Do Democrats really want a House Minority Leader worth $100 Million?

[Renew Deal]

Nancy Pelosi is worth on average $100 million dollars. Is this really the type of person that should be the leader of Democrats in the House? She's been there so long and she's so rich she doesn't know how ordinary people live.

https://www.opensecrets.org/news/2015/01/one-member-of-congress-18-american-households-lawmakers-personal-finances-far-from-average

Of the other five members worth $100 million or more, two are Republicans and three are Democrats. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi broke into the nine figures in 2013, increasing her average net worth from $87.9 million in 2012 to $100.8 million in 2013. Pelosi’s increased wealth seems to result from the increased value of several pieces of property she owned in northern California. She also has a stake in the United States Football League, worth between $5 million and $25 million, and a similar-sized stake in the league’s Sacramento franchise.

[misterhighwasted]

1. Majority of Congress people are multi-millionaires

And some have profited greatly by the privilege of setting policy, & creating laws

Its a very Exclusive Club.

[Action_Patrol]

2. Doesn't bother me.

She's wealthy, every bit of money she raises tends to go back into the DNC and other candidates.

No outrage on my end.

[Renew Deal]

6. Not every bit if she still has $100 million of it.

[Action_Patrol]

8. She has the flexibility to do what she wants

She hasn't had to fight for her seat but that doesn't mean she shouldn't save funds in case that becomes a possibility.
Still no outrage on my end.

[CreekDog]

37. Ok, what's going on here? Why are you saying her wealth is from campaign contributions?

You either completely don't understand what you're talking about.

Or you're attempting to mislead people here.

Neither is good.

[Autumn]

14. That's her personal worth. Not her war chest.

[BlueCaliDem]

19. + 1. Her policies are what matter, not her net worth. I'm happy if a person can make millions

of dollars, but when they draft and/or vote for policies that harm 95% of Americans, then I have an issue to be pissed off about. Currently, Minority Leader Pelosi has been wonderful for the average American.

[sabrina 1]

77. She had more than a $100 million then? How much did she put into the DNC and other candidates?

It's a lucrative job, being a member of the US Congress.

Are there any carpenters, nurses, bus drivers, you know, ordinary working class Americans who are not lawyers or career politicians in our Representative Body?

I wonder why Dennis Kucinich didn't super rich in Congress?

I

[Action_Patrol]

84. She didn't get rich in Congress

Her husband was doing fine before she ever showed up.
I've never seen an occupational break down of their jobs prior. It's not very conducive to someone that isn't wealthy or massively backed to run for office. It's gotten insane.

[Vox Moi]

3. NO!!

We deserve a Minority Leader worth at least $150 million.
How else are we to be sure that we have the best person for the job?

[KingCharlemagne]

43. Reminds me of a joke I once heard told about then-Gov Nelson Rockefeller

and his erstwhile presidential ambitions:

"Rockefeller owns the country; why shouldn't he run it?"

[jwirr]

4. I don't know - what was FDR and JFK worth?

[sketchy]

15. +1

[BlueCaliDem]

20. BAM. That was a perfect slap down.

Thanks, jwirr.

[Pacifist Patriot]

42. Oh now you've gone and figured out the real problem with her.

She isn't known by a cool monogram.

[sketchy]

5. Wasn't her father the mayor of Baltimore

and I heard she sat at a desk in the front of their house taking all comers from the citizenry. I'd say she knows better than most how ordinary people live.

[Renew Deal]

7. Does she still remember?

[sketchy]

16. Where is there evidence that she DOESN'T remember?

I need to be reminded.

[Renew Deal]

17. Amongst others

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6051112

[sketchy]

21. Extravagantly complimenting John Boehner to me is just politics

Yeah, it's not something I like to see, but I think it's what they call realpolitik.

[Action_Patrol]

29. Yeah, pointing to the guy next to you

And saying 'this guy is a giant pile of shit' isn't in anyone's best interests

[CreekDog]

38. So you think that statement means she cannot remember that her father was mayor of Baltimore?

your posts in this thread are farther and farther from reality.

