Nancy Fest

Today, Nancy Pelosi takes the reins of the House.

She's the happiest girl in the whole USA.

She's absolutely wallowing in the moment.

Her ascension to Speaker of the House is becoming like a coronation run amok, or like a simple, intimate wedding morphing into a massive, extravagant affair.

WASHINGTON -- Most Americans still don't know who Nancy Pelosi is, and this was her last chance to script an introduction before Congress convenes today and she becomes the first female speaker of the House.

So on Wednesday, Pelosi kicked off a three-day celebration of her ascension packed with more product placement than an infomercial.

The cannoli at the reception after the morning Mass were from the bakery on the street in Baltimore's Little Italy where she grew up. The white lilies on the altar were her favorite flower. The chapel belonged to Trinity University, the Roman Catholic women's college she graduated from in 1962.

Pelosi sat in the front row surrounded by five of her grandchildren. The sixth sounded off midservice and had to be walked around by his mother, reminding everyone that his grandmother ditched Washington seven weeks ago to sit at his crib side.

"We've waited over 200 years for this time," Pelosi said at an afternoon tea turned power rally. "America's working women, women working at home, whatever they choose to do, they have a friend in the Capitol of the United States."

Five hundred women wore Rosie the Riveter buttons with Pelosi's face superimposed, with pearl earrings, above the slogan: "A woman's place is in the House ... as Speaker."

Right.

That's just a tad over the top, don't you think?

...The installation of a new speaker is the closest Congress comes to a presidential inauguration. Some critics accused her of putting on a "Nancy Fest," but supporters said the events were as much political roadmap as biography.

Pelosi can stage her goofy Nancy Fest, but it's that political roadmap that really is the problem.

House Republicans grumbled that Pelosi planned to shut them out of the "First 100 Hours" agenda by refusing to allow hearings or amendments (which is what the GOP frequently did to Democrats, but Pelosi promised not to be like them).

The "First 100 Hours."

Straight out of the chute, Pelosi is going back on her promise.

From November 14, 2006:

Presumed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-California, vowed to bring civility to the chamber and serve both sides of the aisle, in remarks to new House members Monday evening.

"We will restore civility to our debate," Pelosi told the new members. "As Speaker it will be my solemn duty to serve not just one party, but the whole House of Representatives. To that end, we will restore bipartisanship to the administration of the House, re-establish regular order for considering legislation, and ensure the rights of the minority - whichever party is in the minority. The voice of every American has a right to be heard, and that is what the American people expect and deserve."

BS.

Rights of the minority?

What a joke!

Civility?

Now, that's funny.

I bet even the tight skin Pelosi couldn't keep from cracking a smile over that one.

A woman doesn't have to lie and give up her dignity in order to be a strong, effective leader.

Too bad Pelosi lacks poise and integrity and class.