Gag me with a gavel!
On her MSNBC show on Christmas Eve, Nicolle Wallace's Christmas gift to Nancy Pelosi was an opening segment that was nothing short of a paean of praise for the Speaker.
The word of the day was "masterful," endlessly employed by Wallace's panelists in praising Pelosi's performance in dealing with both President Trump and her own Democrat caucus.
Questions for Nicolle and company: if Pelosi is so "masterful:"
- Why, if she supposedly had such "command of her caucus," was she—so adamantly opposed to impeachment—ultimately forced to bend to the demands of the runaway left wing of her party and impeach the President?
- Why, after harrumphing about "quid pro quo", "bribery", and "extortion," did none of those terms form the basis for any of the articles impeachment, replaced by the vague "abuse of power" and "obstruction of Congress?"
- Why, after condemning President Trump for a supposed quid pro quo, did Pelosi enter an actual quid pro quo with a member of her caucus, trading for his yes vote on impeachment a legislative provision guaranteeing more business for a factory in his district?
- After condemning President Trump for supposedly using taxpayer money to bribe the Ukrainians, how much money did Pelosi's quid pro quo cost the taxpayers? The provision Pelosi pushed through denied the military the right to procure flatware anywhere in the world, forcing it instead to deal only with the business in the district of the Dem congressman whose yes vote on impeachment had been procured.
- If impeaching the president has been, according to Pelosi, such an urgent matter of national security, why is she now refusing to submit the articles of impeachment to the Senate?
- If impeachment has been so harmful to President Trump, why have his poll ratings gone up during the proceedings, leading Never Trumper Bret Stephens to lament that so long as President Trump can remain relatively quiet, "he’s all but guaranteed" re-election?
Here's the transcript.
MSNBC
Deadline White House
12/24/19
4:01 pm ETNICOLLE WALLACE: We have watched Nancy Pelosi square off against Donald Trump and refuse to back down, even in the face of his bullying and constant harassment . . . Over and over, she's proved herself to be the president's most skilled adversary, landing the most damaging political blows to the president . . . Pelosi was the one person in the room with the courage to stand up to Trump . . . And with one look, she illustrated her command of her caucus once again . . . She is his kryptonite!
. . .
JONATHAN LEMIRE: Nancy Pelosi has been that foil, but to this point, time and time again, has beaten him . . . She has been a real thorn in his side, and has gotten the best of him time and time again . . . She has navigated this beautifully . . . He is now the third President of the United States impeached, in part because how masterfully she's landed this.
. . .
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE: She has managed to outmaneuver Donald Trump at every turn . . . And I'm going to quote Cardi B: she has "dog-walked" Donald Trump . . . It's just been phenomenal to watch her.
. . .
CHARLIE SYKES: I'm going to admit that I completely underestimated Nancy Pelosi, and the way that she has risen to this occasion really is extraordinary . . . But also, she's a legislative master . . . It's really one of the most masterful parliamentarians of our time.
. . .
JEAN-PIERRE: She has been masterful legislatively, masterful in holding her caucus, controlling her caucus.
. . .
WALLACE: She's a master of a very different body, but she's also master of asymmetry. She knows how and when to get in his face, and point her finger at him, and humiliate him in front of generals and other men.
. . .
MATT MILLER: She has never been afraid of him from the beginning. You see him in a room with Nancy Pelosi, she's always the one dominating the room . . . It has bee, I think, a masterful effort to watch.
JEAN-PIERRE: She knows the space better than anybody else.
SYKES: Donald Trump plays whack-a-mole, and she plays chess.
JEAN-PIERRE: She plays chess.
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