[Renew Deal]

88. Her father being the mayor of Baltimore is not her accomplishment

And is more proof of her disconnection from regular people.

[CreekDog]

93. Don't change the subject. You just said she didn't remember being the daughter of the Mayor

you said it right here in this thread and now you're trying to run away from it like it was chasing you.

don't play games.

you're either proud of what you said or you want to run away from what you said.

and when you won't acknowledge the ridiculous thing you said, it suggests the latter.

[Renew Deal]

94. Post what I said.

I'm not sure what you're referring to.

[tkmorris]

35. Did she just?

[sketchy]

65. I certainly hope not! :)

I'm visualizing more of an It's a Wonderful Life scenario.

[KinMd]

101. So was her brother

Big Tommy and Little Tommy D'Alesandro

[HappyMe]

9. I have maybe $300-400 in checking.

Will I do? Even though I have absolutely no experience in doing that job?

What do you suggest?

[Renew Deal]

12. You would do just fine.

[HappyMe]

23. Boy, that would be something to see.

For one thing, I don't own much in the way of businessy clothes anymore. They would just have to deal with my Annie Hall-ish shabby looking self. Some bad language and me hollering stuff about 'get to work' and 'stop wasting time with that crap!'. I would last about a week.

[KingCharlemagne]

44. Ah, but that week would cement your place in the pantheon for eternity! - nt

[Art_from_Ark]

97. With those credentials, you could be the next Bella Abzug!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bella_Abzug

[closeupready]

10. Greed has corrupted both political parties. No wealth will ever be enough,

not for any of them - I mean 'never enough' is the very definition of greed. $100M, and I'd wager she's going to be worth twice that in 5 years time.

Funny how that worked out so well for her, while how many millions of Americans are on food stamps, millions more fighting to preserve their very meager Social Security checks from further cuts in the "wealthiest nation ever on the face of the Earth".

[HERVEPA]

53. Do you think she is responsible those situations?

Would you give away your wealth if you had that money?
Would you say you couldn't understand about people being poor if you had that money?

[closeupready]

55. I certainly wouldn't like the appearance of impropriety such wealth lends

when it's been amassed while the individual holds public office, would you?

[HERVEPA]

57. If you're looking for the appearance of impropriety, go after Feinstein.

How about you show us an example where Pelosi's voting record has benefited her financially.
Show me the appearance of impropriety.

[closeupready]

58. Agree on Feinstein.

Anyway, I made my point. Nancy isn't the worst, on a good day, I even like her.

[Renew Deal]

91. Here you go

For years, Pelosi has pushed for federal transportation earmarks to build and extend a lightrail project in her affluent San Francisco district, securing more than $890 million for the project between 2004 and 2011. Interestingly, Pelosi and her husband own an office building, valued between $1 million and $5 million, located at a prime distance from one of the planned lightrail stops. If the project is completed, the Pelosis could see the property value increase by as much as 150%, according to Schweizer.

In 2006, Pelosi also managed to get a $20 million earmark for waterfront redevelopment just blocks away from the same office building. In another instance, she got $12 million for a beautification project abutting another property owned by the Pelosis.

Pelosi's real estate portfolio has also gotten a boost from her friends in Congress. In 2010, Rep. Bernie Thompson (D-MI) got a $800,000 earmark to upgrade the Napa Valley airport. Pelosi, who helped Thompson get his position as chair of the Homeland Security Committee, owns or has stake in multiple properties that would benefit from the project.

http://www.businessinsider.com/congress-insider-trading-earmarks-real-estate-nancy-pelosi-rich-tax-payer-money-2011-11#house-minority-leader-nancy-pelosi-d-ca-1

[Boreal]

82. "Would you give away your wealth if you had that money?"

Damn right I would and I find it sickening to see liberals making excuses for anyone accumulating that kind of money while being a "public servant". NOBODY needs that kind of money. She could divest herself of 99 million and still be rich.

[Renew Deal]

90. It's not about that.

She can have the money. It just looks bad for a person like that to lead the Democrats in the House.

