What kind of weird, passive question is that? Pelosi replied in the affirmative: "I see the way we did health care reform as a model of getting something done for the American people. It is -- we reached for bipartisanship. We tried to find common ground. But, if we can't, that doesn't mean we don't go forward."
Lehrer's line of questioning suggested that other "historic" expansions of entitlements had more bipartisan support. He did not refer to how badly ObamaCare was faring in public-opinion polls:
LEHRER: But the bottom line was, you have a very thin vote margin, no Republican votes, and a sharply divided public. And you still did it.
PELOSI: Right. Well, that's a tribute to my colleagues, that they had the courage of their convictions, that they believed that this is an historic opportunity to do something great, sitting right up there with Social Security, Medicare, the Civil Rights Act, health care for all Americans.
At least Lehrer offered a smidgen of Tim Russert, noting Pelosi's determination to steamroller the opposition:
LEHRER: You said a few days ago -- quote -- "If the gate is closed, we will go over the -- over the fence. If the fence is too high, we will pole-vault in. If that doesn't work, we will parachute in. But we are going to get health care reform passed." Is that kind of a definition of what you would call the Pelosi way to operate?
PELOSI: Well, nonethe -- the point is, I knew that my -- I had faith in my colleagues that we would get this job done.
But, in case you're wondering, we went through the gate. All of us together pushed that gate open for the American people. And now we have health care with innovation, with wellness, and -- and prevention, about using new technologies and more investments in science to make American healthier. It's not just about health care. It's about health, good health for the American people.
Lehrer annoyed conservatives watching by mostly allowing Pelosi to insist that her opponent were simply stooges for insurance giants, not idealists who believe in a limited government:
PELOSI: And the Republicans have exploited the position of the insurance companies and been very effective in -- in hijacking some of the legitimate concerns of the American people against this legislation.
But I feel very confident the more people know about the legislation -- and that's already coming forth. The polls have definitely made a swing in terms of supporting the legislation.
LEHRER: So, you do not believe -- or do you believe that under -- underlying all of this, it is a basic of this division between Republicans and Democrats right now? Is it basic division over philosophy, over political philosophy?
PELOSI: I do.
LEHRER: You do?
PELOSI: I do. I think, to give the Republicans credit, they vote what they believe. And they do not believe in regulating the insurance companies.
LEHRER: And that's what -- it's about the insurance companies?
PELOSI: I believe that...
LEHRER: It doesn't go any deeper than that?
PELOSI: Well, it's about regulating insurance companies and the role of government in doing so.
Now, they opposed, by and large, Medicare. Even to this day, you know -- you talk about the vote at the time. In the course of the debate in the last decade, the Republicans have said Medicare should wither on the vine -- wither on the vine.
For young readers, this is Pelosi recycling a liberal distortion from 1995, when Speaker Gingrich suggested the Medicare bureaucrats at the Health Care Financing Authority might "wither on the vine," not the Medicare program itself.
The only real question from the right wasn't really a conservative question, but a quotation from John Boehner suggesting Pelosi's strategy wasn't wise:
LEHRER: The person who would replace you as speaker if it did become Republican, John Boehner, said this, finally, about you. He said -- he talked about what a strong House speaker you are, and then he said -- quote -- "So, you pass a very unpopular bill. You shove it down the throats of the American people, and you lose your majority. How good is that? How smart is that?"
PELOSI: What is smart is to do what the American people need. This is historic. President Obama has done what other presidents over 100 years could -- did not succeed in doing, although they all recognized that it was important. So, this is -- this is about striving to find your common ground. That's our responsibility. But, if you don't find it, you must stand your ground for the American people. And good policy, we hope, will be good politics.
