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Archive: Dem. Leaders
Dems Expect to Gain a 'Whole Bunch of Seats'
The two Democratic congressional campaign chiefs made clear today that they expect the party to gain significant ground in both the House and Senate on Election Day, paving the way for Democrats to team up with a potential President Barack Obama next year to make fundamental public policy changes. In...
By Ben Pershing | July 23, 2008; 04:14 PM ET | Comments (11)
'Missed Votes' Charge Could Backfire
Lately many critics have been making sport of tracking all the Senate votes John McCain has missed while he's been out on the campaign trail. Just last Tuesday, Capitol Briefing had an imaginary party at his desk, complete with a fake cake (it was delicious), to mark the three-month anniversary...
By Ben Pershing | July 14, 2008; 10:55 AM ET | Comments (6)
No Impeachment Vote Today; Hearings to Come?
UPDATE 2:45 PM: At a press conference this afternoon, Kucinich did not shed any additional light on what form Judiciary Committee proceedings on his impeachment resolution might take, but he did express hope that the Democratic leadership's willingness to allow some sort of action was a step in the right...
By Ben Pershing | July 10, 2008; 01:53 PM ET | Comments (18)
The Speaker, Voiceless but not Speechless
This morning, Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) weekly press conference was moved from its usual room in the Capitol, which can accomodate banks of television cameras, to a smaller conference room with no cameras allowed. Before the session began, an aide warned reporters that they could record audio of the session...
By Ben Pershing | June 26, 2008; 12:17 PM ET | Comments (17)
Player of the Week: Steny Hoyer
Which party won this week's round of high-stakes legislative deal making on Capitol Hill? On both the just-passed terrorist surveillance bill and the supplemental spending package that passed Thursday night, Democrats and Republicans have been crowing that they got the better end of the bargain. That's as it should be;...
By Ben Pershing | June 20, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (19)
The Senate: Root of All Evil?
The U.S. Senate has long been known as the "cooling saucer," where legislation can get a nice, slow round of consideration after the hot-tempered House has sped through a bill. That dynamic has long frustrated House members, but perhaps never so much as it did Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) today....
By Ben Pershing | June 19, 2008; 03:52 PM ET | Comments (12)
Kucinich Escalates Impeachment Fight
UPDATE 4 PM: Kucinich's re-election campaign issued a statement this afternoon saying that its Web site "was shut down this morning by a series of suspicious and fast-moving events several hours after Kucinich introduced 35 Articles of Impeachment against President George W. Bush." The site appears to be working fine...
By Ben Pershing | June 10, 2008; 01:46 PM ET | Comments (84)
Fact Checking Leslie Byrne
With apologies to Michael Dobbs, Capitol Briefing feels the sudden urge to do some fact checking after reading this Associated Press story about tomorrow's primary in Virginia's 11th congressional district, where Rep. Tom Davis (R) is retiring after seven terms. Former congresswoman Leslie Byrne is hoping for a return trip...
By Ben Pershing | June 9, 2008; 05:12 PM ET | Comments (3)
Pelosi: Obama/Clinton Ticket Still Unlikely
Back in March, when Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) were at each other's throats, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) was highly dismissive of the idea that the two could end up on a ticket together. "I think that the Clinton [campaign] has fairly ruled that out by...
By Ben Pershing | June 5, 2008; 02:35 PM ET | Comments (42)
Hoyer: Race Is 'Presumably' Over
Is the Democratic presidential nomination race really "over"? That's the semantic question of the day, and the always-cautious House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) gamely tried to answer it this morning. Hoyer kicked off his weekly press briefing by saying, "It is an historic morning in many ways. We have...
By Ben Pershing | June 4, 2008; 12:34 PM ET | Comments (2)
Van Hollen Warns Against 'Irrational Exuberance'
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Chris Van Hollen (Md.) has begun a concerted effort to warn his House Democratic colleagues to "beware of irrational exuberance" despite a growing evidence that the party is positioned to pick up more seats in November. In an interview today on washingtonpost.com's PostTalk program, Van...
By Ben Pershing | May 27, 2008; 04:55 PM ET | Comments (3)
Van Hollen: Don't Pop the Champagne Yet
Republicans are scrambling to regroup in the wake of three special election losses and continued atrocious poll data, while Democrats appear buoyant and optimistic at the prospect of gaining significantly more House seats in November. And that makes Chris Van Hollen nervous. Part of the Marylander's job as Democratic Congressional...
