Kindly Nancy Pelosi tells California Clintonites to 'get over it'

A lot of California's Democrats who thought it was their time with an overwhelming candidate like Sen. Hillary Clinton this year are in Denver now, and they're still disappointed.

But, hey, at least they were going to hear their favorite former first lady speak to them this morning.

Alas, their candidate didn't bother to show up for some unexplained reason. They felt kind of snubbed. Bad enough. But then they got another less sympathetic speaker, a Californian, in fact.

The delegation was treated to a speech by another prominent female Democrat, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Important person and all. But admittedly not The Favored One they had in mind. Pelosi told the Californians how enthusiastically she personally was supporting the actual one chosen, the party's real nominee, Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois.

And then, in the interests of promoting the party's fragile political unity at the moment, she told the California Clinton supporters to “get over it.”

Los Angeles Councilwoman Janice K. Hahn said she realizes that Obama will work hard for the causes she believes in and she is ready to work for the freshman senator's election to the White House.

But, she added, getting over Clinton's loss would not be easy.

“It’s a heartbreaker for a lot of us,” she said. “We thought it was our time.”

(UPDATE: This just in: Some kindly Republicans have just announced they are throwing a "Happy Hour for Hillary" tonight in Denver at the Paramount Cafe at 519 16th Street from 8:30 until 10:30 p.m. All Clinton supporters are welcome.)

--John Mitchell

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Comments

[scootmandubious]

I am an Obama supporter, but I am really surprised at the condescension towards Clinton supporters that is dripping from this blog post. I could tell immediately that this was not Mr. Frederick or Mr. Malcolm.

Specifically, your reference to "their favorite former first lady" and "The Favored One," was inappropriate. Not to mention your reference to Speaker Pelosi being "Important person and all."

Was the intent to stir up more inter-party animosity? Do you think posting like this will inspire a whole new angry series of comments?

Or maybe this was your shot at doing an op-ed, instead of just posting in a more journalistic vein.

Whatever your intent (I am not a mindreader), if this Obama supporter was turned off, imagine how obnoxious this piece was found to be by Clinton supporters.

I would like to address this 3 word comment to talking heads, pundits, and even journalists covering this convention, that would love to continue their narrative, fueled by RNC talking points.

Get Over It.

[greg]

Hillary had her chance to win, but after reading all those memos at the Atlantic it was clear she had a staff that fought amongst themselves and charged her a lot of money for some really lame advice. Just "being Hillary" wasn't enough - she had no plan for after Feb. 5th and it showed. If she'd fired some of the deadwood on her staff, she could have won, but alas, she didn't do that.

[coach]

Pretty simple question really for Hillary supporters; who best represents democratic ideals McCain or Obama?

[GetOverItYourself]

Dear Speaker Pelosi--You and the corrupt DNC that rigged the nomination process for Barack Obama, down to the brazen delegate theft in Michigan, are the ones who need to get over yourselves.

I gave over a thousand dollars to the DCCC and various Democratic Senate candidates in 2006, and was overjoyed when the party won those elections. Since then, there's been nothing but inaction and capitulation by you, Harry Reid, and Barack Obama, most recently on FISA.

Barely a day goes by when I don't get some request for money from you. Maybe when you start fighting for our principles and start listening to our voices and stop belittling the 18 million people who supported Hillary Clinton, I might give you some more. Until, then I'll get over it when I say it's time, not you.

[BJ]

We are done talking.

Our votes will speak for themselves.

[abby0802]

I like Hillary Clinton, but please for the sake of this country, Clinton supporters, do not sit this election out or vote for McCain.
You will just end up with four more years of the same type of administration under which America has been suffering!

[MDW]

I agree with Nancy. Although I backed Hilary and would've like to see her win, now is not the time to start splitting hairs. Obama is the Democratic candidate, end of story. If we want to change the way things are done in Washington, then we need to change the man in charge, which means it's not John McCain. I'm a life long Democrat, and that means one thing, I vote for the party's choice. To do anything else is to be a REPUBLICAN. And if you can't get over Hilary, then you were probably a REPUBLICAN to begin with! And if you're insulted at the idea, then you'd better get on board the bandwagon. NO EXCUSES! Vote for the party's choice or condemn this country to another 4 years of tax breaks for the wealthy, and our economy going down the drain to support foreign wars.

