Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele returns to Tampa this Monday, September 20, for a "Fire Pelosi" rally scheduled at 10:30 a.m at 1221 Cass St.
It takes awhile for Congressional leaders to become famous enough to ridicule, which is why the GOP's campaign against Pelosi – a/k/a "The San Francisco Democrat" in 2006 went nowhere, and analysts question President Obama targeting John Boehner as he has in the past few weeks might prove equally impotent.
Pelosi has replaced Hillary Clinton and the late Ted Kennedy as the number one Democrat (other than the President) that Republicans have tried to demonize, with success, if you look at Madam Speaker's poll numbers. Part of the problem is that the 70-year-old Speaker, who has done an amazing job in her four years in power, does herself no favors because of her poor communication skills.
Think about it: Even though she's absolutely the most powerful member of Congress and has been for nearly four years, she is not a regular on the Sunday morning talk shows like other Democrats like Tim Kaine or Chris Van Holland are. Why? Because she's not very good in those interviews. And who could forget when she said that the CIA "lies to Congress all the time," as she did last year. She might have been accurate, but it was a pr nightmare that took her a long to recover from.
So for someone like Chairman Steele, who's had his fair share of issues since taking over leading the party early in 2009, the House Speaker is an inviting target.
Now what about Boehner? The comically tan Ohioan is poised to possibly become the next House Speaker in a matter of weeks, if one believes some analysts projections.
Earlier this week the Democratic National Committee began airing ads mocking him, but the Minority Leader seemed nonplussed when asked for his reaction.
“It comes with the territory,” Mr. Boehner said during a recent meeting with reporters. “They are trying every way possible to make this election about something other than them. But they are kidding themselves. This election is going to be a referendum on their policies and votes over the last 20 months. They can do whatever."
Then again, maybe Obama should continue to target Boehner, since a new poll shows Republican voters prepared to throw out him and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, regardless of what happens in November.
The Public Policy Polling Institute study says:
Only 21% of Republicans think the party should retain its current Congressional leadership if the party gains control with 57% saying it should be replaced.
When to comes to John Boehner and Mitch McConnell in particular the Republican base isn't too impressed either. Just 33% want Boehner to become Speaker with 34% saying it should be someone else and 33% unsure. For McConnell the numbers are even worse. Only 27% would like to see him as Majority Leader with 33% definitively wanting someone else and 40% not sure.
One interesting thing about these poll numbers is that it's actually the moderate wing of the GOP that's even more eager for change than the conservatives. For instance 37% of conservatives support Boehner for Speaker but only 25% of moderates do. And 31% on the right wing of the party would like to see McConnell become the top guy in the Senate but only 18% of moderates do.
This article appears in Sep 16-22, 2010.