Nancy Pelosi talks to Melissa Harris-Perry about sexism in politics

You can always count on some real talk from Nancy Pelosi. This weekend she talked with Rachel Maddow Melissa Harris-Perry* about sexism in politics–something the former House Speaker knows a little something about. She argued that it’s hard to increase the number of women in Congress in a political environment driven by money, marked by bitter partisan conflict, and still struggling with underlying sexism. “The minute a woman gets tough in the debate,” Pelosi noted. “You know what people say about her.”

Yep, we sure do. And considering it may be another century before women have equal influence when it comes to campaign donations, the role of money in politics can’t be overstated either.

Partial transcript via ThinkProgress after the jump. Can anyone fill in the rest? Pretty please?

*Dear god, remember when I confused the amazing Melissa Harris-Perry with the amazing Rachel Maddow? Embarrassing.

Transcript: PELOSI: I really believe as a woman in politics, and one of my goals and a crusade I’m on is always to increase the number of women in politics. I don’t think it’s really possible as long as we’re playing on a playing field created by others where money, money, money, money is the currency of the realm where it should be ideas, ideas, ideas, and that the stridency, the harshness, they suffocate the system with money, they suppress the vote, and they poison the debate. That’s not a good formula for women because women need to have a civil conversation. The minute a woman gets tough in the debate, you know what people say about her.