Pelosi’s Vote to Adjourn Could Be Her Last Hurrah

[Geee]

National Review:

Pelosi’s Vote to Adjourn Could Be Her Last Hurrah
Perhaps it’s true that “all political careers end in failure.”

It happened late Wednesday night, so it didn’t get much coverage: Speaker Nancy Pelosi cast the deciding vote when the House voted, 210–209, to adjourn.

That’s significant because, by custom, the speaker ordinarily doesn’t vote except on issues of special importance. And because Pelosi, who has shown impressive ability to deliver Democratic majorities on one tough roll call after another for four years, was scrambling to prevail on what is ordinarily a routine vote.

It wasn’t routine this time, because the Republicans wanted a roll call on extending all the George W. Bush tax cuts, which are set to expire on January 1 — even on those malign folks who make more than $250,000 a year. There were enough Democrats on record for that move to give them a majority if a vote had been taken, and 39 Democrats joined Republicans and voted against adjournment.

Pelosi had effectively lost control of the House. So she decided to shut it down and let Democrats go home and try to salvage their seats.

[AceRimmer]

Even if somehow, the RATS keep control of the House, I think her days as Speaker are numbered, because the survivors will go in a more moderate direction when they vote as a caucus for another member to become Speaker and Majority Leader. If she manages to keep her job, the GOP will retake the House and Senate by 2012.