(Bloomberg Opinion) -- “Well, then go do it. Go do it.”
With just a few brisk, unadorned words, Nancy Pelosi, the House Speaker-designate, challenged, and bested, President Donald Trump in a memorable Oval Office encounter.
The conversation was over Trump’s assertion that he had the votes in Congress to win funding for his border wall. But it could have been over, well, just about anything, and it highlights a quality that has been all-too absent in modern Washington and for which the 78-year-old California Democrat deserves praise: fact-based leadership.
Pelosi’s skills have been particularly evident of late. They were there, of course, as she sat ramrod straight, hands in lap, parrying the president in measured tones. But they were also present as she guided Democrats to a significant victory in the midterm elections, one where they reclaimed the majority in the House of Representatives by picking up 40 seats. And they were hard to miss as she patiently and assiduously weathered a challenge from a cohort of restive members of her caucus to win back the speaker’s gavel for a second time, a feat equaled only by the great Sam Rayburn more than a half-century ago.
In the days since the November elections, two Pelosi moves are worth noting.
The first is how quickly she managed to quiet Democratic calls for congressional investigations into Trump deeds and possible misdeeds. The chorus has dwindled to a whisper. This is a good thing. Democrats need to offer a positive agenda, one built around policy and not inquisition — and one that doesn’t slam shut the door on bipartisanship. Pelosi deserves credit for redirecting these energies toward constructive ends — without foreclosing the legislative responsibility for oversight.
The second was her promise to step down in 2022, a gambit in her campaign to win the speakership. One could argue that putting term limits on leadership is not a big deal for someone who would be a few years past 80 at the end of her promise. But it was a significant concession and it came with the understanding that this time would be used to cultivate a new generation of leaders. This doesn't always happen. Pelosi deserves credit for advancing the idea that genuinely good leaders prepare future leaders.
A lot of politics lies ahead, including the possibility this month of a government shutdown. But Pelosi’s actions are worth singling out. And who knows? It’s not inconceivable that a straightforward and pragmatic approach to governing might emerge. Just this week, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell reversed course and made possible passage of an expansive criminal justice reform bill that’s supported by Republicans, Democrats and the president. Like green shoots in winter, these strands of leadership are fragile and might not last, which is why they’re worthy of notice when they appear.
Editorials are written by the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board.
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