Horses Mouth April 11, 2007 3:18 PM

Memo To Winger Media: Pelosi Isn't Going To Iran
April 11, 2007 -- 3:18 PM EST // View Comments (87) // Post a Comment

A lot of winger bloggers and commentators are raising a big fuss over the fact that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi appeared to suggest at a press conference yesterday that she might be planning a trip to Iran with Dem Rep. Tom Lantos.

In our view, her remarks were inconclusive -- while one could reasonably conclude from them that she might be open to going, she also didn't say outright that she was going, or even that she was planning on going. It seemed like further inquiry was in order.

So we tried something novel: We called Pelosi's office and asked for clarification. Her spokesman, Brendan Daly, emailed us the following:

“The Speaker has no intention of going to Iran.
“She has great respect for Mr. Lantos, who is the only Holocaust survivor in the Congress and a staunch supporter of Israel, and who would like to go to begin a dialogue there, as the bipartisan Iraq Study Group recommended.”

This is going to prove terribly disappointing to winger bloggers and commentators, many of whom are still stoking outrage about her trip to Syria as part of an absurdly transparent effort to weaken her in her capacity as the front-woman for Dem efforts to end the Iraq war.

Indeed, the "controversy" over Pelosi's alleged desire to go to Iran followed a remarkably similar trajectory to the one about Syria, only in this case no such trip was in the process of happening or even in the process of being planned. The controversy began yesterday after Pelosi held a joint press conference with Dem Rep. Tom Lantos, a Holocaust survivor. Lantos said that "speaking for myself," he wanted to go, and suggested that she might want to join him. Pelosi didn't disagree with this, but nor did she say she wanted to go, either. That nonetheless was written up in the San Francisco Chronicle with this headline:

Pelosi, Lantos may be interested in diplomatic trip to Iran

That was quickly linked to by Matt Drudge under the hed "Pelosi may go to Iran." That of course led to a series of minor explosions around the right-wing blogosphere and on cable TV. Over at Michelle Malkin's Hot Air, "Allapundit" actually admitted he wanted to see her go because it would weaken her politically, writing: "This is the one case of fascist outreach I’m keen to see them pursue, so luscious would the blowback be." (And here you thought that these good people didn't want her to meet with the enemy because it would be bad for America!) Over at National Review's The Corner, Kathryn Jean Lopez wrote: "Maybe Speaker Pelosi Should Pass a Law Eliminating the Exec Branch." (That was sarcasm, in case you couldn't tell.) It bounced around the winger blogosphere a bunch and was even was discussed on Fox News, where it was heavily criticized.

Of course, no one even knew whether she had any intention of actually going to Iran or not. As best as I can determine, no one -- not the San Francisco Chronicle writer, no reporters at Fox News, no one else peddling this tale -- took the elementary step of contacting Pelosi's office to ask for clarification of her remarks. Of course, if they had, they might have discovered that they didn't have anything to get "outraged" about anymore.

To visit the homepage of this blog, where you can see many more posts, click here.

-- Greg Sargent | Comments (87) | Post a Comment

COMMENTS:

I'm going to wait to see what Wolf Blitzer has to say about this.

Posted by: mike
Date: April 11, 2007 3:33 PM

The keypoint is THAT SHE (and Lantos) WAS ASKED THE QUESTION. It was classic gotcha media whoredom. THey were responding to a question. They didn't bring it up themselves.

Better media whores and wingnuts please.

Posted by: Hank Essay
Date: April 11, 2007 3:33 PM

I predict that the barking wingnutosphere will timely correct the error they've made with this story and immediately cease perpetuating it.

Code: "foot."

Posted by: Legalize
Date: April 11, 2007 3:36 PM

Another media-made controversy. Things are slow.

Posted by: Anthony
Date: April 11, 2007 3:37 PM

Boy, I sure would hate to see the end of outrage. Best they continue on with the blinders. Makes for much better outrage. If I were Pelosi, I think I'd let 'em stoke this one a bit more before blowing out the fire. Just imagine the OUTRAGE!!! And since when did Fox News starting employing reporters? Must have missed the memo. Outrageous.

