"On Thursday, in advance of a Friday meeting with the president at the White House, Pelosi lit into Obamas budget director, Jack Lew, in what is becoming a habit of sending sharp messages through his top aides. Pelosi sought to impress on Lew and no doubt his bosses at the White House that House Democrats expect to be consulted more now than on past deals and that the president cant expect to win passage of a debt limit package without support from House Democrats.Dont insult us, she said as Lew tried to explain why House Democrats were cut out of the budget bill discussion earlier this year, according to one source who was in the room. You guys dont know how to count. On PoliticoAnd she does know how to count! Catholic school education!

Margaret O’Brien Steinfels is a former editor of Commonweal. 

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