CNS' War Against Nancy Pelosi: To The End, And Beyond

CNSNews.com continued to attack Nancy Pelosi even after she stepped down from House leadership -- and kept it up until CNS was shut down.

By Terry Krepel
Posted 5/31/2023

A Nov. 10 article by Craig Bannister complained that Pelosi said that Democrats “never intended” their January 6 Select Committee to be political and “it was never planned as a political tactic,” citing in response "Constitution Scholar Mark Levin" to rant that "the “illegitimate” hearings are an unconstitutional effort to indict and smear former President Donald Trump and his Republican colleagues" and "denied those accused of even the most basic rights of defendants in any criminal proceeding" (never mind that nobody has claimed that congressional hearings are criminal proceedings)

A Nov. 14 article by Susan Jones noted Pelosi praising Democratic performance in the midterm elections (which CNS had trouble admitting), going on to add: "Pelosi said anecdotally, she's heard that the violent attack on her husband by a deranged man did influence the way people voted, and she called the Republican reaction to the attack 'disgraceful.' (In fact, many Republicans condemned the attack and offered condolences to the Pelosi family.)" (Actually, CNS played its usual game of whataboutism and whining to deflect from the attack.) This was followed by another article from Jones quoting her saying that "I don't have any plans to step away from Congress."

When Pelosi announced she would step aside as House speaker, Melanie Arter gave her the stenographic treatment in a Nov. 17 article:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) announced Thursday that while she will continue to serve in Congress, she will not seek a leadership role next year.

“Scripture teaches us that for everything, there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. My friends, no matter what title you all my colleagues have bestowed upon me - speaker, leader, whip, there is no greater official honor for me than to stand on this floor and to speak for the people of San Francisco,” Pelosi said in a speech on the House floor.

Arter preceded that, however, with an article featuring then-minority House leader Kevin McCarthy gloating that "we have fired Nancy Pelosi" with Republican control of the House.

Quoting Pelosi making religious references became a bit of an obsession. An anonymously written article that day highlighted another Scripture reference -- then complained about its authorship:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) announced in a speech on the House floor this afternoon that she will not be seeking a leadership role in the newly elected House of Representatives—and quoted from the Prayer of St. Francis as she did so.

“And, again, for those who’ve sent me here, for the people of San Francisco, for entrusting me with the high honor of being their voice in Congress,” said Pelosi.

“In this continued work, I will strive to honor the call of the patron saint of our city, St. Francis: Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.”

Scholars have not attributed the authorship of this prayer to St. Francis himself but trace its history only as far back as the early 20th century,

Another anonymously written article complained that Pelosi described herself as a “devout Catholic” and a “patriotic American.”

The faux respect for Pelosi stopped soon after that, however, with a Nov. 18 article by Craig Bannister parroting Fox News host Tucker Carlson's attack on her, with some added Mark Levin whining that Pelosi was "angry, nasty ... no class to the end."

Pelosi didn't stop bringing the heat, though -- especially in support of LGBTQ people -- and the CNS still complained about it. An anonymously written Nov. 21 article huffed:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) put out a statement on Sunday, honoring “Transgender Day of Remembrance” and attacking Republicans for “undermining the safety and well-being” of transgender individuals.

“As our nation marks Transgender Day of Remembrance, the House Democratic Caucus mourns the countless Americans stolen away by the scourge of transphobic violence, a crisis that continues to disproportionately harm trans people of color,” said Pelosi.

“Whether spouting dangerous rhetoric from cable news desks or openly bullying schoolchildren from the halls of power, MAGA Republicans are cruelly undermining the safety and well-being of our transgender community,” she said.

A Nov. 23 article, also anonymously written, was taken from the same statement and repeated some of the same remarks:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) put out a statement on Sunday in honor of the “Transgender Day of Remembrance” in which she vowed to fight to protect the rights of transgenders from, among others, “MAGA Republicans” and those “spouting dangerous rhetoric from cable news desks.”

“As our nation marks Transgender Day of Remembrance, the House Democratic Caucus mourns the countless Americans stolen away by the scourge of transphobic violence, a crisis that continues to disproportionately harm trans people of color,” said Pelosi. “Today, and every day, let us offer comfort to grieving loved ones, honor the memory of those killed and continue fighting to save lives from the wicked forces of hate.

“That fight remains more urgent than ever, as right-wing extremists target transgender Americans’ most fundamental rights and freedoms,” she said.

