97 Comments

A woman of grace whose power comes from her integrity and her courage from her love of family and country. There is no match to Speaker Pelosi in today’s Republican Party and most certainly not Kevin McCarthy who didn’t have the grace, integrity or courage to even show up. We all stand taller because Nancy Pelosi was Speaker of the House. The Republicans will stand in her shadow.

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They more likely will sit in her shadow because they don’t have the character to stand with her.

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A courageous woman of great character, thank you for your tribute to her.

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Nov 18, 2022·edited Nov 18, 2022

Indeed! Let me say THANK YOU, Steve, for your eloquent essay of appreciation, and all the COMMENTERS HERE for your equally heart-felt expressions of gratitude to and for Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Rarely mentioned among her many sterling character traits and achievements is how Nancy Pelosi mobilized Democrats to pass MANY, MANY DOZENS of quickly forgotten BILLS over the past 4 years to truly help the American people, our democracy, our economy, and our environment....

But these tremendously worthwhile bills died in the Senate, because not 10 out of 50 GOP Senators would drop their ugly obstructionist arrogance to cross the aisle to support these bills.

Might i also say that Nancy Pelosi shows the importance of having figures on the "religious left," in this case a Catholic woman who deeply cherished Jesus' Social Gospel teachings on justice, welfare and kindness for all. Nancy and her colleagues of authentic spirituality stand on a far loftier plane than the despicably stingy, hateful, and power-mad "religious right (wrong)"!

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I tried to “love” your comment but for some reason wasn’t able to. So I’m writing instead to say thanks for your lovely comments!

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Oh you're more than welcome, Margo! Thank YOU for your kindness.....

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Contrast Nancy’s grace and integrity with the vomit spewed by her successor yesterday. We must keep hammering at them until they are in the dustbin of history.

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I love two things about this piece. I whole-heartedly agree that Nancy Pelosi is a fine example of a woman who is a parent, a wife, and arguably the best Speaker of the House in U.S. history. I also enjoy the rich glimpse of Steve Schmidt as a parent, choosing the lessons he wants his children to learn and reinforcing their lessons with examples and discussion. Perfectly awesome, in my opinion.

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With Deep Respect, Gratitude and Love to Nancy Pelosi:

Courage, Judgment, Integrity and Dedication;

Character, Honor, Toughness and Grace;

True leadership, Character, Perseverance and Faith;

She has been in the trenches, She has served the U.S.A.

Nancy Pelosi, a living Legend: She holds the torch to find our way.

She is an everlasting Hope and a Prayer for all of humanity.

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Lisa Beardsley …you blessed my day

With you tribute to Nancy Pelosi 🌹

Blessings that we had her to guide

And wisdom to listen & compromise

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Yes, Nancy Pelosi will be a hard act to follow, and she has been an incredible leader and a true inspiration. I'm so glad to hear from you again, Marsha! I hope you are well. XOXO

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👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

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This article brought tears to my eyes. Thank you Steve. I had great tears in my eyes yesterday watching Nancy Pelosi’s speech. Her courage, wisdom, faith in God and faith in the American people,integrity, love for America, moxie, humility, motherly experience will never be replicated.

I am forever grateful to her.

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Thank-you for reminding us all how politics use to be and hopefully will be again. Best summary I have read about her. She sure has earned her time to sit back, but who are we kidding…she will always have her influence and we will be better for it. Thanks, Steve.

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A fitting tribute to a great lady, a historic leader, and a true American patriot who has made our country better; a woman of grace, intelligence, humor, and faith who stands above the vitriol and hate of her petty enemies--people without integrity, decency, or honor.

Thank you, Nancy Pelosi, and thank you for these inspiring words, Steve.

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A beautiful tribute.

Anyone else notice the conspicuous absence of some Republican leaders during her speech? I sure did...............

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The R leadership, such as it is, lacks grace and humility. I am sure they will face Nemesis in the not too far future.

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Quiverin' Qevin was busy meeting with Stephen Miller, the reincarnation of Reinhard Heydrich.

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We need a barf emoji option...

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🤮you mean like this one!

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Amen! 🙏

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A beautiful tribute to a remarkable woman who will be and is an American political legend. God speed to her now and always!

