Republicans tell Pelosi how to lead: Don't be like us.

As Nancy Pelosi prepares to take over as the first woman Speaker of the House, an NPR story reported on advice Republicans offered. One request was not to shut Republicans out of the planning process for new legislation - the way that Republicans shut out Democrats during their twelve years in power such as by "not letting them see bills until they were to be voted on." That request is going to be ignored during the first 100 hours the new Congress is in session - Republicans will not be allowed to amend any bills.

Another request came from President Bush in a Wall Street Journal op-ed: don't "pass bills that are simply political statements." Let's see, how much time did Congress spend in the past six years on legislation that was intended primarily to make political statements that Republicans could use to paint Democrats as being soft on taxes, abortion, terrorism, war, gay marriage, etc.?

Will Pelosi simply turn all the Republicans' tactics against them in the name of "justice," or will she set a new example? The question, "What would Jesus do?" comes to mind, but does not seem particularly apt here because the religious right is so deeply embedded with the substance and style of the Republican leadership. Pelosi will probably have political effectiveness as her primary goal, but how will that translate?