Where is Nancy Pelosi? A 'How To' Guide for Advancing Conservative Misinformation
How a Bogus Claim from a GOP Organization Ended Up on MSNBC
Washington, DC -- The Republican noise machine is at it
again. In a last-ditch effort to distract voters, Republicans are playing
pickup game of "Where is Nancy Pelosi?" It began with a widely
distributed email, obtained by Media Matters
for America (see below), claiming that House Democratic Leader Nancy
Pelosi (CA) is almost entirely absent from the campaign trail. The email landed
on the Internet gossip site Drudge Report, and the story reached a peak today
when MSNBC's Norah O'Donnell asked NBC correspondent Mike Viqueira
where Pelosi has "been in the last week."
In fact as the blog ThinkProgress.org noted, on
November 1, "Pelosi appeared at a sold-out rally at the Warfield Theater
with former President Clinton. Portions of the rally were broadcast on
television." On the same day CNN aired a feature interview with Pelosi.
Jamison Foser, Managing Director of Media Matters for America, called the media out for participating in the GOP's election-year stunt.
"This is a textbook example of a journalist mindlessly repeating false Republican spin designed to muddy the waters and distract the public. The media have a responsibility to check the facts instead of simply parroting GOP operatives," Foser said. "Better yet, they should focus on substantive issues that matter to real people instead of these increasingly absurd efforts to change the subject."
The Freedom Project sent out the email, titled "Where is Nancy Pelosi?" on October 31, claiming that Pelosi has been absent from the campaign trail and posing possible reasons why. It wasn't long before the claim was picked up and mentioned in the mainstream media. Internet gossip Matt Drudge posted a report on November 2 repeating the Freedom Project's false claims. Drudge wrote: "The woman who would be speaker, Nancy Pelosi, has oddly stayed out of the national spotlight in the week leading up to the big vote." The following morning, on the November 3rd edition of MSNBC News Live, O'Donnell brought up the issue with Viqueira.
Three Easy Steps to Advancing Conservative Misinformation
1. Write a scathing email or press release. Resist the use of facts. Rely heavily on buzzwords and spin.
2. Distribute the email or press release far and wide. Pray that someone in the mainstream media picks up the story. If that doesn't work, make sure you get a copy of your hit piece to the Drudge Report.
3. Watch and smile as the mainstream media report on Drudge Report items as legitimate news.
4. Complain about a liberal bias in the press.
Thankfully, Viqueira shot down O'Donnell's question by refuting the blatantly false idea, forwarded by "Republican operatives," that Pelosi is "trying to run out the clock instead of engaging in the issues that matter to the American people." Viqueira went on to note that Pelosi has continued to do fundraising and media interviews.
Full text of the Freedom Project's Email:
From: Majority Project [majorityproject@freedomproject.org]
Sent: Tuesday, October 31, 2006 3:39 PM
To: Majority Project
Subject: Where is Nancy Pelosi?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -WHERE IS NANCY PELOSI?
October 31, 2006Where is Democrat Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)? As CongressDaily reported yesterday, "House Minority Leader Pelosi's schedule for the week remained uncertain today with nothing confirmed." Almost entirely absent from the campaign trail, many are left wondering why ...
* Could it be because Pelosi didn't want to have to defend Senator John Kerry's (D-MA) insults directed at our men and women bravely defending our country in Iraq?
* Could it be because Pelosi didn't want to have to answer questions about Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-NY) coming unglued with a profanity-laced tirade after the Democrats' scheme to raise taxes on working families was exposed further?
* Could it be because Pelosi is embarrassed about the Democrats' shameful record national security, including voting AGAINST the Patriot Act, AGAINST bringing terrorists to justice, and AGAINST the terrorist surveillance program?
* Could it be because Pelosi would prefer not to discuss the Democrats' abysmal record on border security?
While Pelosi is trying to run out the clock instead of engaging in the issues that matter to the American people, Republican candidates are focused on their individual races, fine-tuning their get-out-to-vote operation, and making their case about Republicans' efforts to keep taxes low, strengthen border security, and keep America safe.
From the November 3 edition of MSNBC News Live:
O'DONNELL: What about Nancy Pelosi? We were just showing pictures. She would be the speaker -- likely be the speaker of the House if Democrats win control. Where's she been the last week?
VIQUEIRA: Uh, she's been around. She had a big fundraiser with Bill Clinton in San Francisco. She's been conducting interviews with media. There have been Republicans -- operatives have been sending out emails over the past week saying "Where's Pelosi? Where's Pelosi? Where's Pelosi?" She has been conducting some interviews, a fundraiser, she's been still flying around the country doing some fundraising events, but largely stuck to San Francisco. Her daughter is expected to deliver, incidentally, Nancy Pelosi's sixth grandchild just about -- right about now, and if that happens on Election Day, Nancy Pelosi's surely going to be nowhere to be found, Norah.
O'DONNELL: Oh, I find that hard to believe, Mike.
VIQUEIRA: No, that's what they're saying. She --
O'DONNELL: Really?
VIQUEIRA: She will be AWOL on Election Day if Alexandra, her daughter, delivers what would be Nancy Pelosi's sixth grandchild.
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