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.
ObamaCare
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.”
Actor Mark Ruffalo Pushes Blog: ‘Postmodern’ Conservatism a ‘Large-Scale Cult’ That Fools Low-Info Voters
By Tom Johnson | November 28, 2014 | 4:13 PM EST David Roberts of the environmentalist magazine Grist declares that the right has “systematically and progressively destroyed the very notion of a nonpartisan arbiter of information” with an eye toward increasing its power and smashing liberal initiatives such as Obamacare.
By Curtis Houck | November 26, 2014 | 10:00 PM EST
In speech at the National Press Club on Tuesday, New York’s senior Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer expressed regret over how Democrats handled their large majorities following the 2008 election in passing ObamaCare when they should have focused first on economic issues to address the recession.
Since then, the remarks have received no coverage from any of the “big three” in ABC, CBS, and NBC on either their respective morning or evening newscasts in a situation that undoubtedly would not be the case if a Republican Senator had expressed doubts about an initiative by a Republican-controlled Congress and White House.
By Curtis Houck | November 26, 2014 | 2:43 AM EST
During their Tuesday evening newscasts, CBS and NBC squeezed in a few moments each to promote the newest health-related regulation set to affect Americans under ObamaCare next year in the form of additional requirements regarding the listing of calories for food and drinks at public eating establishments, vending machines, and movie theaters.
Both networks pointed out that the move was announced and will be overseen by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), but failed to present any opposition to these changes with NBC neglecting to even mention that the regulations derived from the President’s health care law.
By Tom Blumer | November 25, 2014 | 11:33 PM EST
An Associated Press story late this afternoon has New York Senator Chuck Schumer saying the darnedest things, with only a tiny bit of pushback from reporter Charles Babington.
In the wake of a midterm election rout which saw Republicans win at least eight Senate seats, increase their House majority, and take gubernatorial races in at least three deep blue states (MD, MA, and IL), Schumer now says that Democrats erred in pushing passage of the Affordable Care act, aka Obamacare, at the supposed expense of economic issues. Hey Chuck, that's because the Keynesian clowns in the Obama administration thought they had the economy totally under control in 2009 thanks to the stimulus plan.
By David Limbaugh | November 24, 2014 | 9:14 PM EST
Whatever we do, let's not allow ourselves to be distracted from the continuing nightmare of Obamacare by the other nightmare of President Obama's latest abuse of power in furtherance of a terrible policy decision — this time on immigration.
I would be remiss if I didn't provide my periodic update on the Affordable Care Act, lest you grow complacent to its unspeakable egregiousness. So let's review some recent tidbits, shall we?
By Tom Blumer | November 22, 2014 | 10:09 AM EST
Even if you like your Obamacare insurance plan, Health and Human Services may move you by default into a different one — often with a different network of providers. In such situations, you wouldn't get to keep your doctors and other providers unless you acted.
That's what HHS's Center for Medicare and Medicaid Service has indicated in a 300-page proposal dumped yesterday so it would get minimal media attention (a six-page summary is here). Bloomberg News is one of the few outlets which has noticed it, and is predictably spinning it as a good thing (bolds are mine throughout this post; and numbered tags are mine):
By Curtis Houck | November 18, 2014 | 8:15 PM EST
On Tuesday night, NBC Nightly News continued its streak of ignoring comments made by ObamaCare architect Jonathan Gruber into an 11th day while ABC’s World News Tonight with David Muir finally brought up Gruber’s comments on the “stupidity of the American voter” and the "advantage" of having a “lack of transparency” in getting ObamaCare passed.
Anchor David Muir discussed the story for one minute and 16 seconds with ABC News chief White House correspondent Jonathan Karl and described the situation as a “controversy” and labeled Gruber as “one of the architects of ObamaCare” two days after President Obama brushed off Gruber as merely “some adviser who never worked on our staff.”
By Tom Blumer | November 18, 2014 | 3:05 PM EST
The New York Times wants America to ignore Jonathan Gruber. Pay no attention to that architect behind the curtain!
Scott Whitlock at NewsBusters noted earlier today that a Times editorial on Jonathan "stupid voters" Gruber claims that the MIT economist was not an important player in the law's creation. The Times now insists that "In truth, his role was limited." The trouble is, Times reporters and columnists have paid quite a bit of attention to Gruber and the importance of his role in the creation, passage and defense of the Affordable Care Act, aka Obamacare, during the past five years.
By Tom Blumer | November 18, 2014 | 12:27 PM EST
Two cheers — and two cheers only — for the National Journal's Ron Fournier.
On Fox News's Special Report with Bret Baier last night, the former Associated Press Washington Bureau chief observed that the Jonathan Gruber videos about how the Affordable Care Act was dishonestly written and promoted, as well as President Barack Obama's reaction to those revelations, demonstrate that he (Obama) "has destroyed the credibility of his administration, himself, and government itself." Fine. But then, imitating the naive lover who won't give up despite constant betrayal in the hit song "I Can't Let Go," Fournier stated that he "would like to see this bill work."
By Tim Graham | November 18, 2014 | 12:02 PM EST
NPR and PBS have finally touched the Gruber brouhaha, but neither showed any enthusiasm for it. On Sunday morning’s Weekend Edition, anchor Rachel Martin and reporter Mara Liasson dismissed it in 59 seconds.
On the PBS NewsHour Monday, anchor Judy Woodruff brought in two liberal journalists to discuss Gruber, but first Woodruff asked six questions about how open enrollment was going.