House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is totally fine with her colleagues skipping the Democratic National Convention this year.
"I’m not encouraging anyone to go to the convention, having nothing to do with anything except I think they should stay home, campaign in their districts, use their financial and political resources to help them win their election," Pelosi said when Politico asked what she would say to Democrats who have already decided to play hookie.
She added that attendance is less essential than it was in 2008, when the party had to nominate a new presidential candidate.
"There certainly will be enough people there to express that pride, but I'm not encouraging members to go to the convention no matter what the situation was, because they can be home," she said. "It's campaign time. It’s the first week in September."
Among the Democrats staying home this year are members of the West Virginia delegation, Sens. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Reps. Bill Owens (D-N.Y.), Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.), Jim Matheson (D-Utah) and Mark Critz (D-Pa.).
The convention will be taking place the week of Sept. 3 in Charlotte, N.C.
Pelosi also weighed in on the pressure on presumptive GOP nominee Mitt Romney to release additional years of tax returns.
“The American people seem to want to know,” Pelosi said. “His father set the standard for transparency. ... This is a tradition that he is breaking not only personal in his family but for candidates for president of the United States. You want to run for president, the ante is upped.”
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