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Sidebars:

1. Do you the resemblance? President of the Iranian Islamic Republic bears a startling likeness to the cocaine crazies Cuban character Al Pacino played in the film Scarface.

2. No friends like old friends, check out the long article by former Capitol report for The Hill, , on Speaker designate Nancy Pelosi. While we have no reason to expect our leaders to be philosopher kings -- that’s why we have a Constitution & Laws -- this less than kind picture of the Congresswomen (Congressperson?) from San Francisco says a lot. She is Liberal among Liberals who openly employes undocumented immigrants (Mujados) on her vineyards in the north bay wine country and likely as not in some of her families five restaurants.

It might be interesting to check up on her restaurants, the quality of the food and coffee would tell you something about her character.

In addition to the usual follies and blind sports of all politicians she has some distinctly female traits -- the biggest being a holding and cherishing of grudges. While men do this too, they also have all sports of rituals and rites to deal with grudges such as smoking the peace pipe, having a fight to clear the air and shake hands afterward, and other ways to bury the hatchet. Women often are icily unforgiving. The bitter rivalry between Mrs. Pelosi and Jane Harmon is only one example.

Some House Speakers are great -- Sam Raeburn and Nicholas Longworth for example -- men of vision and men who knew how to lead the House. Others know how to lead the House but are short on vision: Tip O’Neill and Dennis Hatcher. A few like Gingrich are strategic geniuses but inept at running the Chamber. Where will Nancy fall in this list? Too early to tell, but I fear she may not have the light hand and ruthlessness to lead 230 Democrats and get them to act as a governing Party. The factions that are the greatest strength of the Democratic Party are also the great problem when unity and vision is necessary. The Donkey isn’t the party symbol by accident.