Pelosi Turns Up Her Nose at Transparency

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

Speaking Her Mind

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi took what many saw as a swipe at President Obama during a news conference Tuesday. When a reporter asked if C-SPAN video crews would have access to the House-Senate negotiations on health care reform legislation, as then-candidate Obama promised numerous times on the campaign trail, the speaker had a quick response:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE NANCY PELOSI, D-CALIF.: Really?

(LAUGHTER)

PELOSI: There were a number of things he was for on the campaign trail.

(LAUGHTER)

(END VIDEO CLIP)

A Pelosi aide later said the remark was a quip and not a jab at anyone.

In the Doghouse

The White House thinks the newest ad campaign from the animal-rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals is anything but fabulous. The PETA poster includes celebrities Oprah Winfrey, Tyra Banks and Carrie Underwood, along with a smiling Michelle Obama, for its "Fur-Free and Fabulous" ad.

But the administration maintains the group has no right to use the first lady's image, despite the fact that Obama does not wear fur.

The White House is dealing with the same issue on a different advertisement involving the president. Weatherproof Garment Company is using a photograph taken during the president's visit to the Great Wall of China in November in which he's wearing one of its jackets.

Weatherproof declares him "a leader in style" on a large Times Square poster, but admits it did not get permission from the White House.

But even if the ad is scrapped, as the White House has asked for the billboard to come down, the apparent goal of gaining attention for the product has already been met. A White House official says: "This ad is clearly misleading because the company suggests the approval or endorsement of the president or the White House that it does not have."

— Fox News Channel's Lanna Britt contributed to this report.