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Time's Newton-Small asked: "[I]s there room in Washington for both a Speaker Pelosi and a President Hillary?"

January 10, 2008 5:04 pm ET

22 Comments

In a January 10 post on Time's Swampland blog, Time political reporter Jay Newton-Small reported that Rep. George Miller (D-CA), whom she referred to as Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) "BFF," "announced today he's endorsing [Sen. Barack] Obama [D-IL]." Newton-Small continued: "Pelosi has so far stayed out of the race. But when her top advisor who also happens to be a famous champion of women politicians endorses Obama, does it send the signal: is there room in Washington for both a Speaker Pelosi and a President Hillary [Rodham Clinton (D-NY)]?"

In a December 6 article, The Hill reported that Pelosi "has not taken the bait on working with a female president. For now she smiles, noting that she is on the sidelines until there is a nominee."

From Newton-Small's January 10 Swampland post, headlined "Pelosi for Obama?":

An interesting endorsement for Obama today. Pelosi's BFF George Miller, a fellow Californian who chairs the House Education and Labor Committee, announced today he's endorsing Obama .

Pelosi has so far stayed out of the race. But when her top advisor who also happens to be a famous champion of women politicians endorses Obama, does it send the signal: is there room in Washington for both a Speaker Pelosi and a President Hillary?

— M.G.
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    • Author by johnny_nyc8351 (January 10, 2008 5:30 pm ET)
         
      And so the "catfight" narrative begins.
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      • Author by tex (January 11, 2008 1:05 pm ET)
           
        This is a silly allusion to the campy old cowboy movies, where two gunfighters face off in Main Street, one saying, "This town ain't big enough for the both of us!" Washington D.C. is plenty big enough for all the women, all the Democrats, and all the Liberal leaders for the future we can send there. In fact, if they can displace enough hide-bound, rock-ribbed Republicans, then this nation can REALLY get some things done!
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    • Author by tbone (January 10, 2008 5:32 pm ET)
         
      I think so. GWB and Denny Hastert probably go over 450 lb. Hillary and Nancy under 300.
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    • Author by Clevenative (January 10, 2008 5:38 pm ET)
         
      Let me get this straight. A Pelosi advisor supports Hillary, so now this means Pelosi is dissing Hillary also? We better keep them women out of office or there’ll be cat fights on the streets of Washington and in the halls of the capital building - is that what Newton-Small is saying?.
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      • Author by atheist (January 10, 2008 5:54 pm ET)
           
        What's really odd is that the title of the blog entry is "Pelosi for Obama ?". So with that error as the foundation, the natural subsequent repug logik is that Pelosi doesn't want to work with Clinton. I know, it doesn't make any sense, but I think that's Netwon-Small's train of thought.
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      • Author by tex (January 10, 2008 7:27 pm ET)
           
        The more women we send to elective office in Washington, the fewer people there are for closeted Republicans to hit on. It's a problem.
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    • Author by atheist (January 10, 2008 5:41 pm ET)
         
      I continue to be astounded by these reports ! They just get worse and worse ! Why would someone imply that there can be only two high-ranking female elected politicians in DC ?
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      • Author by ConstanceRifleII (January 10, 2008 5:53 pm ET)
           
        Atheist, I think they're saying that only one can be in Washington, not two. Side note: who uses BFF anymore anyway? I mean, I still hear it every once in a great while on TV, but it's so cliched
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        • Author by atheist (January 10, 2008 5:55 pm ET)
             
          Whoops, that's what I meant to type, that we can only have one. Thanks for correcting me. BFF is so 2006.
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          • Author by magnolialover (January 10, 2008 6:08 pm ET)
               
            Does this sort of sound like the movie Highlander to anyone else aside from me?? "THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE!!"
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    • Author by tommy (January 10, 2008 6:35 pm ET)
         
      Considering the relative impotence of Speaker Pelosi during the last twelve months, it isn't that much of a stretch to speculate that she may not be so thrilled with the idea of a Hillary presidency - after all, if Hillary gets elected and things start shakin' in DC, she gets the credit, and Pelosi is now second string......she will pass her crown as the most powerful woman in Washington directly to Hillary on inauguration day, and I bet that has her chewing nails.........just sayin'
      Report Abuse
      • Author by Clevenative (January 10, 2008 6:49 pm ET)
           
        Your talking human nature vs. sexist stereotypes. No one likes to lose stature amongst their peers, but it happens all the time - from Corporate America to the blue-color workforce. To suggest "there is not room" for two women of power is nothing more than a sexist and immature statement.
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        • Author by tommy (January 10, 2008 6:54 pm ET)
             
          I didn't suggest there wasn't room, please don't put words in my mouth. I was speculating on what Speaker Pelosi may be thinking. I have no idea, but it isn't an impossibility. It wouldn't be an impossibility no matter what political party these women were a member of.
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          • Author by jjamele2880 (January 10, 2008 7:10 pm ET)
               
            Ah yes, another classic, cowardly "hey, I don't think this way, but I'm just sayin', some people might think..." post by Tommy. Why don't you just change your name to Glenn Beck and get it over with? Here's another suggestion: When you throw out what looks for all the world like an Opinion, and it's challenged, DEFEND IT.
            Report Abuse
            • Author by jamesB (January 10, 2008 10:40 pm ET)
                 
              you're a fool, tommy said it's a possibility, that's all. Just because you don't agree, you call him a coward. Beautiful. You are the coward and offer nothing in rebuttal. of course Pelosi is probably threatened by Clinton, you tell us why not.
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              • Author by jjamele2880 (January 10, 2008 11:11 pm ET)
                   
                Hey, dont put words in my mouth. I didnt call Tommy a coward, I only said that some OTHER people on this thread might take his posts- and I'm not saying that they ARE posts, but some other people might think they are, I'm not saying if I do or not- just MIGHT think is "break a nail" comment, if in fact he made it, I'm not saying he did, might be a bit sexist, and that maybe, if he's going to post something like that, he might think about DEFENDING it instead of constantly whining "hey dont say I think that way, I'm just saying some OTHER people might think that way." And if you respond to this post, just remember maybe I dont even believe what I typed here, if in fact I typed it at all- maybe I did, maybe I didnt. I'm just sayin'. --Recent Graduate from the Tommy School of Cowardly Deflection, not that any such place exists or I am in fact a graduate of it. So don't quote me.
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              • Author by jjamele2880 (January 11, 2008 10:50 am ET)
                   
                You're the fool. Tommy didn't suggest that Majority Leader Reid might be threatened by a President Obama or President Edwards because they are both men. In fact, to the best of my knowledge, no such argument has ever been made by any talking head, OR Tommy. Yet it's legitimate to wonder if two powerful women can get along in Washington at the same time? Give me a break. Oh, and the burden is on ME to prove that Pelosi wouldn't be jealous of Hillary? How ridiculous. I feel dumber for having read your idiotic, illogical post and even worse for having invested precious time responding to it.
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          • Author by Clevenative (January 10, 2008 7:21 pm ET)
               
            And I never said that you made the “is no room” statement – only that you are defending the mindset of Newton-Mall. I swear, some of these pundits come up with theories and scenarios that would never cross my mind. Again, I’d like to think that national politicians are calloused, experienced, and mature enough to get past something as silly as the notion he implies.
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    • Author by eweston8542983 (January 11, 2008 11:52 am ET)
         
      In times of dexterity, like these, I often turn to the FST for relief. Today I find under the Book of Danger. "There ain't room enough in this dress for both of us!" "Have at chu!" "Gesuntite!"
      Report Abuse

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