House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi doesn’t care what Democrats have to say or do to get elected, as long as she’s got the gavel in her hands come January.
Pelosi reiterated that point during a surprise appearance at the Bentzen Ball comedy festival at the Lincoln Theater on Saturday. The self-presumed future House speaker dropped in on a live podcast by Jonathan Van Ness – star of Netflix’s “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” – to offer her take on the balance of power on Capitol Hill.
Once Van Ness collected his emotions from meeting the master legislator, he prodded Pelosi about whether the left should follow Michelle Obama’s mantra “when they go low, we go high” even “when GOP ads lie or (Republicans) try to steal an election,” according to The Huffington Post’s Jennifer Bendery.
Jonathan Van Ness: Dems say, “When they go low, we go high.” Why not get dirty too, when GOP ads lie or when GOP tries to steal an election, like with Stacy Abrams?
Pelosi: “We have to win. Go low, go high, whatever. We just have to win.” 😂 #BentzenBall
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) October 27, 2018
“Jonathan Van Ness: Dems say, ‘When they go low, we go high.’ Why not get dirty too, when GOP ads lie or when GOP tries to steal an election, like with Stacy Abrams?” Bendery posted to Twitter. “Pelosi: “We just have to win. Go low, go high, whatever. We just have to win.’”
Pelosi is tonight’s surprise guest for Jonathan Van Ness’ show at Lincoln Theater. Here’s them meeting backstage, where he could barely contain himself. #BentzenBall pic.twitter.com/Iow0yxM2LD
— Jennifer Bendery (@jbendery) October 27, 2018
It wasn’t the first time Pelosi has touted her “say whatever” strategy to wrest control from Republicans in the lower chamber. In early October, Showtime host Alex Wagner questioned Pelosi about the possibility of a takeover and whether she envisioned a second stint as speaker. Dozens of Democratic House candidates have campaigned on a promise not to vote for Pelosi as leader if the party takes control, The American Mirror reports.
“If Democrats take the House,” Wagner said, “are you going to be the person with the gavel in your hand, and are you going to be the person that calls up Donald Trump to try to work with him?”
Pelosi ignored the suggestion of working with the president.
“Yes, I anticipate that I’ll be the person with the gavel in hand, but I haven’t asked anybody for a vote. In fact, I’ve told the candidates, ‘Do whatever you have to do, just win baby!’
“But I do think that I’m in very good shape with my caucus,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi has previously scolded reporters who dared to question her grip on the party.
“It is the least important question you could ask,” she said in response to an NPR reporter’s question about her odds of regaining the gavel, “with all due respect to your list of questions there.”
The 78-year-old career politician explained party leadership is a numbers game, and while more than four dozen House Democratic candidates promise they won’t vote for her, that represents only about a quarter of her caucus.
“I’m a numbers person when it comes to counting votes for legislation,” she told NPR. “Passing the Affordable Care Act, the Recovery Act, the list goes on – Wall Street reform and the rest. And I’m a numbers person when it comes to my own possibilities in Congress.”
She was even more explicit during an editorial board meeting with the San Francisco Chronicle a couple of weeks ago.
Pelosi scoffs at a question about her future in leadership to @sfchronicle editorial board.
“I don’t even think about it,” she says. “I believe I will be the speaker if we win.”— Tal Kopan (@TalKopan) October 10, 2018
“Pelosi scoffs at a question about her future in leadership to @sfchronicle editorial board,” Chronicle Washington correspondent Tal Kopan posted to Twitter. “’I don’t even think about it,’ she says. ‘I believe I will be the speaker if we win.’”
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