Pelosi Irritated by Age Question

Offended by Luke Russert's inquiry into her decision to remain House minority leader

While the punditry lambasts the GOP for being the party of the old, Democrats are rushing to Nancy Pelosi's defense precisely because of her age.

Politico reports that Pelosi took offense yesterday at a question from NBC's Luke Russert during a presser probing her decision to stay on as House minority leader:

"Some of your colleagues privately say that your decision to stay on prohibits the party from having a younger leadership and hurts the party in the long run. What is your response?"

Russert was met with boos from the Democrats flanking Pelosi even before Pelosi herself was able to respond. New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney chanted "discrimination!" prior to the 72-year-old Pelosi calling the question "offensive" and suggesting it would not have been put to, say, 70-year-old Mitch McConnell.

Pelosi went on to explain that she got a late start in politics because early on she was too busy raising her kids: "You've got to take off about 14 years from me because I was home raising a family, getting the best experience of all - diplomacy, interpersonal skills."

Via Politico.

Is Pelosi right to be offended?

[DerivePI]

Age is an asset to all but the foolish.

[DerivePI]

And yes, you can read that both ways.

[marine1]

@DerivePI BUT do you read it before or after you pass it??

[DerivePI]

@marine1 - Read it!? Even the Supreme Court, those people who write 100 page opinions explaining how what we learned in kindergarten is wrong, said that reading the healthcare bill should be considered cruel and unusual punishment.

[marine1]

@DerivePI That would be because it came from VERY unusual people.

[Penn1699]

Yep. She's a big girl though. Pelosi told the guy how it was. The rep on her right was obnoxious though it detracted from the stupidity of the reporters question.

[CanisCanemEdit]

Pelosi is 72.

The average life expectancy for women in the US is 81.

Remember that Ronald Reagan was 69 when he was elected the first time and people from both sides of the aisle bitched and complained that he was too old to be president

I remember the Democrats losing their minds when he won again at 74.

In 1989 Ronald Wilson Reagan was the first (and only one of two) former United States President to be Knighted by Queen Elizabeth II out of thanks for all his good works.

Don't belittle the septuagenarians.

[Penn1699]

@CanisCanemEdit I liked Reagan. He's the first vote I made.

[Bobolinsky]

Well... Nancy never claimed to be a Ronny.

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

[KoolD]

She's old what did you expect? Plus she is a whiny old bat.

[marine1]

If she is irritated, she ought the feel what we feeeeeeel!!

[KoolD]

@marine1 Agreed!

[RobertJHarsh]

Pelosi has been around a long time. Remember those videos of her campaigning for William Jennings Bryan in the 1896 election?:)

[MRMacrum]

No. But apparently you do. ;)

[RobertJHarsh]

Dude...you got to develop a sense of humor.

[MRMacrum]

@RobertJHarsh - Dude, you need to understand emoticons.

[Lorth]

No - it is a valid question.

[MRMacrum]

Question asked and answered. I have no opinion on what offends people.

[GetAwake]

Once you've put yourself under the scrutiny of the public-eye as a politician, NOTHING is off-limits. It's just a fact of life that when you're SERVING THE PEOPLE in such a capacity, that mid-seventies mark is going to come into play. Ron Paul has been asked this FOR YEARS, and now he is getting ready to exit...at 76. The liberals always seem to want to have things both ways though (no pun intended), and while the question should certainly be considered in fair-play, Nancy Pelosi is obviously not above calling foul due to the fact that she's a woman. So while she wants to be treated as an equal by her coleagues and "run with the big dogs", Luke Russert should probably keep in mind that she's still a bitch.

[GetAwake]

Uh-oh...should be 'colleagues'. I also want to add that Russert should automatically get a pass as the progeny of the ONLY fair, no-nonsense journalist that was left at NBC in the Third-Millenium. Haven't seen much of him since the '08 elections, but if he's anything like his dad, he can do no wrong.

[CanisCanemEdit]

How old was she when she told us we would have to "pass the bill to find out what is in it"?

Sounded like a senior moment to me...LOL!

http://www.youtube.com/watch...

[Jeff_Woehrle]

Or the way she stumbled over the 'astroturf' moniker. It seemed like someone told her to work that word into conversation, and she sounded absolutely clueless.

[alaboy55]

No, everybody ages. It's no big deal unless one is kicking and screaming into old age. And Ms Pelosi sounds like one of those people. Get a grip, honey--and be glad to be alive-it beats the hell out of the alternative!!

