Nancy Pelosi

"When I became the speaker, we [women] won 30 seats. It was a victorious thing — I was the first woman speaker. It didn’t get that much play. And I’m not a publicity seeker, so it was OK with me. [John] Boehner, before the election, they had him on the cover of Newsweek. Now he’s on the cover of Time, and women are coming to me and saying, 'Is the job less important when a woman holds it?'"

— Nancy Pelosi cites Speaker of the House-elect John Boehner's cover-boy status (while she was on none after her win) as evidence that men have it easier in politics. I won't argue that men have it easier than women, and I don't have a problem with Nancy Pelosi, but I do have a problem with her logic. If you're not covering magazines after a historic win, then it's more of a publicity problem than a political one. But she's not a publicity seeker!

• Nancy Pelosi out as speaker as Republicans win House — Washington Post
• What the election means for abortion — Double X
• California rejects pot legalization — LA Times
• Iranian woman to be hanged today for adultery conviction — Daily Mail
• George W. Bush says Kanye's Katrina criticism was disgusting — Huffington Post
• Porn star Sasha Grey wins another mainstream role — The Frisky
• Katy Perry and Russell Brand spotted on their exotic honeymoon — PopSugar

"They really don't understand how inappropriate that is. I'm in my place. I'm the Speaker of the House, the first woman Speaker of the House. And I'm in my place because the House of Representatives voted me there. But that language is something I haven't even heard in decades."

— Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi stood up for herself yesterday, after the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) said General Stanley McChrystal should "put her in her place" for her views about the war in Afghanistan.

The NRCC subsequently responded to Pelosi's dismissal of its loaded language saying: "She's playing out of her league and she knows it." (Um, wow.) Hopefully the NRCC can go back to disagreeing with the substance of Nancy Pelosi's opinions, instead of criticizing her for having them in the first place.

Jennifer Lopez and birthday boy Marc Anthony were all smiles yesterday on Capitol Hill, where they met with Nancy Pelosi and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus in the afternoon before bringing the twins by to check out the White House. That night, Speaker of the House Pelosi presented Marc with a Lifetime Achievement Award as his wife proudly joined him on stage. President Obama and Michelle also came by to honor Justice Sonia Sotomayor, who chatted with Jennifer and Marc as they all celebrated Latin culture in the US.

To see more of the couple with the President and Nancy Pelosi just read more

"[They're] carrying swastikas and symbols like that to a town meeting on health care."

— Nancy Pelosi questioned the legitimacy of people protesting healthcare reform yesterday. Those opposed to the reform proposed by Democratic lawmakers are carrying out protests inside townhall meetings being held by Democratic members of Congress in their home districts this Summer. The DNC has countered by releasing an ad that characterizes the "right-wing extremist Republican base" as an angry mob.

To see that ad, which hits back at the same protesters Nancy Pelosi refers to, read more