Pelosi vows to hang onto House in 2010

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Friday that Democrats' majority in Congress is not in danger going into the 2010 midterm elections.

Pelosi said that while every election cycle is competitive, and acknowledged the particularly large margin by which Democrats control the House, she would work to keep Democrats in control.

"No, we will be a Democratic majority," Pelosi told MSNBC in an interview when asked whether her majority would be up for grabs in 2010.

"Every year's competitive," she said. "So we have a very big majority — I am committed to protecting that majority."

Republicans have smelled blood in the water in recent months after polls have showed the GOP making inroads against Democrats in generic congressional matchups. Four centrist Democrats have announced their retirements this cycle, too, in what observers see as an ominous sign for Democrats.

Pelosi said earlier this week that she is in "campaign mode" going into next year, and told MSNBC that she would begin working to defend Democrats' work this past year in a way she hadn't been able to, due to legislative obligations.

"We had a very challenging work year, and now we'll market that to the American people," she said.

On healthcare, Pelosi rejected using the so-called "ping-pong" tactic in which the House would vote on the Senate's health bill, saying that House Democrats still had concerns about the Senate bill they would like to see resolved in conference.

"We are not just going to accept the Senate bill," she said.

The speaker also maintained the State of the Union address was the timeline by which Democrats are seeking to finish reform efforts.

"The timing of the legislation depends of course on when the Senate passes its bill," she said. "My goal is that it would happen before the State of the Union address."

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