Iron-fisted Pelosi eyes historic post in US elections

[Ron Burgundy]

AFP - The pro-abortion, anti-war, ideological antithesis of the Republican right could soon be third in line to the US presidency if the Democrats take control of Congress in mid-term elections.

Nancy Pelosi, minority leader in the House of Representatives, is widely expected to become America's first woman Speaker of the House should the Democrats win in November 7 polls.

While other Democrats have signalled interest in the job, it is the prospect of the high-profile San Francisco politician assuming the high-ranking position that sends a shudder down the spine of Republican conservatives.

Republican representative Roy Blunt (news, bio, voting record) summed up the mood of critics on the right, describing the idea of Pelosi becoming House Speaker as "just plain scary" on his website.

A 66-year-old mother-of-five who is married to a millionaire businessman, Pelosi entered Congress in 1987, winning a special election in San Francisco's 8th district after the previous incumbent died.

With the 8th district one of the safest Democrat seats in the country, Pelosi was elected to her first full term in 1988 and has won every election since.

Her early Congressional career saw her speak out against China's 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, and she regularly criticised Beijing's communist rulers as well as voicing support for Chinese students.

After serving on the House Appropriations and Intelligence Committees, Pelosi was elected minority leader in 2002 when Dick Gephardt resigned to seek the Democratic nomination for the 2004 presidential elections.

Since taking over as minority leader, Pelosi has won admirers in party ranks for her fund-raising abilities as well as her success in uniting Democrats against Republican legislation.

The biggest challenge of her rule so far was trying to forge a consensus over Iraq, a job made next-to-impossible given the deep divisions amongst Democrats in both chambers, wary of being seen as weak on security.

Pelosi voted against the 2002 resolution authorising the use of force in Iraq and has indicated that if Democrats are successful in November they will seek a phased withdrawal of troops to be completed by the end of next year.

Although lingering resentment of Republican-led moves to impeach former President Bill Clinton run deep in Democrat ranks, Pelosi has ruled out any move to seek impeachment of President George W. Bush.

"Impeachment is off the table," she said in a recent interview, describing it as a "waste of time."

Instead, Pelosi has said that a Democratic majority would focus their efforts on trying to secure a series of domestic legislative coups, including increasing the minimum wage and securing tax breaks for college tuition.

A Democratic-controlled Congress would also leave Bush's planned overhaul of Social Security, the government pension scheme, dead in the water.