morning talk shows and is instead spending the weekend with her family.

The Speaker was invited to appear on NBC's "Meet the Press,” ABC's "This Week,” “Fox

News Sunday” and CNN’s “State of the Union,” according to sources at the networks.

One source said Pelosi (D-Calif.) will be attending her granddaughter's first communion in Phoenix on Sunday.
 

Pelosi's office confirmed she is with her family this weekend.

"We have turned down Sunday shows many, many times before," Pelosi spokesman Nadeam Elshami said.
 

Pelosi did appear on CNBC Thursday afternoon and that interview appeared on CNBC's sister networks MSNBC and NBC multiple times.

The Sunday morning talk show circuit is a traditional place to find politicians trying to recover from political missteps or trying to explain themselves after a week at the top of the news cycle. It can also give them a chance to set the agenda for the week ahead. A Sunday show appearance, with its in-depth, one-on-one interview format, gives politicians a chance to answer many questions on a specific topic, often resulting in a controversy being put to bed.

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), for example, opted to go on the Sunday morning show circuit after his decision to switch parties, appearing on "Meet the Press" and CBS' "Face the Nation" on May 3.

During her weekly press conference on Thursday, Pelosi acknowledged that she was told of the CIA’s use of waterboarding in February 2003 by one of her staffers, who had been briefed by the agency. Pelosi’s remark was at odds with a statement she made in April on the issue: “We were not, I repeat, were not told that waterboarding or any of these other enhanced interrogation methods were used.”

The Speaker on Thursday accused the CIA of lying to lawmakers in September of 2002, stating the CIA said waterboarding was not being employed at that time. It was later determined that waterboarding had been employed in August of 2002. According to a 2005 Justice Department legal memorandum, CIA officers used waterboarding at least 83 times on suspected terrorist Abu Zubdaydah in August, 2002.

In the wake of Pelosi’s accusations, CIA Director Leon Panetta, a former Democratic congressman from California, issued a strongly worded statement defending his agency on Friday: "Let me be clear: It is not our policy or practice to mislead Congress. That is against our laws and our values."

Former Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Bob Graham (D-Fla.), who keeps extremely detailed notes on his daily activities, has backed Pelosi’s version of events. Graham was also briefed by the CIA in 2002, saying this week that contrary to the CIA’s claims on that briefing, he was not informed of enhanced interrogation techniques.

Pelosi has since toned down her accusation against the CIA.

"My criticism of the manner in which the Bush administration did not appropriately inform Congress is separate from my respect for those in the intelligence community who work to keep our country safe," Pelosi said in a statement Saturday.

Mike Soraghan and Sam Youngman contributed to this article.