Pelosi Push-Pull? Pah.

While it may be fashionable to pretend that there's an irreconcilable gulf between the moderate and progressive factions of the Democrats, the numbers bear out the losses for the Blue Dogs.  They were destroyed in their races because they sided with the Republicans more than the Democrats.  Their support in the Democratic caucus is now next to nil.

"Democrats tend to be more kind to our leader when they have a loss," said Rep. John Dingell (D-Mich.), the longest-serving member of the House, on Detroit's WJR Radio. "She can run and probably get elected. I think she has a good chance of doing that."

The California Democrat has not indicated a timeline for making a decision, but she will likely have to make up her mind before lawmakers return to Washington for a lame-duck session. Though deeply unpopular with the broader public, Pelosi remains well-regarded in a caucus that will lean more liberal after the more conservative Blue Dog Coalition was decimated in the midterms.

Outside liberal groups are already organizing support for Pelosi before she makes a decision. Americans United for Change launched an e-mail campaign on Friday encouraging supporters to "send a personal note to Speaker Pelosi about how much you appreciate her leadership," and to "make sure she knows that we still support her."

The liberal website Daily Kos started a similar online petition.

“Democrats lost because they didn’t fight hard enough for popular progressive reforms in the last two years. The Democratic leader least culpable of doing that is Nancy Pelosi,” the co-founder of the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Adam Green, said in an interview. “She’s the last person among Democratic Party leaders who should step down.”

I agree.  She got legislation through the House and to the Senate.  Meanwhile, Harry Reid continues to be Senate majority leader when the reason why the Dems got smoked in the House is because so much legislation that Pelosi shepherded through her chamber ran into the brick wall that was Harry Reid's inability to get it to Obama's desk.   That inability of Reid's is precisely because of the filibuster, and that the first thing that needs to go in the 112th Congress.

But that's the Senate.  The House more than ever needs a fighter and someone strong enough to keep Steny Hoyer's urges to agree totally with John Boehner in check.  The Dems lost because the base stayed home.  Dumping Pelosi isn't going to do anything to bring them back to the voting booth in 2012.

Besides, Heath Shuler?  Really?