Cassandra, Congress, Political Crack

The Changing Of The Guard

This afternoon Nancy Pelosi announced her resignation from House leadership. I’m so sad about this, even as I know the is the best time for her to resign because the minority leader has different responsibilities than the speaker does.

Here’s what I wrote about her back in August 2021, when I predicted this was going to happen:

Nancy Pelosi is the most consequential Speaker of the House in the 20th century, and so far in the 21st century as well. Her political acumen led to the passage of the ACA. She masterminded the 2018 midterm election strategy that returned her to the Speaker’s chair. And now she’s going to pass the bulk of Joe Biden’s legislative agenda before the 2022 midterms. I’m going to miss her leadership when she steps down as Speaker after this Congress. I hope she changes her mind.

In addition to her substantive legislative victories, she was the face of our disgust with TFG. Whether is was schooling him during a televised Oval Office meeting, ripping up her copy of his SOTU speech, or jauntily putting on her sunglasses after besting him, she was a constant reminder that so many of us were opposed to all of his hateful nonsense.

The good news is that she will still be in Congress and available to help the new leadership. And it is going to be very good for the Democrats to have a younger, less centrist leadership team.

On the other side of the aisle, well, it’s going to be a circus. Clowns are going to lead the caucus, and clowning is all they know how to do. Like this:

And this:

Thanks for everything Nancy, and Godspeed.