It’s not easy opposing Pelosi, but it is right
House Democrats will vote behind closed doors Wednesday on the leadership of Nancy Pelosi and we hope those who have opposed her continued dynasty stand strong in the face of political pressure.
It’s time for a change. Congress is broken and without new folks in charge the same cyclical revenge politics will continue at the expense of good public policy.
Three members of Colorado’s delegation are in the thick of the House power struggle: Rep. Diana DeGette briefly put her name forward as a candidate for the No. 3 leadership position a key step toward change; Rep. Ed Perlmutter signed a letter opposing Pelosi as Speaker and calling for change; and Rep-elect Jason Crow pledged during his campaign and again after unseating Rep. Mike Coffman not to vote for Pelosi.
Those are not easy stances to take and all three representatives have our support.
It’s possible to both admire and respect U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi and to also call for new Democratic leadership in the House after 16 years with the San Franciscan at the helm.
We noted a little more than a year ago that Pelosi was “a brilliant politician who has … historically produced unity in votes that the GOP must envy.” We said the platform she helped create for 2018 was a step in the right direction for a party that has at times floundered to find its footing following the defeat of their front-runner Hillary Clinton.
Despite all of our support for Pelosi, we stand firmly with the Colorado Democrats in the House who hope to see someone else claim the title of speaker.
And we hope newly elected Rep. Joe Neguse, D-Boulder, will join ranks with his colleagues Wednesday and not be one of the 219 votes she needs to keep power.
After nearly two decades in power, any politician would be so compromised as to be rendered ineffective at negotiating political compromise on some of the toughest issues of our time.
We need someone at the helm of the House who can work across the aisle, champion bipartisan efforts and mount an effective campaign to keep President Donald Trump from enacting his disastrous policies and undermining an important investigation.
Pelosi clearly has no intention of stepping aside, which is a shame because it’d spare her caucus the kind of internal battle that can damage a voting bloc moving forward. Change shouldn’t have to come at the expense of relationships and consensus.
The real vote — the vote that will be public and actually appoint a speaker — will occur the first week of January, but the caucus meeting this month is a good indication of whether Pelosi will remain in power.
It’s possible Pelosi will try to negotiate a way to stay in power for two years and transition to new leadership after. That is the bare minimum we’d like to see happen.
If enough politicians take a stand this week, then perhaps on Jan. 3 others will find the courage to do the same. Members of The Denver Post’s editorial board are Megan Schrader, editor of the editorial pages; Lee Ann Colacioppo, editor; Justin Mock, CFO; Bill Reynolds, vice president of circulation and production; Bob Kinney, vice president of information technology; and TJ Hutchinson, systems editor.