Letters to the Editor: Nancy Pelosi shows the need for more women leading government
Published March 08. 2013 12:01AM
Nancy Pelosi of the U.S. House of Representatives is a woman who embodies all the qualifications for president. But will that be enough to keep the House majority or keep the presidency in her hands?
In case she’s got any doubts, Pelosi, the first woman to be speaker of the House, told the Associated Press last week, “I always have a woman by my side whenever I do something extraordinary.”
This is a woman who has taken a special interest in what is happening on Capitol Hill and who knows the issues better than almost any of her male colleagues.
I saw and reported on the first lady’s influence on the issues of war and immigration. The former was brought to a head by our war in Iraq, and the latter was at a boiling point when the bill to protect “dreamers” was defeated in the Senate and the president did what he did with a simple two-sentence veto message.
In each case, Pelosi kept her focus on the people and on the issues, and she worked hard to see the government through the legislative process to get what she thought was right for the country.
Now, it seems as if she is giving the impression that she doesn’t believe she can lead the nation in the same way. Her husband, former Speaker John A. Boehner of Ohio, is a perfect example of the problem.
When he became speaker, some thought he would be more of a team player, but instead he acted as if he was his own boss.
He has a very strong opinion about everything. He doesn’t really trust the president, and he seems to think he has the authority to move the nation to war without Congressional approval.
This has led the president to say that he is going to have to have his own people in charge of the military, and that Pelosi, by saying she will not stand in the way, is putting the country in danger.
As to war, the president has said he will never negotiate with Congress on any issue, so Pelosi is effectively in the driver’s seat.
As to the issue of immigration, the president has said he has a good relationship with President Barack Obama, and he has indicated that he will use his executive powers to secure whatever border fence he