By Ben Pershing | May 22, 2008; 02:10 PM ET | Comments (8)
Pelosi Deflects VP Question; Dishes on Superdelegates
If Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) defeats the most viable female candidate in American history and wins the Democratic presidential nomination, might he want to balance the ticket by selecting another woman for Vice President? Perhaps someone who's already the highest-ranking woman ever in the line of presidential succession? Well, too...
By Ben Pershing | May 22, 2008; 12:02 PM ET | Comments (28)
Player of the Week: Chris Van Hollen
Hall of Fame pitcher Lefty Gomez once famously said, "I'd rather be lucky than good." So which one is Chris Van Hollen -- lucky, good or both? Chris Van Hollen can't get no respect ... from the media. While everything goes right for House Democrats, the press focuses on everyone...
By Ben Pershing | May 16, 2008; 04:08 PM ET | Comments (3)
Pelosi Slams Bush for Israel Speech
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) lashed out at President Bush this morning and his speech to the Israeli Knesset, particularly for comments on "appeasement" that some have interpreted as a veiled swipe at Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.). "You know we have a protocol ... that we don't criticize the president...
By Ben Pershing | May 15, 2008; 11:55 AM ET | Comments (15)
Hoyer Testifies on 'Stolen Vote'
In an apparently unprecedented session, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) testified this afternoon before the special committee that was set up to investigate whether Democrats "stole" a controversial House vote last August. The vote in question was on a Republican motion to bar illegal immigrants from receiving taxpayer-funded benefits....
By Ben Pershing | May 13, 2008; 09:25 PM ET | Comments (9)
Pelosi and Her 'San Francisco Values'
Labels are the mother's milk of electoral politics, and while GOP congressional campaigns are already thinking of politically negative ways to refer to Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.), they can always fall back on the old standby in labeling Nancy Pelosi: "San Francisco liberal." The first-ever female Speaker has been a...
By Ben Pershing | May 13, 2008; 03:37 PM ET | Comments (8)
Iraq Money Faces More Delays in the House
"My patience is growing thin," Senate Appropriations Chairman Robert C. Byrd (D-W. Va.) growled today, and he wasn't referring to the typically glacial pace of the World's Greatest Deliberative Body. Instead, Byrd was looking askance across the Capitol at House Democratic leaders, who have been dragging their feet on one...
By Ben Pershing | May 8, 2008; 06:15 PM ET | Comments (3)
Reid on Iraq, Energy and the Economy
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (Nev.) talked about opposing the Iraq war, responding to the economic downturn and addressing energy issues in an interview Friday with the online video site BigThink. Reid on Iraq: Note: Please upgrade your Flash plug-in to view our enhanced content. var thisObj = "flashobj050208X12v"; var...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | May 3, 2008; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (3)
Player of the Week: 'Charlie Boy' for Speaker?
BATON ROUGE, La. -- State Rep. Don Cazayoux (D-La.) is refusing to endorse House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) should he win a special House election Saturday and get to cast a ballot in the next vote for the speaker's gavel in January. In an interview Thursday, Cazayoux went a step...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | May 2, 2008; 05:44 PM ET | Email a Comment
Pelosi Meets the Press (and Their Kids)
Regular grown-up reporters, Capitol Briefing included, often have trouble extracting newsworthy answers from Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) at her weekly press conferences. So today the media tried a different tack -- letting their kids ask the questions. To commemorate Take Our Daughters and Sons to Work Day, Pelosi invited reporters...
By Ben Pershing | April 24, 2008; 12:25 PM ET | Comments (3)
On Iraq Bill, More Questions Than Answers
What will likely be the last major showdown over Iraq between the Bush administration and the Democratic Congress is nearly upon us, and the shape of the battle to come remains decidedly unclear. Next week or the week after, Democratic leaders hope to bring to the House floor a supplemental...
By Ben Pershing | April 24, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Hoyer: Electability Key to Democratic Choice
"Electability." That has been the fundamental premise of Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-N.Y.) presidential campaign for months now, as she makes the case that, even if Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) leads in delegates or the popular vote, she should be the Democratic nominee because she has the best chance in...
By Ben Pershing | April 23, 2008; 12:15 PM ET | Comments (56)
Player of the Week: Robert Byrd
Sen. Robert Byrd, D-W.Va., presides over a committee hearing on Sept. 26, 2007 (AP) Robert Byrd is the longest-serving senator in history. The West Virginia Democrat is Senate President Pro Tempore, third in the line of presidential succession. He is an accomplished historian who carries a copy of the constitution...
