DCCC's 2012 Battle Cry: Bring Back Speaker Pelosi

Guy Benson | January 06, 2011 11:37 AM

House Democrats' tone-deafness never ceases to amaze. First, after sustaining a historic ~~drubbing~~ shellacking in November, they willfully (and overwhelmingly) chose

to retain one of the least popular politicians in the history of the republic as their leader. Now they're gearing up to make restoring her Speaker's gavel the centerpiece of their 2012 push. Surefire winner:

House Democrats' goal is to make Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) the Speaker of the House again, their campaign chairman said Wednesday evening.

Rep. Steve Israel (N.Y.), the chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC), set his goal as nothing short of winning back control of the House in the 2012 elections.

"We're all trying to win it back," Israel said on MSNBC when asked if it was Democrats' goal of winning back enough seats to make Pelosi, the former Speaker and new minority leader, the next Speaker.

Democrats seem intent on making an already tall task even taller by stubbornly handcuffing their collective fate to a lady who, in the last 48 hours alone:

- Breezily asserted that she still would have passed the unpopular, $2 Trillion healthcare bill even if the American healthcare system were perfect.

- Claimed that deficit reduction was a "high priority" for her, after presiding over a $5.2 Trillion expansion of the national debt in just four years.

- Droned on endlessly and gracelessly during what should have been a short introductory speech to cede the Speakership to John Boehner.

The DCCC's strategy unfolds as the percentage of Americans willing to identify themselves as members of the House minority party has ebbed to a 22-year low. Exactly 19 Democrats seem to understand this reality. As for the rest of them, it's full steam ahead on the Speaker Pelosi Express. Good work, guys. Keep it up.