Nancy Pinocchio-Pelosi & the Invisible Media Coverage

Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika), Joe Scarborough (@joenbc) and Willie Geist (@williegeist1) talk to John Hardwood of The New York Times about the disaster that was Nancy Pelosi (show left as a grown woman and as a child – in both pictures holding a whip). Pelosi could have used that whip at her now-legendary press conference last week where she muddled a contradictory response to allegations that she was thoroughly briefed about waterboarding but did nothing about it with the grace and savvy of Elmer Fudd.

One of the questions asked of Hardwood is: Why would Pelosi be so indignant in the face of accusations that she clearly can’t explain? I have an answer: maybe she’s trying to save herself (which doesn’t justify her methods — a lie is a lie — but it is an answer that’s simple enough that it requires no further debate). Or maybe, just maybe, the CIA misled her (it surely wouldn’t be the first time that the CIA misled Congress). More after the jump.

The outrage and dismay that Joe Scarborough and his crew express at the fact that this story is not front page on ever major newspaper in the country is very myopic on their part. It also is a hint of why mainstream journalism is somewhat out of touch with Americans who are online. The political backbiting that this situation has wrought is of little consequence or concern to people who are trying to stay afloat in jobs that are disappearing at an alarming rate.

The Nancy Pelosi scandal (while it should be brought to light) isn’t causing an outrage with average people because (1) politicians lie and we all know this — the notion that these people (politicians and government agency officials) are impervious to lying is a ludicrous sentiment not shared by newly awakened post-Bush Americans; (2) its clear to everyone (even kindergarten children) that this is little more than tit-for-tat dirty politics; (3) it’s also pretty clear that nobody emerges from this torture debate unscathed (surely, the reason Obama didn’t want to go down this road) and (4) we have BIGGER problems (fix the budget, get us jobs, restore our standing and the value of the dollar…. the list goes on). It can also be said that Republicans have far bigger problems as well. Their handling of this isn’t helping their cause.

Next.