Oct. 22, 2006
Nancy Pelosi: Two Heartbeats Away
Lesley Stahl Profiles The Woman Who Could Become the Next Speaker Of The House
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Two Heartbeats Away
Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi could become the first female Speaker of the House if Democrats win a majority in the upcoming midterm elections. She talks to Lesley Stahl about her style of leadership.
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Reporter's Notebook: Stahl
Only On The Web: Lesley Stahl discusses her interview with House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and the possibility of Pelosi becoming the first female Speaker of the House.
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Pelosi On Joy, Leadership
Lesley Stahl speaks with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi about the joy of being a mother and grandmother, and how it has influenced the way she rules.
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Rep. Nancy Pelosi (CBS)
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"You don't talk about those big liberal issues you used to fight for up here," Stahl remarks.
"I've never walked away from any of my positions. I take pride in them," the congresswoman replies.
Asked about gay marriage, Pelosi says, "Well, that's an issue that is not an issue that we're fighting about here."
One issue that she is fighting about here is Iraq. She opposed the war from the start and now, like her, most Democrats support a phased withdrawal of troops beginning later this year.
"Does that not open you up then to that charge of cutting and running? This is just what they're saying," Stahl asks.
"The issue is them. The issue is the war they got us into," Pelosi replies. "If the president wants to say the war in Iraq is part of the war on terror, he's not right."
"Do you not think that the war in Iraq now, today, is the war on terror?" Stahl asks.
"No. The war on terror is the war in Afghanistan," Pelosi says.
"But you don't think that the terrorists have moved into Iraq now?" Stahl continues.
"They have," Pelosi agrees. "The jihadists in Iraq. But that doesn't mean we stay there. They'll stay there as long as we're there."
Asked what she would say to Republicans, who have said that Pelosi and the Democrats do not understand the serious nature of the threat, the congresswoman says, "I, as a mother and a grandmother, 14 years on the intelligence committee. Don't tell me I have any underestimation of what the threat is to our country. So, if you want to justify your failed policy by saying we don't understand the threat, clearly you didn't understand the situation you got us into."
The Democrats think Iraq is a winning issue for them, and so Pelosi fires away as she campaigns for different candidates almost every day, from toney towns in Connecticut to Minnesota's farm country.
Pelosi’s Capitol Hill office is the one once used by Tip O’Neill when he was Speaker 20 years ago.
"Here's a picture when I was a little girl, when I swore my father in when he became Mayor of Baltimore," Pelosi says, showing Stahl the photo in her office.
Nothing prepared her for power more than growing up in Baltimore, the daughter of Tommy D’Alessandro, an old school Democrat. She learned the secrets of political organizing, when she used to help keep track of favors owed her father during his 12 years as mayor.
"I was pampered in the fact that I had five older brothers, which I highly recommend to anyone," she says.
Nancy was the youngest of six children, and the only girl, in a strict Catholic family.
"I wanted to be independent. And they were always, you know, 'Oh, you can't do this, you can't do that.' Telling me all the things I couldn't do," Pelosi recalls.
Asked whether she ever rebelled, Pelosi says, "No. It wasn't even an option. This is the 50s."
But she did admit that she did sneak out. "Don’t tell anybody," she told Stahl, laughing.
At college, she met her husband Paul Pelosi, now a wealthy San Francisco investment banker. In fact, she’s the eight richest member of the House. He says he doesn’t give his wife advice, except for one thing: he picks out her clothes. "Well, she hates to shop," he explains.
Paul Pelosi says that for years, a career in politics was the farthest thing from his wife's mind. "It wasn't even on the table. It wasn't even part of the discussion," he says. "Nothing in her personality – it was never going to happen."
So what happened?
"Well, we end up in San Francisco. We raise our five children and when the children were in school all day, then she started doing volunteer stuff," Pelosi recalls.
Pelosi had five kids, born in six years and one week, and was pregnant for a good portion of the 1960s.
Christine, the second oldest of four daughters and one son, says, her mother was the disciplinarian and drill sergeant in the family then, as she is in Congress now.
"We were always expected to make sure our homework was done; and that we were prepared for what we did. She would always say, 'Proper preparation prevents poor performance,'" Christine remembers.