[Col Joe Bento US Army Ret]

Hillary is a wmoan at a bar at closing time following everyone out to the parking lot asking if there is an after party. No Hillary there is no after party you lost so get on board the OBAMA BIDEN bandwagon or get out of Washington. OBAMA is the obvious better choice for our nations women and veterans like myself.

OBAMA BIDEN YES WE MUST!

[david]

Here's the problem.... long term, if Hillary supporters destroy Obama's chances of winning, the Obama supporters will likewise make sure Hillary isn't nominated in 2012! So would you rather fight or would you rather win?????

[Nick]

"Get over it?" Who the hell does Nancy Pelosi think she is? Queen Bee?

Mocking or condescending Hillary supporters is NOT the way to bring them back into the fold.

If the Obama-Biden ticket were reversed, this Dem would be voting for the ticket. I will not be party to electing the most unqualified man in modern presidential history to the White House. Anyone voting along party lines is an ignorant fool. We should vote for the most qualified person running, and that is NOT Obama. Voting on promises yields the likes of GW Bush.

[BL]

I have been a life-long Democrat and I supported Hillary.
Sure Nancy, I'll "get over it." I've actually moved on.
For the first time in my voting life, I will not vote for the Democratic presidential candidate.

[Tom Lanik]

What suffering? Please be specific.

[Trance in LA]

McCain is the anti-Hillary. No matter how disappointed you might be that Obama won the Dem nomination, please don't screw over America by sitting out the election or voting for McCain. Nobody who appreciates what Clinton stands for could ever vote for him. It's not about getting over it, it's about getting them out of power. Your country, your children, your values all demand that you help Obama win. He might not be your first choice, but he's intelligent and progressive. Don't cut off your nose to spite your face.

[paul]

I'm a lifelong Democrat but I won't be voting in November.
That's fine if the DNC and the media insist on shoving an unqualified candidate down our throats for the past year and a half.
I will exercise my power by withholding my vote.

[JR]

One has to judge the maturity of the future leader of the free world with Obams's 3:00 AM slap in the face to HRC. Never mind the back handed way a promise to his supporters was kept. Like every news outlet didn't sign up to be notified by email and it wouldn't be in all the new outlet's by the time we all woke up?

Is it just me or is this High School games?

[william]

black will vote for black no matter what hillary didnt have a chance.

[Keith]

McCain or Obama ? Neither.
I am a Democrat and Hillary supporter.
is there another option?

[Bob, Dallas TX]

Serious Clinton supporters are voting for Barack Obama. I've not met one Hillary supporter who will not be voting for Barack. Hillary endorsed him, afterall!

[Lill]

Pelosi should be ashamed of herself.... I was proud of her when she became the 1st woman speaker of the house. She has been a big disappointment. Either Nancy lacked the guts to go after Bush, or she doesn't care about the rest of us who do. Never mind that there would not be enough votes to imipeach... it's the effort that counts.

I think I'll make a donation to CINDY SHEEHAN -- and here's hoping she creams Pelosi. Too bad I'm not a Californian.

[Jack]

A lot of upper class, educated, and wealthy American women who supported Clinton will, probably, vote for McCain...like to true Republicans they really are.

[bes]

This whole PUMA thing is just a face-on test of character. That is, who out there among Democrats is willing and able to cut off the nose to spite the face. Sore losers, sour grapes, narcissistic egotism ... well, words fail. Sometimes, confronted by sheer inanity it's easiest to let the inanity speak for itself.

[debbie]

"I like Hillary Clinton, but please for the sake of this country, Clinton supporters, do not sit this election out or vote for McCain.You will just end up with four more years of the same type of administration under which America has been suffering!"

Should have thought about it when you voted for Obama.

