of leadership. And some people wonder why certain of us view politicians and the government with a jaundiced eye.


Next we have an article from that bastion of objective reporting, the New York Times. Published a few months ago, it praises Her Speakership for ratcheting up the level of ethics in the House. I had a hard time suppressing my gag reflex after the first line - "Let us sing a song about the wonderfulness of Nancy Pelosi" - but I held my nose and read on (pardon the mixed metaphor).
"Pelosi has actually been very good on ethics. Under her watch in the House, earmarks are fewer and more transparent. Travel rules are tighter. She fought for the creation of a new in-house watchdog, the Office of Congressional Ethics..."
Two points:

First, under the category of 'do as I say, not as I do' comes the information that Pelosi evidently doesn't believe the tighter travel rules apply to her.
"Pelosi incurred expenses of some $2.1 million for her use of Air Force jets for travel over a recent two-year period ... "in-flight services" for the House speaker included a list that looked like a dream order for a wild frat party: Maker's Mark whiskey, Courvoisier cognac, Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Bailey's Irish Crème, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewars scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey and Corona beer."
(Source here.) 


Second, Pelosi's new watchdog panel has been busy shooting democraps in the foot.
"The Office of Congressional Ethics, a new watchdog group set up by Ms. Pelosi in 2009, has eyed at least eight members of the Congressional Black Caucus, whose members have complained that some of those investigations are racially motivated."
Ah, the irony. Charges of racism are being leveled against the left. What's good for the goose is good for the gander. Among the most prominent gooses and ganders are, of course, Charlie Rangel and Maxine Waters.
"Democratic Reps. Charles Rangel and Maxine Waters, both members of the Congressional Black Caucus, are poised to have House trials on ethics charges right before midterm elections..." 
"If they come to fruition, the trial-like ethics hearings could also drive a dispiriting wedge between Democrats, including the Obama White House, and African-American supporters who, so far, have been the only voting bloc not to waver in their support for the first black president."
I'll pass on the obvious comment about unwavering black support for the first black president (that, of course, is not racist).

The sad part of the ethics charges against Rangel and Waters is that it has nothing to do with racism. There have been - and still are - plenty of crooked congresscritters of all races, religions, and ethnic backgrounds. Rangel and Waters are being investigated because there's ample evidence of wrongdoing, not because they're black.

Similarly, there have been plenty of incompetent bunglers in the White House. Obama is merely the latest. He's not incompetent because he's black, but because he's, well, incompetent.

In another ironic twist, the charges against Rangel and Waters came around the same time that charges against former Speaker of the House Tom Delay (R. - Tx.) were dropped. Some have speculated that the charges against Delay were politically motivated (gasp!) and played a key role in the Democrat takeover of the House in 2004. What goes around comes around.

Unfortunately, given their track record, I have a nagging suspicion that the Republicans will find a way to screw things up sometime between now and November. What's that old saying - something about snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.

Finally, here's something I heard on Hannity the other day. To paraphrase, no matter how bad things seem, or how down you might get, keep in mind that it could be worse. Somewhere out there is a Mr. Pelosi...


UPDATE: By a happy coincidence, the following appeared in my in-box this morning (Thanks, Bots).
On a Saturday afternoon, in Washington , D. C., an aide to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited the Bishop of the Catholic cathedral in D.C.

He told the Cardinal that Nancy Pelosi would be attending the next day's Mass, and he asked if the Cardinal would kindly point out Pelosi to the congregation and say a few words that would include calling Pelosi a saint.

The Cardinal replied, "No. There are issues of conflict with the Catholic Church over certain of Pelosi's views."

Pelosi's aide then said, "Look. I'll write a check here and now for a donation of $100,000 to your church if you'll just tell the congregation you see Pelosi as a saint."

The Cardinal thought about it and said, "Well, the church can use the money, so I'll work your request into tomorrow's sermon."

As Pelosi's aide promised, House Speaker Pelosi appeared for the Sunday worship and seated herself prominently at the forward left side of the center aisle.

As promised, at the start of his sermon, the Cardinal pointed out that Speaker Pelosi was present.

The Cardinal went on to explain to the congregation, "While Speaker Pelosi's presence is probably an honor to some, the woman is not numbered among my personal favorite personages."

"Some of her most egregious views are contrary to tenets of the Church, and she tends to flip-flop on many other issues.

Nancy Pelosi is a petty, self-absorbed hypocrite, a thumb sucker, and a nit-wit.

Nancy Pelosi is also a serial liar, a cheat, and a thief.

She married for money and is using her wealth to lie to the American people.

She also has a reputation for shirking her Representative obligations both in Washington , and in California.

The woman is simply not to be trusted.

I must say, Nancy Pelosi is the worst example of a Catholic I have ever personally witnessed."

The Cardinal concluded, "But, when compared with Obama and Senators Harry Reid and John Kerry, House Speaker Pelosi is a saint."

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