Most Powerful Woman in America: Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi was sworn in today as the new Speaker of the House of Representatives--making her 3rd in line for the presidency.

She is the first woman to reach that historic milestone, and at least for the forseeable, Speaker Pelosi is America's most powerful woman.

She is also the first Speaker of Italian American heritage.

In terms of Latino issues, Pelosi has maintained warm relations with Latinos in her San Francisco, as well as across the country.

For example, a key inner-circle adviser is Ernest Ayala, a long time friend and ally who has advised her on Latino affairs. Another sign of her relationship with Latinos was her selection of Silvestre Reyes as Chair of the House Committee on Intelligence. Chairman Reyes became the first Latino to chair one of Congress' permanent committees.

Pelosi helped create a Hispanic Working Group to bring together the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Democratic Members with significant Hispanic constituencies to develop strategies on policy and message that address issues of significance to Hispanic families.

Last year, Pelosi, Majority Leader Tom Daschle and the Hispanic Caucus unveiled Compromiso Demócrata con el Pueblo Latino, a legislative initiative to address the issues of jobs and the economy, education, health care, civil rights, immigration, and relations between the U.S. and Latin America.

Pelosi most differs from her GOP predecessors in her views on Latino immigration. Pelosi has consistently favored policies and programs that seek to include immigrants into American society, to protect immigrant rights, and she has worked to prevent the passage of ant-immigrant legislation. Pelosi favors comprehensive immigration reform including a path to citizenship, and she's staunchly against the resurrection of a wall between the U.S. and Mexico.

Brujo Antonio Vázquez predicted that the 2007 would be the year of the woman, and that a woman would ascend to national leadership in the U.S. He also cautioned that Global Warming would bring people together to protect Mother Earth.

Maybe Brujo Vázquez really can see the future; and maybe the future belongs to Nancy Pelosi.