THE NANCY WATCH – AT 8:49 P.M. ET:   Much speculation over what Nancy Pelosi will do now that she's been dethroned from the speaker's chair.  No more introducing the president at the State of the Union, while wearing the Armani suits.  Corner office gone.  Air Force jets gone.  What's a rich lady to do?  The Politico reports:

Speaker Nancy Pelosi is calling fellow Democrats as she weighs whether to stay in leadership and run for minority leader after losing control of the House Tuesday night, according to two senior Democratic aides and one lawmaker.

Pelosi has made some of these contacts herself but has had surrogates reach out to other Democrats to test her support level within the caucus.

TV reports claimed today that there are many Democrats in the House who want Nancy gone.  She's damaged goods.  She's ready for the Democratic outlet store,

For members of her inner circle, the calls suggest that she may not be ready “to turn the keys over” while she’s gauging the more general feelings of Democrats outside her tightest clutch of backers, according to one of the aides.

A Democrat who spoke to Pelosi today said she is "just trying to figure out the mood of the caucus." This member told her "to do what she wants, I support you."

The Dems would be nuts to make her minority leader.  The current leader, Steny Hoyer, is a solid type with a reasonable public image.  Pelosi is divisive, and is associated in the public mind with a failed Congress.

But, of course, Democrats are nuts, which is part of the problem.

The fact is, the Dem caucus in the House will actually be more liberal than before because so many moderates, Democrats from swing districts, were defeated on Tuesday.  Think Barney Frank and Maxine Waters as the new symbols of House Democrats.  They like Nancy.

November 4, 2010