Jonathan Gruber

NBC Nightly News Breaks Silence on Jonathan Gruber 32 Days After First Video Surfaced
By Curtis Houck | December 9, 2014 | 10:19 PM EST

After a month in which NBC Nightly News gave more prominence to ugly Christmas sweaters, grape salad, Al Roker's 34-hour weather report, and a live broadcast of Peter Pan starring Brian Williams' daughter, Allison, the broadcast finally discovered Jonathan Gruber.

On Tuesday evening, NBC’s evening newscast acknowledged the name Jonathan Gruber for the first time and his insulting comments regarding ObamaCare a full 32 days after the group American Commitment unearthed the first Gruber video on November 7.

Fox News Airs 55 Minutes of Live Gruber Hearing Coverage, CNN and MSNBC? 0 Seconds
By Geoffrey Dickens | December 9, 2014 | 4:49 PM EST

Tuesday’s congressional hearing that featured Jonathan Gruber being grilled about his controversial ObamaCare remarks was carried live by Fox News for 54 minutes, and 53 seconds. CNN and MSNBC didn’t bother to air any of the hearing live. 

Talking Points Memo: Thanks to Gruber, Conservative Media ‘Finally Benghazified’ Obamacare
By Tom Johnson | December 9, 2014 | 10:38 AM EST

Dylan Scott writes that “Gruber-mania has gripped the conservative mediasphere in a way that few stories have, becoming another brand-name controversy like Benghazi and the IRS,” and that “the larger meaning was baked into Gruber-gate -- there is a hashtag and Gruber can now be used as a verb -- almost immediately.”

Ten Stories NBC Nightly News Aired Instead of Covering Gruber Scandal
By Rich Noyes | December 9, 2014 | 8:55 AM EST

It’s been a month since video surfaced of ObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber mocking the “stupidity” of voters and boasting about the duplicitous ways liberals pushed through the far-reaching health care law in 2010, and NBC Nightly News remains the only network evening news broadcast to have completely ignored the story. Here are ten stories — some goofy, some self-promotional, but all of which, unlike the Gruber videos, were deemed worthy of coverage by NBC Nightly News during the past 30 days.

Networks Skip Former HHS Secretary Sebelius Suggesting ‘Financial Literacy’ of Americans Is ‘Very Low’
By Curtis Houck | December 5, 2014 | 12:21 AM EST

In an interview with USA Today published on its website Tuesday, former Obama administration Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius tried to distance herself from the numerous comments by ObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber, but still found a way to sound like Gruber when explaining why Americans oppose the health care law.

Speaking with USA Today’s Susan Page, Sebelius remarked that “[a] lot of Americans have no idea what insurance is about” and “the financial literacy of a lot of people” can be characterized as “very low.”

Ex-Obama Aide Debunks the Media's 'Gruber Who?' Narrative
By Scott Whitlock | December 4, 2014 | 5:31 PM EST

A former top aide to Barack Obama appeared on CNBC, Thursday, and demolished the narrative, promoted by the administration and some in the media, that Jonathan Gruber is minor figure. Ex-presidential adviser Steven Rattner previously exposed the ObamaCare architect, who lashed out at "stupid" Americans," as an "important" individual.

Bozell Slams Networks for Covering Lauten Twice as Much as Gruber
By NB Staff | December 2, 2014 | 4:07 PM EST

Earlier today, Media Research Center (MRC) founder and president Brent Bozell reacted to a study just released by the MRC revealing that the big three broadcast networks -- ABC, CBS, and NBC -- have covered unknown Capitol Hill staffer Elizabeth Lauten’s Facebook post – about how President Obama’s daughters looked and acted at an official event – almost twice as much as ObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber’s “stupid voters” comments.

"This is beyond ridiculous. The networks rushed to cover a Hill staffer’s silly comments on Facebook, but waited more than a week to cover an ObamaCare architect’s serious admission that voters were deceived about a policy that affects every American; and they gave almost twice as much coverage to the silly story than to the serious story."

Networks Spend More Time on GOP Staffer Comments Than Gruber Scandal
By Kyle Drennen | December 2, 2014 | 2:33 PM EST

On Sunday and Monday, the broadcast networks seized on the personal Facebook comments of mid-level congressional staffer Elizabeth Lauten criticizing the Obama daughters – devoting over 14 minutes of national news air time to the controversy in the period of two days. However, it took those same networks several days to even notice the video comments of ObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber crediting "the stupidity of the American voter" for passage of the law – providing only 8 minutes of coverage to the much larger scandal.

MRC's Notable Quotables: No Charges in Ferguson = Grand Jury 'Failure'
By Rich Noyes | December 1, 2014 | 8:44 AM EST

After the grand jury in Ferguson, Missouri, chooses not to indict police officer Darren Wilson, NBC's Brian Williams dubs them "a failure," while as rioters burn buildings in Ferguson, Time magazine posts an essay: "In Defense of Rioting."

Newt Gingrich Blasts Obama’s Speech: ‘This Was a Gruber Speech’; ‘Simply Not Telling the Country the Truth’
By Curtis Houck | November 21, 2014 | 12:52 AM EST

Following President Barack Obama’s speech announcing his executive order on illegal immigration, CNN political commentator and former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich unloaded on the President, likening his speech to statements made by ObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber and that those in the “elite” class “really underestimate” the disdain Americans have for unfortified borders.

Responding on CNN in the minutes after it ended, Gingrich opined that it was wrong for the President to go against the incoming Congress as it had “repudiated his policies in the election” a few weeks ago. Gingrich then slammed what viewers just heard as “a Gruber speech” where the President was “simply not telling the country the truth.”

Jake Tapper Exposes Gruber's ObamaCare Deception: 'Fooling' You
By Scott Whitlock | November 20, 2014 | 5:04 PM EST

Although many journalistic outlets have conducted a blackout of ObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber's comments about duping "stupid" Americans, CNN's Jake Tapper has delivered consistent coverage and on CNN.com offered an elaborate explanation of what Gruber's impolitic comments really mean. 

Chuck Todd Excuses Lack of Gruber Coverage: ‘What Is The News Today of That?’
By Jeffrey Meyer | November 19, 2014 | 11:12 AM EST

Chuck Todd, NBC News Political Director and moderator of Meet the Press, appeared on Newsmax TV’s The Steve Malzberg Show on Tuesday, November 18 to discuss a variety of issues including the existence of liberal media bias. Speaking specifically on the lack of network news coverage surrounding the Jonathan Gruber controversy, Todd dismissed Malzberg’s assertion that this was an example of media bias and argued “I’m not saying it’s not a story. Look, I’m not in charge of any of those network newscasts. But what is the news today of that? It’s a political story.”