In an April 4 report on the White House's criticism of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) decision to meet with Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, MSNBC correspondent Kevin Corke claimed that “the White House has been fairly consistent on this particular issue.” Corke noted that the Bush administration views such visits as sending “sort of a mixed message,” adding that “there have been other delegations that have gone there, including some Republicans, and yet the White House has remained consistent.” But, contrary to Corke's claim, the White House's public statements have been entirely inconsistent -- initially chiding Pelosi while remaining silent about a Republican-led delegation to Damascus on April 1, and only recently denouncing these trips in general terms without singling out any Republican members of Congress who went on them. As Media Matters for America has noted, numerous news outlets have reported the White House's attacks on Pelosi without also reporting on the GOP-led trip to Syria.

White House deputy press secretary Dana Perino, when asked about Pelosi's trip at the March 30 press briefing, specifically singled out Pelosi, while not naming any members of the Republican-led delegation also scheduled to visit Syria and meet with Assad. From the press briefing:

PERINO: Well, again, I don't know if anyone has spoken to the speaker. I do think that, as a general rule -- and this would go for speaker of the House Pelosi and this apparent trip that she is going to be taking -- that we don't think it's a good idea. We think that someone should take a step back and think about the message that it sends, and the message that it sends to our allies. I'm not sure what the hopes are to -- what she's hoping to accomplish there. I know that Assad probably really wants people to come and have a photo opportunity and have tea with him, and have discussions about where they're coming from, but we do think that's a really bad idea.

During the April 2 press briefing, when specifically asked about the White House's silence on the Republican-led delegation, Perino reiterated her claim, saying that “in general, we discourage members from going to the region.” Perino again singled out Pelosi but did not address specific Republicans who visited Syria. From the press briefing:

PERINO: Let me unpack that a little bit. First of all, last week when I was asked about her specific trip, I said in my comments that, in general, we discourage members from going to the region. And that is true. In fact, I looked back, when Tony Snow was asked at this podium months ago, when Senator [Bill] Nelson [D-FL] made a similar trip, he said the same, that this was a blanket policy -- but I was asked a specific question about Speaker Pelosi, which is why I said that.

Speaker Pelosi is a high-ranking United States official. Nothing changes -- nothing has changed in Syria's behavior over the years when high-ranking U.S. officials go to see them. We sent Secretary [of State Colin] Powell early on; the behavior doesn't change. Syria uses these opportunities to flaunt photo opportunities around its country and around the region and around the world, to say that they aren't isolated, that they don't need to change their behavior, and it alleviates the pressure that we are trying to put on them to change their behavior.

At an April 3 press conference, President Bush noted that the White House has “made it clear to high-ranking officials, whether they be Republicans or Democrats, that going to Syria sends mixed signals -- signals in the region and, of course, mixed signals to President Assad.” But Bush has yet to publicly criticize any Republicans by name for sending “mixed signals.”

From the 3 p.m. ET hour of the April 4 edition of MSNBC News Live:

CONTESSA BREWER (anchor): NBC's Kevin Corke is at the White House now. So Kevin, is Pelosi's message likely to assuage the White House concerns?

CORKE: To be blunt, no. I think the White House has been fairly consistent on this particular issue. Look, there have been other delegations that have gone there, including some Republicans, and yet the White House has remained consistent. It considers Syria a state that sponsors terrorism, No. 1. And No. 2, it considers this sort of a mixed message. The administration has one particular policy vis-a-vis Syria. Look, they consider Syria among the axis of evil, and any trip, whether it be Nancy Pelosi or anyone else going over there, really does not speak to the administration's stand on that particular country and at least the government of that particular country.