“Whether spouting dangerous rhetoric from cable news desks or openly bullying schoolchildren from the halls of power, MAGA Republicans are cruelly undermining the safety and well-being of our transgender community,” said Pelosi.

CNS did not explain why it felt the need to do two separate articles from the same relatively short statement when one would have worked just fine -- though CNS has done this before regarding pro-transgender remarks by Pelosi.

An anonymously written Nov. 25 article accused Pelosi of making a Thanksgiving message political:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) sent a “Dear Colleague letter” to her House Democrats—not House Republicans—on Thanksgiving Day in which she gave thanks to God.

“Each year on Thanksgiving, we pause to cherish the many blessings that God has bestowed upon us and upon our nation,” Pelosi told her Democratic colleagues.

On this all-American holiday, we break bread with family and friends and spend time in our communities,” she said.

“Personally, I am endlessly grateful for all of life’s blessings: for my dear husband Paul and for our beautiful family,” said Pelosi.

The anonymous writer didn't say whether Pelosi directing her Thanksgiving message only to her Democratic colleagues was a new thing or if it's something House speakers have always done. Otherwise, there was no need to make a big deal out of it.

A Dec. 1 article by Craig Bannister complained that Pelosi marked World AIDS Day and reminded us (with boldface!) that most AIDS victims are icky gay people who presumably don't deserve health equity because they're icky gay people:

Democrats remain committed to creating “health equity” when it comes to AIDS, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday, in a statement commemorating this year’s World AIDS Day, December 1.

AIDS “disproportionately” infects LGBTQ communities, those of color and the poor, Pelosi says in a statement posted on the speaker’s website:

[...]

But, as HIV.gov emphasizes with bolded text, behavior, not health discrimination, appears to be at the root of the disproportionately high HIV rates among some subpopulations, as “gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men (MSM) are by far the most affected group in the US”:

An anonymously written Dec. 23 article carried the headline "Nancy Pelosi: ‘As Speaker of the House, I Have Awesome Power’" -- as if to portray her as a power-mad megalomaniac (despite the fact that she was in the middle of voluntarily stepping down from House leadership). The anonymous writer did put her words in context in the article:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) reflected during her last speaker’s press conference on Thursday on how much power she has enjoyed in that position.

“As Speaker of the House, I have awesome power,” said Pelosi.

“Now transitioning to a different role, I expect to have strong influence, but not on my Members, just in terms of encouraging more women, for example, to run,” she said.

“But the Speaker of the House is a very big job, and just wrapping it up will take time, with the Library of Congress for the papers, with the Historian of the Capitol–of the Congress–in terms of interviews and the rest of that,” said Pelosi.

CNS continued to disapprovingly note (anonymously, of course) whenever Pelosi references her Catholic faith:

• Nancy Pelosi: ‘Spiritually, I Am Always Moved by Pope Benedict’s Powerful Encyclical, ‘God is Love’”
• Nancy Pelosi: ‘My Public Service Is Based on My Faith, Springs From My Faith’

The latter article made a point of adding: "In May 2022, Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco notified Pelosi that because she persisted in advocating legalized abortion she could no longer receive Holy Communion in the Catholic Church. In doing so, Cordileone cited an instruction that then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger had sent to the Catholic bishops of the United States in 2004." The anonymous writer failed to note that Pope Francis generally disapproves of bishops denying Communion to Catholic politicians.

Another anonymously written article, on Jan. 6, implicitly took Pelosi to task for invoking the Catholic holy day of Epiphany to criticize the Capitol riot:

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.), the former speaker of the House, put out a statement on Jan. 6—which is the Catholic Feast of the Epiphany--calling on people to pray to ensure that this day remains an “epiphany” for America based on what happened on Jan. 6, 2021.

The statement was headlined: “Pelosi Statement on Two Years Since January 6th Insurrection.”

“Two years ago today, our nation watched in horror as a terrorist mob stormed the Capitol grounds in a violent attempt to subvert the peaceful transfer of power,” said Pelosi in her statement.

“January 6th marks the Feast of the Epiphany in the Catholic tradition,” Pelosi said. “As we commemorate two years since the insurrection, let us pray that this day continues to serve as an epiphany for our nation: to heal the wounds that remain and to preserve American Democracy, what Lincoln called ‘the last best hope of earth.’”