By Ben Pershing | April 11, 2008; 03:54 PM ET | Comments (7)
Hoyer's (Sort-of) Superdelegate Solution
As Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) continued to walk a fine line on the role superdelegates should play in deciding the Democratic presidential race, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) unveiled his own idea today for how the contest might be resolved. Hoyer's suggested way out of the current mess sounds...
By Ben Pershing | April 1, 2008; 03:55 PM ET | Comments (18)
On FISA, No Endgame in Sight
The House is slated to vote later today on Democrats' latest version of a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act bill, and the measure should pass, despite the solid opposition of the GOP and even some Democrats. But the bill, which does not contain immunity for telecommunications companies, differs significantly from what...
By Ben Pershing | March 13, 2008; 11:35 AM ET | Comments (3)
Pelosi and Superdelegates, Cont'd
Following up on the previous item, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) also addressed the issue of the role superdelegates should play in deciding the heated Democratic primary fight this morning. Pelosi's latest comments are somewhat similar to those that House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) made today, but different -- at...
By Ben Pershing | March 5, 2008; 05:44 PM ET | Comments (39)
Hoyer, Pelosi Split on Superdelegates
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) split today from Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and other House Democratic leaders on the role superdelegates should play in deciding the party's presidential nomination. Made up of elected officials and other party bigwigs, superdelegates have come under particular scrutiny this year as it has...
By Ben Pershing | March 5, 2008; 01:35 PM ET | Comments (20)
Democrats Keep Pushing on Ethics
When House Minority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced he was pulling the Democrats' ethics bill from consideration Wednesday after complaints erupted about it from both parties, he suggested that the next step would be for the two parties to get together to discuss the proposal and how to proceed. Republicans...
By Ben Pershing | February 28, 2008; 02:35 PM ET | Comments (3)
Player of the Week: John Conyers
House Democrats left town Thursday for the President's Day recess having fired two controversial salvos at the Bush administration -- approving contempt of Congress citations against White House officials while refusing to renew a terrorism surveillance law. House Judiciary Chairman John Conyers (D-Mich.) was at the fulcrum of both moves,...
By Ben Pershing | February 15, 2008; 02:40 PM ET | Comments (16)
House Will Let Surveillance Bill Expire
UPDATE, 1:12 p.m. ET: President Bush just sought to increase pressure on Democrats to act on the surveillance law by saying he would delay his planned trip to Africa this weekend if he is needed in Washington to work on or sign a bill. "If we have to delay [the...
By Ben Pershing | February 14, 2008; 12:35 PM ET | Comments (51)
House Mulls Contempt Votes Against Bolten, Miers
After months of delay, House leaders are considering bringing contempt citations against White House Chief of Staff Josh Bolten and ex-White House counsel Harriet Miers to the chamber floor for votes Thursday. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) said this morning that it was "possible" the citations would be on...
By Ben Pershing | February 13, 2008; 12:48 PM ET | Comments (4)
Oh Boy, More Debates!
Just what this town needs in the middle of a heated presidential campaign: more debates. Perhaps Congress is jealous that the White House contenders have already had 83 or so debates, and that Hillary Rodham Clinton has challenged Barack Obama to one face-off a week until we all beg for...
By Ben Pershing | February 8, 2008; 04:53 PM ET | Comments (8)
Player of the Week: Nancy Pelosi
Having been raised on a steady diet of highlight shows like Sportscenter and This Week in Baseball (with the greatest theme song ever), Capitol Briefing has always been fond of awards like "Pepsi Clutch Performer" and "Rolaids Relief Man." Beginning today, Capitol Briefing will begin handing out his own honor...
By Ben Pershing | February 8, 2008; 12:29 PM ET | Comments (15)
Democrats Mulling Strategic Shift on Iraq
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - As Capitol Briefing has noted, the primary theme of this year's House Democratic retreat was the economy, not Iraq. That focus continued this morning, as Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke addressed lawmakers and party leaders pounced on a disappointing new jobs report. But there has been some...
By Ben Pershing | February 1, 2008; 02:40 PM ET | Comments (27)
A Recommendation From Rahm
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. -- Bored at work? Worried that you've reached the end of the Internet? Well, here's a Web recommendation from House Democratic Caucus Chairman Rahm Emanuel (Ill.). According to Emanuel, he showed this video -- of a kid mouthing along to a Will Ferrell impersonation of President Bush --...
By Ben Pershing | January 31, 2008; 12:10 PM ET | Comments (2)
Economy Takes Center Stage at Democratic Retreat
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - While important work on the economic stimulus package is going on in the Senate, House Democrats have decamped here, 150 miles south of the Capitol, to begin crafting a legislative agenda and a majority-protecting message for this election year. Just as in the Senate, the focus here...
