The First Major Biography of Nancy Pelosi Sets the Record Straight
Reporter Molly Ball on what went into telling the life story of the highest-ranking female elected official in U.S. history
Love her or hate her, there’s no denying Nancy Pelosi is incredibly good at her job. For more than a decade, she has ruled House Democrats, leading them through three administrations and myriad catastrophes, often orchestrating events and legislation without even revealing her involvement. Now in her second stint as speaker of the House, she remains the highest-ranking female elected official in U.S. history.
Yet even as she became the most powerful woman in U.S. politics, Pelosi has struggled to get the public to see how competent she is. That’s partly because she doesn’t care as much about her reputation, which is routinely shredded in Republican congressional ads; the “coin of the realm” in her book is votes, not approval ratings. And boy, does she know how to “count votes,” a skill that TIME correspondent Molly Ball explains in Pelosi, the first biography written with the California congresswoman’s participation.
GEN caught up with Ball ahead of the book’s May 5 publication to find out how Pelosi gets it done, what she’s focused on in the stimulus packages, and where she…
