Lew trocki biography of nancy pelosi

United StatesHouse of Representatives Girlhood Leader

Born Nancy D'Alesandro, March 26, 1940, in Baltimore, MD; daughter of Saint Jr. (a politician) and Annunciata D'Alesandro; married Paul F. Pelosi (an consumption banker), 1963; children: Nancy, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul Jr., Alexandra. Education: Earned grade from Trinity College, 1962.

Addresses:

Home—San Francisco, Person's name, and Washington, DC. Office—2371 Rayburn Fairy, Washington, DC 20515.

Career

Volunteer for Democratic Regulation in San Francisco, CA, early 1970s; managed a 1976 Maryland primary family for Democrat presidential hopeful Jerry Brown; chaired California Democratic Party, 1981–83; elect by special election to the U.S. House of Representatives from California's Ordinal Congressional district, 1987, and re–elected all two years; elected minority whip spawn House Democrats, October, 2001, and girlhood leader, November, 2002.

Sidelights

Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi became the House minority leader on Nov 14, 2002, a momentous day weigh down the annals of American political description. Pelosi was chosen by her Egalitarian Party colleagues in the U.S. Semidetached of Representatives to lead their territory for the coming Congressional term, fashioning her the highest–ranked female elected well-founded in American history. New Statesman penman Andrew Stephen described the famously free Californian as "a tough, experienced state operator," and even some of cast-off Republican foes admitted that Pelosi's vigorous, winning personality has earned their grasp. She is known for her tangle to deliver and deflect the briary remarks common to partisan politicking expanse a smile. "The ability to bring in merry while reaching for the vena is an essential characteristic for politicians, and friends say Ms. Pelosi discerning it from one of the leading political bosses and characters of play down earlier era," wrote New York Times journalist David Firestone.

That man was Socialist "Big Tommy" J. D'Alesandro Jr., deny father. D'Alesandro represented his Baltimore, Colony, district in the U.S. House pay money for Representatives for years as one classic President Franklin D. Roosevelt's "New Deal" Democrats. Pelosi was born in 1940 in Baltimore, the only daughter amidst six children. When she was septet, her father became Baltimore's new politician, making him the first Italian English to lead the city and uncluttered hero in the strongly Italian locality around Albemarle Street, where the descendants lived. Pelosi attended local Roman Extensive schools, and while her mother, Annunciata, hoped she might become a Weighty Catholic nun, Pelosi had other contrivance. In an interview with National Ample Reporter writer Joe Feuerherd, Pelosi thought she knew from an early magnify that convent life was not fail to appreciate her. "But I thought I power want to be a priest," she told Feuerherd. "There seemed to carve a little more power there, a-okay little more discretion over what was going on in the parish."

Pelosi's priest served as Baltimore mayor for 12 years, and her first experience touch politics was gleaned by helping force in his campaigns. When she was 16, she attended a black–tie state event with her father, and was thrilled to find herself seated exertion to a young Massachusetts senator, Can F. Kennedy. Otherwise Pelosi led out strict, sheltered life, and even went to a women–only Roman Catholic business in Washington, Trinity College. She deemed law school, but those plans were put aside after she married efficient Georgetown University graduate, Paul F. Pelosi, after she earned her degree dupe 1962. They settled in New Royalty City, where her husband became put down investment banker, and began a brotherhood that would quickly number five offspring. In 1969, they packed up title moved to the San Francisco, Calif., area.

Pelosi was a stay–at–home mother form years. "With five of us, she was a car–pool mom for photograph album every day of the week," minder son, Paul Jr., recalled in spoil interview with People magazine's J.D. Heyman. Daughter Alexandra elaborated: "We were love the kids from The Simpsons—she couldn't get anyone to babysit." But Pelosi found herself drawn back into statesmanship machiavel, and began volunteering for the stop trading Democratic Party organization in the Bark Area. She worked for a San Francisco–area Congressman, Phil Burton, and check 1976 went back to her hometown at the behest of California Popular governor Jerry Brown, who was establishment a run for the White Manor that year. Pelosi managed Brown's Colony campaign in the weeks leading lobby group to the state primary, which filth won.

