During a February 5 appearance on MSNBC Live, Hill senior editor Susan Crabtree again stated that “Democrats have spent 500,000 -- half a million dollars” in “taxpayer money” on annual retreats “over the past five years” without noting that House Republican leadership committees have been appropriated amounts of taxpayer money for salaries and expenses that are comparable to the amount given to their House Democratic counterparts. As Media Matters for America noted, Crabtree initially reported in a February 3 Hill article that "[t]he House Democratic Caucus spent more than $500,000 in taxpayer money over the past five years for its annual retreats at resorts in Pennsylvania and Virginia" but did not address how the House Republican leadership committees spend their “taxpayer money.” On MSNBC, Crabtree ignored the fact that the House Republican leadership committees also receive “taxpayer money” even when purporting to draw the following distinction between Republicans and Democrats: “So it's a very big difference between the Republicans and the Democrats. The Republicans say, hey, we're not using taxpayer money; but Democrats are saying, well, Republicans are cozying up with special interests.” Crabtree made that remark while referencing a January 21 Hill article in which she wrote about Republican retreats including lobbyists and being partially subsidized by the lobbyist-funded Congressional Institute.

As Media Matters previously noted, pursuant to the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2008, the Republican Steering Committee received $943,000, the Republican Conference, $1,631,000, and the Republican Policy Committee, $325,000 -- for a total of $2,899,000 for fiscal year 2008. The Democratic Steering and Policy Committee and the Democratic Caucus also received a total of $2,899,000, with $1,295,000 going to the Democratic Steering and Policy Committee and $1,604,000 going to the Democratic Caucus. (No appropriations bill for legislative branch operations has been passed for fiscal year 2009; the legislative branch is being funded pursuant to a continuing resolution until March 3, 2009.)

From the 9 a.m. ET hour of the February 5 edition of MSNBC Live:

TAMRON HALL (anchor): So, maybe you're thinking about a vacation right now? Well, the problem is for most Americans, these times are too tough to plan a little retreat, a little getaway. But how would you feel if you knew you were paying for a trip to this really nice 3,000-acre resort and spa in Williamsburg, Virginia?

But it is not for you, of course; it is for the House Democrats. And Susan Crabtree is a senior editor for the congressional paper The Hill. Susan, thanks for making time for us. So, the House being really criticized after slamming AIG and other big banks for their retreats -- they're doing the same thing here. Is this paid totally with taxpayers' dollars?

CRABTREE: No, not at all. They're -- they spent -- the House Democrats have spent 500,000 -- half a million dollars -- over the past five years. So about $100,000 each year. They're going down -- the speaker is going to be there today through Saturday, and they're going to pow wow. They're going to do some planning sessions.

Obama's coming down, Joe Biden is coming down, and three Cabinet secretaries. They do this every year, but this year it's striking a little bit different chord. Some ethics watchdogs are saying, is this appropriate during these economic hard times when people are losing their jobs and these headlines every day seem to be grimmer and grimmer? So --

HALL: What would have been the alternative? They say that it's important work being done at this retreat. What would have been the alternative than to have it and have this price tag associated?

CRABTREE: Well, some of the watchdogs say, why don't you go to the Library of Congress? It's a beautiful venue. It's very large. It's right across the street from the Capitol. You could, you know, just go there with your boxed lunch and, you know, do the same kind of planning sessions. But the members argue that they can bring their families down, it's a more relaxed environment, a different venue.

HALL: Right.

CRABTREE: So that's why they're doing it.

HALL: I want to bring up the Republicans. They just wrapped up their retreat in Hot Springs, Virginia. They don't use taxpayer dollars, but apparently some of the dues from lobbyists go to pay for their retreat.

CRABTREE: That's right, I wrote about that last week. They -- the Democrats do not allow lobbyists to go to their retreat at all. The Republicans use -- part of their -- it's subsidized -- part of it is subsidized by the Congressional Institute. It's a nonprofit that gets its money from lobbyists that provide $25,000 each to be on a board at the Congressional Institute. So it's a very big difference between the Republicans and the Democrats. The Republicans say, hey, we're not using taxpayer money; but Democrats are saying, well, Republicans are cozying up with special interests --

HALL: Lobbyists, right.

CRABTREE: -- at a retreat, right.

HALL: So it depends on what you see as the devil in the details then. All right, Susan. Thank you very much.

CRABTREE: Exactly.

HALL: Interesting article.