[Thoren]

If any person who supported Clinton fails to vote for Obama or would vote for McCain, they are pretty odd folks. Please understand any friction you felt during the primaries was because Clinton and Obama are nearly identical with regard to the issues. Some friction was generated as the candidates tried to appear different. Again, they are nearly clones of each other. Hopefully, you supported Hilary Clinton because of her stance on political issues. If you did, then you should hurry up and get ready to vote for someone that is nearly identical to her.

[Herman S]

Hmmm. Former supporters of liberal Hillary Clinton are now thinking about voting for conservative McCain?

Don't make me laugh!

[John Peabody]

That is no way in hell I'll vote for NOBAMA, the liar, egomaniac, arrogant self serving man who is married to a revolutionist who said she has been proud of America once in her adult life. To me, Obama is not even a true American; his heart and sole belong to Africa and Indonesia. I'll never, never, never call him president of our country.

And, yes, I voted for HRC whom Obama and the rest of the powers of the DP treated like hell.

[NJ from LA]

It wasn't just about the states that she won or the votes that she got, it was about Sen Hillary Clinton's PLATFORM!!!!! Sen Clinton opened up the debates to what we as a nation need to do to bring about REAL change. The real policy discussions -- not just talking point speeches -- began with Sen Clinton!!! So you NEGATIVE Obama supporters -- which I believe is a not all Obama supporters -- get over your SELVES! I will vote Obama because he is the the democratic nominee, and the best AVAILABLE candidate for the job (and a darned smart man). But I continue to support the ideals and proud run for the presidency of Sen Hillary Clinton. I can't believe that Nancy Pelosi would diss those of us from California who believed so much in our candidate. Especially since so many of us will support Obama when it counts -- with votes in November. This convention should also honor Sen Clinton.

[an atheist]

I am an Obama supporter. Not a big fan of Hillary, don't even like her much.

That notwithstanding, I cannot imagine myself even for one minute giving serious consideration to voting for McCain in November if Obama had lost.

Pelosi is right. Your injured psyches need to heal before they do some real damage.

[Republican Folly]

If you throw your vote to the Republicans in a display of defiance, you never were a Democrat. Your concerns of health care, of abortion rights, of fair wages and decent working conditions, of Social Reforms and of equal opportunities were so much party chatter.

Deep down, you are frightened of immigrants, you are seeking tax shelters for your inherited bounty, you care crap about the environment, and you are working to get Roe VS Wade reversed.

[joannadanna]

Personally, I want a recall vote on Nancy Pelosi. I had the misconception that she would work for all Americans, not just for Bush and Company. She needs to go away and let a real leader get the job done. As a New Yorker, I'm partial to my Senators, and yes I made the mistake of donating money to the DNCC, that has really left a bad taste in my mouth! No pun intended.

[Harry]

William Ayers
Tony Rezko
Jerimiah Wright

Strong arming his 1st election.
Most humans are judged by the company they keep and their deeds. Maybe I live in a different world.

Great Choice...:)

[Ethan]

I am certainly glad I don't live in California.

It's nice to just "get over it." Especially when you are Ms. Pelosi ... the still highest ranking female official.

[Jonathan]

Being a Republican, I take great delight in seeing Democrats fail. Since you have no party unity, you will fail once again.

Who needs Nadar ... we have the simple-minded and immature Hillary supporters.

[Dmitriy]

If you think McCain is a continuation of Bush than Obama is a muslim.

[JoeDemocrat]

I say, let Hillary run in the general election!

Osama bin O'bama is a fraud, a liar and an empty shirt with nothing to say on his own other than "Change!"

Change WHAT, Osama / O'bama? Your drawers? You don't even specify WHAT you are going to change!

I would rather deal with Hillary any day than have to deal with the horrific, horrid and frightening thought of Joseph "Liar" Biden and Osama Hussein O'Bama running this country Nazi Gestapo stlye, riding herd over our rights and freedoms.

Next election, I am going to vote Libertarian right from the start, but this season, I am going to WRITE IN Hillary's name on the ballot. That is STILL a legal move in all 50 states.