Three days later, CNS managing editor Michael W. Chapman wrote an article trying to whitewash the effects of the riot.

A Jan. 9 article -- anonymously written, of course -- complained that her replacement as the leader of House Democrats said nice things about Pelosi:

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D.-N.Y.) said in a speech from the podium at the front of the House chamber on Saturday that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) was the “greatest speaker of all time.”

“Before I proceed any further, let me begin by acknowledging the distinguished Gentlelady from the great state of California, the iconic, the heroic, the legendary Speaker Emerita, Nancy D'Alesandro Pelosi,” said Jeffries.

“And without question in my mind, Speaker Emerita Pelosi will go down in history as the greatest Speaker of all time,” he said.

Pelosi, who was in the chamber, acknowledged the praise of her successor with a broad smile.

CNS apparently thinks this is a bad thing.

On Jan. 20, yet another anonymously written article groused about Pelosi's selection of quotes from Martin Luther King:

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) sent out a pair of tweets on Martin Luther King Day in which she quoted King as saying that God did not intend for a one class “of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth.”

[...]

Earlier that day, Pelosi had sent out a tweet that said: “Dr. King wrote: ‘God never intended for one group of people to live in superfluous inordinate wealth, while others live in abject deadening poverty.’

“Let us draw strength from these words,” Pelosi said, “as we strive to realize Dr. King & Coretta’s glorious vision of justice, equality & peace.”

We can see why CNS might be upset about that.

An anonymous Jan. 27 post claimed that "House Speaker Nancy Pelosi sent out a tweet on January 22—the 50th anniversary of the Supreme Court’s now-reversed Roe v. Wade decision that made abortion a right—that said the “Republican-controlled Supreme Court” was jeopardizing women." Yes, our anonymous writer still thinks Pelosi is speaker -- that's how much trouble CNS is having in trying to separate itself from Pelosi.

Blaming Pelosi for federal debt

Meanwhile, editor Terry Jeffrey -- who has something of a psychological block regarding the fact that the federal debt increased significantly during Donald Trump's presidency -- desperately tried to spin things after President Biden pointed out that fact by making Pelosi the villain in a Feb. 9 article -- though he first had to concede that Biden was right:

During the two periods that Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) served as speaker of the House, the total federal debt increased by $14,762,858,559,299.17, which is 46.93 percent of the total debt of $31,455,106,801,791.45 that the federal government held as of the close of business on Tuesday.

President Joe Biden in his State of the Union Address on Tuesday drew attention to the significant increase in the debt that took place when President Donald Trump was in office.

“Nearly 25 percent of the entire national debt that took over 200 years to accumulate was added by just one administration alone—the last one,” said Biden. “They’re the facts. Check it out. Check it out.”

In fact, when Trump was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2017, the total federal debt was $19,947,304,555,212.49, according to the data published on the Treasury Department’s “Debt to the Penny” webpage.

When Trump left office four years later on Jan. 20, 2021, the total federal debt was $27,751,896,236,414.77.

Thus, during Trump’s administration the total federal debt increased by $7,804,591,681,202.28.

That is 24.81 percent of the total federal debt of $31,455,106,801,791.45 that the government maintained as of Feb. 7, 2023, the day Biden delivered his State of the Union Address.

However, the debt increased far more during the Trump administration when Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) was speaker of the House than it did when then-Rep. Paul Ryan was speaker.

Jeffrey then went into further spin mode by blaming COVID spending for the most of the debt increase under Trump:

Almost three quarters—74.61 percent—of the $7,804,591,681,202.28 that the debt increased during the Trump administration occurred when Nancy Pelosi was speaker. Only 25.39 percent occurred when Ryan was speaker.

One cause for the escalation in federal spending—and the resultant debt—in the second half of the Trump administration was the COVID-19 pandemic, which first hit the United States in early 2020.

In March and April of that year, Congress enacted four laws in response to the pandemic that the Congressional Budget Office estimated would increase the deficit by a combined $2.404 trillion from fiscal 2020 to fiscal 2030.

These COVID-19 response laws included the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES), which CBO estimated would cost $1.721 trillion; the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act, which CBO estimated would cost $483 billion; the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which CBO estimated would cost $192 billion; and the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act, which CBO estimated would cost $8 billion.

But the debt that accumulated during the Trump’s administration was significantly less than the debt that accumulated during the two periods when Pelosi served as speaker.

