600 protest Pelosi in Houston

Hundreds laid down their money to watch an onstage interview with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) in Houston, the epicenter of Bush Country, on Friday night.

And hundreds turned up outside the venue to Tea-Party Pelosi.

The speaker didn't make so much news in her remarks to the Progressive Forum, whose members paid between $19 and $144 to hear what she had to say about health care, the war in Afghanistan, energy -- and her autobiography.

The scene outside the Wortham Center was less sedate, according to the Houston Chronicle -- with about 600 anti-Pelosi protesters jeering attendees as they streamed in and out:

“Turn back while you still have the chance! Don’t support the liar!” Doug Audirsch, of Porter, shouted while hoisting a sign over his head that called for “Less 1984 — More 1776.” Most of those making their way through the gantlet seemed to take the jeers and catcalls in stride. Some of the attendees blew kisses, while at least two made obscene gestures to the activists. “I think they were probably prepared for this,” said Paul Kelver of Spring with a laugh. “She’s so far away from mainstream American that it’s unbelievable.” Police estimated the crowd at 600. Houston Police Department officials at the scene said there were no reported incidents or arrests.



It's hard to extrapolate a huge grassroots anti-Pelosi movement from the gathering: The pro-Pelosi attendees delighted in razzing the protesters -- taking long bows and exhorting them to boo louder as they walked the gauntlet -- like basketball players goading a hostile crowd.

And the protesters themselves seemed pretty hardcore, judging from the video put together by the Houston Tea Party Society -- featuring a free market advocate wearing a Wonder Woman bustier -- and signs like, "I'm the ProLife gun toting Consitutionalist the D.H.S. warned you about."

Glenn Thrush is senior staff writer at Politico Magazine.