Speaker Pelosi and Her Scarf Make History
Amidst the all-Obama-all-the-time hoopla at last weekend's Jefferson-Jackson dinner, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quietly made history.
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi in one of her signature scarves.
During a lull in the dinner Saturday night, Rep. Leonard Boswell (D-Iowa) got up to do a little "bucket pass" and auction to raise money for the Iowa Democratic Party. Boswell, an accomplished auctioneer, lured Pelosi up on stage to auction off the scarf around her neck.
The scarf is an accoutrement that has become Pelosi's trademark. That night she wore a beige silk "We The People" scarf that netted -- we're just guessing -- several thousand dollars more than she or whomever bought it for her paid for it.
Madame Speaker soaked up the limelight and enjoyed the catwalk, sources tell us. She got up on stage, twirled around slowly like a model so the audience could admire the scarf from all angles. One source in the room said it was "sort of like Project Runway on location." In Iowa, no less.
The bids went up and up, from $500 to $1,000 to $2,000 and finally the scarf around the speaker's neck went to the lucky winner, a random Iowa Democratic donor, for a whopping $6,000. Pelosi slipped the winning item off, signed it as requested, and headed back to her table -- scarfless but having shattered the auction's record, which, until Pelosi and her scarf came along, had been held by former President Bill Clinton.
Clinton's tie at the same event last year was auctioned for either $5,000 or $5,500, state party officials couldn't remember which.
Pelosi is delighted with her accomplishment. "Once again, the Speaker has made history," Pelosi spokesman Brendan Daly tells us. "Instead of breaking the marble ceiling she was happy to donate a scarf to break the Iowa J-J fundraising ceiling. It's all in the name of making progress for the American people."
And no skin off her back, she's got plenty more scarves where that came from.
By Mary Ann Akers |
November 13, 2007; 5:16 PM ET
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Posted by: | November 13, 2007 08:50 PM
I was watching the event, and Pelosi actually admitted that it was "a scarf I'd never seen before"... Is it really worth all the cash as "Pelosi's scarf" when it wasn't actually hers?
Posted by: Elise | November 13, 2007 10:22 PM
Hats off to Brendan Daly on his incivsive read on what it meant to America .
Posted by: John J | November 14, 2007 04:30 AM
I'll buy 3 scarves if she promises to grow a spine and use it.
Posted by: Tim B | November 14, 2007 09:47 AM
Giving money to politicians is pouring it down a rat hole. The people who founded this nation probably thought that elected representatives would serve temporarily and then return to gainful employment or business, as would elected executives (Pres & VP). Little did they know that failure to put term limits in the constitution would create the prostituted system we now endure with career politicians pandering to special interests.
Posted by: | November 14, 2007 10:20 AM
Nancy Pelosi will go down in history as an ineffectual Speakers of the House, an inept politician, and a failure. I guess we should be glad she at least has a bit of fashion sense.
Posted by: msmyra | November 14, 2007 12:44 PM
Now that she's made a big splash with her scarf, when are we going to get the lowdown on her pork-barrell politics. She's just as sneaky as Murtha
Posted by: Sergeant Major | November 14, 2007 02:54 PM
Nancy was gungho right up till she had the chat with bush and she came out with the statement I do not want to even hear the words impeachment, makes you wonder what bush is holding over her with his warrantless wire taps
Posted by: radiatedvet | November 14, 2007 03:05 PM
Jesus, people can we enjoy a single incident without tearing these people apart?
Pelosi was just at a fundraiser for the Democratic Party and she auctioned her scarf, what a big deal...
Tim B: Do you have the $18,000 for the 3 Scarfs?
J
Posted by: Jruiz | November 14, 2007 03:24 PM
Radiatedvet, Pelosi was told about the illegal wiretaps years ago when she was on the Intelligence committee. Since she did nothing to stop them she is part of the deal. If she allowed an impeachment they would blow the whistle on her and she might lose her job. She might very well be implicated in a number of unconstitutional activities, she's not very smart and running scared.
Posted by: Fred Brighton | November 14, 2007 04:56 PM
2008 Presidential Election Weekly Poll
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Posted by: votenic | November 14, 2007 07:25 PM
Pelosi sucks I'm for term limits maximum 8 years and you have to hold the same office for 12 years to collect a pension.
Posted by: Bruce A. | November 14, 2007 07:39 PM
Who would ever pay 6,000 dollars for a scarf. If the money was going towards a good cause then even I would start a fundraiser of my own. But knowing politicians they'll just send that money down the toilet. Besides Nancy Pelosi should be focusing more on the real issues like the war in Iraq or the immigration issues, instead of that scarf.
Posted by: Jose Hernandez | November 15, 2007 10:09 AM
If she would take care of the American people likes she does democrats at auction with a scarf, we would probably have had some good bills passed by now. The longer she stays in office, the longer we are going to do without and pay more taxes. I wonder is she is going to clinton's running partner? I don't think reid wants that because he will miss having her at his side all the time. Does ehe ever go to the House where she was elected to serve?
Posted by: edeerfield | November 15, 2007 01:37 PM
It would have been better for the country if Nancy had done with her scarf what Isadora Duncan did.
Posted by: Alan MacDonald | November 15, 2007 03:43 PM
Alan MacDonald,
I couldn't say it any better!
Posted by: Curt Lackey | November 16, 2007 06:43 AM
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Pelosi should focus less on scarves and more on lives and billions lost in Iraq...