Pelosi Is Playing Hardball on Coronavirus Relief. She Thinks She'll Win.

[Zorro]

Emboldened by Republican divisions and a favorable political landscape, the speaker is refusing to agree to a narrow relief measure, unbothered by charges that she is an impediment to a deal.

As the clock ticked down Thursday on a self-imposed deadline for a breakthrough in coronavirus relief talks with no deal in sight, Jim Cramer, the brash CNBC host, had an on-air proposal for Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California.

Why not try invoking the memory of the late civil rights icon John Lewis to try to persuade Republicans to agree to help the most vulnerable Americans, including “minorities” struggling to weather a pandemic and a recession?

Ms. Pelosi flashed a forced smile. “Perhaps,” she deadpanned, “you mistook them for somebody who gives a damn for what you just described.”

The comment — unusually coarse for Ms. Pelosi, 80, who was educated by nuns — was part insult, part dare and part slogan for a woman who believes she has the upper hand in crisis negotiations and does not intend to lose it. And it reflected how, two weeks into stalled talks over another round of federal assistance to prop up a battered economy, and less than three months before Election Day, the speaker of the House is going for the jugular.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/08/us/politics/nancy-pelosi-coronavirus-relief.html

[appalachiablue]

1. Bravo, Speaker Pelosi!

[Baked Potato]

2. I think Nancy Pelosi will prevail...

That’s why Dump flapped his gums yesterday and will today. He’s scared and intimidated by The Speaker.

[Me.]

3. She Doesn't Hedge Her Bets

She knows what she knows

[Newest Reality]

4. Isn't it interesting...

Isn't it interesting how this upstages the Dotard and his facade about deals, (which were just dirty, crooked deals, strong arm tactics, stiffing people and lots of mob and other help)?

While he cowers at Russia, is clueless and infective with China, and on and on, failure after failure, (he has been good at destroying everything important in this country from our vital agencies, with Cen Barson and DeVoice, on down) Pelosi demonstrates true, well-honed skills and the capacity to hold ground and stand strong in negotiations ETHICALLY. She has the magic and the art, that's obvious. To bad we don't have a President who can do that with anything that's not rigged.

I just wanted to toss that pie in the face of the Big Loser who merely gets away with things and has a penchant for nothing but destruction as a means to appease his serious, unaddressed psychological issues. Yeah, Donny, Daddy didn't love you at all. Quit making us pay the price for that you tantrum-prone toddler with arrested development.

You never give a guy like that any power or you are in very big trouble...and we are.

[in2herbs]

5. The Ds have to go for the jugular. Without us making the sacrifice necessary to support Pelosi,

Schumer they can't succeed. Check in with your neighbors, especially the elderly, make sure they have food, deliver their garbage can to the street if necessary, pick up their paper, bring/pick-up their mail, make sure their pets are taken care of, etc. Then VOTE every R out of office and force the new D administration to bring criminal charges against every R, especially those attacking the USPS. You can be sure that if the Rs destroy the USPS they will confiscate the USPS pension funds and the courts will allow it.

[LizBeth]

6. It will be interesting to see what happens and her conversation IF Trump comes out today

trying to do an executive order on relief.

Pelosi has stood strong for 4 years now, putting herself between Trump, Republicans and the American people.

[BigDemVoter]

7. Nancy's political instincts are generally 100% spot on.

I don't believe that I've seen her misjudge a situation, EVER.

[Thekaspervote]

8. Thank you Madam Speaker!! We have your back, as we know you have ours.

Don’t know where we would be without your leadership

[Cicada]

9. The incumbent party is blamed if the economy collapses

A deal is necessary to avoid economic collapse.

Trump will be blamed for economic collapse. He does not care about anything but re-election. So He will agree to a trillion for state and local. He will agree to $600 or thereabouts for UI.

Can he get 13 REPUBLICAN SENATORS? Well Mitch doesn’t want to be replaced by Schumer. Senators in tough races can be persuaded to go along. Trump can pressure a few more.

Possibly Nancy is right.

[Hekate]

10. KnR