[Brian Melgar]

i BELIEVE RACE WILL PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN THIS ELECTION. iT'S BETTER OFF IF HILLARY CLINTON WAS NOMINATED BY DEMOCRATS, WHO GARNERED A MAJORITY VOTES. I'M HILLARY FANS AND THEREFORE, I'LL SWITCH PARTY LINE TO VOTE FOR JOHN MCCAIN.
SORRY.... !!!

[Benjamin]

It isn't surprising to me at all that there are vocal clinton supporters who are saying they will vote for McCain as there is very little difference between McCain and Hillary if you look at their politics in washington during Hillary's tenure. That was the big reason why Hillary couldn't bring home the win. She made herself a business as usual politician and in the current political climate, that's proven to be a liability and not an asset during the last several elections.

If you look at her arguments against Obama's, they are similar to McCain''s... Questioning fitness to lead while touting their own "experience". The problem is, experience is not something measured solely by quantity, but also by quality. I have entered work environments with no college degree and little experience only to be promoted over people with better paper credentials and more "experience". The problem was, their experience, though much longer, was experience at mediocre job performance. Instead of going the extra mile to make themselves exceptional employees worthy of promotion, they just kind of sat there, being carried along with the tide, waiting for a promotion out of a sense of entitlement.

That's what many of us who are against Clinton see in her. An unexceptional typical business as usual politician who has acted as if she is owed something because she did time. That's not good enough and frankly, that the hardcore clinton supporters who even now are spouting their crybaby venom with accusations of corruption and of course, conspiracy theories, don't recognize as valid these concerns many of us have had with her record, just leaves me thinking with regards to them "Who the hell cares what they think? Anyone who would place their bitterness and spite above what is best for the country are not even worth trying to appease."

Maybe in the next 4 years, Hillary will do something to stand out and make herself an exceptional politician rather than the typical "go along and get along" back room deal partaking politician that she seems to be today. If she does that, maybe she'll have a shot in hell at my vote. But until then, she's not worth voting for. I have more important priorities for my republic in determining who I will vote for than whether or not we'll make history with the first woman president.

[John]

Pelosi is right. "Get over it". What is this really about? A women being President? The PUMAs act as though it is about policy. They talk about glass ceilings that don't exist. There are plenty of brilliant (and rich) CEOs of many companies that are women. (HP?). There might be more gold medal Olympians than men. "Get over it" means we don't live in the 1960's anymore. There is no such thing as a "right" to be a president. There is no such thing in " I paid my dues". GET OVER IT!!!!

[John M.]

Enough of this drivel!
We have two parties trying to get a person elected that will advance their opinions of right and wrong. As a whole, one represents the rich and upper class, big business, big oil, legislation of personal behavior, and religious secularism. The other represents the poor and middle classes, health care for all, fiscal responsibility, environmental responsibility, personal responsibility, and religious tolerance. They are NOT opposite sides of the same coin. Why? Because support for the first of these two seriously harms what the second is trying to protect while support for the second of these two does NOT seriously harm what the first is trying to protect.
It has been this way for many many years, not just this election. The parties track records speak for themselves.
So many say they don't like where we're going but then turn around and vote for more of the same. Why? Simple! They would have to face themselves in the mirror and admit they were wrong on previous decisions and attitudes. THAT is more frightening to many then making the obvious best choice.
But there is an out for those in fear of appearing confused or simply wrong: You were lied to. You can't be held accountable for your previous choices if the information you used to make those choices was a blatant fabrication.
So many people look at the Republican and Democratic parties like they were sports teams. "Well, we have to be loyal to our team even when they are down"! Folks, your REAL home team is the people of the United States of America. It's time you started supporting your REAL home team!

[Richard Morgan]

I am an Obama backer but I would have been very content with the idea of Hillary going up against McCain. I really can't understand the Dems proclivity to self destruct. Kerry managed to screw it up in 04 against Bush the goofball despite being much brighter and having a much better resume. And now it appears as though it will happen again because of ridiculous pettiness within the Dem party.

This will be a close race and unless the Dems grow up it will be a repeat of 04.

