End of an era

And thank God for that.

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has officially announced her retirement from the U.S. House of Representatives. The expected announcement came on Thursday morning, when she released a statement confirming she will not seek another term after nearly 40 years in office.

“I want you, my fellow San Franciscans, to be the first to know I will not be seeking reelection to Congress,” the 85-year-old said in a video. “With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative as we go forward.”

After arriving in Congress in 1987, Pelosi served as the U.S. House Speaker during two four-year periods: 2007 to 2011, and again from 2019 to 2023. From 2011 to 2019, she was the House Minority Leader. After Democrats lost the House in 2023, she announced she would not seek any kind of leadership post.

Pelosi exits office worth around $120 million, most of it made by her husband Paul, and under a cloud of congressional insider trading.

Yeah, .about that.

Scott Jennings delivered an epic mic-drop moment on CNN’s The Arena Thursday night, turning what began as a polite discussion about Nancy Pelosi’s legacy into a brutal, hilarious smackdown.

Host Kasie Hunt teed up the conversation by asking how Republicans view Pelosi. “Obviously, the president… they have their sort of animosity,” she said, noting that while Pelosi angered many on Capitol Hill, some Republicans had “grudging respect” for her political skills.

Jennings didn’t disagree — but he wasn’t about to let the conversation end with flattery. “Oh, yeah,” he said. “There were people who respected her legislative ability. I mean, she was the boss of her conference.”

But Jennings quickly pivoted from political respect to a not-so-subtle dig at her corrupt stock trading. With a sly grin, he pointed out the real reason many on the right would remember Pelosi: her uncanny stock-trading record. “It’s not often that someone can become a titan of both Washington and Wall Street,” he said. “Republicans will remember her as one of the most successful and prolific day traders. She beat the S&P 500 by 559% in her stock portfolio. She’s worth a lot of money. She did an amazing job.”

The sarcasm hit hard — and everyone knew it. Jennings was referencing years of scrutiny over Pelosi’s suspiciously well-timed stock trades, which consistently outperformed the market and fueled accusations that she and her husband used insider information from her position to build their fortune. Jennings’ “amazing job” line was a phenomenal dig disguised as praise.

He continued, mock-lamenting her political exit: “So, what a blow for the financial houses today on Wall Street. I’m sure they’re mourning.”

A net worth of 120 mill—itself probably a goddamned lie—after just 186 years of slaving away for Duh Peepul at 140k or less per annum? Nice work if you can get it. No wonder ProPols never leave DC unless it’s in handcuffs. Don’t let the door hit ya where the good Lord etc etc, Mizriz Pee-lousy.

NOTE! Sorry for the delay in posting this, folks. My home internet connection has been up and down, mostly down, since Thursday night. I had this piece done and all set to go yesterday afternoon, but this is the first time my connection has been trustworthy enough to try uploading.