We didn’t lose the election because of me

Democracy and Power 110:  Majority Leader of the Senate and the Speaker of the House

In order to get power and retain it, it is necessary to love power; but love of power is not connected with goodness but with qualities that are the opposite of goodness, such as pride, cunning, and cruelty. – Leo Tolstoy

We didn’t lose the election because of me, Nancy Pelosi

Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi, asserts she did not cause the shellacking.  “We didn’t lose the election because of me,” hoping a bold declaratory statement turns into truth. However, most revealing was a following statement by Pelosi:

I’m also the most significant attractor of support for the Democrats.

“Attractor’ is a euphemism for raising money, money and more money.  Pelosi is blatantly declaring to the House Democrats, “I raise loads of money.  You need me.” 

According to Jonathan Allen of Politico, Pelosi is a gigantic fund raiser:

Indeed, Pelosi is a monster fundraiser, a favorite of nearly every identifiable Democratic interest group, and an indefatigable activist for her party’s legislative and political goals.

Particularly, as minority leader, Pelosi seeks to select the chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and the co-chairmen of the Steering and Policy Committee.  Politico reports on the power of the Steering and Policy Committee:

 …run since 2003 by Pelosi confidants George Miller (Calif.) and Rosa DeLauro (Conn.) despite a two-term limit, has been criticized for a perception that it rewards only Pelosi loyalists with choice committee assignments, leaving important decisions to an ideologically and politically monolithic group.

Leveraging her “monster fundraising,” Pelosi seeks to retain power over the Democratic Members of Congress, controlling policy decisions by rewarding and punishing Members by their assignments to committees and selectively doling out campaign contributions.

 As Tolstoy observed:  love of power is not connected with goodness but with qualities that are the opposite of goodness, such as pride, cunning, and cruelty.