Pelosi's decision: What will her new role in Congress be? - USA Today

By William M. Welch, USA TODAYNancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as speaker of the House, faces a decision: whether to seek to return to her old job as leader of the Democratic minority.Easily re-elected by voters in her heavily Democratic district in San Francisco, Pelosi could instead decide to step away from Congress where she has served for a quarter century, now that she no longer commands a House majority.

After a grueling campaign in which Republicans around the country demonized her as the face of a liberal Democratic Party, retirement at age 70 might seem an appealing option.

Pelosi could also take a third course: serving out her new two-year term as a House member, but not seeking a leadership post in the Democratic caucus.

Her immediate predecessor, former House speaker Dennis Hastert, opted to return to Congress as a rank-and-file Republican— outside the leadership — after voters handed Democrats and Pelosi majority control of the House four years ago. Hastert returned to private life in 2007, resigning his Illinois-based House seat halfway through his term.

Pelosi kept quiet about her plans in advance of this week's elections, saying she expected Democrats to retain the majority. Now that they have lost it, she has scheduled an interview with ABC News for Wednesday night.

"The outcome of the election does not diminish the work we have done for the American people," Pelosi said in a statement on election night as the size of the Democrats' loss became clear. "We must all strive to find common ground to support the middle class, create jobs, reduce the deficit and move our nation forward."

Some Democratic House members, including Rep. Heath Shuler of North Carolina, had warned they might not support her for another leadership term next year. Shuler won his third term on Tuesday.

Martin Frost, a former Democratic House member from Texas, says that was all bluster, adding Pelosi could return to the minority leader's post if she wants too. He noted that the longest-serving House speaker, Sam Rayburn, spent two brief periods with Democrats in the minority, 1947-48 and 1953-54 while maintaining his leadership post. After both terms in the minority, Rayburn regained the speaker's position when his party returned to the majority. He served as speaker for a total of 17 years.

The question, though, is would Pelosi want to do that — and would her Democratic colleagues want it as well.

"It's her call," said Frost, who lost to Pelosi in 2002 in the race for Democratic leader. "She might decide this is enough. I can't see an effective challenge (within the House Democratic caucus) to her."

Frost says that in Pelosi's four years as speaker of the House, she proved among the most effective to hold the post and helped President Obama win passage of the massive health care law, an $814 billion economic stimulus package and other goals.

Frost also credits her with how she handled becoming the target of Republican attacks in districts far from her own, and says Republicans found in her — a woman representing liberal San Francisco — an easy target.

"Part of this is because she's a woman," Frost says. "I don't think they could have done this to a male speaker. There are a lot of people who were not happy to have a woman in a position of leadership."

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