A review by miguelf
Pelosi by Molly Ball

3.0

This is a fairly conventional and fawning bio of the infamous Speaker. Unfortunately the author’s treatment unintentionally comes across as more ‘Veep’ than what she was going for, which appeared to be ‘Ms. Smith Goes to Washington”. It’s too bad as an incisive biography could certainly have been drawn here but instead it paints a power player who is cited as perhaps making one mistake in her long career. Interesting that though her husband is a multi-millionaire investment manager, when the topic of the ’08 meltdown arrives Pelosi is as surprised as anyone on Capitol Hill, as there was not a mention up to that point of putting forward any legislation directed at financial legislation or Wall Street or anything else that would attempt to put a dent in income inequality. But time and again we learn about her ability to wrangle her Caucus and get the votes for whatever other piece of legislation was being put through the sausage making machine in DC.