[Renew Deal]

89. I agree

She is very wealthy considering her public "service." Government seems to be where the rich go to get richer.

[upaloopa]

11. Ordinary people can't afford to be elected to

congress.

[Renew Deal]

13. Good point

The median net worth of freshmen lawmakers this year was $995,000.

Of the 14 new senators, only six are true freshmen who didn’t jump from the House to the Senate and thus entered Congress, and our analysis, for the first time. All six are Republicans, and five had an average net worth of $1 million or more in 2013

[Atman]

18. Shockingly enough, even Democrats become successful sometimes.

I am more concerned with character and legislative record than with her bank balance.

That said, I don't care for Nancy Pelosi at all. I think she has a deficit in the "character" department. Who cares about her net worth, she lost me at "Impeachment is off the table." And the war criminals still run free.

[Renew Deal]

92. The point about her net worth is appearances to the public

She can pile up as much money as she likes, but she doesn't have to be minority leader.

[Atman]

100. In addition, she is such a polarizing figure. She's not good for our "image."

I'm as progressive as they come, a proud liberal Democrat, but the other day I received a political mailing...a regular business envelope with the words "Your 2015 Membership Card" printed on the outside, with "Nancy Pelosi" very large in the return address line. I felt like I wanted to run out the mail man and apologize and let him know that it was just junk mail, and I am NOT in any way a 'member' of Nancy Pelosi's.

[Historic NY]

22. The question should be do we want Democrats that vote as Republicans..

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/01/12/1356701/-Sean-Patrick-Maloney-Has-Unfriended-Me?detail=twitter

[Renew Deal]

95. There is a reason why I don't like Maloney and I can't find it.

There was something he said or did during his run for attorney general that turned me off to him. He's proven my suspicion correct while in office.

[SidDithers]

24. What's Grayson worth?...nt

Sid

[Renew Deal]

26. 13th most wealthy

Average: $64,375,031

[kentuck]

25. The problem is not Nancy Pelosi...

The problem is with those Democrats that have no problem with these huge fortunes, even though the Party preaches the evils of income inequality.

[immoderate]

27. I'd rather have a MAJORITY leader worth $100 M.

Having said, that I'd want it to be a socialist democrat worth $100 M.

--imm

[Blanks]

60. She got quite a bit accomplished as speaker...

I'd say she knows how to work. Let's compare her legislative accomplishments as speaker against Boehner's.

[Renew Deal]

96. lol

I agree. It's a better problem to have. It still sends the wrong message.

[OnePercentDem]

28. It's how they make it

I look at Harry Reid and shake my head. I've never liked him because he is no different than the scummy repubs that get rich through questionable means and in no way could relate to the average person.

[HERVEPA]

54. That's just ridiculous.

Compare his voting record with that of the Rethugs.

[pinto]

30. I don't think wealth is inherently an impediment to effective representation.

I see FDR and JFK have been mentioned above. I think the votes, legislations and political stands of a politician count more than personal assets. That's how I make my political assessments, in general.

(aside) There's a United States Football League?

[former9thward]

36. To your aside the answer is yes.

[Man from Pickens]

41. I think it is

The experience of the super wealthy is so radically different from that of the typical person they are responsible to represent, that there's no way they can really understand the concerns of normal people. They can try, but it's totally abstract to them. They can't possibly really understand what it's like to have to choose between buying food and paying the electric bill.

[onenote]

62. So FDR and LBJ were unable to promote the interests of "normal" people

Who knew?

[pinto]

63. So, what would be your standard for elective office? Your litmus test?

That's a slippery slope, imo.

[Man from Pickens]

66. Let's start with "not a 0.01%er"

Hardly a super restrictive test, and given the clear risks of continued oligarchic rule, a very sensible one IMHO

[pinto]

74. OK, let's play that out a bit. Not a woman. Not an African-American. Not a descendant of wealth.

Restrictions are restrictions. You may feel they are very sensible in some instances, yet all are anti-democratic, imo.

I'm sure there are political organizations in your area that could use some help supporting progressive, liberal political candidates. And there's always the ballot box. Public forums, social media, etc.

