While discussing the numerous ObamaCare failures on Wednesday's NBC Today, chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd felt it necessary to gratuitously bash Republicans: "And suddenly you have the picture of two parties, a Democratic Party led by the President that apparently doesn't know how to govern, has a competency issue when it comes to this health care website, juxtaposed next to a Republican Party who apparently has no interest in governing." [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]
Todd didn't bother to explain or justify his slam on the GOP, he simply stated it as if it were a fact.
The segment began with co-host Savannah Guthrie questioning the administration's deception on the health care law: "I mean, we've moved beyond a website problem, now we're talking about cancellation of policy, something that goes to the core of insurance coverage....should the White House have been more up front about it? Is there a credibility issue here?"
Todd agreed that there was "definitely a credibility issue" before he worked in his anti-Republican smear. He eventually elaborated on the problems for Obama, but seemed to play down the policy crisis as Obama merely making a bad sales pitch and suggested private insurance companies were to blame:
And the lack of preparation of sort of laying the groundwork and of expectation-setting by this White House was poor from the get-go. I mean, having the President go out there and make a promise that he had no control to keep, right? Making that promise, "If you like your health care plan, you can keep it." Well, it was impossible to keep that promise.
You can't tell a company – you know, 80% of us, you and I, we don't get to control our health care policy. We work for a company that controls our health care policy. So that was a promise they couldn't keep, it set a false set of expectations. They did it on the website and it's this – it's a continuing problem with this White House. They want to so hard – they want to try so hard not to show any weakness that they end up over-promising and now it's led to a big credibility problem.
Here is a portion of Todd's October 30 exchange with Guthrie:
7:04AM ET
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: As the White House handles those problems [with ObamaCare], it is also facing serious new questions about the NSA spying program. How is the administration coping with these dual crises? Let's turn to Chuck Todd, NBC's political director and chief White House correspondent. Chuck, good morning to you.
CHUCK TODD: Good morning, Savannah.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Under Fire; White House on Defense Over Health Care]
GUTHRIE: Let's start with health care. I mean, we've moved beyond a website problem, now we're talking about cancellation of policy, something that goes to the core of insurance coverage. And even if it only affects a small part of the insurance market, should the White House have been more up front about it? Is there a credibility issue here?
TODD: I think there's definitely a credibility issue. And look at the point in time we're at, where the country and it's views of Washington. And suddenly you have the picture of two parties, a Democratic Party led by the President that apparently doesn't know how to govern, has a competency issue when it comes to this health care website, juxtaposed next to a Republican Party who apparently has no interest in governing.
And the lack of preparation of sort of laying the groundwork and of expectation-setting by this White House was poor from the get-go. I mean, having the President go out there and make a promise that he had no control to keep, right? Making that promise, "If you like your health care plan, you can keep it." Well, it was impossible to keep that promise.
You can't tell a company – you know, 80% of us, you and I, we don't get to control our health care policy. We work for a company that controls our health care policy. So that was a promise they couldn't keep, it set a false set of expectations. They did it on the website and it's this – it's a continuing problem with this White House. They want to so hard – they want to try so hard not to show any weakness that they end up over-promising and now it's led to a big credibility problem.
(...)
