Pelosi Really Is a Vindictive...Gender Stereotype

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12:52 PM, Mar 2, 2009 • By MICHAEL GOLDFARB

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Glenn Thrush reports on Pelosi's enemies list:

The list, Pelosi allies say, is real - even as they warn that overstating her vindictiveness feeds into the right-wing caricatures of Pelosi and perpetuates ethnic and gender stereotypes.

Moreover, they argue that portraying her as payback-obsessed misses a fundamental political point: Despite her commanding majority, Pelosi is painfully aware that powerful speakers, including Republican Joe Cannon, have been toppled for using their power heavy-handedly.

"She's not a vengeful person, per se, and she thinks that people who do bad things eventually get their due without her intervention," a longtime associate said on condition of anonymity.

Vindictive, payback-obsessed, but not vengeful, per se.