The oligarchy doesn't exist in a vacuum. They exist largely from benign neglect. Or a basic demoralized disengagement. You have a voice and a vote. Use them.

It's called democracy and it's far from done.

[Man from Pickens]

75. Hardly a fair substitution

Question for you: do you think it is fair to say that the actions of the wealthy elites in this country are destroying the standard of living and quality of life for everyone else?

[pinto]

78. To an extent. Yet I'm not keen on framing it in such simplistic, outdated terms.

Who are the wealthy elites?

Big oil, big defense industries, big banking enterprises, multinational corporations, big tech industries, Google, Yahoo, Facebook? Your own internet provider?

What ramparts should we assail, so to speak? How so and when?

My option, as naïve as it may be, remains the same. Legislation, legislation, legislation. Not a headline grabbing approach, but our best bet for the long run.

[Man from Pickens]

80. I would assert that great wealth is itself a disqualifier

Practically by definition, those who possess great wealth under the current system have little to no incentive to change the status quo. Why would they, given that it's benefited them to such a great degree, and that protecting that wealth will by and large require the maintenance of the status quo?

It being unrealistic to expect someone to act directly against their own self-interest, especially behind closed doors where the most important decisions are often made, I hold firm in my assertion that the last thing we should want is that our representatives be drawn from the tiny group of people who have profited the most from the suffering wrought against everyone else.

[Renew Deal]

99. Well said

[Recursion]

83. For about 3 seasons in the 80s. It represented smaller markets

I still have a Birmingham Stallions jersey somewhere

[Renew Deal]

98. I agree

I'm making a different point. She can be in congress all she wants. I just think it sends the wrong message to have a Democratic leader with that kind of money.

[brooklynite]

31. Rich="doesn't know how ordinary people live"

If there are policies or statements that supported that opinion, why didn't you provide them?

[jeff47]

32. Being wealthy doesn't magically transform you into a sociopath.

There's been lots of Democrats who worked to help the 99% while having large personal fortunes.

[Octafish]

33. It does make it easy to understand the hardships of great wealth.

The people asking for money. The government asking for money. The long-lost relatives asking for money.

[JonLP24]

50. One of the poorest members of congress recently voted against Wal-Street reform

Just when I had faith progressives could win 50/50 elections, much less an open bisexual and "no religious preference" one



Maybe she has 2016 in mind or she is selling her soul piece-by-piece



Sinema was a social worker from 1995 to 2002. In 2000, Sinema worked on Ralph Nader's presidential campaign.[1] She also practiced law in the Washington Elementary School District[10] She served as an adjunct Business Law Professor at Arizona Summit Law School, formerly known as Phoenix School of Law. Sinema became a criminal defense lawyer in 2005.[7][10] Sinema has also been an adjunct instructor in the Arizona State University School of Social Work since 2003.[11]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyrsten_Sinema

If you ever seen Tommy Lee Jones character from "The Sunset Limited" you can understand how I feel sometimes

It keeps getting worse the more I look -- Which 35 House Democrats Just Joined the GOP to Try to Gut Dodd-Frank? My elected rep is one of them and protecting Wall Street is not something she campaigned on or had an early history indicating that she was going to.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2015/01/07/1356223/-Which-35-House-Democrats-Just-Joined-the-GOP-to-Try-to-Gut-Dodd-Frank#

Maybe she wants their campaign contributions. She is compromised, we lost another one.

[donco]

34. Whodda thunk

that that you had to take a vow of poverty to be "House Minority Leader".

[Vinca]

39. Being wealthy isn't the problem. It's the heart and mind behind the pile of cash that matters.

[BrotherIvan]

40. Ask American Samoa

[closeupready]

56. lol yup.

[KingCharlemagne]

45. 95% of the gains from this so-called 'recovery' have accrued to the top

1% of the population. Pelosi's increase in net worth is part and parcel of that larger phenomenon. Does it disqualify her? Not in a capitalist system where two bourgeois parties compete to direct the machinery of government. Pelosi's wealth does, though, render somewhat questionable Democratic claims to be representing the working class, much less the working poor or the poor. Pelosi represents the middle and upper class where the battles for political supremacy happen in this country.

