Nancy Pelosi Should Resign
The calls for Speaker Nancy Pelosi to step down are growing and in the coming week you will see even more calls from both sides of the isle.

Jerry Zeifam who served as Democratic Counsel of the House Judiciary for 17 years, writes

“Nancy Pelosi has persistently violated her duty to exercise her speakerpowers in accordance with the Constitution and the current “106thCongress House Rules Manual” (House Document 106-320).In short, she has fostered what is known as “tyranny by the majority” ‚Äîand violated House Rules that give her the duty to maintain order,civility, and decorum, and to foster “comity” (a word rarely used thesedays, meaning “mutual respect”).

The “House Rules Manual” includes Jefferson’s “Manual of ParliamentaryProcedures,” originally drafted by the founder of the Democratic Partywhen, as vice president, he presided over the Senate from 1797 to 1801.

In 1837 the House, provided that the provisions of Jefferson’s Manualshould “govern the House in all cases to which they are applicable andin which they are not inconsistent with [subsequently adopted rules].”

Jefferson’s manual, which is still in effect, was a codification of18th century “common law” and re-affirms that House Rules are “the onlyweapons by which the minority can defend itself . . . and by a strictadherence to which the weaker party can only be protected from thoseirregularities and abuses which these forms were intended to check, andwhich the wantonness of power is but too often apt to suggest to largeand successful majorities.”

Currently, Pelosi, who is second in line to the president, oftendescribes herself as a partner in his power ‚Äî a higher role than theConstitution grants to the vice president, who is first in the line ofsecession ‚Äî and whose only official duties are confined to presidingover the Senate.”

As I called for yesterday, Speaker Pelosi has no choice now but to resign or be removed from office by Congress. She cannot undo the damage at this point. Already she has been called to account by every major news organization and now even members of her own party.

Zeifman continues using the example of former Speaker Jim Wright:

“As described 10 years later by Wright’s own chief of staff: “[Then]Republican Minority Whip Trent Lott described Wright’s participation inforeign affairs as “The most arrogant abuse of power I’ve ever seen . .. Dick Cheney of Illinois, [then] chairman of the Republican PolicyCommittee, got so mad at Jim Wright that he began to wax nostalgicabout the warmth and affection for the previous speaker, Tip O’Neill.‚ÄòThere are no such feelings for Jim Wright,’ he observed.” Then-HouseMinority Leader Newt Gingrich began filing numerous accusations ofmalfeasance by the speaker in the House Ethics Committee.¬† In the end Jim Wright resigned.

With the unanimous endorsement of the Democratic caucus the House thenvoted to replace him with Democrat Tom Foley ‚Äî who restored thetraditional civility and comity that had prevailed under DemocraticSpeakers Sam Rayburn, John McCormack, Carl Albert and “Tip” O’Neill.

Currently, with public respect for professional politicians at an alltime low, and the financing of presidential campaigns at an all timehigh, the moral authority of both the Democratic Party and the GOP isdiminishing. In my view, the longer Nancy Pelosi remains our party’sleading spokesperson the more her penchant for political warfare andnon-compliance with Jefferson’s “Manual” will enhance the chances ofRepublican control of Congress and/or the White House in 2008.

She will serve our party and the nation best by resigning.”

We will continue the call for Pelosi to resign until she does the right and proper thing and steps down.