My Lunch with Nancy Pelosi

Okay, I didn't eat lunch with the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, but I did spend my lunch hour today attending an event at The Commonwealth Club of California. Pelosi was in her hometown to discuss a number of national initiatives, especially the recent passage of the landmark health-care reform bill. In the video clip above, she responds to a question about the stabilization of the U.S. economy.

I should note that Speaker Pelosi also happens to be my U.S. representative in Congress, so it was a pleasure to get to see her in person. I had a prime seat in the third row, and as she exited the ballroom after the program, I got the opportunity to shake her hand.

Here's a photo I took right after the hand shake:

Interesting note: right before or immediately after she shook my hand (I don't remember which), someone in the audience yelled out something to the effect of, "Madame Speaker, end the war." Pelosi didn't look annoyed or upset; instead she said out loud (but apparently to herself), "Yes, the war, we should have talked about that."