By Ben Pershing | January 31, 2008; 10:56 AM ET | Email a Comment
Do Democrats Have a Plan on Earmarks?
Over the last few days, we've learned quite a bit about what House Democrats don't like: • They don't like President Bush's vow during last night's State of the Union address to veto any appropriations bills that don't cut earmarks in half. • They don't like Bush's plan to issue...
By Ben Pershing | January 29, 2008; 04:48 PM ET | Comments (4)
Reid (Briefly) Off-Key on Stimulus
For the past week, cynical Congressional reporters and observers have been treated to the highly unusual sight of Democratic leaders, GOP leaders and President Bush singing a rousing chorus of Kumbaya on the forthcoming economic stimulus package. Heartwarming as all the bipartisan photo-ops and talk of unity have been, one...
By Ben Pershing | January 18, 2008; 05:51 PM ET | Comments (9)
The Year Ahead: Can Democrats Govern?
At noon on Tuesday, Rep. Ellen Tauscher (D-Calif.), serving as the Speaker Pro Tempore, called the House to order. The chamber's chaplain, Rev. Daniel Coughlin, offered a brief prayer. "As this 110th Congress resumes in this Second Session for debate and passage of new bills, we pray to You, the...
By Ben Pershing | January 17, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (90)
Congressional Thanksgiving: So Much to Do, So Little Time
Casting a flurry of votes on both ends of the Capitol last night and this morning, the House and Senate have now adjourned for a two-week Thanksgiving recess that leaves them with an overwhelming amount of work left to finish. Lawmakers will return to Capitol Hill in early December for...
By Paul Kane | November 16, 2007; 03:06 PM ET | Comments (6)
Facing Tough Polls, Reid Brings Back Key Aide
With his popularity at home taking a beating, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) is bringing back one of his most trusted advisers, shoring up his internal political team three years before he faces re-election in the Silver State. Susan McCue, Reid's former chief of staff, is leaving as president...
By Paul Kane | October 24, 2007; 05:08 PM ET | Comments (10)
Speaker Rebukes Rep. Stark Over Comments During SCHIP Debate
In what has become something of a routine move, Democratic leaders attempted to distance themselves from controversial remarks made by 18-term Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) late Friday issued a statement condemning Stark's controversial language during the debate before Thursday's failed vote to override President Bush's...
By Paul Kane | October 19, 2007; 07:05 PM ET | Comments (82)
Pelosi Hands Out Cash to Favorite House Candidates
The FEC's quarterly fund-raising deadline is today, providing us with a glimpse into the thinking of which races are getting the most attention from congressional leaders. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-Calif.) political operation is increasingly focused expanding the playing field for Democratic challengers trying unseat GOP incumbents or those candidates...
By Paul Kane | October 15, 2007; 03:55 PM ET | Comments (7)
Democrats Begin SCHIP Veto Override Campaign
With a presidential veto of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) now official, Congressional Democrats have formally embarked on a campaign to find the 15 to 20 votes from House Republicans they will need to override President Bush's veto pen. Aides say because the $35 billion expansion of the...
By Paul Kane | October 3, 2007; 12:53 PM ET | Comments (165)
Hill Democrats: Gonzales Resignation 'Not the End of the Story'
House and Senate Democrats are vowing to press ahead with their investigations into allegations of an overly politicized Justice Department while calling on President Bush to nominate a consensus replacement for departing Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales. "This resignation is not the end of the story. Congress must get to...
By Paul Kane | August 27, 2007; 01:24 PM ET | Comments (68)
Pelosi Salutes Bonds
Count House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) among those on the side of Barry Bonds and his record-shattering home run last night. Though she did not attend the game, the speaker, whose district includes AT&T Park, home of Bonds and the San Francisco Giants, issued a statement applauding the historic 756th...
By Paul Kane | August 8, 2007; 11:48 AM ET | Comments (37)
Pelosi's Favorites
Between early May and late June House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) identified six candidates she considers to be the top Democratic challengers to GOP incumbents. She did so by giving them cash for their campaigns. Pelosi's largesse toward Democratic candidates is nothing out of the ordinary. Through her leadership political...
By Paul Kane | July 30, 2007; 03:59 PM ET | Comments (3)
Clyburn Does Heavy Political Lifting for Dems
Beyond just counting votes, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) has set out to become a political force inside the House Democratic caucus as the majority whip. Clyburn is the top donor to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee so far this year, turning over $600,000 from his own re-election campaign to the...
