Rep. Nancy Pelosi was on Meet The Press on Sunday and twice seemed to assert that natural gas (which plays a key role in the “Pickens Plan” she supports and is a commodity she’s heavily invested in) isn’t actually a fossil fuel.

On NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, the speaker twice seemed to suggest that natural gas – an energy source she favors – is not a fossil fuel.

“I believe in natural gas as a clean, cheap alternative to fossil fuels,” she said at one point. Natural gas “is cheap, abundant and clean compared to fossil fuels,” she said at another.

The speaker apparently was trying to contrast her support for expanded use of natural gas as a motor-vehicle fuel, and many Republicans’ preference for more domestic oil drilling — particularly through opening up more of the Outer Continental Shelf for exploration.

Pelosi’s minions were quick to assure people questioning Pelosi’s rather bizarre classification of natural gas that the Speaker only meant to suggest that natural gas is a cleaner fuel source than oil or coal.

“She knows it [natural gas] is a fossil fuel but includes it because compared to other fossil fuels (coal and oil) it burns more cleanly,” said Pelosi’s spokesman, Brendan Daly. “Also, it is plentiful domestically and cheaper.”

That’s undoubtedly true, but it’s worth noting that if Pelosi’s point was to contrast her preference for natural with the Republicans’ preference for oil drilling she failed miserably.  After all, getting to natural gas reserves means drilling too.  And often not far from oil reserves.