In Opinion: Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s legacy is laden with lessons.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi possesses traits that will never be matched by Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who will succeed her as the House’s top Democrat. Her institutional knowledge was forged by a father who served five terms in Congress and by stored copies of the Congressional Record, which as a child she kept under her bed. Her lifelong involvement in Democratic Party politics put her on a first-name basis with 200 fellow members the first time she stepped onto the House floor.
But there is one quality Pelosi possesses that Jeffries must master if he is to come close to matching her storied success: the ability to keep House Democrats united. New York Magazine earlier this month labeled Jeffries “Speaker of the Establishment,’’ which was not meant as a compliment. His relationship is frosty with liberal icon Rep. Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez, who threatened to find a more liberal candidate to challenge Jeffries just two elections ago. Four years ago, he defeated Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee, a darling of the left, for a Democratic leadership position.Pelosi succeeded due to the credibility she built after years of championing liberal causes.
This is where Pelosi excelled. She earned her stripes with more conservative Democrats with her pragmatic approach, and with liberals with her long record. House Democrats had never been as united as they were when Pelosi was minority leader, making it impossible for President Bush to advance proposals such as partially privatizing Social Security.
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