Prefers "Italian grandmother" to "San Francisco liberal"
Pelosi came from a political family, and her father and brother had both been mayors of Baltimore. After moving to San Francisco, marrying a businessman, having five children, and throwing herself into California politics, Pelosi had won a congressional
seat representing San Francisco in 1987. Derided by Republicans as a "San Francisco liberal," which she was, Pelosi also was sometimes mocked for a wide-eyed, saccharine television persona. Pelosi tried to soften her image, referring to herself often as
an "Italian grandmother," but she had a hard edge. She ran the House Democrats with a combination of charm and toughness, known for providing colleagues with chocolates and also for rules that punished them if they failed to follow the party line.
In her climb to the party leadership, Pelosi had raised enormous sums of money, donating it to colleagues to build a bank of favors, and she had no problem challenging powerful Democrats or holding grudges against her rivals.
Dems must continue to be known as champion of working people
As Democrats, we must convince the American people that we know them, we work for them every day, we understand their hopes, their dreams, the aspirations they have for their children, and the challenges that they face. That’s why it’s absolutely urgent
that we win the election, that we take the country in a new direction for every one of those people -- for working families in America. Let us then go forth as a Democratic Party that is known as the champion of working people in our country.
Source: Annual 2006 Take Back America Conference
Jun 14, 2006
Priorities: prosperity, opportunity and security
Republicans have sent our troops into battle in Iraq without a plan and have cut veterans’ benefits without remorse.
Democrats have it right: Protect our troops and honor our veterans.
Democrats have put forth a positive agenda to grow
the economy, create millions of good jobs here at home and promote small businesses. Republicans offer tax loopholes to outsource American jobs.
Democrats have it right: Invest in America and in our people.
Democrats will keep our promise to our
children for safe, fully funded schools, with well-paid teachers. And we will provide every child the opportunity to go to college without going deeply into debt. Republicans have broken their promises on education from pre- school to college.
Democrats have it right: Every student deserves a world class education.
My fellow Americans, you are the people we work for. These are the values we stand for. These are the priorities we fight for: prosperity, opportunity and security.
As a nation we must show our greatness, not just our strength. America must be a light to the world, not just a missile. Forty-three years ago today, as a college student standing in the freezing cold outside this Capitol Building,
I heard President Kennedy issue this challenge in his inaugural address: “My fellow citizens of the world,” he said, “ask not what America will do for you, but what, working together, we can do for the freedom of man.”
There is great wisdom in that, but in it there is also greater strength for our country and the cause of a safer world.
Instead of alienating our allies, let us work with them and international institutions, so that together we can prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and keep them out of the hands of terrorists.
The Adherents.com website is an independent project and is not supported by or affiliated with any organization (academic, religious, or otherwise).
What’s an adherent?
The most common definition used in broad compilations of statistical data is somebody who claims to belong to or worship in a religion. This is the self-identification method of determining who is an adherent of what religion, and it is the method used in most national surveys and polls.
Such factors as religious service attendance, belief, practice, familiarity with doctrine, belief in certain creeds, etc., may be important to sociologists, religious leaders, and others. But these are measures of religiosity and are usually not used academically to define a person’s membership in a particular religion. It is important to recognize there are various levels of adherence, or membership within religious traditions or religious bodies. There’s no single definition, and sources of adherent statistics do not always make it clear what definition they are using.
Source: Adherents.com web site 00-ADH11 on Nov 7, 2000
Member of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues.
Pelosi is the chair of the Congressional Caucus for Women's Issues:
On April 19, 1977, 15 Congresswomen held the first meeting of the Congresswomen’s Caucus. In 1981, the Congresswomen invited their male colleagues to join the Caucus and changed the organization’s name to the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues. 24 newly elected Congresswomen arrived on Capitol Hill in 1993, nearly doubling the number of women in the Caucus in what became the “Year of the Woman.” In 1995, the House of Representatives voted to eliminate funding for offices and staff of caucus organizations on Capitol Hill. The Congresswomen reorganized themselves into a Members’ organization by the same name. As a result, male Members no longer belong to the Caucus.
Bipartisanship is the key to the Caucus’ strength and success. The legacy of its first 20 years is one of Democratic and Republican Congresswomen committed to improving the lives of women and families, and willing to put their partisan differences aside to do it. Twenty-four years after the Caucus’ founding, its membership has grown from 15 to 62. The 107th Congress also marks the first time that all women Members of the House have joined the Caucus.
As in years past, the members of the Congressional Caucus for Women’s Issues (CCWI) have divided themselves into legislative teams, co-chaired by a Republican and a Democrat. The 5 teams are charged with advancing action on their designated issues in a bipartisan manner.
Education and Children
Health and Older Women
Violence Against Women
Women in Business and the Workplace
Economic Empowerment
Source: Women's Caucus website, WomensPolicy.org/Caucus/ 01-WC0 on Jul 15, 2001
Member of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus .
Pelosi is a member the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus:
The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus (CAPAC), founded in May 16, 1994, by former Congressman Norman Mineta, is comprised of a formal group of Members of Congress (House and Senate) who have strong interests in promoting Asian Pacific American (APA) issues and advocating the concerns of APAs.
The goals of the Caucus are:
To establish policies and issue policy statements on legislation and issues relating to persons of Asian and/or Pacific Islands ancestry who are citizens or nationals of, residents of, or immigrants to, the United States, its territories and possessions;
To ensure that legislation passed by the United States Congress, to the greatest extent possible, provides for the full participation of Asian Pacific Americans and reflects the concerns and needs of the Asian Pacific American communities;
To educate other Members of the Congress about the history, contributions and concerns of Asian Pacific Americans;
To work with other Members and Caucuses of the Congress to protect and advance the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans; and
To provide a formal structure to coordinate the efforts, and enhance the ability, of the Asian Pacific American Members of Congress to accomplish those goals.
Rated 100% by the AU, indicating support of church-state separation.
Pelosi scores 100% by the AU on church-state separation
OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2006 AU scores as follows:
0%- 20%: opposition to church-state separation (approx. 232 members)
21%- 79%: mixed record on church-state separation (approx. 79 members)
80%-100%: support of church-state separation (approx. 153 members)
About the AU (from their website, www.au.org):
Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) is a religious liberty watchdog group based in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1947, the organization educates Americans about the importance of church-state separation in safeguarding religious freedom.
AU is a nonpartisan organization dedicated to preserving the constitutional principle of church-state separation as the only way to ensure religious freedom for all Americans.
Americans United is a national organization with members in all 50 states. We are headquartered in Washington, D.C., and led by the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director. AU has more than 75,000 members from all over the country. They include people from all walks of life and from various faith communities, as well as those who profess no particular faith. We are funded by donations from our members and others who support church-state separation. We do not seek, nor would we accept, government funding.
Pelosi is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus:
The members of the Progressive Caucus share a common belief in the principles of social and economic justice, non-discrimination, and tolerance in America and in our relationships with other countries. We also seek to embody and give voice to national priorities which reflect the interests and needs of all the American people, not just the wealthy and the powerful. Our purpose is to present thoughtful, positive, practical solutions to the problems confronting America and the world. In the post-Cold War era, we believe our nation’s priorities must change with the times and reflect new realities.
Accordingly, we support curbs on wasteful, inefficient government spending at the Pentagon and elsewhere, a more progressive tax system in which wealthier taxpayers and corporations pay their fair share, adequate funding for social programs that are designed to extend help to low and middle-income Americans in need, and trade policies that increase the exports of more American products and encourage the creation of jobs and investment in America.
Source: Congressional Progressive Caucus website 07-CPC0 on Nov 6, 2007
