ABC Vets Insist Obama Not on Left, Blocking ObamaCare Reminds Roberts of ‘First Step Toward the Civil War’

April 11th, 2010 10:16 PM

On ABC’s This Week, when retired ABC newsman Sam Donaldson recommended that President Barack Obama nominate, to replace Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, someone who “is going to stand up for the principles – on the left, if you will – that he believes in,” Cokie Roberts jumped in: “I’m not so sure he is so far to the left.” Donaldson agreed: “Well, I’m not sure either.”

Minutes later, Roberts contended the efforts of state attorneys general, to get a federal court to rule unconstitutional ObamaCare’s requirement every citizen get health insurance, reminded her of the “nullification” which led to the Civil War:

You have these fourteen states attorneys general saying that they want to have the court overturn the recently passed health care law. I must say, I was just with my grand kids at Fort Sumter, and the notion of nullification made me extremely nervous because it was, of course, the first step toward the Civil War.

From the Sunday, April 11 This Week on ABC:

SAM DONALDSON: If this President decides that his main criteria is to nominate someone to avoid a big fight, he’s betrayed the people who elected him and I think he’s betrayed what a lot of people think are his own feelings about who should be on the court. He should nominate, no not someone who is an extremist, off the cliff, but someone that he thinks, at least, let’s see how it evolves, is going to stand up for the principles – on the left, if you will – that he believes in.

COKIE ROBERTS: I’m not so sure he is so far to the left-

DONALDSON: Well, I’m not sure either.

....

ROBERTS: You have these fourteen states attorneys general saying that they want to have the court overturn the recently passed health care law. I must say, I was just with my grand kids at Fort Sumter, and the notion of nullification made me extremely nervous because it was, of course, the first step toward the Civil War. But that is going to be a huge question before the court this fall...