Nancy pelosi Quote by Robert M. Gates
““House Speaker Nancy Pelosi invited me to breakfast on the eighteenth. Five days before, she had issued a news release saying, “The president’s strategy in Iraq has failed,” and “The choice is between a Democratic plan for responsible redeployment and the president’s plan for an endless war in Iraq.” With those comments as backdrop, at the breakfast I urged her to pass the defense appropriations bill before October and to pass the War Supplemental in total, not to mete it out a few weeks or months at a time. I reminded her that the president had approved Petraeus’s recommendation for a change of mission in December and told her that Petraeus and Crocker had recommended a sustainable path forward that deserved broad bipartisan support. She politely made clear she wasn’t interested. I wasn’t surprised. After all, one wouldn’t want facts and reality—not to mention the national interest—to intrude upon partisan politics, would one?””
About This Quote
Source Speech: Private briefing with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 2007
Political leaders often prioritize partisan goals over factual realities, hindering effective policy decisions.
In simple terms: Partisanship blocks practical solutions.
Key Takeaway
Seek bipartisan cooperation on national security.
Themes
politics
war
policy
partisanship
Mood
critical
skeptical
Type
political
analytical
When to use this quote
- Congressional hearings
- policy negotiations
- public briefings
- media statements
Key Concepts
National security
legislative process
Questions to Reflect On
- What incentives could reduce partisan resistance?
- How can citizens hold leaders accountable for fact‑based decisions?
A Different Perspective
Political realities may limit willingness to act on evidence.
