Nancy Pelosi: The Democrats? $43-million weapon

Spinners and Winners

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., became the most powerful woman in American history when she was sworn in as Speaker of the House in 2007. She lost that power four years later and is now hell-bent on winning it back. Spinners and Winners caught up with Pelosi on her early morning power walk by the Potomac River.

The 72-year-old grandmother shows no signs of slowing down as she briskly walks along the paved paths of Georgetown's waterfront park and sums up her goal for the year with these words: "Just win, baby."

"They have endless money, secret, undisclosed, special interest money that they pour into elections," a slightly out-of-breath Pelosi said of Republican opponents. "But I think we can offset it. We have out-raised them, out-redistricted them, out-recruited them."

Pelosi has been a veritable fundraising machine, raising more than $43 million for Democrats in this election cycle and attending nearly 500 fundraisers. The Democratic leader has put her heart and soul into winning back the house for Democrats, but she insists she is motivated by more than winning back the Speaker's gavel.

"It isn't about me, it is about what is at stake in this election and quite frankly I wish that so much were not at stake in this election."

Pelosi also had some harsh words for fellow progressive Russ Feingold, who recently accused her of not doing enough to protect Social Security and Medicare. Check it out on this week's Spinners and Winners.

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