The Wave Reaches San Francisco: Pelosi To Resign?

I've been readin' in the newspapers that this year's election is some sort of "wave" election that will see dozens of Dems forcibly retired after they tried to turn the United States into Holland. You wouldn't know it if you live in San Francisco, since our congresswoman is barely campaigning against her feisty opponent, John Dennis. But now, word's come down that she will resign her seat should the GOP take over the House. Wow, miracles do happen

Assuming that the Republicans take control of the House in the next session of Congress, what will happen with current Democratic leadership? Usually after an electoral debacle, the remaining members of the caucus want fresh voices at the top to recapture credibility with voters. Most Speakers don’t stick around Congress at all, and some speculation in Washington has Nancy Pelosi looking for greener pastures rather than suffer the humiliation of returning to back-bencher status. CQ Politics looks through the smoke signals, via Yahoo:

Democrats on Capitol Hill and K Street are increasingly convinced that Speaker Nancy Pelosi would have little interest in being Minority Leader — and may start preparing to leave Congress altogether — if Republicans win the House next week.

Pelosi and her allies adamantly refuse to entertain questions about a possible Democratic minority. But Democratic sources say they have a hard time imagining the 70-year-old, independently wealthy California Democrat would want to return to the less-powerful post that she held for four years before becoming Speaker in 2007, particularly after having spent the past four years driving the Congressional agenda.

Fantasy time: if Pelosi resigns, could a Republican governor appoint her replacement? Ah-nuld's term expires on Jan. 3, 2011, after all. Sadly, fantasy will not be reality because congressmen must be replaced via special election, rather than appointment.

Still, San Franciscans will be going to the polls on Tuesday with the idea of voting for Nancy Pelosi (hard as it may be to believe). It seems a bit of a cheat for her to run for an office that she will immediately resign from. I say, make her keep her backbench status at least for a little while.

Btw, one of the surprising lessons of this election cycle is that the formerly feisty, bold & brassy feminist pols of my younger days have suddenly become...old.Barbara Boxer is 69, Pelosi is 70. Happens to all of us, I know. But, whenever progressives start talking about the tired ideas of the past, they might try looking in the mirror sometime.