Produced by Karen Sughrue
©MMVI, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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See all 119 CommentsThat would make Nancy Pelosi President by default, and I hope she chooses Howard Dean as her VP. I'm The Subway Serenade and I approved this comment.
Stahl has really disappointed me tonight.
Lookss like you will be taking over when Cheney and Bush are impeached and JAILED for their War Crimes.
There is an undeniable abundance of hard evidence that Cheney/Bush LIED us into the needless, horrific War On Iraq -- about as high a "High Crime and Misdomeaner" as you can get! A few (or several) hundred thousand innocent Iraqi civilians dead, nearly 2,800 US troops dead, thousands and thousands more maimed for life, not to mention $300 Billion (so far).
In addition to the Horror of War foced upon our troops and the Iraqi people, these Neocons are responsible for expoliting 9-11 to start their War of Agression, which has radicalized the next generation of young men in the Middle East, leaving us far less safe.
So, welcome President Pelosi -- and good luck, for you have inherited a TOTAL DISASTER.
We should all be talking bout what sort of JAIL TIME they should get for their crimes.
The comment about making Bush and Caney lame ducks is right on and this election should be a referendum on the GOP's approval rating.
Restoring the stability in Iraq is something the United States cannot do by itself. We need international participation from Iraq%u2019s neighbors to share the burden and to show the Arabs we are not going to occupy their country for oil. However, the total loss of credibility on the international level will make it difficult for Bush to build any alliance to stabilize Iraq.
It is even possible the upcoming election is a measure of the GOP%u2019s credibility and Nancy Pelosi will probably become the new speaker of the house.
Considering the total collapse of GOP credibility and the record of failure, I can live with the change. The only reason people are mentioning %u201CSan Francisco Values%u201D is to generate fear and divide the growing ballot that wants to change the direction
This election is not about electing Nancy Pelosi. It's about putting an end to the the corruption, incompetance and failed policies of Bush and the GOP.
As for Viet Nam comparrisons to Iraq. Iraq already is a new Viet Nam. Like Viet Nam this administration didn't have the political will to send enough troops and not strategicly competant enough to win. Like Viet Nam the distruction and carniage has been apocoliptic. At least half a million Iraqis have been killed in three short years. Nearly three thousand Americans have been killed and tens of thousands more seriously wounded for life. Like Viet Nam, the soldiers on the ground aren't clear who is friend and who is enemy. Like Viet Nam the American public have lost confidence in the leaders who got us into it. Just like Viet Nam this war began on a lie and continues on a lie. Just like Viet Nam history will look back on Iraq as a huge mistake and huge waste of life and treasure for nothing. Hopefully, the big difference will be that we will get out before we waste any more of either.
Perhaps the lowest part of the show was Stahl's remarks about Pelosi's wardrobe. Would Stahl have worn sandals to walk around that Iowa field? Undoubtedly cowboy boots were the order of the day in Iowa, but not appropriate in Connecticut. What would Stahl have remarked had Pelosi worn boots in CT and Armani in Iowa?
Send Stahl into retirement quickly. She is embarrassing CBS.
I was awe-struck by her un-professionalism, rudeness and out-dated questions. This was actually one of the more important interviews of her career since she was interviewing the soon-to-be newest speaker of the house. Despite that, her interview was nothing more than what I might have expected from the Ladies Home Journal, circa 1960. She focused on trivial and trite matters like what she wore, ate, and her designer clothing for Pete's sake. WHO CARES!
She starts out with this insulting comment: ""I mean, you're one of the reasons we have to restore civility in the first place," Stahl remarks. Looks like CBS needs to restore civility to 60-minutes by removing Leslie from the show. That's certainly an opinion she should have kept to herself.
Later, she comments that Nancy was pregnant while she was working, and then makes Nancy's poor daughter defend on-camera that they were amazingly still %u201Cfed and clothed%u201D while Nancy worked. How sexist and outdated is that line of questioning?
Her biased editorial comments, patronizing attitude and obvious sexism, un-professionalism and discriminatory manner, make it clear to me, CBS needs to hire a REAL PROFESSIONAL to deliver unbiased, un-editorial commentary. I'll take 60-minutes off my tivo until Leslie is gone.
"here" is more important than the rest of the nation? I do not trust people who slither out
of dealing with things.
"14 YEARS on the intelligence committee". Why didn't Pelosi speak up BEFORE the war?
