Via Raw Story:
House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi warned that a Republican victory Tuesday would prolong the U.S. involvement in Iraq another 10 years, as she embarked on a final push in a campaign that could make her speaker.
In an interview from her Capitol office, Pelosi characterized Tuesday’s vote as a referendum on the war, shrugged off President Bush’s efforts to make her liberalism a national issue, described the current GOP leadership as a “freak show,” and expressed confidence about her party’s prospects to pick up the 15 seats it needs for a majority.
“I know where the numbers are in these races, and I know that they are there for the 15; today (it’s) 22 to 26,” Pelosi said Friday.
Pelosi cautioned that the number of Democratic House victories could be higher or lower and said her greatest concern is over the integrity of the count — from the reliability of electronic voting machines to her worries that Republicans will try to manipulate the outcome.
“That is the only variable in this,” Pelosi said. “Will we have an honest count?”
In a final effort to motivate loyalists, Pelosi raced through three districts in the Philadelphia suburbs Saturday, where polls show Democratic challengers running even, if not slightly ahead.
“When you’re thinking about how many calls to make, how many precincts to walk, how many friends to reach out to, just think of the difference that a new direction will make,” Pelosi told nearly 1,000 enthusiastic Democrats at a rally here for Patrick Murphy, who is running even in his contest against Rep. Mike Fitzpatrick.
Indeed. Will we have an honest count?