By Paul Kane | July 6, 2007; 06:33 AM ET | Comments (5)
Schumer's Political Libby Pitch
Well, that didn't take long. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, chaired by Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), has turned the commutation of I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby's prison sentence into a political pitch to its supporters. The pitch landed in Capitol Briefing's personal e-mail inbox at 1:28 p.m. EDT, less than 20...
By Paul Kane | July 3, 2007; 01:58 PM ET | Comments (50)
War Brings Down Democrats' Approval Ratings
Heading into a legislative stretch focused on domestic issues, congressional Democrats just received a not-so-flattering report card on their early efforts to thwart President Bush's handling of the Iraq war. Democrats saw a sizeable drop in their job approval ratings over the past six weeks, with 44 percent of poll...
By Paul Kane | June 5, 2007; 11:56 AM ET | Comments (19)
Hoyer on Impeachment: No Thoughts
Rep. Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio) is back on with his plans to introduce articles of impeachment against Vice President Dick Cheney, scoring a symbolic victory for the anti-war liberals. But, bad news for impeachment backers: as of now, it's not happening. This is in no way a statement one way or...
By Paul Kane | April 24, 2007; 04:45 PM ET | Comments (38)
Pelosi, Reid Winning Approval
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) both maintained strong approval ratings as they passed the 100-day mark as leaders of their chambers, according to the latest Washington Post-ABC News poll. While a growing share of the public views her poorly, Pelosi still had a...
By Paul Kane | April 17, 2007; 11:53 AM ET | Comments (47)
Pelosi's Approval Takes First Hit
Under near withering assault from Republicans, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has seen her approval rating suffer its first significant drop in her brief tenure wielding the gavel, according to a new independent poll. While she still remains more popular than President Bush, Pelosi's job approval rating dropped to 46...
By Paul Kane | April 10, 2007; 04:45 PM ET | Comments (71)
Among Liberals, Pelosi More Popular Than Congress
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continues to maintain solid job approval ratings throughout the nation, with 50 percent of adults approving of her performance in her first weeks of wielding the gavel. According to a new Washington Post-ABC News poll, Pelosi's disapproval rating for her job performance is 31 percent, suggesting...
By Paul Kane | February 26, 2007; 05:54 PM ET | Comments (15)
Emotional Moments in the Debate on Iraq
With the Senate unable to get enough votes to formally debate the House's anti-surge resolution, the two chambers are at odds over their formal stances on President Bush's decision to send more than 20,000 new troops into Iraq. This is a trend that liberals will begin to hate more and...
By Paul Kane | February 18, 2007; 04:35 PM ET | Comments (8)
The Clyburn Primary
WILLIAMSBURG, Va. - For political junkies reading every tea leaf possible regarding presidential endorsements, Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) just wrapped up an interesting conference call with reporters covering the House Democratic retreat here in the cradle of American civilization. Clyburn's call was a chance to recap a panel discussion he...
By Paul Kane | February 2, 2007; 02:15 PM ET | Comments (3)
Pelosi, Dingell Families Unite on Global Warming
Sometimes on Capitol Hill there are personal feuds, other times there are policy disputes. Once in a while, there are personal feuds connected to big policy disputes among the major players of an individual party's caucus -- and that's when you need to pull out all the stops to prevent...
By Paul Kane | January 30, 2007; 11:34 AM ET | Comments (5)
Can Webb Avoid the SOTU Curse?
Sen. Jim Webb (Va.) is surely hoping for a brighter future in the Democratic Party than Christine Todd Whitman had in the GOP. Webb, center, appears Tuesday with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. (Getty Images) Whitman, the former director of the Environmental Protection Agency, was...
By Paul Kane | January 23, 2007; 05:17 PM ET | Comments (6)
The Speaker vs. The Dean
The U.S. Congress is an intriguing place inhabited by plenty of charismatic leaders and back-bench eccentrics. Collecting all those egos under one dome, as you would expect, results in plenty of rivalries -- many of which are rooted in personal battles rather than ideological animus. John Dingell was first elected...
By Paul Kane | January 22, 2007; 05:45 PM ET | Comments (5)
Pelosi's "Will" to Govern
As House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sees it, Democrats will get the job done in the 110th Congress. In her "prebuttal" to the president's State of the Union Address, Pelosi today use declarative language in an effort to display her confidence in Democrats' new majority. At least five different times in...
By Paul Kane | January 19, 2007; 03:43 PM ET | Comments (5)
