Nancy Pelosi, possibly one of my father's most hated politicians, made U.S. History today with her election as House Speaker. In her speech, she quoted one of my favorite saints, St. Francis of Assisi.
Quoting St. Francis of Assisi, San Francisco's patron saint, Pelosi said, "Lord, make me a channel of thy peace; where there is darkness may we bring light, where there is hatred, may we bring love, and where there is despair, may we bring hope."
Pelosi, 66, married for 43 years with five grown children and six grandchildren, thanked her family for giving her "the confidence they gave me to go from the kitchen to the Congress."
Pelosi, wearing her trademark pearls and a purple suit, was elected by a 233-to-202 vote on party lines that became a foregone conclusion after Democrats rolled to victory in last November's midterm congressional election that swept aside 12 years of Republican control in the House.
I pulled this excerpt from a news article I now cannot find but the link goes to her speech as reported by the San Francisco Chronicle. Although the title of this blog is "Yellow-Dog Democrat," in reality I am skeptical of politics. People's motives can change, as the old adage says - "Absolute power corrupts absolutely." If we carry the logic further, "Partial power corrupts partially," and it is for this reason I doubt politics. After all, what did the Democrat say when s/he walked into the graveyard?
"Thank you for your votes."
Nevertheless, I hope that a few things change. I hope that we can change our course in Vietnam Iraq, that we can get government spending under control, that we can start limiting presidential powers granted during the terrorist attacks, and that we can stop being so damned partisan about everything. I want some cooperation, people, and less war-mongering. I want decent schools and a stronger police force and a better America. And if I don't stop writing I'm going to sound like a politician myself.
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