My goodness, it looks like someone senses that she’ll be able to push the inexperienced Senator-turned-President around.

In talks with Emanuel and others, sources say, Pelosi has “set parameters” for what she wants from Barack Obama and his White House staff — no surprises, and no backdoor efforts to go around her and other Democratic leaders by cutting deals with moderate New Democrats or conservative Blue Dogs.

Specifically, Pelosi has told Emanuel that she wants to know when representatives of the incoming administration have any contact with her rank-and-file Democrats — and why, sources say.

During the Bush years, the White House set policy, and Republicans on Capitol Hill were expected to follow it. Former Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.) occasionally lashed out at former White House chief of staff Andy Card or other senior administration aides when he felt they had gone too far. But in general, Republican lawmakers followed Bush’s lead on every major legislative battle, from Iraq to tax and spending bills to anti-terror policies. With the exception of immigration reform, the House fight over the $700 billion Wall Street bailout package and last week’s meltdown over a bailout for the Big Three automakers, Bush got what he wanted from Congress, especially within his own party.

Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) are signaling that they won’t tolerate a repeat with a Democrat in the White House and Democratic majorities in the House and the Senate.

Despite the scandal, I don’t see Obama complying with the demands of Nancy Pelosi. The Obama Administration will, and should, contact whatever Democratic Congressman it wishes to without having to brief Pelosi. This just goes to show that the Speaker thinks she’ll be the real power in Washington. Hopefully she’ll be sadly mistaken.

Ed Morrissey notes:

Pelosi wouldn’t make this demand if she thought Obama would produce a progressive agenda in line with her own.  It seems to indicate that Pelosi is very worried that Obama will move to the center on a broad range of issues and attempt to co-opt the Blue Dogs and some moderates to form alliances with Republicans.  If Obama really wants to win re-election in 2012, he’ll have to do some of this, and will wind up defying the Left enough to make Pelosi feel uncomfortable.

And, as Ed says, Pelosi can’t afford to really piss off Obama. Republicans have won three races since election day with Democrats failing to turn out without Obama on tha ballot. They’ll need him to push very hard for the party’s candidates in the first midterm, with history on the side of Republicans.