But the voters decided that they wanted precisely that. Pelosi, 66, is now set to become the first woman leader of the House. The post also puts her second in line from the presidency, after Vice President Dick Cheney.

While Pelosi is a lock to become the first ever woman to take office as House Speaker, senior House Democrats Steny Hoyer (Maryland), currently the House Minority Whip, and John Murtha (Pennsylvania) are among front-runners to contest for the post of House Majority Leader, to replace Republican incumbent Dennis Hastert following the Democratic takeover of the House.

Pelosi has pledged `civility' in the House, and promised that the Democrats will not indulge in payback. She also had another reason to celebrate: her sixth grandchild. Her daughter Alexandra was about to give birth in New York. Image: Nancy Pelosi, flanked by Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Charles Schumer and Senate Democratic Leader Harry Reid at the Hyatt Regency hotel on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC after their party won enough seats to take over the House of Representatives in the midterm elections.