Democratic Process Too Messy for Pelosi

Democrats are always complaining that "our democracy is in peril," but they can’t even define democracy.

It was pretty apparent by Wednesday of last week that this was not going to be your typical, well-ordered vote for U.S. House speaker, and former Speaker Nancy Pelosi couldn’t resist throwing a little mud at both Republicans and the chaotic process.

"All who serve in the House share a responsibility to bring dignity to this body," the California Democrat tweeted.

"Sadly, Republicans' cavalier attitude in electing a Speaker is frivolous, disrespectful and unworthy of this institution. We must open the House and proceed with the People's work."

But democracy has nothing to do with dignity and decorum, and if it’s dignity Pelosi seeks, she should probably take a look at her own actions.

• There was the time that she stood up and ripped her copy of then-President Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address for the cameras. Not only did she not “bring dignity” to Congress by that act, but it was also "frivolous, disrespectful and unworthy of this institution."

• There was the time in March 2010 when she and then-President Obama were trying to shove the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) down America’s throat. When people complained they hadn’t read the 2,400-plus page bill, Pelosi replied that “We have to pass the bill so you can find out what’s in it."

• She has repeatedly refused to bring up bills that would have addressed congressional stock trades that reek of insider trading, while she and her husband Paul have amassed a fortune making perfectlyy-timed trades, earning her the moniker "NASDAQ Nancy" by the New York Post.

• Pelosi has repeatedly introduced pork-laden bills like the latest $1.7 trillion omnibus spending package passed last month while giving lawmakers neither the time to go through its 4,000-plus pages, nor the opportunity to offer amendments.

• For the first time in congressional history, Pelosi refused to seat a party leader’s appointees to a committee. This happened when then-House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., appointed GOP Reps. Jim Banks of Indiana and Jim Jordan of Ohio, to the House Select January 6 Committee.

There are other incidents, including those where Pelosi has repeatedly mocked reporters for merely doing their jobs, but the point is, this is one area in which she may want to sit this one out. Maybe she would even learn something about democracy in the process.

For example, as last week demonstrated, democracy can be downright chaotic — but the results can be magnificent.

Because of the slim margin Republicans hold in the House, McCarthy could only afford to lose four defections, and it wasn’t until the 15th ballot in the wee hours of Saturday morning that he was elected House speaker.

But the concessions he made, assuming he follows through with them, will help restore trust to a broken-down political system — broken by decades of House rules designed to keep the status quo in power and aiming a huge middle finger at America. They include:

• Appointing Freedom Caucus members to seats on the House Rules Committee that will allow those members to push for their criteria behind voting for bills.

• Voting on a bill setting term limits for members of Congress

• Individual votes on each of the 12 appropriations bills and excluding earmarks from such bills

• A vote on legislation surrounding border security

• 72-hour notice from release of legislation before voting on it

• A vote on a balanced budget amendment

And if McCarthy fails to live up to his promises, it would require only a single House member to introduce a motion to "vacate the chair" instead of the previous five.

The Democratic-controlled Senate would likely defeat any bills setting term limits, a balanced budget, and border security, but they would nonetheless place the constituents of those lawmakers voting "no" on notice and give ammunition to their opponents at reelection.

But the fact that House members finally selected a speaker doesn’t mean that the chaos is over, according to Rep. Tony Gonzales, R-Texas.

"The House of Representatives is a rough and rowdy place," Gonzales said on CBS’s "Face the Nation."

"This is only the beginning … Republicans are much different than Democrats. We’re not just going to line up and jump off the cliff."

And it should be tumultuous with open borders, escalating crime, a nonexistent energy policy, a woke military, Chinese and Russian saber-rattling, a blank checkbook to Ukraine, and a $32 trillion national debt.

"Democracy is messy, and it's hard, said Robert Kennedy, Jr. "It's never easy."

It’s only easy when it’s absent, which it has been for all too long thanks to party leaders like Pelosi.

Michael Dorstewitz is a retired lawyer and has been a frequent contributor to Newsmax. He is also a former U.S. Merchant Marine officer and an enthusiastic Second Amendment supporter. Read Michael Dorstewitz's Reports — More Here.