You didn’t think the thirst for power would fade overnight, did you? Why, she reminds me of Lisa Murkowski, except —

I was going to say, “except more obnoxious.” But you know, at this point, I’m really not sure.

High-level Democratic sources in the House tell ABC News Pelosi is seriously considering staying in Congress and running for the position of minority leader.

Pelosi is methodically calling every Democratic House member who won on Tuesday, as well as many who lost, sources tell ABC News. In the process, she is weighing her options and gauging her support.

Some of Pelosi’s closest allies are encouraging her to stay and to lead the Democratic effort to win back their majority. Those encouraging her are arguing, in part, that she can unify the progressives in the caucus, and more importantly, that nobody in the House can raise money for the next campaign better than Pelosi.

She and Hoyer met for an hour and a half yesterday. He’s said he won’t challenge her for minority leader, but hmmmmm:

“Yeah, it’s on,” one senior Democratic aide who was aware of Pelosi’s calls said. “Game on.”

The chief of staff to another lawmaker said Pelosi is “calling members to see where they are regarding her or with Hoyer.”…

A senior aide to one California Democrat marveled at the possibility that Pelosi would run again.

“Take a step back, Nancy, and think,” the aide said. “It’s ridiculous if you think that you should still be the leader of our party.”

Blue Dogs like Heath Shuler and Jim Matheson are making noise about opposing her, but they’re now vastly outnumbered by lefties in the caucus. I’m sitting here trying to figure out what strategic angle I might be missing in all this, because it strikes me as simply impossible that this dead weight might actually be retained as the face of the Democratic House caucus. Her favorable rating among independents as of Sunday was eight percent. The GOP just won 60+ seats thanks to a national campaign targeting her above all other Democrats (Obama included) as the archvillain of the Beltway. The progressive caucus can’t possibly be so stupidly loyal as to saddle the party with her toxic numbers for the next House election in 2012 too — especially given their endless crowing vis-a-vis Palin and centrists. To put it in perspective, Palin’s favorables with Democrats are roughly the same as Pelosi’s are with independents. And yet here they are, all set to crown Nancy as the once and future leader of the pack. We can’t possibly be this lucky.

Exit question: Time for a phone call from The One from atop Mount Olympus urging her to consider retirement?