NBC News: Oh Canada, We See So Many Upsides in Your Single-Payer Healt
February 26th, 2010 12:57 PM
Although the Canadian health care system may kind of work for its roughly 33 million people and still have a myriad of downsides, its hard to imagine it could be sustainable in the United States, with 304 million people. But looking at the Canadian system was how NBC News decided to handle its follow-up to the health care summit. On the Feb. 25 broadcast of the "NBC Nightly News," anchor Brian…
MSNBC Guest Prefaces Criticism Of Obama Summit Performance: 'Are We On
February 26th, 2010 6:59 AM
"Are we on seven-second delay?"--Mark Halperin on Morning Joe, prefacing his criticism of Pres. Obama's performance at the health-care summit.Halperin was surely being facetious, but the point about MSNBC's pro-Obama predilection was made.The Time editor went on to rather comprehensively pan PBO's petulant performance. His comments were preceded by a clip of Pres. Obama rudely reminding Sen. John…
At 'Landmark' Summit an 'Exasperated' Obama Succeeded in Proving GOP
February 25th, 2010 8:08 PM
“The President often seemed exasperated with Republican arguments,” CBS's Chip Reid empathetically conveyed in reporting on Thursday's health care policy summit before he declared that President Obama had achieved what he needed to accomplish: Well, he really did, Katie. What he really wanted to do was convince the American people, and more importantly wavering Democrats in Congress, that the…
Unintended Consequences: Higher Premiums, Service Cuts Coming with Oba
February 25th, 2010 8:02 PM
There are always unintended consequences. And with the negotiations taking place at Blair House between the White House and members of Congress in Washington, D.C. on Feb. 25 - that's what appears to be occurring. On Fox News Channel's Feb. 25 "America Live with Megyn Kelly," medical contributor Dr. Marc Siegel explained some of the myths surrounding the proposed political solutions for…
At Health Care Summit, GOP Arguments Finally Get Extended TV Time
February 25th, 2010 6:09 PM
Speculation was rampant that today's health care summit could be a trap for Republicans. In fact, Republicans performed as well as they could have, given the hostile circumstances. The best part: the national media was compelled to cover it all.The concern for the GOP going in was that President Obama, with his supreme oratory skills, would back the GOP into a corner and get them to agree to…
FNC's Shep Smith Scolds Thune on Health Care: 'We're Gonna Lose' and
February 25th, 2010 4:53 PM
Taking a break from ongoing coverage of today's Blair House health care summit around 3:15 p.m. EST today, Fox News Channel's Shep Smith scolded Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.) and congressional Republicans for impeding passage of the Democratic health care agenda (video embedded at right; audio available here): Why do Republicans want to throw this thing out and start over, senator? Why do they want…
Media Defend Obama's 'Revamped' Health Care Takeover Plan
February 25th, 2010 10:18 AM
President Obama released his own plan for health care reform Feb. 22, just days ahead of his Feb. 25 "bipartisan" summit about health care reform. NBC's Chuck Todd was thrilled the president "finally" weighed in. Republican leadership quickly condemned the plan, which relies heavily on the current Senate bill, as the same government takeover that had already been proposed. House GOP Leader John…
ABC Pushes Obama’s Insurance Demonization; Couric Asserts Summit
February 25th, 2010 3:26 AM
A night after ABC anchor Diane Sawyer demanded to know who will “keep insurance companies from jacking up premiums while making huge profits?”, on Wednesday night she again put ABC into service for the liberal spin machine the night before President Obama’s health summit, teasing: “Big insurance executives forced to answer why they're raising your premiums while raking in big profits.” World News…
HuffPo's Ryan Grim: ObamaCare 2.0 Really A 'Conservative' Plan
February 24th, 2010 5:09 PM
Appearing in the 3PM ET hour on MSNBC on Wednesday, Huffington Post writer Ryan Grim claimed that President Obama's latest version of health care reform was actually a conservative approach: "We actually already have a Republican bill, and it's the one that Obama has proposed....It's all about choice. Everything in it is a Republican kind of free market-based idea."Speaking to anchor David…
Olbermann: Limbaugh ‘Putting on Sheet’ and ‘Dropping Guise of No
February 24th, 2010 5:05 AM
Update further down in bold recounting that House Democratic Whip James Clyburn once described health care reform as being part of "rectifying effects of past discrimination," which Chris Matthews referred to as "reparations."On Tuesday’s Countdown show, MSNBC host Keith Olbermann picked up on an item from the far left Media Matters for America to charge that conservative talk radio host Rush…
CBS's Smith: Will GOP Tell Dems to 'Burn in Hell' On ObamaCare
February 22nd, 2010 3:15 PM
While discussing the Democrats' latest version of health care reform on Monday's CBS Early Show, co-host Harry Smith asked GOP strategist Ed Rollins: "Are the Republicans better off just saying let the Democrats burn in hell with this, we're going to stay on the sidelines and win the House back this fall?"The segment also featured disgraced ex-New York Governor Eliot Spitzer, who Smith earlier…
CBS's Rodriguez: Health Care Being 'Held Hostage' By Partisanship
February 22nd, 2010 12:13 PM
In an exclusive interview with First Lady Michelle Obama on Monday's CBS Early Show, co-host Maggie Rodriguez fretted over the future of ObamaCare: "Deadlines keep getting missed for passing health care. Obstacles keep mounting....Unfortunately at the moment...health care is being held hostage by partisanship."Rodriguez introduced the interview by proclaiming that the First Lady: "acknowledges…
Newsweek Denigrates ObamaCare Opponents with Derisive 'Town Hall Face
February 22nd, 2010 10:48 AM
As my colleague Tim Graham brought to my attention this morning, Newsweek is not content to let its advocacy for ObamaCare lie in the realm of biased writing. Nope, it appears the gang at Newsweek wants to help along President Obama by lampooning earnest Americans who expressed their displeasure last year at town hall meetings.Why Newsweek chose now to roll out its photo gallery on "The Town Hall…
Kid Rock: I Have ‘Nightmares’ Everyone Will Be Driving Priuses, Wi
February 17th, 2010 6:38 PM
“I have nightmares sometimes you know. I’m gonna wake up and everyone’s gonna be driving Priuses…living in a condo…we’re all getting health insurance,” musician Kid Rock lamented during an interview with Fox News. Kid Rock has been a constant presence overseas, offering his talent and support to lift U.S. troops in war. Always loath to discuss or pontificate upon politics publicly, the rock…