This Isn't Personal

William F. Buckley Jr. on Nancy Pelosi:

Her directness of speech was a subject Lesley Stahl of CBS's 60 Minutes elected last week to emphasize, asking just how did she intend to achieve her goal of bringing civility back to Washington given the language she tends to use about Republicans. Pelosi, viewers were reminded, has called her Republican colleagues "immoral" and "corrupt," suggesting that they were backing a criminal enterprise. Stahl said: "I mean, you're one of the reasons we have to restore civility in the first place."

Pelosi says it isn't personal.

"It sounds personal."

"This isn't personal."

"[You say] he's incompetent—"

"Well, I think he is."

"Well that's personal."

"Well, I'm sorry, that's his problem."

"How does this raise the level of civility?" Stahl is yielding to despair on the point.

"Well, we're in a political debate here. We didn't come here to have a tea party together, and toss a coin to see who would win on an issue. I have very thick skin. I don't care what they say about me."

Hey, we don't either.