Pelosi says 'her place' is speaker's chair

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- Nancy Pelosi told reporters Thursday if Republicans think she should be put "in her place," that place is speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives.

Pelosi, D-Calif., was responding to a news release Tuesday from the National Republican Congressional Committee, The Hill reported. The NRCC hoped Gen. Stanley McChrystal would put the speaker "in her place" for not supporting a U.S. troop buildup in Afghanistan.

"It's really sad they don't understand how inappropriate that is," Pelosi said at her weekly news conference. " I'm in my place. I'm the speaker of the House, the first woman speaker of the House. And I'm in my place because the House voted me there. That language is something I hadn't heard in decades."

Joann Burgos, an NRCC spokeswoman, said Pelosi "would rather make party politics a priority than our national security."

In a statement, Ken Spain, the NRCC communications director, said, "If Nancy Pelosi's failed economic policies are any indicator of the effect she may have on Afghanistan, taxpayers can only hope McChrystal is able to put her in her place."