Opportunity Lost

It is said that Dems never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.  That was certainly true in the mid-term elections, where many adopted a defensive crouch position when they should have been touting 200,000 jobs added each month, the stock market (and retirement accounts) booming, and the success of the Affordable Care Act in providing coverage to 10 million Americans.

Dems are now selecting their House leadership (soon-to-be Senate Minority Leader and a guy who resembles a small town mortician Sen. Harry "Thin" Reid was re-annointed earlier on the Senate side).  House Minority Leader Rep. Nancy Pelosi was re-elected by the Dem caucus, but during the election process, Pelosi received a request by Illinois Rep. Tammy Duckworth, who is a wounded warrior and about to give birth, to waive the rules and be allowed to cast a proxy vote.  Duckworth was told by her doctor not to travel so close to her due date.  Missing an opportunity to demonstrate her party's respect and concern for women, the rigid, tone-deaf Pelosi denied the request.  Duckworth was magnanimous in her acceptance of the ruling.

One could argue that if someone is allowed to cast a proxy vote, then what's to keep more Congresscritters from doing that?  We dunno, how many are eight-and-a-half months pregnant, double amputee war veterans?  Odd decision by Pelosi.