Pelosi’s Office: Conservative Talking Point About $30 Million For Mice Is “Fabrication”

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Is there really $30 million in the new stimulus package devoted to saving the salt marsh mouse in Nancy Pelosi’s district?

That’s what some conservatives are now charging, and the claim seems to be gaining some traction with elected GOP officials and conservative media outlets, who are using it to argue that the bill is stuffed with Dem pork.

But there isn’t any such money in the bill. And Pelosi’s office is saying that the claim is a “total fabrication.”

How did this one get going? Yesterday a House Republican leadership staffer circulated a background email, which I obtained, charging that GOP staffers had been told by an unnamed Federal agency that if it got money from the stim package, it would spend “thirty million dollars for wetland restoration in the San Francisco Bay Area — including work to protect the Salt Marsh Harvest Mouse.”

The GOP staffer’s email didn’t say what agency it was. It didn’t say the money was actually in the package — just that an unnamed agency had said they would spend it on that if they got it.

But conservatives picked up the claim and began stating as fact that the mouse money was in the bill. On Fox News yesterday, Mike Huckabee blasted the bill for containing money for Pelosi’s mouse, and today GOP Rep Dan Lundgren hammered the alleged mouse money in the bill as “absurd.” Today’s Washington Times ran with a story called: “Pelosi’s mouse slated for $30M slice of cheese.”

But I just contacted the House GOP staffer who wrote the initial email laying out this talking point, and he conceded that the claim by conservative media that the mouse money is currently in the bill is a misstatement. “There is not specific language in the legislation for this project,” he said.

The staffer held to the claim that the mouse money would ultimately be spent, however, arguing that the bill’s passage would ensure that money would ultimately go to the unnamed agency. “If the bill passes, the project will be funded according to what the relevant agency told our staff,” he said. “The bottom line is, if this bill becomes law, taxpayers will spend 30 million on the mouse.”

But Pelosi’s staff disputes even this point, arguing that the only projects being referred to here are federal wetland restoration projects — and that this wasn’t even Pelosi’s project to begin with, despite claims about “Pelosi’s mouse.”

“There are no federal wetland restoration projects in line to get funded in San Francisco,” Pelosi spkesperson Drew Hammill said. “Neither the Speaker nor her staff have had any involvement in this initiative. The idea that $30 million will be spent to save mice is a total fabrication.”

http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/stimulus...is-fabrication/

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Ring Wingers have made Pelosi a target ever since she became Speaker of the House. Although I would agree, she's sometimes an easy target, in this case - it's obvious that this was a flat out lie for political gain...to get people concerned about the Stimulus Plan. The Rethuglicans are up to their usual slimy tactics - instead of arguing over substance, they have to make sh!t up. Pathetic.

Edited February 13, 2009 by Mister Fancypants

[Pooky 3,794]

Ring Wingers have made Pelosi a target ever since she became Speaker of the House. Although I would agree, she's sometimes an easy target, in this case - it's obvious that this was a flat out lie for political gain...to get people concerned about the Stimulus Plan. The Rethuglicans are up to their usual slimy tactics - instead of arguing over substance, they have to make sh!t up. Pathetic.

Getting a bit testy, are we?

I don't give a hoot about this story, but defending Speaker Pelosi? The person probably most responsible for derailing President Obama's noble intentions for a pork-free term of office within the first 3 weeks? I want her gone, or at least her influence severely curtailed, to give our new President the best chance at making a difference at a time when this country needs it most. It is clear to a large number of people that the House of Representatives and the Senate, on both sides of the aisle, are going to do their best to make sure that no opportunity goes unsquandered, and Speaker Pelosi, as President-in-the-Shadows, is at the forefront of the efforts to sidetrack President Obama's policy initiatives.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Ring Wingers have made Pelosi a target ever since she became Speaker of the House. Although I would agree, she's sometimes an easy target, in this case - it's obvious that this was a flat out lie for political gain...to get people concerned about the Stimulus Plan. The Rethuglicans are up to their usual slimy tactics - instead of arguing over substance, they have to make sh!t up. Pathetic.

Getting a bit testy, are we?

I don't give a hoot about this story, but defending Speaker Pelosi? The person probably most responsible for derailing President Obama's noble intentions for a pork-free term of office within the first 3 weeks? I want her gone, or at least her influence severely curtailed, to give our new President the best chance at making a difference at a time when this country needs it most. It is clear to a large number of people that the House of Representatives and the Senate, on both sides of the aisle, are going to do their best to make sure that no opportunity goes unsquandered, and Speaker Pelosi, as President-in-the-Shadows, is at the forefront of the efforts to sidetrack President Obama's policy initiatives.

The issue isn't about Pelosi....it's just that some Rethuglicans are resorting to slimy tactics to scare Americans away from supporting the Stimulus Bill. Calling it riddled with pork is part of that. This country is in serious economic crises and these jacka$$es want to lie to get what they want. The mere idea that the current state of the Stimulus Bill is full of pork is silly in that the whole idea behind a stimulus plan is to inject money into the economy - whether it's tax cuts, public works projects or expanding food stamps for low income families. Targeting Pelosi by spreading a lie about millions of dollars going to a fictional program is pathetic. The Republican Party is pushing itself over the cliff ....they've already royally f##ked this country by putting us in the situation we are now in, and now some of them have the balls to play dirty politics at a time when this country needs bipartisanship (which doesn't mean a little of Dems, a little of Repubs....it's about putting ideas ahead of ideology).

[NickD 203]

I am biased as I don't like Nancy, but even more disturbed as to the power the speaker of the house has been given to decide what bills can or cannot reach the floor. Heard this directly from my congressman. Given the impression that each representative for a district has an equal say, but not the case. The new guys are only good for getting coffee, that is a crime. Same in the senate with all their damn committees and chair persons. Even a strong touch of blackmail.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I am biased as I don't like Nancy, but even more disturbed as to the power the speaker of the house has been given to decide what bills can or cannot reach the floor. Heard this directly from my congressman. Given the impression that each representative for a district has an equal say, but not the case. The new guys are only good for getting coffee, that is a crime. Same in the senate with all their damn committees and chair persons. Even a strong touch of blackmail.

Pelosi has said some things that I thought just stupid, so I have no special love for her either. However, under the circumstances and over this very important piece of legislation - this is not the time or place to resort to dirty tricks and outright lies for political gain, which is what some sleazeballs in the Republican Party have done here.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

It is hard to tell what is in the bill, since three sections were missing, and still being written, up until 3 a.m, this morning, when the full bill was finally published on the internet. The bipartisan agreement passed on the floor for a 48 hour layover before bringing the measure to the floor was ignored this morning, and the motion to lay the measure down for 48 hours failed on a party-line vote.

Talking points for both sides are still being thrown out, with great disregard for the facts.