Madam Speaker

Photo by Megan Kung

My MyWire colleague Megan, who's a talented photographer, captured Nancy Pelosi, the Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, and therefore holder of the highest post in the Presidential Line of Succession of any woman in the history of this country, at an event here in the Bay Area.

Though still early in her term, Pelosi has already had a major effect on U.S. foreign policy, by visiting with various leaders in the Middle East, and forging new communication channels in the region. She's succeeded in pressuring the Bush administration to renew diplomatic efforts that had been languishing.

Ultimately, if the chaos in the Middle East eventually diminishes, and the warring parties sit down to negotiate the issues that they currently are fighting over, we may have Nancy Pelosi (who happens to represent my district in Congress) to thank.

She's also been leading the effort to get Bush to establish an exit strategy for U.S. forces in Iraq, and so far, she has been less successful in that. The difference is that under the Constitution, the President is Commander in Chief, with greater war powers; but Congress has a central role in conducting foreign policy.

The overall framework for next year's Presidential elections will likely be primarily determined by two people not on the ballot: George W. Bush and Nancy Pelosi.

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