Pelosi ... partisan to the end

Byron York, the Washington Examiner's chief political correspondent, noticed a different tone at Wednesday's opening of the 112th Congress from out-going Speaker Nancy Pelosi as opposed to two years earlier when John Boehner, now Speaker of the House, was more gracious in passing the gavel to the newly-elected Speaker Pelosi. Mr. York wrote:

At mid-day Wednesday, it fell to now-former Speaker Nancy Pelosi to introduce her successor, John Boehner, as he was sworn in as Speaker of the House.  Some might have forgotten, but four years ago, on January 4, 2007, it was Boehner (not the departing Dennis Hastert) who introduced Pelosi when she first became Speaker.  A look at the two speeches -- Pelosi introducing Boehner and Boehner introducing Pelosi -- shows striking differences.  Boehner's 2007 speech, coming after Republicans were trounced at the polls in November 2006, was self-effacing, gracious, and non-partisan.  Pelosi's 2011 speech, coming after Democrats were trounced at the polls in November 2010, was self-serving, sharp, and partisan.

A new tone has arrived in Washington.