Pelosi’s Legacy Reaches a Dead End on the Drive to 25

Pelosi’s Legacy Reaches a Dead End on the Drive to 25

After Two Years of Democrats Vowing They Would Take Back to the Majority, Voters Will Soundly Reject the Democrats’ Endless Spending and Job-Destroying Policies Once Again

Now that Election Day is here, the Democrats’ path back to the majority looks as steep as ever, bringing into sharp contrast two years of predictions by Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi and Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) Chairman Steve Israel that Democrats would take back the House:

DEMOCRAT LEADER NANCY PELOSI:

PELOSI: 60% CHANCE DEMOCRATS WIN HOUSE: “The California Democrat — trying to become the first lawmaker in nearly 60 years to return to the speaker’s chair after being swept out of power — said there is a ‘60 percent’ chance that Democrats can pick up the 25 seats they need. ‘The momentum is coming our way,’ Pelosi said.” (John Bresnahan, “Nancy Pelosi: 60 Percent Chance Democrats Win House,” Politico, 9/21/2012)

PELOSI: DEMS HAVE A “VERY EXCELLENT CHANCE” OF WINNING BACK THE HOUSE: (Sean Sullivan, “Nancy Pelosi: Democrats Have ‘Excellent Chance’ to Take Back House Majority,” The Washington Post, 9/16/2012)

PELOSI: “I FEEL VERY CONFIDENT IN OUR ABILITY TO WIN”: (Meghashyam Mali, “Pelosi: Ryan Boosts Democrats’ Chances of Winning Back House,” The Hill, 9/16/2012)

MORE PELOSI: “WE EXPECT TO WIN ABOUT 20 SEATS” IN TX, CA, NY, IL, MD, WA, AZ; WOULD LIKE TO HAVE 35: “So we’re basically on our own, Texas, California, New York, Illinois, Maryland, Washington State, Arizona, although it may become a battleground state, because the opportunity might be there for the President. And we expect to win about 20 seats in the states I just named. Then we go where the President is, Florida, Ohio, Colorado, Iowa, Nevada, states like that, to take us, oh, I want to go beyond 25, I would like to have 35.” (Pelosi Interview with Rachel Maddow, MSNBC, 9/27/2012)

DCCC CHAIRMAN STEVE ISRAEL:

AFFIDAVITS EVERYWHERE AND A “RAZOR CLOSE” OUTCOME?

“I WILL SIGN AN AFFIDAVIT THAT IT IS GOING TO BE RAZOR CLOSE. … THE HOUSE IS ABSOLUTELY, CLEARLY, UNEQUIVOCALLY IN PLAY…”: “I will sign an affidavit that it is going to be razor close – razor close. And the razor is going to be sharpened or dulled based on the resources, the recruits and the message we have. The House is absolutely, clearly, unequivocally in play, which is a quantum leap from where we were a year ago.” (Carl Hulse, “House Democrats Bullish on 2012 Prospects,” The New York Times, 12/12/2011)

MORE ISRAEL: “I’LL SIGN AN AFFIDAVIT AND I’LL SIGN IT IN BLOOD” THAT DEMS WILL WIN 2/3 OF KERRY-OBAMA SEATS: “Then, there are 18 districts that voted for both John Kerry and Obama before electing a Republican in 2010. Israel’s stance on these seats is unyielding. ‘I’ll sign an affidavit for you right now and I’ll sign it in blood that we’re going to win two-thirds of them,’ he said.” (David Grant, “In Election 2012, How Much of the House in Play? Three Sides to the Story,” The Christian Science Monitor, 5/11/2012)

“ ‘But I am willing to sign an affidavit that it will be razor close.’” (Jennifer Steinhauer, “Democrats See Hopes Rise in Battle to Control Congress,” The New York Times, 1/6/2012)

ISRAEL: HOUSE “IN RANGE”: “Rep. Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), says he believes Democrats are ‘in range’ to retake control over the House of Representatives in 2012, telling CBS News’ John Dickerson Wednesday that Americans have ‘buyer’s remorse’ for sweeping the GOP into power in 2010.” (Lucy Madison, “Top Democrat: We Can Win Back the House this Year,” CBS News, 4/25/2012)

MEDISCARE AS “MAJORITY MAKER”:

STEVE ISRAEL: PAUL RYAN IS THE DCCC “MAJORITY MAKER”: “ ‘Mitt Romney this morning may have just become the most recent DCCC majority maker,’ said Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Steve Israel in an interview with The Huffington Post. ‘It’s no question, we have been slogging uphill to get the majority. We needed a national breeze at our backs, and Mitt Romney may have given us that breeze this morning.’” (Sam Stein, “Steve Israel: Paul Ryan’s Selection May Have Become Democrats’ ‘Majority Maker’ in House,” The Huffington Post, 8/11/2012)

“DEFINING ISSUE”: “ ‘We said from the moment the gavel came down on the vote to end Medicare that we would hold Republicans accountable,’ Israel says. ‘It is a defining issue – and it does define the difference between Democrats and Republicans.’” (Dave Cook, “Democratic campaign chief: Paul Ryan is vulnerable,” The Christian Science Monitor, 6/1/2011)

“THE ROAD TO THE MAJORITY GOES THROUGH”…

NEW YORK… “Democrats could lose as many New York seats as they gain, which would be a particularly troubling development for Israel if the road to the majority goes through New York, as the DCCC chairman often declares.” (Joshua Miller, “New York Offers Landscape-Shifting Potential,” Roll Call, 6/28/2012)

CALIFORNIA… “ ‘The road to a Democratic majority in Congress runs right through California,’ is the mantra repeatedly uttered by Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee chairman. (Phil Willon, “Balance of power in House may hinge on state races,” Los Angeles Times, 6/3/2012)

ILLINOIS… “ ‘The road to the majority goes through Illinois,’ DCCC Chairman Steve Israel (N.Y.) said last month.” (Jessica Brady, “There’s No Shortage of Drama in Illinois,” Roll Call, 4/18/2012)

AND THROUGH THE SUBURBS: “Dem campaign chief: Road to victory runs through ‘fairly affluent’ suburbs.” (Cameron Joseph, “Dem campaign chief: Road to victory runs through ‘fairly affluent’ suburbs,” The Hill, 2/28/2012)

Pelosi’s Legacy Reaches a Dead End on the Drive to 25 http://ow.ly/f2Wsj