Will Nancy Pelosi be Churchill or Lindbergh?

The question of when and whether to go to war is an eternal, existential dilemma, whether that conflict is literal and military or cultural, social or political. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sure has some seriously monumental timing decisions ahead of her.

Twentieth-century military history alone provides a full range of outcomes in deciding when to enter a conflict. As prime minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill’s delays in entering World War II were instrumental in improving the empire’s strategic position and initiating the flow of lend-lease equipment prior to the initiation of conflict. History appropriately

appreciated his efforts. American aviator Charles Lindbergh urged conflict delay, appeasement and peace with Nazi Germany out of latent or overt regime support. History also has appropriately appreciated his efforts.

Pelosi may go down in history as a great hero who delayed a conflict with President Donald Trump until forces were strong enough to defeat him and the battle could be cleanly and firmly won at the ballot box.

Or, Pelosi could go down in history as a great villain, appeaser and accessory who stood by cowardly as Trump committed his crimes — emotionally insecure and afraid to take action; a leader who daily undermined the widely accepted assumption that women did have the cojones to lead the nation into moral conflict against an existential threat, thereby disserving all the nation’s women.

So, is Pelosi a Churchill or a Lindbergh? Should Pelosi have initiated impeachment proceedings months ago as I would have advised? Should she determine the timing now? Is a delay for strategic success a wise decision to preserve our Constitution and institutions or a betrayal of national interests for the interests of a single political party’s power gain?

When do fundamental moral norms justify immediate action? When should Pelosi’s Catholic faith compel her to finally take action? When should the rest of us ask her to step aside for someone with a stronger moral backbone and a less highly tuned instinct of immediate strategic advantage?

Bill Rogers is president of the Serendipity Foundation. As a member of President Bill Clinton’s Council on Sustainable Development, he wrote the first draft of Cash for Clunkers. During the early 1980s, he was national constituent coordinator for Gay Rights National Lobby, the parent organization of the Human Rights Campaign.