Blue Dog Rep Jokes Pelosi 'Might Die'

When asked if he would back Nancy Pelosi’s bid to remain speaker of the House, Alabama Democrat Bobby Bright dodged. Maybe the speaker wouldn’t run, he said, adding jokingly, “Heck, she might even get sick and die.” This lighthearted jape drew laughter from all present, the Montgomery Advertiser reports. It also serves as a prime example of the way conservative Democrats are distancing themselves from Pelosi, the Hill observes.

Republicans are using Pelosi as a weapon in red states, arguing that even centrist Democrats should be voted out because they support her. (Remember this?) Democrats in Indiana and Pennsylvania have even run ads attacking Pelosi. The centrist Bright is currently ahead in the polls, but his district backed McCain in 2008. (More Nancy Pelosi stories.)