Woman of Note: Nancy Pelosi, the woman referred to as having a spine of steel and a love of dark chocolate

NPR’s Andrea Seabrook interviewed Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi about the Speaker of the House’s power and finesse in helping steer, raise “from the ashes” and pass the health reform bill:

Listen to that interview and the comments of Rep. Rosa DeLauro and others, including Republican Leader John Boehner. The woman referred to as having a “strong spine of steel” cites her love of dark chocolates as a source of her survival during the many long hours she spent trying to ‘whip’ the legislation along.

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What follows is from the NPR transcript of the segment, Health Care Overhaul Boosts Nancy Pelosi’s Clout, from the March 29th Morning Edition program introduced by Mary Louise Kelly and reported by Ms. Seabrook:

SEABROOK: After that, [Rep. Rosa]DeLauro and others say, Pelosi began an unbelievable marathon of meetings that would last two months. She hunkered down with the House Progressive Caucus, the Conservative Blue Dog Coalition, regional groups, anti-abortion lawmakers. Van Hollen says she would gather people in a room and keep them there until they reached agreement.

Rep. VAN HOLLEN: Very literally, there are people who you can sometimes see trying to sneak out of the door in the room and she will see them out of the corner of the eye and say, hey, where do you think you’re going right now? Get back in here. We have to finish this discussion.

SEABROOK: Many people who were in those meetings cite Pelosi’s experience as a mother and a grandmother as being essential to the task.

Rep. DELAURO: She has eyes in the back of her head.

SEABROOK: DeLauro says in those meetings, whether it was a small group of the entire House Democratic Caucus…

Rep. DELAURO: She knows who’s there and who isn’t there, and she knows what people have said or not said, and so she anticipates what is happening or what people are thinking or saying.

Read the entire transcriptof Health Care Overhaul Boosts Nancy Pelosi’s Clout at the NPR Morning Edition site.