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Sometimes, better than words, we are given examples of how it should be. Ukraine is one of them. Nancy Pelosi is another. I agree with every word you wrote Steve - her behavior is truly an example and inspiration to every American.

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Thank you for your words of admiration of the Iron Lady. Her courage and integrity have been on display for the world to see for a generation. She stood steadfast against the cowards of the of the Republican Party on January 6th. She made sure that the transfer of power would be made in those darkest hours. I mistakenly thought Nancy was a weak ineffective leader. How wrong and how stupid my assessment was. Nancy has more courage and integrity than all the men in Congress. Her leadership and judgment were on display every day without question. Trump will be remembered for leading an insurrection and refusing to accept losing an election. Nancy stated on that cold night of January 6th, she would have punched Trump if he came to the capitol. I chuckle at the thought because I like to think I would have done the same. Trump is a sore loser and a coward and would have ran away crying after Nancy's blow to his bloated body. She will be remembered long after the world forgets about Trump.

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Remarkable woman. Well said, Steve.

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I live in a district adjacent to Pelosi’s district in the Bay Area and am proud to be a “San Francisco “ liberal and call Pelosi my own. In addition to her accomplishments with presidents of her own party, she was the perfect Speaker to handle Trump. In my mind, I keep seeing the photo of her across the table from trump, standing, pointing her finger and lecturing him. I can’t recall what was being discussed. But there she was, not giving in to his lies. She protected us from the very worst that administration had to offer. Thank you, Madame Speaker, for all you have done and all you will continue to do to serve your country.

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You are so right, getting right up in Trump’s grill. That, the mocking clap at one of his State of the Union “rants,” and the icing on the cake, ripping up his printed speech/rant. I could watch that on a loop forever!!! She is fearless.

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Nov 18, 2022·edited Jan 4, 2023

"Time keeps marching on." Nancy Patricia Pelosi is a gracious woman. She is filled with grace. She is the second in the succession line to the Presidency. She and Kamala Harris have achieved the highest positions for women in Government, from different origins and forging different paths. Hillary Clinton and Nancy Pelosi are friends. And it would be Nancy Pelosi who would fight for Obamacare in Congress, born from a woman's mind, Hillarycare. In the same manner that she fought for her constituents in San Francisco, the community known in those days as the Gay Community. She was the voice for HIV and AIDS awareness and successive action. She saw, she felt, she acted. She was and will continue to be a forceful voice for LGBTQ+ Americans, forging towards the day when a more inclusive America will give voice to the first transgender American representative in government. Communities of peoples are large and are still fighting to be seen, to be heard, to be accepted, to represent. By stepping down as Speaker of the House she is opening up her position to her future successor, hopefully Hakeem Jeffries. And she will return to San Francisco when her term in Congress ends. She decides where she goes and how she goes. She is a free woman in a free country and has shed all attributes and bad faith about women that only do harm to women to an extent never envisioned by those who harm them. After delivering in 2000 five members from California to the House, Representative Adam Schiff among them, Nancy Pelosi had accomplished once more what she had promised, using in her own words her "reptilian approach" to fund-raising for candidates against the loss in total House numbers caused by those who did not deliver at all, this gracious Congresswoman would take the next step to showcase her talent, courtesy, compassion and firm leadership for all to see. From the biography by Susan Page and in Nancy Pelosi's own words: "By running for Whip, I would defy more than two hundred years of men following in each other's footsteps for all the major leadership positions... Outside the Congress, my supporters were very energized. Inside the Congress, others were less thrilled. 'Who said she could run?' they said. Who said she could run [in italics]? That put me into fighting mode. I did not need anyone to tell me I could or could not run." Thank you for being you, Speaker Nancy Pelosi. You did not get that Ambassadorship to Rome because Hillary Clinton graciously conceded the presidency to the winner of the 2016 election and, with the Oath you both took you defended also the Constitution with your presence in the Capitol on January 6, 2021, the Peaceful Transition of Power, both of you formidable winners in my eyes for making America a much better place for all. And a reminder to all that attacks on public figures and voices are repudiated, because the daggers and blows inflicted can never be purged from the body, our tender and sacred vessel.

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Brave, smart and beautiful.......love her tenacity and compassion.

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