Diane Sawyer Prods, But Pelosi Keeps It Professional

Last night, outgoing Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi granted her first post-election interview to Diane Sawyer. “I’m a professional,” she said, though Sawyer kept trying to get her to talk about her bruised emotions.

Pelosi didn’t say whether she’s going to try to stay on as Minority Leader — she said all decisions in the caucus are made by consensus. Other than that, much of the interview was spent talking, somewhat vaguely, about Pelosi’s status as first woman speaker. There’s even a clip that might the only occasion George W. Bush has ever said anything to make me warm and fuzzy: when he celebrated Pelosi’s achievement at the State of the Union.

Later in the interview, Pelosi calls being a mother and a grandmother her greatest accomplishment, which may be true, but feels like she’s trying to soften her image vis a vis the whole “unyielding bitch” thing she kept getting during the election. Especially when Sawyer tries to guess the number of Pelosi’s grandchildren as being five and Pelosi says it’s many more without giving another figure. And so what? When she says her grandchildren are happy that she’s working for the American people, I believe it.

Asked to give her advice to future women leaders, Pelosi insists that it’s worth the risk and the difficulties. And I believe her when she says that too.