The title of a recently released Yahoo! article is a quote from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi: "I'm not big on showing weakness". This is certainly true. If we could pick one word to describe Speaker Pelosi, it would be feisty.

Her Capitol Hill colleagues describe her with words and phrases such as "she who would be QUEEN", "House MOTHER", "MADAM", "MOTHER SUPERIOR" and "MOTHER BEAR WITH HER CUBS". Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel calls her "Mother" which makes sense because Emanuel is 50 (he will be 50 on November 29) while Pelosi is 69, meaning that Pelosi could have had Emanuel before the age of 20, which is not uncommon these days with all the teenage pregnancies.

Another thing: "Her style can be SMOTHERING"   which can be classified as a damning criticism.

Speaking to Politico in an interview last Thursday, Pelosi said: "On any given day, success that upsets BUSINESS AS USUAL IN WASHINGTON can be perishable". OK, at this point, Speaker Pelosi can attack "business as usual" as being associated with Republicans. If, however, the Democrats don't do well, Pelosi's position as a Democratic leader will be severely threatened. "I don't want to get too bogged down". Well, right now, people on Capitol Hill are indeed "bogged down" with HEALTH CARE REFORM, with liberal Democrats speaking out forcefully for the public option and conservative Democrats and most Republicans speaking out forcefully against it.

"We are not (just) passing a bill, turning out the lights and walking away. We will have other legislation", but right now, "health care" seem to be the words on everyone's minds and lips.

"I'm not big on showing weakness. IT'S NOT MY THING. I DON'T LIKE TO HAVE PREDICTABLE LOSSES". Speaker Pelosi is certainly a fighter.

One of Pelosi's favorite quotes is from Shakespeare: "We lucky few; we band of brothers". Sounds casual enough. Now, consider another of Pelosi's favorite quotes, this one from the Rolling Stones: "YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT...but if you try some time, YOU JUST MIGHT FIND, you get WHAT YOU NEED". Quality, affordable health care is definitely a need right now with all the mass layoffs that we're seeing.

Even more interesting, health care isn't Pelosi's passion. It is the environment: "I'm trying to save the planet".

Opinions about Pelosi are all over the board. According to Rep. George Miller, chairman of the House Education and Labor Committee, "This is a remarkable change. At the end of the day, you've said to Americans NEVER AGAIN will you be without health insurance'". This is extreme language: "NEVER again". People will expect the Speaker to FOLLOW THROUGH on her rhetoric. "KIND OF STUNNING. Incrementalism (i.e. adding many small, often unplanned changes) WILL NEVER GET YOU THERE" and Miller is supposedly "a close Pelosi ally" (the language doesn't sound very friendly).

According to Henry Waxman, another California Democrat, who is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, "I have never seen a speaker SO INVOLVED IN THE DETAILS of legislation" and Waxman has been on Capitol Hill for 24 years, implying that there is little that he hasn't seen. "so involved in the details" implies that Pelosi has a strong tendency TO GET BOGGED DOWN BY DETAILS INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON THE BIG PICTURE. This is a criticism from a fellow Democrat, the latest example of intra-party politics during the Obama administration.

According to House Ways and Means Committee chairman Charles Rangel, a New York Democrat, "She has the ability LIKE THE LOCAL PRIEST to listen". Does she? It seems like Pelosi talks a lot and doesn't listen as much. "So much of it is ENDURANCE; the other is AN ABILITY TO BE PERSUASIVE. But whatever combination it is, THEY DON'T TEACH THAT IN SCHOOL". So people either have that skill or they don't and Pelosi has that skill, at least according to Rangel. This is definitely a supportive/an affirmative statement.

As far as Mr. Obama's plans to send more troops to Afghanistan, Pelosi said: "LET'S SEE what he decides. I HAVE CONFIDENCE IN HIM. I SALUTE HIM for his deliberative process". Another strong endorsement of the president.

However, the Speaker is far from admitting that the president is perfect or infallible: "You thought energy was a heavy lift, HEALTH CARE, the recovery package. Nothing was as hard as FUNDING THE WAR IN AFGHANISTAN" because we're putting more soldiers in harm's way and taking them away from their families. "The supplemental was very hard".

"With this (in reference to HEALTH CARE), you're talking about WHAT WORKS IN YOUR REGION". This is the first instance/example that Pelosi is not supporting Obama all the way. "You go back and forth. That was 'I'm not voting for it'. AND NO I DON'T HAVE MY HEART IN IT AT ALL. I told my members last year, this was our last war supplemental". This, of course, is subject to change, just like everything else in politics. 

"I'm a consensus builder...My members are satisfied when they ask me a question AND I AM CONVERSANT", i.e. she knows what she's talking about. "We have a big tent AND A HUGE CHALLENGE. It doesn't affect every district the same way and WE HAVE TO LISTEN". Again,this is true. It is indeed "a huge challenge".

Returning to the subject of health care reform now, "WE KNEW THERE WAS NO WAY that we were going to a robust public option in the final bill". This is a concession. "We did 'a little cookie' FOR THE PHARMACEUTICAL INDUSTRY", as if they need any more favors.

According to Wisconsin Rep. Ron Kind, "The speaker is a person WHO IS ABOUT CHANGE AND REFORM" like Obama? "She does appreciate people WHO ARE THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX". Critical thinking is necessary.  

According to Democrat Anna Eschoo, another California Representative and supposedly "Pelosi's friend", "SHE KNOWS THAT WORDS MATTER. Once you put feet on them, THESE WORDS WALK INTO PEOPLE'S LIVES. There's a reality to it; she can more than hold her own - SHE'S A MASTER OF DETAIL". Is this a strength or an obsession?    

Finally, according to New York Rep. Louise Slaughter, chair of the House Rules Committee, "   Think of how many speakers HAVE TRIED TO get to this point. SHE GOT HERE".

So, across the political spectrum, opinions about Pelosi are mostly positive.

Statistically speaking, "Her poll numbers among men are DEVASTATING", a strongly negative word. "Women tip ONLY SLIGHTLY against her (36-31%)", a difference of 5%. "Among men, the ratio is FAR WORSE", more strongly negative language. "Among OLDER men, it is 56 percent to 22 percent", a huge/staggering difference of 34%, clearly reinforcing the fact that older men still hold the traditional opinion that women are SUPPOSED TO BE weak, something that clearly isn't true anymore.