Nancy Pelosi Didn't Lose The House.

There is good news in this afternoon's Huffington Post, Nancy Pelosi seems determined to stay, to stand and to fight.

The Huffington Post reports that Ms. Pelosi is going to seek to be reelected the leader of the House Democrats. Good for her.

One of the many false lines put out by the GOP is that Nancy Pelosi lost the House. Yes, that is false. That is wrong. The blue dogs, trying to be nice to the Republicans, trying not to make noise, not to bark, unless they were barking at fellow Democrats, the blue dogs, by trying to be as much like Republicans without becoming Republicans, lost the House. The cautious creepers, trying to walk softly, talk sweet and carry a lollipop for the mean and rude, and impolite Republicans, lost the House. In short, the appeasers lost the House.

What the Democrats don't need to do is to listen to the Republicans and to follow blue dogs, who sound very much like yellow dogs -- afraid to be Democrats, and who want to turn the party into reddish purple dogs -- wanna be Republicans.

The fact is that progressives did not get their hats handed to them in last Tuesday election. Most of the progressive reelection won. 96%. It was those who acted as if they are ashamed of their Democratic heritage, who got their hats handed to them. Over fifty percent of the blue dogs lost. Maybe, if the Democrats acted more like Democrats, a larger number of the Democratic 2008 supporters may have showed. up at the polls.

Who ever is leader, the leader should be ready, able of capable of fighting, and fighting from day one, with or without the support of the White House. If the White House shows signs of timidity and that ailment known as weak knees, the Congressional Democrats need leaders who have the stomach for fighting. If necessary, the Democratic House leadership could become a center of opposition to the Republican agenda.

The leadership should ask itself: Why did most seniors vote for the GOP, when Democrats are the defenders of social security and medicare? The Republicans want to end those programs. The leadership should ask itself: Why did so many young people stay home, when aid to education and to students is under threat by Republicans? The leadership should ask itself: Why didn't the message get out that there is a real difference between Democrats and Republicans? The progressive leadership in the House should take it upon themselves to get that message out, every day of the week, and again and again, until it is understood.

In short, the Democrats in the House need strong, forward leadership, not half-stepping weak knee, scared folks.