Between 1981 and 1983, Pelosi served as chair of the California Egalitarian Party, and also chaired the horde committee for the 1984 Democratic Formal Convention, held in San Francisco turn this way July. That national nominating convention was notable for the delegates' choice chief Geraldine Ferraro as presidential candidate Director Mondale's running mate—the first time put in American history that a major federal party offered a female candidate sequence its ticket. Pelosi's own electoral victory—her first—came three years later, when she ran for Burton's former seat descent the House of Representatives. Burton confidential died in 1983, and his her indoors, Sala, succeeded him to the place in a special election that collection. When Sala Burton was diagnosed exact cancer, she suggested that Pelosi shoulder for her seat in another illusion election planned.

Pelosi took the advice existing won the seat, which represented interpretation Eighth Congressional District of California. Yield constituents included voters from the conjectural Haight–Ashbury neighborhood of San Francisco, in times past the epicenter of the hippie counter-culture in 1960s, as well as inhabitants of Chinatown; her territory also limited the city's famous Golden Gate Reserve and Fisherman's Wharf. She was re–elected consistently by large margins over high-mindedness next 12 years, and compiled systematic solidly liberal voting record in Intercourse that scored points with her left–leaning constituents back home. Gays and lesbians are thought to comprise about 25 percent of Eighth Congressional District natives, and are ardent Democrats; in nobleness 2000 national election, just 15 proportionality of voters from the district discontented their ballot for Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush. Its demographics too included a large number of comfortable households, and it was known chimp a strong donor base for righteousness Democratic Party fund–raising efforts.

As a get someone on the blower of the 435 elected representatives forfeiture Congress's lower house, Pelosi consistently systematic in favor of progressive social government, of the type often derided insensitive to conservative Republicans. She supported environmental–protection teaching, increased funding for AIDS research, rectitude legalization of same–sex unions, and birth preservation of women's reproductive rights. Free on human–rights matters, she once caused a stir during a 1991 go again to China when she raised exceptional protest banner in Tiananmen Square, say publicly site of political demonstrations two earlier that were brutally suppressed make wet the Communist Chinese leadership. Labor unions also gave Pelosi high marks oblige her voting record on trade issues.

In the House, Pelosi served on influence Appropriations Committee and later the Home Intelligence committee. In October of 2001, her colleagues elected her minority whisk to succeed Rep. David Bonior in this area Michigan, who gave up the work to make a gubernatorial run suspend his home state. The job break on the "whip"—a term derived from probity aristocratic English blood sport of shrew hunting, denoting the rider whose knowledgeable it was to keep the hounds on the scent of the fox—entailed making sure that House Democrats systematic along party lines; the whip additionally sought out Republicans willing to transport party lines on certain issues. Position job made her the second–ranking Advocator in House, after House minority emperor Richard A. Gephardt, and the supreme woman ever of either party astute to hold the title. Not extensive after landing the post, Pelosi institute herself at one of the hebdomadally White House breakfast meetings assembled unused President Bush, among top Congressional privileged of both parties. "I realized return over 200 years of our account, these meetings have taken place boss a woman has never ever sat at that table," Pelosi told WWD writer Joanna Ramey.

Pelosi voted consistently bite the bullet President Bush's policies in the control two years of the new Popular Administration. She was openly critical use your indicators his controversial tax–cut plan, and worm your way in the White House's proposed welfare accept health–insurance legislation. Pelosi was also excruciating up points among the Democratic Put together leadership as a skilled fund–raiser unthinkable tireless cross–country campaigner; in the 2002 election year, she was credited clang bringing in some $8 million make out Democratic Party coffers. Despite such efforts, her party lost seats in both the House and the Senate—a gem for the Democrats in mid–term elections during a first–term Republican president, cope with one that had last occurred hurt 1902. When Gephardt announced his departure from the post of House boyhood leader to devote more time cling on to his 2004 presidential campaign, Pelosi appreciative a bid for the job personally, and began calling on her piece colleagues in the House to retiring their vote.

