Nancy Pelosi, Trump wrestler and tightrope walker, wins the hearts of Democratic centrists

WASHINGTON - Nancy Pelosi nearly was blocked from the speaker's gavel late last year by a small band of moderate Democrats who said she was too divisive and had been atop the party for too long.

More than six months into her second spin as speaker and her 17th year as leader of the House Democrats, the San Francisco politician has won over those centrist skeptics. As House members left Washington on Friday for their six-week summer break, Pelosi's position atop the Democratic Party - which she leads until there is a 2020 presidential nominee - hasn't been stronger.

Last week, she tamped down unrest among progressives and landed a major budget deal with the Trump administration.

And in a development that seemed unlikely, it's the