Pelosi: The Princess of Partisanship

Some politicians are so skilled that they elevate politics to an art form.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, for instance.

Never underestimate this woman.

Yesterday she wrote a polite letter to the president that was nothing more than a thinly veiled announcement that uninvited him to Congress to deliver his State of the Union address later this month. (She invited him on Jan. 3rd, after the shutdown began.)

Pelosi suggested Trump postpone the address or return to the method used by presidents before electricity: Pen his speech and mail it in.

Oh, the Princess of Partisanship would like that. 

Deprive the president of a national audience. Don’t let him brag about record employment, manufacturing gains or a healthy economy. Best of all, make sure Americans don’t see the faces of the grieving families whose loved ones were killed by illegal aliens who were sure to be sitting beside the First Lady.

Pelosi - the Duchess of Dissembling - pretended to be motivated by security concerns brought on by the government shutdown. She claimed she just wanted to keep the president and members of Congress safe.

Her sudden concern about security is touching after demonstrating zero interest in securing America’s borders. 

Has any other Speaker ever similarly dissed a sitting president? I’m not a historian, but I’m going to go ahead and say no. Prove me wrong. Even the pugnacious Newt Gingrich held his nose and welcomed his nemesis Bill Clinton to the Capitol for his SOTU address.

Shoot, Nixon kept on giving speeches until he was on that helicopter on the first leg of his trip back to San Clemente. Democrat Carl Albert was speaker at the time. 

Careful there, Nancy, this move could backfire. 

Viewership of the State of the Union address has steadily declined for more than a decade. It’s estimated that fewer than 30 percent of American households bother to watch anymore. 

Depending on what Trump decides to do, that trend could reverse itself this year. Americans who haven’t watched the address since Jimmy Carter was president may tune in to see how Trump responds to Pelosi.

Frankly, I don’t like the SOTU address, no matter who’s giving it.

This congressional kabuki theater involves way too much of the half-of-the-chamber-applauds-wildly-and-leaps-to-its-feet-while-the-other-half-scowls moments. 

Tedious.

Anyone else remember Sen. Joe Manchin starting to stand last year to applaud Trump’s excellent news about record low unemployment, only to collapse back into his seat after getting the side eye from Chuck Schumer a few seats away?

If Trump is banned from the Capitol Jan. 29th, I suspect he’ll give the speech elsewhere and we, the people, won’t be subjected to the childish theatrics of the House and Senate peanut gallery.

That would be a win for the audience.

Trump’s advisors will push him to give the speech from the Oval Office, of course. 

Presidential, but boring.

I’d like to see Trump stick with this week’s fast food theme and deliver his SOTU from a Chick-fil-A. 

That would drive some liberals insane.

Or he could go to Wisconsin and fill Lambeau stadium - it seats 80,750 - a not-so-subtle reminder that Hillary stupidly skipped that state during her 2016 campaign. 

Better yet, Trump could speak from the border with Mexico, surrounded by angel families.

Pelosi may think she won this round, but she’s not dealing with just another master politician. She’s up against a prize fighter who understands retail politics.

Don’t count him out.