'The Plan' may not work

Machiavelli would have applauded Nancy Pelosi's plan to recapture Congress. Between 2000 and 2004, the House and Senate actually accomplished some things for the country ...education reform, tax cuts, and after 9-11 saving the airline industry, bailing out New York, invading Afghanistan and yes, even the invasion of Iraq ...all were approved by huge bi-partisan majorities in Congress. That didn't happen after Pelosi was elected Democratic leader and, together with Sen. Harry Reid (D Ð NV) adopted "the plan."

Once elected minority leader, Pelosi traveled the nation raising money for Democratic candidates but in the 2004 election Kerry lost and Democrats lost 3 house and 5 senate seats. "I honestly thought we would win the White House and I staked everything on that" she told her caucus.

After that, she and Reid went to professionals in the corporate world who told them: "You're No. 2 and you want to be No. 1? You have to take down No. 1." "The plan" included hurling insults at the president and Republicans, recruiting conservative Democratic candidates, refusing to compromise or offer alternatives to Bush's Social Security proposals and to punish House Democrats who didn't follow "the party line."

Pelosi began attacks to bring Republican approval numbers down, calling GOP Majority Leader Tom DeLay "not only unethical but delusional" and saying Bush is "oblivious, in denial and dangerous".

Hurricane Katrina was a serendipitous gift to the Pelosi-Reid effort. Notwithstanding the fact that state and local authorities are responsible for emergencies Pelosi characterized it as a monumental Bush failure with racial overtones, a charge that the media picked up and frequently repeated.

As Bush's approval ratings sagged into the 30s candidate recruitment became easier for Pelosi.

On Iraq, many Democratic leaders were fearful of the party being tagged the party of "cut and run." Last fall Pelosi trumped that by having her friend Congressman John Murtha (D- PA), a 37 year Marine Crops veteran, pronounce Iraq a failure and call on Bush to withdraw our troops. Congressmen Rahm Emanuel (D Ð IL) and Steny Hoyer (D Ð MD) expressed concern that Murtha had played into GOP hands but Pelosi refused to retreat.

When Bush announced his plan to rescue Social Security and Medicare Pelosi and Reid skewered the proposal and refused to offer any compromise or alternative, threatening any Democrat legislator who didn't follow the party line with loss of committee assignment or seniority.

The plan, together with a deteriorating Iraq situation, worked. The question now is whether Democrats will all hang together. Already evidence of party discord is emerging. House Democrats were just preparing to elect leadership when Pelosi announced that she would support Murtha over Hoyer for the No. 2 spot but when the vote was taken Hoyer won 149-86. Immediately Hoyer began seeking assurances from Pelosi that she would not retaliate against his supporters. Just this week, African American Cong. Charlie Rangel (D Ð NY) announced he would reintroduce legislation to reimpose the draft because he believes there are too many minorities in the all volunteer military. Pelosi has "distanced" herself from this wildly unpopular idea.

How many of the new conservative Democrat legislators will tow the Pelosi line knowing that in two years they will have to run for reelection in conservative districts?

How middle-of-the-road a course can she chart without alienating the far left wing of her party? Don't know yet.

As one wag observed: "The only thing for sure is that in the future all the Capitol toilet seats will be in the down position . . . and that includes the men's rooms."



Jim Clark is president of Republican Advocates, a vice chair of the Washoe County GOP and a member of the Nevada GOP Central Committee.