House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., is pushing back at the perception that Democrats are caving to President Bush on a new wiretapping law. "This isn't about Democrats being concerned about the next election," she told reporters at a Christian Science Monitor lunch, per ABC News. "This is about Democrats saying: The law needs to be followed, and we will collect whatever information -- intelligence -- we need to protect the American people under the law."
And Pelosi -- who will be Stephanopoulos' guest on ABC "This Week" on Sunday -- is sounding a bit testy when it comes to war critics -- who are blasting her leadership, even though she wants to end the war, too. "Her spirits soured instantly when somebody asked about the anger of the Democratic 'base' over her failure to end the war in Iraq," The Washington Post's Dana Milbank writes. Says Pelosi: "If they were poor and they were sleeping on my sidewalk, they would be arrested for loitering, but because they have 'Impeach Bush' across their chest, it's the First Amendment."