Posted by: Mitch
Date: April 11, 2007 3:38 PM

I have heard that Speaker Pelosi is building a time machine and plans on visiting Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin. She's going to bring Idi Amin and Pol Pot along for the company.

-GSD

Posted by: GSD
Date: April 11, 2007 3:42 PM

big deal, abraham lincoln just told me cheney's planning a trip there late this summer to show them how to build nuclear weapons and sell them on the black market.

what do you think about them apples, wingnuts?

and the stronger you are in denying this, the more it makes you look like you're trying to cover something up.

so if you're a troll and aren't outraged at cheney given this bulletproof evidence of his treasonous intentions, my suggestion would be to stop hating america.

Posted by: lyle
Date: April 11, 2007 3:49 PM

I used to hold 'journalists' in such high esteem. God, how did these people get jobs doing this? I do more double checking and cross-referencing when writing an article about musclecars than they do about the Speaker of the House.

I guess it's hard to be a right wing hack and also have a shred of professional integrity, because it's hard to be right wing and also deal in facts instead of paranoia and innuendo.

Posted by: KingElvis
Date: April 11, 2007 3:51 PM

I understand Fox News is reporting that Pelosi asked to take one of the Air Force's nuclear weapons on a trip to Iran as a peace offering. They also said she wanted to carry top secret war plans in her bra.

Posted by: royd
Date: April 11, 2007 3:59 PM

The CNN, Fox and MSNBC angle will be that Pelosi has "denied that she has plans to visit Iran, but many in the media have challenged her denial.
"And that brings us to today's poll: Do you believe Speaker Pelosi has a secret plan to meet with the terrorist leaders in Iran who will attack day care centers in the US if we leave Iraq?"

Yeah, dat's it. Dat's da ticket -- denial. Denial and secret plans.

Posted by: Sisyphus
Date: April 11, 2007 4:00 PM

Part of the outrage from the right is anger because Pelosi is a woman. It destroys their white male supremacy thing.

Posted by: Menlo Park
Date: April 11, 2007 4:03 PM

More confirmation: Pelosi herself said this morning on the Ronn Owens program on KGO that she wasn't going to Iran. She personally said more or less what her spokesman said.

Posted by: Thinkerton
Date: April 11, 2007 4:06 PM

I just love writing like this (from Carla Marinucci's... ahem... carefully worded piece in the Chronicle):

"Speaking just for myself, I would be ready to get on a plane tomorrow morning, because however objectionable, unfair and inaccurate many of Ahmadinejad's statements are, it is important that we have a dialogue with him," Lantos said. Speaking for myself, I'm ready to go--and knowing the speaker, I think that she might be.

Pelosi did not dispute that statement..."

Gee--I wonder if she would have if anyone had bothered to ask.

Here's another gem:

"The Democratic speaker from San Francisco and Lantos, chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee..."

So Pelosi's from San Francisco, huh? Probably one of them "San Francisco Liberals", eh? Wonder where Lantos is from? For some reason, the author failed to mention...

Subtle. Real subtle.

Posted by: Mark F.
Date: April 11, 2007 4:13 PM

So what if she were to visit Iran? Since when have we become a nation that won't even talk to people who disagree with us? Are we so sure we're right that we don't even need to listen?

Posted by: ddp
Date: April 11, 2007 4:13 PM

Another wonderful reason for the Chronicle to continue its death spiral.

Posted by: sniflheim
Date: April 11, 2007 4:37 PM

I'm kind of disappointed that she won't be visiting Iran. Somebody sure as hell should.

But this is the old trail-balloon nature of much of our coverage. Who got the story in the Chron in the first place? What late night phone call? My money is on a conservative source who found out about Lantos's desire to visit, and tried to tie it to Pelosi for another round of pinata-bashing.

Posted by: Jim Hassinger
Date: April 11, 2007 4:39 PM

The 2006 GOP campaign slogan was "Nancy Pelosi is very scary." That got 'em a Thumpin'. Can't wait for 2008, since it appear they have the exact same message and nothing more.
One of our many: "Are you better off now than you were eight years ago?"]

