House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) made her first public appearance in her hometown since her ascendancy to the speaker's position Monday, January 15 at the 22nd annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day breakfast.
Pelosi addressed 1,000 people at the San Francisco Hilton and followed speeches by Mayor Gavin Newsom and the Reverend Cecil Williams of Glide Memorial United Methodist Church.
Republican Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger also spoke at the event, praising the late civil rights leader. He also spoke of his healthcare plan.
The number of attendees at this year's breakfast almost doubled the number present last year, organizers said. Newsom spoke of what King referred to as our "web of mutuality." He said that he is proud to serve as mayor of one of the most diverse cities in "the world's most diverse democracy."
"[King] took ideals that he tried to manifest. He took risks in that process É he had moral authority," said Newsom. "So many people feel that they can't make a difference because they are not somebody else. They don't have that title. And I think the real lesson of Dr. King is you didn't need any title. You didn't need that formal authority. You have to have a purpose, a vision, passion, a willingness to share that passion and take risks É that's how you change the world. That to me is an inspiration."
Millard Larkin II, president of the MLK Civic Committee, which sponsored the event, said as he began the celebration: "Let's not concentrate on what makes us different. Let's concentrate on what makes us the same and get it done."
Larkin also introduced Pelosi, explaining that she has attended the breakfast virtually every year. This year, however, was different.
"It's always a pleasure to be here," said Pelosi. "It's a particular pleasure to be here as the speaker of the House of Representatives."
She spoke about King and other leaders such as Gandhi and Nelson Mandela, describing them as "magnificent disruptors of the status quo."
And she addressed the war in Iraq, saying that she is trying to gather strength from their inspiration, and is working to get U.S. troops out of Iraq.
"There is no bigger ethical issue facing our country than the war in Iraq," she said. "But in this last election the American people spoke out for change in a big way. They called out for a new direction and nowhere is that direction more clear É than in the war in Iraq.
"As the number [of U.S. troops killed in Iraq] grows," she said, "so, too, does the need for a new direction."
She said of the troops: "We salute them for their sacrifice, their courage, and their patriotism."
"We in Congress will hold the president accountable," she said. "We have made history. Now let us make progress."
Pelosi said that Democrats strongly oppose the war and that Congress, which is now controlled by Democrats, will "exercise oversight" over the president's power.
The audience included a who's who of local and state political leaders, including former Mayor Willie Brown Jr., Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco), state Senator Carole Migden (D-San Francisco), members of the Board of Supervisors, and state officials including Treasurer Bill Lockyer (D) and Secretary of State Debra Bowen (D). City College trustees John Rizzo and Anita Grier also were on hand.