Nancy Pelosi Grabs Cable Spotlight As Latest Democratic Debate Set To Start; Talks Impeachment Vote

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One hour before Elizabeth Warren, Joe Biden, Bernie Sanders, Kamala Harris and the eight other leading contenders hoping to replace Donald Trump take the stage in the latest debate, the highest-ranking Democrat in the nation stepped in front of the microphones and reminded everyone why she’s boss.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced to the assembled media that she won’t be calling an impeachment authorization vote right now. Proclaiming that “we’re not here to call bluffs” in reference to the baiting of the besieged former Celebrity Apprentice host, the long serving California Democrat added, “there is no requirement that we have a vote and at this point we won’t have a vote.”

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Coming directly out of a meeting with her caucus over the ongoing impeachment inquiry, Pelosi wasted no time swatting Trump with a litany of constitutional sins on his part. Even though her fellow Dems have practiced lines for tonight’s CNN and New York Times hosted debate, Pelosi may have snagged the line of the night when she coldly claimed that “all roads seem to lead to Putin with the President.”

The woman who stands second in line to the Presidency also earned a laugh early on from reporters when she repeated the oath of office – “to the best of his ability …well, go with that.”

All the cable networks went live with Pelosi’s presser, though CNN was a bit late to the game due to an ad in its pre-debate coverage. MSNBC and CNN cut away from the Q&A portion of the press conference with Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Shiff, missing Pelosi’s impeachment vote remarks.

“We’re legislating, we’re litigating and we’re investigating,” the Speaker proclaimed tonight, slicing Trump’s “green light” to allow Turkish forces to invade Syria, his “wet noodle sanctions” and listing off the various judicial victories the House of Representatives’ White House call for foreign government to interfere with the 2020 election.

Joined by Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff, Pelosi offered no indication when that impeachment vote would come but the gravity of the situation and inquiry means it must come eventually.

Back to the show the Speaker overshadowed, this week’s one-night Democratic debate runs on the WarnerMedia-owned cabler newser from 5 PM to 8 PM ET — and you can be damn sure they’ll be talking impeachment.

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