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More than a month after another midterm-election drubbing, House Democrats are still wondering what went wrong to put their seat count come January at its lowest 85 years.

Some think the campaign agenda was too negative, with little appeal to swing voters; others contend that the liberal, left-leaning message was just right but was drowned out by global crises. Most just want answers, any answers.

Theres a lot going on around here, privately, about the need for us to sit down and talk about the need to put a strategy together. Thats why we need to have a postmortem, said Rep. Emanuel Cleaver II (D-Mo.), a former chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

But the Democratic leader, Nancy Pelosi (Calif.), is not interested in indulging the angst-ridden or the frustrated members of her caucus, or those who just need to vent.

Its no use having a conversation unless you have data, unless you have analytics, unless you see what happened, she said in an interview in her Capitol suite, dismissing calls for a marathon session just so lawmakers can vent their frustration. I really have an attitude that some may not agree with: You have to know what youre talking about.

But after three straight lost elections, resulting in at least six straight years in the minority, Pelosi is facing her most uneasy moments in her 12 years as the top Democrat in the House. And tensions with Senate Democrats are high, as she largely blamed their poor campaigns for losses in House races. She is pushing a go-slow approach while her team pulls together voting and polling data so the party can chart a new course.

Thats a marked contrast to how Democrats handled the historic 63-seat loss after the 2010 midterms. During their first meeting after that devastating defeat, Pelosi opened up the mikes to dozens of defeated incumbents. It allowed the losing side to blow off steam but produced little concrete action for the road ahead.

Now, Pelosi has tasked a trusted ally, Rep. Steve Israel (D-N.Y.), to run a new policy and messaging shop to craft a formula for returning the party to the majority. Israel, who ran the caucuss campaign arm for the past four years, has given presentations about the 2014 results but some lawmakers want a broader review in which they can offer critiques.

Despite the losses, Pelosis position is as safe as it has ever been. No one challenged her during Novembers leadership elections, and her liberal base has even more leverage in the smaller caucus. Even her critics praise her fundraising prowess, and her loyal lieutenants have taken no visible steps toward taking over whenever the 74-year-old decides to retire.

Shes got an amazing reservoir of goodwill in the caucus. Who can do what she can do? The answer is nobody, said Steve Elmendorf, a Democratic lobbyist who served as chief of staff to Pelosis predecessor, Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.).

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Pelosi wants less talk, more action as Democrats plot new path ahead