Jeffrey left unspoken the fact that Trump was president and had ultimate authority over all that spending. Of course, not only did Jeffrey not give Biden that same pass, he attempted to portray Pelosi as wildly powerful on spending matters even though she led only one branch of Congress and was never the president who had final authority:

The total of $14,762,858,559,299.10 that the federal debt increased during Pelosi’s two periods as speaker of the House equals 46.93 percent of the federal government’s total debt of $31,455,106,801,791.45 as of Feb. 7.

As speaker of the House, Pelosi had considerable constitutional leverage over federal spending. Article 1, Section 9, Clause 7 of the Constitution states that: “No money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.” No federal law can be enacted unless it is approved by the House of Representatives that the speaker leads.

Since Biden was inaugurated on Jan. 20, 2021, a little more than two years ago, the federal debt has increased by $3,703,210,565,376.68—rising from $27,751,896,236,414.77 to $31,455,106,801,791.45.

This slightly-more-than-two-year increase in the debt under Biden equals 11.77 percent of the entire federal debt.

Jeffrey's article concluded with the usual tagline that "The business and economic reporting of CNSNews.com is funded in part with a gift made in memory of Dr. Keith C. Wold." Would Wold really approve of such biased and dishonest reporting?

Attacking Hakeem Jeffries

As it ramps down petty attacks on Nancy Pelosi as she steps down from Democratic House leadership, CNSNews.com is ramping up petty attacks on her apparent replacement, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries.

A Nov. 16 article by Susan Jones was a Republican attack on Jeffries for calling out MAGA extremism:

Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich says MAGA Republicans are not the greatest threat facing the nation, as Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) opined on Tuesday.

Jeffries, leader of the House Democratic Caucus, said, "The threat right now in this country to the American people are extreme MAGA Republicans. That's the threat. That's the problem. That's the crisis that we confront."

Gingrich scoffed:

"Well, look, I mean, first of all, for any Democrat from the party that represents big cities to talk about threats without talking about the murders, the rapes, the carjackings, the robberies that their big cities actually have encouraged by releasing people back on the street is nonsense.

"Second, I would argue the greatest threat to America's future is the collapse of our public schools under the domination of the teachers’ unions so that we're not going to be able to compete with China or India or anyplace else if we continue to produce children who can't do math, can't read, can't write, and are propagandized into worrying about their gender in the third grade. I think it's really a crisis.

"So I would be glad to talk to him some day about the real threats and crises."

Jones did not give Jeffries an opportunity to reply to Gingrich.

A Nov. 21 article by Jones complained that Jeffries, "next in line to be House Minority Leader," said that Democrats "will fiercely and vigorously oppose any attempts at Republican overreach and any Republican extremism. And I'm hopeful that the Republican leadership will take lessons away from the rejection of extremism by the American people all across the land, and not double and triple down on it in the next Congress." Unlike with the uncritical stenography does of Republican politicians, added comments from Republican Rep. James Comer, "the incoming chair of the House Oversight Committee," bragging about all the partisan investigations he has planned.

For a Nov. 28 article, Peyton Holliday followed the RNC script -- literally; most of her Twitter embeds are from the RNC oppo-research account -- and attacked Jeffries for previously criticizing election results:

Representative Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who reportedly is running to lead the House Democrats in the next Congress, was an outspoken "election denier" in 2016, claiming that Donald Trump was "artificially" placed in the presidency by Russia. He also claimed the election was "illegitimate."

In February 2018, Jeffries, who is chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, tweeted, “The more we learn about the 2016 election the more ILLEGITIMATE it becomes. America deserves to know whether we have a FAKE President in the Oval Office.”

In May 2019 he said in Congress, “Russia interfered with our election, attacked our democracy for the sole purpose of artificially placing someone at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. They were successful.”

[...]

Fox News further reported, “Democrats have criticized Trump for nearly two years now for his rejection of the 2020 election results. But when asked this week if Jeffries still believes Russia stole the 2016 election for Trump, Jeffries' office indicated that is still the case and told Fox News Digital his "observations about the twice-impeached Florida man speak for themselves."

Holliday gave Jeffries no opportunity to respond. And even though he has responded to similar right-wing attacks by pointing out that "I supported the certification of Donald Trump’s election. I attended his inauguration ... and found ways to work with the Trump administration," CNS has never published any response by Jeffries to this partisan attack line.

