Grapevine: Nancy Pelosi's revisionist history

Former speaker of the House turns her back on embattled San Diego mayor

Some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

String Theory

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi -- who hails from California -- is attempting a little revisionist history when it comes to embattled San Diego Mayor Bob Filner.

The former Democratic congressman is facing a string of sexual harassment allegations. Pelosi worked with Filner for 10 years in the House and helped found the Congressional Progressive Caucus with him. But you'd never know it from her reaction Thursday.

Huffington Post reports Pelosi took exception to a reporter's question, which described Filner as someone she used to work with. Pelosi shot back with an agitated look -- quote -- "Don't identify him as my former colleague."

Filner calls himself a "hugger," denies any wrongdoing and refuses to step down.

Cash Cow

They are supposed to look out for your bottom line, but they seem unable to stop spending your money.

The Washington Examiner has learned the renovation costs for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's new headquarters, have soared from $55 million to $95 million -- that translates to roughly $80,000 for every employee.

Architectural experts tell the Examiner these costs are at least twice as expensive as the most luxurious commercial office space in downtown Washington. It is also nearly double the GSA's annual budget for construction throughout the entire country.

How did this happen? Well, the answer might lie in the Dodd-Frank Act that set up the consumer agency -- that law exempts it from most congressional oversight on finances.

No Good Deed…

Proof of the old adage "no good deed goes unpunished."

Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and his brother Max thought they were doing the right thing by freeing a 500-pound turtle trapped in a buoy line in Nantucket Sound. Until they got a call from the Division of Fisheries.

It turns out that the rescue violates the Endangered Species Act. Only the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies is certified to handle turtles.

In a posting on NOAA's website, Robert Kennedy says the brothers now realize that what they did was -- quote -- "pretty risky."