[totally over it]

yes nancy, i am totally over it - totally over the dnc and totally over you. ineffectual leadership like nancy pelosi gives women a bad name. once again women come second...and nancy pelosi is quite ok with that. the problem is that nancy pelosi is nothing like Hilary Rodham Clinton...so it is easy to get over nancy but not over Hilary. i live in San Francisco and nancy pelosi will not get my vote....i will reserve it for a woman who deserves it - Cindy Sheehan. i am so totally over it - and i have come out on the other side.

[FloridaCounts]

Pelosi is bad news for democrats! As the speaker she makes her party looks paranoid, arrogant and devisive. Gone is the image of a moderate democrat!

[FloridaCounts]

Hillary would easily beat McCain in November. The press and netroots made the mistake of going goo goo gaa gaa over Obama in the primary.

It's the nature of democrats to be against somebody but this time, the enemy is from within.

[susaninohio]

Oh, I don't know, abby0802 - the new Dem VP nominee sure thinks a lot of McCain. Who are we to disagree with a guy who probably has an IQ higher than either one of us?

[Chuck]

If you wonder what is wrong with politics in America, here's your answer. The party expects you will do what it wants. You are here for it not it for you.

If you were a Hilary support, vote for the candidate of your choice not Pelosi's or the party's.

[MarKle]

This was a nasty and sickening bit of writing, and, contrary to what the first commenter believed, right in light with the tone that Frederick and Malcolm adopted toward the Clintons during the primaries and, apparently, just can't live without trashing them every chance they get. The sick obsession of the media with the Clintons at this point in time when there is simply nothing else to say about them is bizarre.

I live in San Francisco and used to revere Pelosi but I grow more and more disappointed by her every day. I seriously doubt if she will get my vote again.

[GECasano]

McCain will never have Clinton's principles,
Bill Clinton was the last good President we had, he could have helped his wife lead this country but let’s not forget that....NO DEMOCRAT WILL EVER THINK LIKE MACSHAME - BUSH......Clinton supporters, if you feel you are democrats let’s make it for a democrat to rule us, at least we know that we wont be living this world of wars and poverty that characterize us NOW...
Democrats are people that love peace, progress, human values in difference with Republicans who love wars and poverty

[Chibri]

Maybe women shouldn't have been given the right to vote afterall. I have never seen such a show of irrational childishness in all my life. I don't particularly care for Nancy "impeachment is off the table" Pelosi myself, but in this case she is simply being adult...get over it!

[GObama!]

Unbelievable. That so many racists voted for Hillary in the primaries that fully 23% would now state they "would vote for McCain or sit out the election" in November. Sick and ignorant, and willfully blind to (a) Hillary's stupid support of the Iraq invasion/occupation and (b) McCain's anti-women and un-American (read PRO-corporate) positions.

Get over it indeed! I am truly sorry if you've been "pink"-collared and otherwise treated with disrespect during your lifetime, but trust me, Hillary Clinton is NOT the right type of person to hang all of your insecurities and hopes on. How could a cynical opportunistic climber (Clinton) ever truly understand the position of the powerless in our society? You do understand that she embraced the racist vote, do you not?

[SJ]

Pelosi is another spineless House Speaker who, because of her refusal to act on impeachment, FISA, and a host of other legislation, needs to be defeated. If I lived in her district, I would be voting for Sheehan.

As one of the "18 million cracks" Michelle Obama referred to, I will "get over it" when her husband begins outlining his policies to bring this country back from the brink and not before then. I still believe and will always believe HRC got the short stick from the DLC and the Corporate Media in this year's primary.

[cay]

I started getting the message from Pelosi to "get over it" long ago when she took impeachment off the table without a second thought. After the results of the 2006 election made clear that Americans wanted the brakes applied to a runaway administration she presided over cave-in after cave-in. If she wants to shove her fellow Democrats around she should start with getting her own House to do their jobs as an effective opposition party.

I eventually got so over it that after 32 years as a Democrat, I reregistered as Decline To State. While still a committed liberal, I don't miss being led around by having a Democratic ring through my nose.

Good luck with that hauteur, Nancy.