Indeed, CNS continued with those partisan attacks with a Dec. 1 article by Craig Bannister transcribing how Fox News' Sean Hannity "list[ed] some of newly-elected House Democrat Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries’ (D-N.Y.) most radical comments and policies" and claimed that "Jeffries' record is filled with really extreme forms of far-left lunacy." Again, no balance was offered.

Jones again seemed annoyed that Jeffries pushed back on upcoming partisan Republican House probes in a Dec. 5 article:

"What's your mission in the new Congress?" ABC's George Stephanopoulos asked incoming House Majority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) on Sunday.

"Well, our mission is to find ways to work with Republicans whenever possible to get things done for the American people -- to work on issues related to the economy and inflation and lowering costs, fighting for better paying jobs and safer communities," Jeffries said.

"And I hope that Republicans will look for common ground with us, but we will also oppose them when we must, particularly as it relates to any effort to go down this rabbit hole of unnecessary, unconscionable, unacceptable investigations of the administration."

House Republicans have promised to launch a number of investigations, including one into Hunter Biden's alleged influence peddling -- getting rich on his family connections. They also want to know how deeply involved former Vice President Joe Biden may have been in his son's business dealings.

Pelosi-bashing to the end

Another anonymous article, on April 5, groused:

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) moderated a public conversation with former First Lady and Sen. Hillary Clinton at Columbia University on April 3 and talked about how much she admired what Clinton had done for “our children.”

“People ask me what are the three most important issues facing the Congress, and I always say the same thing: Our children, our children, our children,” said Pelosi.

“And no one has done more in every aspect of her public and private life for our children, our children, our children, than Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton, Hillary Clinton,” said Pelosi.

The anonymous writer of an April 7 article seemed to be complaining that Pelosi doesn't hate transgender people like CNS does:

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.) sent out a tweet on March 31 to celebrate “International Transgender Day of Visibility” and condemn those whom she said “target trans people with hateful laws.”

“On #TransDayOfVisibility, it is with pride I join in declaring: we see you, we’re with you—and we won’t rest until you enjoy the love & safety you deserve,” Pelosi said in her tweet.

“As extremists target trans people with hateful laws, let us work for a future free of fear, violence and discrimination,” Pelosi said.

It wouldn't be CNS if the more-Catholic-than-the-pope folks who ran it weren't taking shots at Pelosi's faith, and the anonymous author of an April 10 article was put out that Pelosi said she wanted to be a priest, a calling from which women are forbidden:

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.), the former speaker of the House, talked in an interview at Georgetown University last month about speculation that she had wanted to be a priest.

Pelosi was being interviewed by the Rev. Jim Wallis, a protestant clergyman, who served on President Barack Obama’s “White House Advisory Council on Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships.” Wallis is now the chairman of Georgetown’s “Center on Faith and Justice.”

“In terms of my being a nun—and they said I want to be a priest,” Pelosi said to Wallis in the interview at Georgetown.

“Imagine, the priest every day, they have the power of the miracle, the mystery—I don’t know if it’s called a mystery but—of transubstantiation, of turning bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ,” said Pelosi. “That is real power. Now, we are talking power.

“And that’s why I was more attracted to that than being a nun,” said Pelosi. “On the other hand, maybe one day women will be able to do that as well. That’s something I’m thinking about; I was hoping the Pope would, too--but anyway.”

A more explicit shot at Pelosi for purportedly being a bad Catholic came in an April 14 article (that, yes, was anonymously written like the others):

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.), a Roman Catholic, sent out a series of tweets on Good Friday and Easter that started with a condemnation of a federal judge who issued an injunction against the use of an abortion-inducing pill and ended with her calling people to “prayerfully reflect on the many blessings of our faith."

“Today, an extremist Republican-appointed judge recklessly ruled to block nationwide access to safe and effective abortion medication that has been on the market for decades,” Pelosi said in a tweet on Good Friday.

“Republicans will never rest in their cruel, tyrannical quest to disrespect a woman’s right to choose,” she said.

[...]

After these three pro-abortion Good Friday tweets, Pelosi did not tweet again until Easter Sunday.

“Easter is a glorious holiday, as we prayerfully reflect on the many blessings of our faith, family and friendship,” Pelosi said in her Easter tweet. “May this Holy Season serve as a source of renewal and hope for all.

“From my family to yours, Happy Easter!” Pelosi said.

Six days later, CNS published its final articles before being shut down.