Via CNS, this is Pelosi-speak, I guess, for “Why must the president do his job?” You’re watching for two things. First, she actually has the nerve to congratulate The One on being “respectful of the suggestions that are made by all parties at the meeting” after he threw a tantrum last night when Cantor suggested something that might complicate his reelection bid. Second, what does this mean?

“Day in and day out, the president has respectfully listened, accommodated, engaged in conversation in a very informed way and he is the president of the United States,” she said. “I know he’s busy. I myself am almost too busy to continue listening to some of the things that are going on in that room. So I know he must be very busy. But he has treated everyone there with great dignity. The only thing I hope he doesn’t ask us to do is go to Camp David. That goes beyond the pale. Driving down the street for these meetings is one thing –”

What exactly is she busy with, besides sending George Bush flowers? Until very recently, she had the most meaningless job on the Hill. Her grasp of what’s going on is tenuous, to the point where Obama didn’t bother to notify her before raising the possibility of mild Social Security reforms in debt-ceiling talks. She’s part of the meetings now only because Boehner and Hoyer might not be able to deliver enough Republicans and centrist Democrats to get something passed in the House. So there’s your silver lining in the dark, dark cloud of negotiations: Finally, Pelosi has something to do besides dreaming up Mediscare attacks for next year and measuring the drapes.

Elsewhere at this same presser, she said, “I don’t need to see markets drop 400 points, but Republicans may need to see markets drop 400 points” before they’re willing to compromise. Exit question: How many points would Obama need to see markets drop before he decided a deal was more important than his own political convenience?