Nancy Pelosi's new job came with a new seat at the State of the Union — a seat squarely in the spotlight.

As the Speaker of the House, Pelosi was sitting just behind and to the left of President Bush as he gave his hourlong speech on Tuesday. No longer could she blend in with her congressional colleagues and invited guests in the gallery. Yes, the eyes in the chamber — and in living rooms around the world — were focused on the president, but they couldn't help but see her (and the vice president) at the same time.

With that extra visibility comes added responsibility.

This was the first time since 1994 that the president delivered the State of the Union with a House of Representatives under the control of the opposition party. Pelosi, in a way, would be the Democrats' guide: when to applaud, when to stand. Her facial expressions and her demeanor would be parsed by pundits and politicians afterward.

In 1988, then-Vice President George Bush was criticized for looking insufficiently animated as he sat behind, and to the right, of President Reagan. So clearly, the pair behind the president are open for scrutiny.

So how did Pelosi end up doing?

asap asked Maurice Bonamigo, a political campaign and image consultant, to rate the new speaker's performance in the hot seat. Bonamigo was asked to take a look at four AP photographs taken during the speech and asses Pelosi's demeanor and expressions. (The photos are attached here as exhibits A through D.)

Here's what he had to say.

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EXHIBIT A

"This is not a good picture. If you look at her eyes she almost looks dazed. Is she scratching her head or is she tucking her hair behind her ears like she often wears? ... Knowing her natural movements she's probably tucking her hair behind her ear."

"If you look at the president's face, he is serious about what he just said. Based on that it looks as though Nancy Pelosi didn't quite understand it or is confused."

"Maybe she should have sat up more upright. It's hard to tell with pictures and angles. It does kind of make her look like she is slouching or slumping. I think she should be sitting more upright to give a better appearance or to be more of a professional look."

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EXHIBIT B

"Whoa. She looks pissed off. You can see her mouth is tight. If you look closely at her cheek bones — you know how you get mad at your spouse and you sit there and think about it before you rip his head off? That's the look she's giving. At that particular time you can tell she's mad."

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EXHIBIT C

"A good picture. I think this is in the beginning."

"I think this is a sincere one. It's a genuine photo."

"My first impression is that she was being restrained. But then, no. Looking at her eyes — they're wide open. Also looking at the vice president, his face, I think it was a good moment."

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EXHIBIT D

"I think more than likely Nancy Pelosi is being sincere there. The reason I'm saying that is because her facial expression is in line with the president's. That is not her fake smile that I'm talking about that you generally see."

"That's a good picture of Nancy Pelosi. That's a good picture of what a Speaker of the House — a woman in that position — should be. Just the way she's holding her head, her posture, her smile. It's a very good picture."

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Howie Rumberg is an asap reporter based in New York.

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