Pelosi Promises Shield Law for Journalists

I'm here in San Francisco, where the American Magazine Conference is just getting under way. Nancy Pelosi is the opening speaker. Apparently there was some concern beforehand that Code Pink might try to play spoiler, but no sign of them so far. At the risk of being accused of that crime against humanity, live-blogging, I'm going to bring you her remarks (and those from other speakers) as they come.

-Opening line: ""So how was your week?" Big laugh.

-On the attempt to pass a shield law for journalists: "It as so many other things died in the Senate. It did so because the administration didn't want it to go forward.... Freedom of expression, which is fundamental to our democracy, will not be deterred. Stay tuned. As soon as we have a new congress and a new president, we will have a new shield law."

-On the oversight provisions built into the bailout bill: "They have to know that from now on the bright light of scrutiny is on them, that transparency is the order of the day, and that it's all over for this secrets-of-the-temple mentality where they're the only ones who know what's going on and we will just pick up the bill."

-On what her spending priorities will be assuming an Obama victory and a Democrat-controlled Congress: "The easiest way to remember is to think of these four words: Science, science, science, and science." By that she means investments in:

1. Investments in healthcare,
2. Education and innovation
3. Rebuilding infrastructure
4. Energy independence and green energy technologies

More on this: "Nothing brings more money to the federal treasury than investing in education."

-Subjective impression: Pelosi's answers are often just as vague, rambling and syntactically confused as Sarah Palin's.

-More bailout: "Ninety-nine percent of the American people that we heard from didn't want the intervention.... Either [Republican House members] failed to tell their leaders or their leaders failed to tell us, but...we had our people walk the plank on this very unpopular measure but the Republicans didn't come home." And: "The Senate did what the Senate always does: lard it up."

And: "If you love an unfettered free market, you really should advocate for regulation and supervision."

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