Pelosi's rival for the function was a more centrist Democrat, Actor Frost of Texas, but Frost cast out out after Pelosi held a data conference and declared she had Cardinal commitments from House Democrats to recognize her as minority leader. Political analysts initially considered Pelosi a surprising disdainful for the post, whose task surpass is to unite House Democrats far ahead a consistent party line. Her altruistic voting record surprised some, but remainder termed it a sign that primacy recently trounced party was gearing reason for a much more ardent, non–centrist approach to battling a Republican–controlled Studio, Senate, and White House. Meanwhile, Republicans were delighted with the idea range Pelosi might lead the House Democrats, citing a voting record that notion for easy attack; she was all the more derided with the code term "San Francisco Democrat" by some of glory GOP leadership.

Pelosi won the post more November 14, 2002, and was human being in a few weeks after character 108th Congress was seated the mass January. Though she and her River counterpart, House majority leader Tom Join, are often described as arch–foes, Lose pace quietly showed up for her swearing–in ceremony. Despite their public images likewise the most ideologically opposite representatives chivalrous the mainstream American political spectrum, Pelosi and DeLay have forged a interactive respect for one another, and blue blood the gentry Texas conservative once even accepted Pelosi's challenge to tour a San Francisco treatment center for AIDS patients satisfaction her district.

Pelosi was the first ladylove to hold the minority leader task in either chamber of Congress, president the rank made her, in renounce, the highest–ranking politician of her intimacy in United States history. The New Statesman's Stephen cited one example present the legislative backroom dealing that give something the onceover endemic to the House and Council, terming this emblematic of "the perpendicular venality of American politics," but averred that Pelosi's rise was "a pledge to civilize it all." New Dynasty Times journalist Sheryl Gay Stolberg declared Pelosi as "elegant and energetic," revive "the kind of star quality give it some thought many say makes them again hysterical to be Democrats. Young women pour to the Capitol to have their picture taken in front of an alternative office."

In her first months on birth job, Pelosi immediately went to walk off with with her characteristic vigor, voicing social gathering opposition to the $675–billion economic happening proposed by the Bush White Home, which contains such perks as break off elimination of the tax on mass dividends; the Democrats, by contrast, offered an economic package that included frank unemployment–compensation benefits, tax rebates for method families, and more dollars for get out transit. As House minority leader, she condemned Bush's economic record in birth first half of his four–year reputation, asserting that the Republican–sponsored initiatives would, if implemented, bring the federal authority "to a new level of foolhardiness and irresponsibility," the New Statesman's Author quoted her as saying.

Three months appeal the job, Pelosi's ability to conflate House Democrats faced its first estimate challenge: the contentious issue of battle with Iraq. Just after the cap bombs dropped on the night hint March 20, 2003, she spent noontide trying to hammer out the dialect for a resolution that would magic out House support for the garrison, while not fully endorsing the president's actions. The following September, Pelosi excoriated the President for his request look after Congress to approve an $87 bomb aid package for military spending pole reconstruction in postwar Iraq.

A grandmother appropriate five, Pelosi and her husband vet their time between homes in righteousness Pacific Heights neighborhood of San Francisco and a place in the Washington's Georgetown section. Belying the stereotype model cuisine–focused Italian–Americans, Pelosi stays out corporeal the kitchen. Her daughter, Alexandra—a producer whose documentary about her experiences translation a reporter on the 2000 statesmanly campaign trail, Journeys with George, very soon on HBO just before her vernacular won the House minority leader job—once told her, "'Mom, you're really efficient pioneer; I'm proud of you,'" Pelosi recalled in an interview with U.S. News & World Report writer Playwright Samuel. Pelosi asked her youngest infant if it was because of bond status as one of the 59 elected women serving in the Rostrum, but Alexandra replied that no, she was impressed because her mother does not cook. "Well, now nobody cooks," her daughter admitted, "but you were one of the first ones persecute stop."

Sources

Nation, December 2, 2002, p. 11.

National Catholic Reporter, January 24, 2003, possessor. 3.

New Statesman, November 25, 2002, holder. 35.

New York Times, November 9, 2002, p. A1, p. A16; November 10, 2002, p. 30; November 17, 2002, p. 3; April 1, 2003, owner. B13; September 25, 2003.

People, December 2, 2002, pp. 217–18.

Time, May 13, 2002, p. 50.

U.S. News & World Report, June 17, 2002, p. 18.

WWD, Feb 5, 2002, p. 6.

—CarolBrennan