Under the headline “Massa-gate,” she writes:

This could be very bad news for the Dems -- Hoyer knew and it seems made some unleader-like presumptions:

The National Review Online editor then links to a Politico article about the retirement announcement of Rep. Eric Massa (D-N.Y.), amid questions about a House ethics investigation. But the article, which Lopez suggests points to trouble for House Majority Leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer, contains nothing to suggest he did anything “unleader-like” with regards to Massa and ethical questions.

In fact, the Politico article Lopez links to includes this passage, which came from a Hoyer office statement [emphasis added]:

The week of February 8th, a member of Rep. Massa's staff brought to the attention of Mr. Hoyer's staff allegations of misconduct that had been made against Mr. Massa. Mr. Hoyer's staff immediately informed him of what they had been told. Mr. Hoyer instructed his staff that if Mr. Massa or his staff did not bring the matter to the attention of the bipartisan Ethics Committee within 48 hours, Mr. Hoyer would do so. Within 48 hours, Mr. Hoyer received confirmation from both the Ethics Committee staff and Mr. Massa's staff that the Ethics Committee had been contacted and would review the allegations. Mr. Hoyer does not know whether the allegations are true or false, but wanted to ensure that the bipartisan committee charged with overseeing conduct of Members was immediately involved to determine the facts.

The article contains no reporting that conflicts with anything in that statement.

So Hoyer appears to have followed the book in terms of how House leaders are supposed to deal with ethics inquiries (as opposed to how the GOP dealt with the Mark Foley controversy), so at NRO that means the story has the making of a scandal? Gimme a break.

UPDATED: Politico practically begs for this kind of right-wing misinformation with the Drudgey headline:

Hoyer knew of Massa allegations

UPDATED: More Drudge-like headlines from Politico:

Nancy Pelosi: Out of the loop on Eric Massa