Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi (born March 26, 1940) is the highest-ranking Democrat in the United States House of Representatives. She is the first woman to lead a major political party in either house of Congress. She has represented California's Eighth Congressional District (map) since 1987 (previously the 5th District from 1987 to 1993). The district covers almost all of San Francisco, except a corner in the southwest that is part of the San Mateo County-based 12th District (represented by fellow Democrat Tom Lantos).

Quotes

• "America must be a light to the world, not just a missile." (response to the State of the Union Address, January 20, 2004)
• "Why should we put a plan out? Our plan is to stop him. He must be stopped." ( Referring to George W. Bush, Fox News, 3/17/2005)
• "He said 'Why would I do that?' I said 'because of all that went wrong, of all that didn't go right last week.' And he said 'What didn't go right?' Oblivious, in denial, dangerous." (her account of a meeting with President Bush in which she called for the firing of FEMA director Michael Brown, who eventually resigned)