Isn't it the question of the failure of "inteligence" that is one of the most serious conundrums now? (a guy from Iraq area said, Oh yes,Sadam HAD weapons of mass destruction, he just hauled them accross the border to the neighbors.)
WHEN did Pelosi know about Foley?
Leslie Stahl did a fine job.
Appreciate your honesty.
You vote Democratic, you get this.
You want it? Then don't cry to me when you see ILLEGALS clogging up our emergency rooms and schools even more so. Or get a higher tax bill BUT with LESS Defense. And don't forget the next terrorist attack. There were a half-dozen on Clinton's watch, but remember, he was too busy with Bimbos and Bombing Belgrade.
You vote Pelosi you get a Plastic Princess who is more concerned about how she looks than what she will do for the people. Hate Republicans, but remember that the *** Democratic Neo-Fascists like Nancy and Fruitcake Lamont are certainly much worst.
And anyone who brings up Foley again, just remember you gave us Clinton, Jim McGreevey, Barney Frank, and the dead reptile Studds. You may rightfully cry foul with pervert Mark but you cheered on your own Perverts.
Look at Pelosi. This thing with her plastic surgery wants to be 40 years old rather than 66. There is absolutely NO substance here, just a plastic nothing full of lies. But hey, that's what you get if you vote Democratic.
As far as the President being "incompetent" I don't hear Plastic Princess saying the same about his predecessor - the Pervert and Draft Dodger who played with Bimbos while Bin Laden was planning 9/11.
of the interview Leslie Stahl as her about the Dems going after Bush and trying to impeach him. She said it was off the table but you could tell she was lying thru her teeth. The Dems can't wait to get at Bush. Unfortunately, it's the last thing this country needs right now - another fiasco. We need someone to unite this country and bring our men and women home from Iraq. No one talks about that - it's all about themselves.
What is Pelosi in comparison to this? A little opinionated? I'll take opinionated over fascist any day! Pelosi says Bush is incompetent? He IS incompetent! She is hardly undermining an administration that has brought its self down, with the help of a Republican Senate, and House and Supreme Court. The Republicans have harmed this country, not Pelosi and her friends, and now its time for democracy to do its thing and swing the pendulum.
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2006
/10/20/world/main2110011.shtml
So lets see if you are an American first or just an angry,lonely,desparate woman filled with venom.Now is your chance to be bipartisan
Justify away.
Please ask here about her views on abortion and the killing she allows into the third trimester next time libby Stahl!
Its laughable reading these liberal rants
Moron Bush Idiot Bush on and ond
Nothing of substance Nothing!
If you have facts you pound the facts
If you have nothing you pound the podium
Pro Abortion and cut and run cowards
Sheehan and Baldwin and Penn Great group
Well, in case nobody noticed, we have a much scarier prospect "two heartbeats away" - Denny Hastert. Why anyone would think that Pelosi is scarier than Hastert in that role is beyond me. Hastert is more partisan, more divisive, and completely corrupt. At least Pelosi does not need to earmark taxpayer funds for a "highway to nowhere" to drive up the value of property and sell for a profit as Hastert did.
http://westanddivided.blogspot.com/2006/10/third-in-line.html
Well, in case nobody noticed, we have a much scarier prospect "two heartbeats away" - Denny Hastert. Why anyone would think that Pelosi is scarier than Hastert in that role is beyond me. Hastert is more partisan, more divisive, and completely corrupt. At least Pelosi does not need to earmark taxpayer funds for a "highway to nowhere" to drive up the value of property and sell for a profit as Hastert did.
http://westanddivided.blogspot.com/2006/10/third-in-line.html
Well, in case nobody noticed, we have a much scarier prospect "two heartbeats away" - Denny Hastert. Why anyone would think that Pelosi is scarier than Hastert in that role is beyond me. Hastert is more partisan, more divisive, and completely corrupt.
http://westanddivided.blogspot.com/2006/10/third-in-line.html
My campaign slogan - "The woman can't even dress herself - do you really want her as Speaker of the House?"
Care to guess how many people might be saved with stem cell research? How many disadvantaged Americans die because of inadequate health care? Are there differences in infant mortality rates among the different economic classes in America? How many more have died in the workplace because you guys lowered safety standards? Is that just "tough luck" in your view? And how many will die in Iraq today?
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