[Robbins]

46. Why not

They are going to cornate the most corporate friendly ceo con center right candiate for president in 2016 with Hillary CLinton.

[JonLP24]

47. Great question

though I wouldn't favor discriminating based on income but I'd favor someone from the middle of the Democratic Party, not the right so I favor a different Minority Leader based on that.

[NightWatcher]

48. I'm sure she'll fight hard to make sure my SS Disability doesn't get cut (from $1000 to $800)

That so many people like me have to get by on about a thousand a month is lost on people with her kind of money.

She cannot remember the challenges and the choices that so many have to make. She cannot fathom what it would be like to only make $800 a month and have nothing in the bank. Sure, she could have some empathy but it's like when people go "play homeless" for a single night to feel what homeless people go through. Sometimes the hardest part of being broke/homeless is/are the desperation and hopelessness of not seeing a way out of your situation.

She is not like us. Can she do a decent job, maybe.

[dmosh42]

49. If we could only pick non-corporate, anti-trust types for leadership, we might have seven people!

[One of the 99]

51. It's the policies that she advocates that should count

not her net worth. Being prejudice against someone because of their wealth is just as bad as if it was because of their race or religion or sexual orientation.

[TheKentuckian]

52. I'm more concerned about "impeachment is off the table" and "embrace the suck"

Does that pile of ca$h fuel that thinking? Maybe but I tend to chalk it more to insider status and associations which will be similar no matter what level of millionaire occupies the spot because that is who will be "next up" and if they are a little short now they won't be long.

[LanternWaste]

59. what is the precise and relevant money limit that denies knowledge of how ordinary people live...?

What are the requirements necessary to know how "ordinary people lives...?"

Additionally, what is the precise and relevant money limit that denies knowledge of how ordinary people live and on what objective basis is that measure predicated on?

[Fumesucker]

70. I would say being within a couple of orders of magnitude of ordinary net wealth

Once you get to the point you have a thousand times what the ordinary person does in assets I don't see how you can you have much appreciation for the concerns of those who have 1/1000 of your wealth. At that point your concerns are not remotely the same as those of us who are struggling financially (a solid plurality and possibly an outright majority).

[NanceGreggs]

79. "At that point your concerns are not remotely the same ...

... as those of us who are struggling financially."

One does not need to share the same concerns in order to recognize, understand, and want to address the concerns of others.

If that were so, well-fed people would never concern themselves with food banks, and people with houses would never concern themselves with the homeless.

[Fumesucker]

81. A couple of recent threads that touch on the issue of experience vs intellectual knowledge

"Do men understand rape?"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026070209

And this one in particular.. "Hand to Mouth and the rationality of the poor"

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1016111336

I’ve long thought that the “marshmallow” experiment is nearly universally misunderstood: kids wait for the marshmallow for exactly as long as it makes sense to them to wait. If they’ve been brought up in an environment where delayed gratification pays off, and where the rules don’t change in the meantime, and where they trust a complete stranger to tell them the truth, they wait, and otherwise they don’t – why would they? But since the researchers grew up in places where it made sense to go to grad school, and where they respect authority and authority is watching out for them, and where the rules once explained didn’t change, they never think about those assumptions. They just conclude that these kids have no will power.

I'm also reminded of the old adage that in theory theory and practice are identical while in practice they are not.

For instance, take whatever it is that you do or have done for a living, would it be possible for someone who has never actually done that particular thing but studied the theory intensely to move into that job and things continue smoothly and without problem.

[NanceGreggs]

85. What I brought up ...

... has nothing to do with experience v intellectual knowledge, nor whether someone can do someone else's job or not.

I was merely commenting on your assertion that people of wealth have "concerns that are not remotely the same as those of us who are struggling financially." While it may be true that one group of people may have different concerns than another group of people, that is in no way an impediment to recognizing the concerns of others and addressing them.

