Hume smeared "[un]popular" and not "respected" "Speaker Nancy Pelosi," claimed she would harm an '08 Clinton presidential bid

Summary: Fox News' Brit Hume baselessly smeared House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), stating that she "is not a popular figure or respected figure nationally." Hume asserted that having Pelosi as speaker of the House "would not be terrifically positive" for "the possibility of Hillary Clinton being nominated or even elected in 2008," but he cited no specifics to support this claim, and recent public opinion polls do not back up his suggestion that the public has formed a negative view of Pelosi.

On the October 15 edition of Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday, Fox News Washington managing editor Brit Hume baselessly smeared House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), stating that she "is not a popular figure or respected figure nationally." Continuing, Hume asserted that "her behavior will be more visible than ever, more conspicuous than ever" and "I suspect that" having Pelosi as speaker of the House of Representatives "would not be terrifically positive" for "the possibility of Hillary Clinton being nominated or even elected in 2008." Hume provided no specifics to support his claim that Pelosi could hurt Clinton's potential presidential bid in 2008.

Recent public opinion polls do not back up Hume's suggestion that the public has formed a negative view of Pelosi. For instance, an October 6-8 CNN poll found that 35 percent of respondents had a "favorable" opinion of Pelosi, compared with 26 percent "unfavorable"; 29 percent responded that they had "never heard of" Pelosi, and 11 percent were "unsure" how they felt about her. The poll's margin of error was +/- 3 percent. A recent USA Today/Gallup poll, also conducted October 6-8, found that the difference between those who viewed Pelosi favorably and unfavorably was within the poll's margin of error: 26 percent of respondents indicated that they had a "favorable" opinion of Pelosi versus 28 percent "unfavorable." Nearly half -- 46 percent -- said they have not heard of Pelosi or have formed no opinion. The USA Today/Gallup poll's margin of error was also +/- 3 percent.

From the October 15 edition of Fox Broadcasting Co.'s Fox News Sunday:

HUME: Let's talk about this possibility -- it seems likely now, in almost all cards that the Democrats will get control of the House, which will bring us two years of Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who is not a popular figure or respected figure nationally. Her behavior will be more visible than ever, more conspicuous than ever. What effect does that have on the possibility of Hillary Clinton being nominated or even elected in 2008? I think it is a very good question. I suspect the effect would not be terrifically positive.

—J.M.