Nancy Pelosi, the Power Broker

The Political Scene | The New Yorker

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Politics, Obama, News, Wnyc, Washington, Barack, President, Lizza, Wickenden

4.2 • 3.3K Ratings

🗓️ 12 August 2024

⏱️ 39 minutes

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Summary

Nancy Pelosi, who represents California’s Eleventh Congressional District, led the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives for so long, and so effectively, that one forgets she was also the first woman to hold the job. Her stewardship of consequential legislation—including the Affordable Care Act and the Inflation Reduction Act—during her eight years as Speaker is legendary. And Pelosi has wielded tremendous influence this election cycle: she seems to have been instrumental in persuading President Biden to withdraw from the campaign in place of a new Democratic candidate. After years of friendship with Biden, it wasn’t easy, she tells David Remnick, who asks, “You think your relationship will be there?” “I hope so,” Pelosi admits. “I pray so. I cry so. I lose sleep on it.” After stepping away from Democratic leadership herself, in 2023, she wrote a book with a short and apt title: “The Art of Power.” Pelosi speaks to Remnick about the importance of having a strong mission undergirding the skills of political gamesmanship. “This is not for the faint of heart,” she says. “This is tough. If you know your ‘why,’ the slings and arrows are worth it. If you don’t know your ‘why,’ don’t even do this. . . . You’ve got to be proud of your wounds.”

Transcript

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0:00.0	This is the political scene and I'm David Remnick. There are 435 voting members of the House of Representatives, and in recent years the House
0:20.9	has been very closely divided and
0:23.0	Democrats and Republicans, divided and profoundly
0:27.0	unfocused and undisciplined.
0:29.5	With its committee blow-ups and steps of the capital demagogic rants, it's a realm of dark and chaotic comedy.
0:37.0	Now the exception in this picture has always been Nancy Pelosi.
0:41.0	She spent eight years as the Speaker of the House and many more as the
0:44.6	minority leader of the Democrats. Her stewardship of consequential legislation,
0:49.9	major bills like the Affordable Care Act and the Inflation Reduction Act, it's
0:54.3	legendary. She was not only the first woman to lead either chamber of Congress, but
0:59.0	also the most effective congressional leader of modern times, maybe since L.B.J.
1:04.9	And she's also one of the most vilified leaders, for sure.
1:08.6	She's been the target of endless threats from the right and a vicious assault inside her own home that injured
1:15.3	her husband severely two years ago. Last month, whether she'll admit it or not,
1:21.5	Nancy Pelosi seemed to be the power broker with both the political
1:25.6	craft and the emotional intelligence to finally push Joe Biden to the conclusion that it was
1:31.7	time for a new Democratic standard bearer. the Your book opens with a really powerful chapter about the hideous assault on your husband.
1:51.1	So I have to ask you, how is Paul Pelosi doing? How's his health?
1:54.8	He's good. He's about 80% there. But getting hit on the head is a, it has ramification, it continues, but thank you for asking.
2:04.8	He's such a good sport, he does all that he's supposed to do
2:08.4	in terms of therapies and stuff, but he's not very political at all.
2:15.0	So he's every now and they'll say,
	...

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