To go back to the OP, Nancy Pelosi doesn't have to be a disabled vet, or a minimum wage worker, or an unemployed engineer in order to recognize their particular concerns. And her personal wealth does not preclude her from appreciating those concerns, or doing whatever is within her power to do to address them.

[Fumesucker]

86. And I was pointing out that without experience you really don't know what's going on

Nancy's "concerns" are all based on theory rather than personal experience, the map is not the terrain and until you personally walk the terrain you really don't know it.

I specifically included the passage about poverty and how people who study the poor don't really understand what's going on with the poor kids they are studying in order to show that it's easy to take the wrong conclusion from a given behavior. Poor kids lack self discipline is a bullshit meme based on a flawed unconscious premise, the flawed premise being that everyone grows up in an environment which positively rewards a child for delaying gratification.

Lack of relevant personal experience is absolutely an impediment to understanding someone else's concerns, that's a major theme of this board in regards to sex and race and even religion, why would it be different for money?

[NanceGreggs]

87. We might be speaking at cross purposes.

We are never going to elect any representative who has personal experience with every single issue they will be expected to act on, or address. That's why I said that Nancy Pelosi's wealth doesn't preclude her from understanding the concerns of people who are struggling financially.

I disagree with the idea that "relevant personal experience is absolutely an impediment to understanding someone else's concerns." I can never really know what it is like to live with a severe disability. But that doesn't preclude me from understanding what the concerns of a handicapped person would be - nor from being informed on the topic by those who actually live the life.

And so it is with elected reps.

There is a difference between "sharing" the same concerns and "recognizing" the concerns of others. I am sure Nancy Pelosi doesn't "share" my concern about paying bills on time, because her wealth means she is free of that concern. But that doesn't mean she is incapable of recognizing what the concerns of people like me would be, or incapable of understanding their impact.

I think we might be using the term "concerns" differently.

[lumberjack_jeff]

61. It's a Hobson's choice. Pelosi represents DIY Oligarchy.

Do we want elected officials of normal means who, due to the nature of the system, must dance to the tune chosen by the mega rich? or do we want mega rich elected officials who will dance the same tune - but of their own choosing?

Pelosi simply bypasses the hired help.

[Blue_In_AK]

67. I like Nancy, I don't care what anyone says.

Not all millionaires are assholes.

[bigwillq]

68. Her wealth doesn't bother me.

I just think it's time for new leadership.

[olddots]

69. bringing up F.D.R. and the Kennedys

Doesn't have much to do with 2015 .

[Starry Messenger]

71. Whoa! I just had flashbacks and thought this was DU 10 years ago.

Are we going to start the weekly Fuck Pelosi threads too? Everything old is new again.

I guess anyone in her district who wants to run against her can go ahead anytime.

[davidn3600]

72. What do you expect to happen when you keep electing millionaires?

They pass laws that help millionaires.

[LWolf]

73. Nancy "impeachment is off the table" Pelosi?

Not really.

[Agnosticsherbet]

76. So far, Democratic members of the US Congress have wanted exactly that.

Members of Congress, and only members of Congress, have a say in who is place as leader there.

So all the Democrats who are empowered to make that decision like Pelosi for the job.

[Thinkingabout]

102. Greed, WTH, with all the bitching and moaning about someone's wealth and some wants to bring up

GREED. We work, some save, some don't, some invest well, and others bitch. Stop this trashing of Democrats, this is what the GOP and FOX are supposed to be doing. She took hell when she was fighting to get ACA passed, doesn't anyone think about saying Thank You Nancy, you have helped the working class.

[Paper Roses]

103. I don't care, just hope she remembers that some of us live on less than $12,000 a year.

Wonder what she thinks of those of us who live in poverty or try to survive on Social Security?

This year, $20.00 increase in S.S but: Health insurance supplement went up over $50.00. Net loss. Never mind the rest of the --cost of living---!

Sure wish it was possible for a poor person to run for public office. Nah, never happen. Too much to expect someone who is rich to understand what some Americans are going through.

[WhiteTara]

104. Do we want a minority leader who can work her caucus? Yes

Do we want a minority leader who can lead? Yes.