The Hill uncritically repeated NRCC's mouse falsehood

In a February 23 article posted on the website of The Hill, Reid Wilson uncritically quoted Ken Spain, communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, who falsely claimed that in passing the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, "House Democrats have effectively stimulated a mouse in San Francisco Bay." As Media Matters for America has noted -- and indeed, as The Hill itself has previously reported -- the act does not contain any language directing funds to the salt marsh harvest mouse or its San Francisco wetlands habitat, a fact that the House Republican leadership aide who reportedly originated the claim has reportedly acknowledged.

After writing that "there isn't any such money in the bill" for the mouse, The Plum Line blogger Greg Sargent wrote on February 12 that the claim originated in an email from a "House Republican leadership staffer" who, when contacted by Sargent, "conceded that the claim by conservative media that the mouse money is currently in the bill is a misstatement." San Jose Mercury News staff writer Paul Rogers subsequently reported on February 13 that Michael Steel, a spokesman for House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH), originated the claim and said that "[t]here is no language in the bill that says this money will go to this project." Indeed, in a February 13 article, The Hill itself reported that the claim was false:

Republicans peppered their speeches with accusations that stimulus money would go to restore the habitat of the salt-marsh harvest mouse. Since that habitat is in the San Francisco Bay Area, they portrayed it as a pet project of Pelosi's.

The bill, however, doesn't say anything about a mouse. Indeed, the word "mouse" isn't in the entire measure of 1,000-plus pages. Republican leadership offices say they were told by a government agency, most likely the Environmental Protection Agency, that it might spend money protecting the suddenly controversial rodent.

As Media Matters has noted, media outlets such as Fox News, Fox Business Network, The Washington Times, and CNN have advanced the falsehood that the recovery act contains language directing funds to the salt marsh harvest mouse or its San Francisco wetlands habitat.

From the February 23 The Hill article:

Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney (R) is helping out nearly a dozen Republicans targeted by national Democrats for their votes against the economic stimulus package, inserting himself back into the debate over the nation's economic health.

Romney's Free and Strong America political action committee will donate $1,000 checks to the campaign coffers of 11 Republican members of Congress singled out for attack by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee.

[...]

"We are committed to helping these courageous Republicans defend their position and fend off political attacks," Romney said in a statement in which he dubbed the group the "Undaunted Dozen."

Ken Spain, communications director for the National Republican Congressional Committee, got in his own shot at Democrats.

"This is their most effective stimulus strategy to date," Spain said. "So far House Democrats have effectively stimulated a mouse in San Francisco Bay and the campaign coffers of 11 Republican members of Congress."