Poll Finds Pelosi Ahead of CIA
18 May 2009 11:26 am by Taylor Marsh
by Paul Szep
(Welcome back, Paul!)
But not by much: 43% say it’s “somewhat likely” the CIA misled Speaker Pelosi; with 22% saying it’s “very likely.”
People are closely watching this story.
Sixty-five percent (65%) of voters say they’re following news about Pelosi and the CIA at least somewhat closely. Democrats are less interested in the story than Republicans and unaffiliateds.
The toughest statistic going forward for Pelosi is that her unfavorables are demonstrably higher than the CIA.
However, Pelosi’s clarifying statement on Friday, which is what it seems like to me, could bring with it further scrutiny, because it seems she’s attempting to walk back her “CIA misled Congress” statement, trying to turn her criticism towards the Bush Administration instead.
“We all share great respect for the dedicated men and women of the intelligence community who are deeply committed to the safety and security of the American people. My criticism of the manner in which the Bush Administration did not appropriately inform Congress is separate from my respect for those in the intelligence community who work to keep our country safe. What is important now is to be united in our commitment to ensuring the security of our country; that, and how Congress exercises its oversight responsibilities, will continue to be my focus as we move forward.”
You can’t throw the president and the CIA director under the bus and not expect a little Administration heat to come your way. Pelosi’s swipe at the CIA in her press conference last week obviously put Obama in a tough spot, but Panetta in particular had no choice but to respond, which we’ve already discussed. Though it should be noted that Panetta wasn’t challenging what Pelosi has continued to say about how she was briefed. We all know the Bush Administration stovepiped information to benefit the case they were making on Iraq. Just because it isn’t the CIA’s habit to misinform Congress doesn’t mean Cheney’s people didn’t do it.
Unfortunately, along with her clarifying statement pointing the finger away from the CIA and towards Bush-Cheney, Speaker Pelosi made a strategic mistake turning down the Sunday shows. This doesn’t help her public case at all. It’s the polar opposite of what Rep. Jane Harman did when she was accused. Harman was everywhere pushing back hard. Instead, Pelosi’s absence allowed her opponents to nail her across the dial. It’s an example of how not to handle a public relations crisis.
