US House of
Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi told a group of journalists that
Democrats must go out to "defend the empire," according to a New York Times
report published on Sunday.
The house speaker warned that health care,
and all of the reforms passed by Democrats would be under threat if
Republicans take congress in November, and called Democratic Party
members to action over the weekend. Speaking to a small business group,
she said that she is not "yielding one grain of sand."
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In
the weekly briefing, Pelosi said that she believes the Democrats have a
chance to retain their congressional majority. A week before, speaking
to a women's group in New York, Pelosi said that she "fully expects to
be speaker of the House five weeks from now," the paper reported.
At
the New York appearance, Pelosi said that the voters must make a choice
between the failed policies of the past and a better future.
According to the report, Pelosi said she was not worried because, "you have to understand what fighters our members are."
She attributed the Democrats' current political problems to their
unwillingness to "play patty-cake" with powerful, corporate interests,
saying that Democrats chose instead to pass the healthcare overhaul, new
financial regulations and regulations on carbon emissions.
Democrats have come out with an aggressive campaign to try to define the
new agenda, hoping to put a dent in the momentum Republicans have
gained as Obama's polling numbers have slumped amid a sluggish economy.
With one month remaining before the mid-term elections, analysts expect
Republicans to make major gains in both houses of congress.
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