Pelosi to Liberals: Cheer Up, Shut Up

The health care bill Nancy Pelosi unveiled yesterday may not be as liberal as some of her colleagues would like, but she says they’d better get over it. The speaker intends to keep debate to a minimum, and squash any attempt to add an amendment that would strengthen the public option, but lose votes, she tells Politico. “I’m not big on showing weakness. It’s not my thing,” she explains. “I don’t like to have predictable losses.”

Passing the bill would still be a victory, she argues, and should be done quickly. “On any given day, success that upsets business as usual in Washington can be perishable.” Besides, this isn’t the end of the road for health care. “We are not passing a bill, shutting the door, turning out the lights and walking away. We will have other legislation.” (More Nancy Pelosi stories.)