[mimi57]

Well, when you're a 102 , I would imagine those questions DO get a little irritating! She's always been "irritated"
and doesn't like to be questioned, she probably feels above it...uh, remember.... YOU work for US !

[martydotcom]

She certainly showed Luke Russert, he has much to learn before he achieves his father's status. If he had asked McCain, the reply would have been as he walked away mumbling .... I can't believe I lost to the black guy...who can believe the black guy beat me. Poor man is obsessed with retribution

[mimi57]

@martydotcom Mccain is a hero. He was a POW for six years, and had several bones broken, was interrogated
daily for hours on end and kept in a cold, tiny room. It would have driven most people insane. To this day, he can't
raise his arms...His bravery, heroism, and patriotism is above reproach, by anybody, I campaigned for him, and I
have never met a more humble and kind human being. He is truly what America is ...(was)..

[martydotcom]

@mimi57 a piercing glimpse into the obvious Duhhhh
Maybe retirement would be a better legacy than to be perceived as a sad bitter old man

[martydotcom]

@mimi57 In futher support of my argument McCain missed a top secret briefing on Behgahzi yesterday. With a staff of 50+ I'm sure someone told him were he was supposed to be. It's very apparent, war hero or not. lashing out at Obama took precidence over learning what transpired. Sad testiment to a war hero watching his legecy go down the toilet
http://www.businessinsider.com/mccain-obama-b...

[marine1]

to call her thin skinned may be inappropriate but none the less, streching the point:)

[Jeff_Woehrle]

The face of democrats! Welcome back to the spotlight, Nancy. We missed you.:-)

[dashdot48]

Tough. It's about time people started to stand up and speak out.

[Denizen_Kate]

Right, because no one has ever stood up or spoken out before. How young are you?

[Politicskid]

No. At least she's trying to make the liberal media look bad!

[Buckfan4life2]

I knew all you liberials would come up with excuses. You people completely amaze me. I have never seen such hipocritical people in my life. Yes this woman dosn't think like old white men because shes already senile and should fit right in with the rest of you nuts. And Do you think for one minute that Nixon would have drawed a line in the sand like a little kid and daring 2 senators to cross it like your president did. Nixon had way more class and watergate was nothing compared to what all Obama has lied about and you people call us stupid? I hope they go after him hard because he is 100% guilty for the deaths of 4 Americans and Iam sick of you idiots protecting this man. Its utter bullshit.

[SL-Illinois]

I agree totally with Buckfan4life2, although Pelosi is far from senile she's just plain mean and no good to the core. And those California idiots voted her in again. Is it amazing or what? The lying-est, meanest, condescending-est, witchiest woman in the U.S. and they put her right back in.Sure she's old-just too mean to die! All I can say is you deserve her California, as you deserve Obama, or should I say Baby Hugo Chavez.

[Denizen_Kate]

"you liberals" - "you people" - "you nuts" - "you idiots" - not a good way to win friends and influence people. Can you do anything besides lash out with hatred, or are you a one-trick pony? The issue here is the age of a representative and whether it is okay to imply that 72 is too old to serve as House minority leader. IMO it was a rude question, but not as rude as your comment.

[AceLuby]

Of course she is right to be offended. There are MANY reasons to not like her and MANY reasons why she shouldn't be the Democratic leader in the house... her age isn't one of them.

[Quantummist]

Of course it was open season on his age with McCain during his run.... hypocrites will always be hypocrites....

[Denizen_Kate]

Actually, most of us thought it was a rude question to ask McCain as well, and said so at the time.

[Quantummist]

@Denizen_Kate ... Actually Most of the left did no such thing... Most of the left made it a issue in the election and considered it a question worthy of reason not to vote for a man that was so old as to maybe die and make that "Dumb" Palin president...

[Denizen_Kate]

@Quantummist - Well, Palin becoming president, that was a rather scary scenario IMO.

[Quantummist]

@Denizen_Kate ..Really, Is it because she said she could see Russia from her front porch?

[Denizen_Kate]

@Quantummist - That, and many other things she said and did.

[FFX_VA]

She's one of the 1%, she has nothing to complain about.

[bsking]

are we right to be offended by pelosi?

[marine1]

I think she is like a vintage cheeze, "moldy"

[bsking]

@marine1 I think she is so far past liberal that she is second degree commie

[marine1]

@bsking I want to know if tax payers paid for the botched face job.

[bsking]

@marine1 probably so but I hope we're not held responsible for damages

[DARSB]

I wonder how old Mitch McConnell is in turtle years?

[MongoAPillager]

Box,Painted,or Sea?

[DARSB]

@MongoAPillager Snapping.