Some Democrats Tell Pro-Abortion Pelosi: Take a Hike

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Nov 9, 2010   |   11:52AM   |   Washington, DC

Despite losing control of the House in the elections, pro-abortion Speaker Nancy Pelosi wants to remain as the leader of the Democratic Party. But some Democrats, in a new letter, are telling her to take a hike.

Pelosi and her pro-abortion allies lost control of the House of Representatives in an election that saw pro-life advocates win a record number of seats.

The soon-to-be former Speaker has already announced she will mount a campaign for the Minority Leader position. While no potential opponent has yet emerged, Fox News reports a group of unnamed Democrats are sending a letter to her telling her they want someone else.

The letter comes from some of the Democrats defeated in last Tuesday’s elections and they say they were “victimized by a national wave of resentment toward Democrats, a wave that ensnared you along with us.”

“Madam Speaker, fairly or unfairly, Republicans made you the face of the resentment and disagreement in our races,” the letter Fox News obtained says. “While we commend your years of service to our party and your leadership through many tough times, we respectfully ask that you step aside as the top Democrat in the House.”

The letter goes on to say that the defeated members “fear that Republicans will further demonize you, and in so doing, they will scare potential candidates out. The prospect of having to run against their own party leadership, in addition to their Republican opponent is simply too daunting.”

It says “one mark of a strong leader is the ability to discern when it is time to pass the baton” and closes with a request for Pelosi to step aside.

Fox indicated it is unclear which defeated members signed the letter and when it would be sent to Pelosi, though the text of the letter became available on Monday. As defeated members, they would not have the ability to vote on the leadership position because they will not be a part of the next session of Congress.

Meanwhile, some lawmakers are saying they support Pelosi but are doing so reluctantly.

Rep. Mike Capuano, told the Boston Globe Tuesday that, while he supports Pelosi’s bid to lead the Democratic Party, he’s not excited about it.

“If the Red Sox came in and lost every game of the year and they kept the manager at the end of the year, that’s a problem,’’ Capuano said. “That’s what we seem to be on the verge of doing.’’

“The thing that amazes me is the hubris, that no one has stepped aside voluntarily,’’ Capuano said.

Pelosi said on her Twitter account last week, “I am running for Dem leader” and indicated, before that, that she had “gotten a positive response” in calls to fellow Democrats.

“Everything is very positive in what they say, complimentary about how I’ve kept the caucus together, complimentary about the fact that we won in the first place [in 2006] and increased our numbers [in 2008] and that we have to come right back in that regard,” she told the Huffington Post.

“I’ve gotten a positive response, but I haven’t gone to a place where I’ve made a decision about that,” she said. “Only today have I even looked at messages or anything that relate to me from … members, friends, progressives … And of course the ones you will hear from are the ones who want you to run.”

After their defeats in the elections, members of the moderate Blue Dog Democrats are likely to be looking to someone else to lead the caucus. Rep. Heath Shuler, a North Carolina Democrat who voted against the abortion-funding ObamaCare bill, is considering a bid to challenge Pelosi if she runs.

Another member of the Blue Dog coalition, Rep. Jim Matheson of Utah, told Politico Pelosi should not run again.

“We just got whupped,” he said.

But Shuler would have a tough time finding support after so many members of the moderate caucus lost bids for re-election after backing ObamaCare.

Most of the Democrats who were re-elected on Tuesday are liberals and progressives who are Pelosi’s base of support.

On the Republican side, John Boehner is expected to become the next Speaker of the House and he is a pro-life champion. Other top leaders assisting him are expected to be pro-life lawmakers.