Pelosi could pave way for Clinton

Democratic performance in new Congress could determine the presidential elections next year

WASHINGTON DC: According to the US Constitution, Rep. Nancy Pelosi (Democrat, California) now holds the third highest office in the country as the speaker of the House of Representatives.

If the Democrats indeed deliver on their promise of ethical governance, implementation of the 9/11 Commission recommendations and listening to the American public on the Iraq war, Pelosi might have done Senator Hillary Clinton a favour — increase her chances of attaining the highest office of the land.

With presidential elections due in 23 months (November 2008), the race to the White House has already begun, with Clinton emerging as the current forerunner, along with Democratic colleague and chief rival Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.

However, the murmurs in Washington are, “If Pelosi could become the first woman speaker of the House, what stops Sen. Clinton from becoming the first woman president?”

Indeed, Pelosi started her career as Speaker of the House with a thumping 430-1 vote in favour of strict ethics guidelines for Congress, which included barring members from flying in corporate jets, accepting gifts from lobbyists or even dining with them if the meals are paid for.

The new ethics rules were part of her agenda even before the mid-term elections in November. Her next target? Budgetary earmarks.

Earlier, in her inaugural speech, she spoke about women could change the face of government. “It is an historic moment for the Congress, and an historic moment for the women of this country,” she said. “It is a moment for which we have waited over 200 years. Never losing faith, we waited through the many years of struggle to achieve our rights. But women weren’t just waiting; women were working. Never losing faith, we worked to redeem the promise of America,

that all men and women are created equal. For our daughters and granddaughters, today we have broken the marble ceiling.”

Sen. Clinton heard the speech, but she is still silent over her presidential ambitions. Officially, at least.

However, a report in the New York Times on Thursday in which she was quoted by sources as saying that the “Obama threat would diminish” points to the fact that she is serious about running in 2008. Obama, on the other hand, has openly campaigned in New Hampshire, the state where the nation’s first presidential primary elections are held.

Given the sudden love for the Democratic Party, John Edwards who was the running mate for John Kerry in the 2004 presidential elections, has joined the fray. Others who have expressed interest in running for the Democratic nomination for president are Sen. Joe Biden, the new chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and former presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry.

While polls across the country Clinton and Obama to be the Democratic front-runners, the key decider would be the performance of the new Democratic Party-controlled Congress. And if Pelosi could deliver on her pre-inauguration promises, she could also help Clinton to the White House.