WASHINGTON, D.C. — House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi Friday derisively dismissed Mitt Romney’s chances of defeating President Barack Obama and argued no one else — including Romney himself — thinks its possible either.
“I don’t think there’s any way on the face of the Earth Mitt Romney wins the presidential,” Pelosi said dismissively during an interview with a group of reporters in her Capitol Hill office.
“I believe that they chose [Rep. Paul] Ryan because they knew they were not going to win. Has anybody ever thought Mitt Romney would be president of the United States? Come on,” she said later with a chuckle.
When one reporter pointed out that Romney himself probably believed he would win, Pelosi dismissed the notion out of hand.
“He wanted to be president of the United States, but he’s never had any call to service, any aspirations. He just wanted to be president,” the House Democratic leader said.
Even when she’s plunging the proverbial knife in an opponent’s back, Pelosi typically maintains a certain level of politeness and civility. Only a handful of the sparring partners she has faced over the years have provoked openly hostile and derisive attacks from Pelosi – a select group Romney now finds himself in.
In an interview with CNN’s Candy Crowley earlier this month, Pelosi made similarly derisive comments. When asked if she could work with a “President Romney” she laughingly responded, “Oh, Mitt Romney is not going to be President of the United States. I think everyone knows that.”
Meanwhile, Pelosi also reiterated her belief that House Democrats can regain control of the House this year, but warned that if Republicans dump hundreds of millions into down ballot races her chances could be doomed.
“They have endless money. They don’t need to make decisions” on how they spend it she said, acknowledging that while Obama and Senate Democrats will see moderate damage from outside spending by Republicans, “we would be the most vulnerable.
Pelosi said that if Republicans out spend her conference by a two to one margin, she still believes they can take the House. “But six to one? No.”
Still, she said as things now “I’d say we’re about 60 percent” odds of regaining the House in November.