As an aside, all the posters here are truly witty. thx. You bring a smile in very trying times.

And Greg Sargent... you are a gem! thx2.

Posted by: Jan
Date: April 11, 2007 4:41 PM

When is TPM gonna get some suspenseful pomp'n circumstance music with cool zippy flash news alert pop ups bouncin all over the screen? I guess you only need all that when your sellin BS. Ah the silent truth is beautiful over here at tpm.

Posted by: cevrero
Date: April 11, 2007 4:49 PM

they might have discovered that they didn't have anything to get "outraged" about anymore.

Then what would wingers use as a target for their faux outrage?

Posted by: ckelly
Date: April 11, 2007 4:52 PM

I bet when wingdom is forced to admit Pelosi is not going, they will claim it was due to overwhelming political pressure by the blog-o-sphere and show this as a sign of weakness on her part.

LOL

Posted by: philnyc
Date: April 11, 2007 5:04 PM

Security code...public.
As in these wingers are running out of things to peddle to the general "public." Or better yet as in I hope the "public" is really seeing what these characters for what they really are...not patriots and lovers of freedom, but dictorial radicals who believe in my way or no way (Hey congress, want to meet with me about my way or no way?)

Posted by: smoore
Date: April 11, 2007 5:04 PM

In short, "terrism-terrism-terrism; Iraq-Al Queda-Pelosi; thank ye vurry much". Security code: join, as in "Join ze var on terrrorism, ya. Schnell!"

Posted by: Mitch
Date: April 11, 2007 5:23 PM

Mark F.
The writer HAD to say "The Democratic speaker from San Francisco" to differentiate her from the other Democratic speakers from... Oh wait, there's only one Democratic Speaker of the House. Never mind.

Posted by: cv
Date: April 11, 2007 5:53 PM

Pelosi's clarification won't stop the wing-nuts bleating about this. Remember the plane?

When facts clearly showed why Pelosi had a bigger plane than Hastert, Dobbs et al. still stuck to their scandal-mongering bilge for a good week or so after.

I guess you'd call it (insert tired sigh here) "appealing to the base."

The base, obviously, has only recently decended from the trees.

Posted by: tadgh
Date: April 11, 2007 5:54 PM

Over at National Review's The Corner, Kathryn Jean Lopez wrote: "Maybe Speaker Pelosi Should Pass a Law Eliminating the Exec Branch."

Hang on a second, guys. Can we do this?

Posted by: Steve
Date: April 11, 2007 8:25 PM

So, where do I sign this petition to Congress asking for a law eliminating the executive branch? Is there a fund I can contribute to?

Posted by: Potrzebie
Date: April 12, 2007 12:59 AM

I present to you "The World's Next Dictator" Nancy Pelosi!

Posted by: Crowhead
Date: April 12, 2007 10:03 AM

The headline shoulda read:

It looks like a grandmother might have to save our arses in the Middle East cuz the male-dominated State Department won't do their job . . . Oops, sorry Condi . . .

Posted by: Richard L. Adlof
Date: April 12, 2007 12:02 PM

Every time that dingbat Pelosi mentions the name of Tom Lantos does she immediately follow or precede his name with "Holocost survivor"? Does Pelosi "think" that mentioning that Lantos is a "Holocost survivor" at every mention of his name actually annoints him with some credibility on the issue at hand?

Posted by: Tom
Date: April 13, 2007 10:01 AM

Are you sure it was the winger media that said this? Didn't Tom Lantos first bring up the idea of Ms. Pelosi going to Iran?

Just askin'

Posted by: ekw
Date: April 13, 2007 3:09 PM

Asshole: It was Tom Lantos who rasied a fuss, not centrist blogs.

Posted by: R.B. Phillips
Date: April 13, 2007 3:26 PM

I feel bad for all you members of the angry left. Smug and narrow minded commentary like this is supposed to be enlightening?

Posted by: RCC
Date: April 13, 2007 3:28 PM

But it was the honorable Mr. Lantos (Holocaust survivor) who said, and I believe it's important for the media to listen to our democratic voices.

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