As she did after we spoke final month throughout a day I spent this summer time along with her in San Francisco, Pelosi veered between acknowledging town’s challenges with homelessness, crime and enterprise closures and complaining about its dire portrayal within the information media.
“The actual fact is, it’s contained, and we’ll take care of it, however it requires a particular form of consideration,” she mentioned, referring to town’s distinctive set of challenges.
Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s frail situation and pending retirement, the latest departures of different California lawmakers and the ascent of two New Yorkers atop her celebration in Congress have been weighing on Pelosi because the 83-year-old weighed whether or not to run once more. Folks near her mentioned that she might argue it each methods however that for weeks she appeared extra persuaded to hunt reelection.
And whereas Pelosi emphasised her driving motivation was to assist San Francisco, with out prompting Friday she introduced up her latest journey to Italy, throughout which she gave a handful of speeches and met with high-ranking European officers.
“Folks there have been so involved about our democracy, as involved about what occurs if what’s-his-name ever would change into president once more by way of Ukraine, by way of NATO, by way of the transatlantic alliance and the remainder,” she mentioned. “It was superb, I imply, I used to be on the entrance web page of the 4 main newspapers of Italy due to their concern about all of this.”
Pelosi was, although, delicate to the suggestion that she wished to see by Trump’s second, and maybe closing, defeat for the presidency.
“My selections in life should not predicated on his madness,” she mentioned, however shortly added that “it’s essential to be sure that our flag remains to be there.”
That has been Pelosi’s watchword in latest weeks. It’s her favourite phrase from the Nationwide Anthem, the working title of a guide she plans to put in writing subsequent 12 months and her shorthand for confronting threats to American democracy.
It’s additionally the title of the primary video of her nascent reelection.
“It’s no secret that American democracy itself is on the road in 2024,” she says within the spot, including: “Our nation wants us to indicate the world that our flag remains to be there, with liberty and justice for all.”
The 36-year incumbent received’t say Trump’s identify. However she’s animated about defeating him and reclaiming the Home majority from her successor and fellow Californian, Speaker Kevin McCarthy, for whom her contempt is just not even thinly veiled.
“I really feel so excited concerning the prospect of partaking individuals on this, I don’t wish to use the phrase battle, however this determination for our nation,” she mentioned. “I really feel I’ve a leverage, an affect, it’s not energy — you understand, I had energy as speaker — it’s affect and that I shouldn’t underutilize it.”
Much less thrilling is the parade of would-be congressmen and congresswomen in San Francisco who had already began plotting, and even elevating cash, in hopes she’d retire. Pelosi evinced little sympathy for them.
“Nicely, they by no means requested,” she mentioned. “No one informed them to go do what they had been doing. They by no means requested. And in any occasion, upward and onward.”
These would-be successors might not wish to shut their marketing campaign accounts — or lengthen multi-year leases in Sacramento — simply but, nevertheless. After I requested Pelosi if she deliberate to serve a full time period if reelected, she left ample room to step down early.
“We’ll see,” she mentioned. “That would be the plan, yeah.”
She was most blunt in explaining that, to be absolutely efficient as a fundraiser, she needed to be on the poll herself as soon as extra.
“My focus is the Home and presidency; you’re in a stronger place as a candidate,” Pelosi mentioned. “Chances are you’ll not know this, however when you’re not a candidate, you actually can’t elevate cash for your self. And elevating cash for myself permits me to spend that on different individuals.”
She added: “For the Home Democrats, although, I wanted to have the ability to nonetheless elevate important cash for them as a candidate.”
There’s something to this. However Pelosi can also be justifying her urge for food to run as soon as extra. Given her deep relationships with the Democratic donor class, it isn’t as if the celebration’s bundlers would ship her calls to voicemail had been she not a candidate.
Pelosi mentioned neither President Joe Biden nor California Gov. Gavin Newsom had put stress on her to run once more, however she jogged my memory that Biden nudged her final 12 months to stay as Democratic chief.
“I’ve been urged to do lots of issues by Joe Biden in my profession,” she mentioned with a chuckle
The previous speaker made certain to notice that White House chief of employees Jeff Zients positioned “one of many first calls” she obtained after her determination Friday.
And whereas emphasizing her gratitude for all of the native encouragement she obtained to run for reelection, Pelosi mentioned she was struck by the response from Democrats past San Francisco. It was, she mentioned, “Thank god, thank god, oh thank god.”
After I noticed Pelosi final month in San Francisco, her husband, Paul, was at one of many occasions and recounted how little curiosity that they had within the former speaker ending her profession as ambassador to Italy, a rumor that continued in Washington a lot of the final two years. But when Paul Pelosi obtained demonstrative about how a lot they had been “finished,” the previous speaker gave his hand a figuring out squeeze.
So I requested the congresswoman Friday if her husband — who’s made good progress since being assaulted of their San Francisco dwelling final 12 months — was as enthusiastic as she is about one other marketing campaign.
“I wouldn’t be doing it if he had been objecting,” she mentioned, including: “He’s apolitical, however he is aware of what’s at stake.”
