There was a bit of laughter but also a lot of seriousness, when NBC's Luke Russert asked Rep. Nancy Pelosi if her decision to seek the House minority leadership again prevents a younger leadership from taking her place.
Pelosi was flanked by the Democratic female members of House and as soon as the question flew out of Russert's mouth, groans filled the room. "Age discrimination," one person was heard screaming.
"Oh, you've always asked that question except to Mitch McConnell," Pelosi said with a laugh.
Russert, 27, pressed his case, saying that she, and Reps. Steny Hoyer and James Clyburn, who round out the House leadership, were all older than 70.
"Let's for a moment honor it as a legitimate question, although it's quite offensive, but you don't realize that I guess," she said. "The fact is that everything that I have done in my decade of leadership is to elect younger and newer people to the Congress."
From C-Span, here's video of the moment:
What do you think? Is the question appropriate or offensive?
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