Shocker: NBC's Lauer Uses Obama's Own Words to Knock Down Attacks on Ryan

NewsBusters.org ^ | August 13, 2012 | Kyle Drennan

[Kaslin]

On Monday's NBC Today, co-host Matt Lauer actually used the President's own past statements about Republican vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan to grill deputy Obama campaign manager Stephanie Cutter: "President Obama said this of Paul Ryan, that he was 'absolutely sincere about wanting to reduce the deficit'...gave him 'credit for at least being willing to put out there some very tough choices.' Does he still feel that way?" [Listen to the audio or watch the video after the jump]

Cutter attempted to rely on the usual Democratic fearmongering, accusing Ryan of a plan "that balances the budget on the backs of the middle class." Lauer called her out for that tactic, again citing Obama's own words: "...he said this, quote, 'We're not going to be able to do anything about these entitlements if what we do characterize whatever proposal's are put out there as well, you know, that's the other party being irresponsible...the other party trying to hurt our senior citizens.' Which sounds exactly what – like what you just said."

NBC's Lauer Uses Obama's Own Words to Knock Down Attacks on Ryan

In response, Cutter doubled down on the line of attack her boss once denounced: "Well, no, Matt, I disagree. It doesn't sound just like what I just said. The facts are about Mr. Ryan's budget is that it really does balance the budgets on the backs of the middle class and the needy."

Lauer rounded out his tough questioning by wondering: "Paul Ryan is a seven-term congressman from that state. Every time he ran he won with I think a majority of over 60%. Do you worry that he brings Wisconsin in play and that he helps in other rust-belt states?"

Prior to Lauer's interview with Cutter, fellow co-host Savannah Guthrie talked to Romney campaign senior advisor Kevin Madden and suggested the pick of Ryan was a sign of Romney losing: "Governor Romney's been getting a lot of credit for making a bold, game-changing choice here. It strikes me that you don't make a choice like that if you think you are winning the campaign. Is this a tacit acknowledgment the strategy Romney had before, just running against the Obama economy, is not working?"

Guthrie went on to claim that "this pick of Congressman Ryan has delighted both conservatives and liberals, and for one reason, because of the Ryan budget." She also fretted: "The hallmark of Romney's argument to be president is that he's a Washington outsider who has primarily private sector expertise. In Congressman Ryan you have somebody who has spent his entire life in Washington and has zero private sector experience. How do you square that?"

Here is a full transcript of Lauer's August 13 exchange with Cutter:

7:10AM ET

MATT LAUER: Stephanie Cutter is President Obama's deputy campaign manager. Stephanie, good morning to you.

STEPHANIE CUTTER: Good morning.

LAUER: A couple of years ago, President Obama said this of Paul Ryan, that he was "absolutely sincere about wanting to reduce the deficit." He called Ryan's plan "a legitimate proposal" and added that he gave him "credit for at least being willing to put out there some very tough choices." Does he still feel that way?

CUTTER: Well, you know, you – the President said it last night. That he knows Paul Ryan, he thinks Paul Ryan is a good and decent man, he definitely has some very serious ideas. The President just fundamentally disagrees with him. And you know, this pick, I heard the opening talking about how this pick was a courageous and bold pick. It's not courageous to put a Republican budget on the table that doesn't ask for shared sacrifice. It's not courageous to put a Republican budget on the table that balances the budget on the backs of the middle class and doesn't ask anything from the very wealthy. You know, being courageous means you have to buck your own party and Mr. Ryan has never done that.

LAUER: Well when you say that, Stephanie, you know, President Obama addressed Paul Ryan at a GOP retreat in 2010 and he said this, quote, "We're not going to be able to do anything about these entitlements if what we do characterize whatever proposal's are put out there as 'well, you know, that's the other party being irresponsible...the other party trying to hurt our senior citizens.'" Which sounds exactly what – like what you just said.

CUTTER: Well, no, Matt, I disagree. It doesn't sound just like what I just said. The facts are about Mr. Ryan's budget is that it really does balance the budgets on the backs of the middle class and the needy. And that's not a pro-growth policy. And don't take it from me. Take it from independent economists who have studied this budget and said that if we enacted the drastic cuts that Paul Ryan wants to put in place and Mitt Romney wants to put in place, because this is his budget now, too, that it would actually contract the economy. It could mean up to a million jobs, that we would lose. So don't take it from me, take it from independent economists, this is not a pro-growth document. This is an ideological document.

LAUER: Let's talk about Wisconsin. It hasn't voted for a Republican nominee since, I think, 1984. Paul Ryan is a seven-term congressman from that state. Every time he ran he won with I think a majority of over 60%. Do you worry that he brings Wisconsin in play and that he helps in other rust-belt states?

CUTTER: Well, I think we have to see how this plays out. We feel pretty confident on our standing in Wisconsin. I think not just because of the President's popularity but because of what the President believes in. I think the people of Wisconsin, they do want to do something about Medicare to ensure it's there for them and their children, but they don't want to put policies in place that actually end – will mean the beginning of the end of Medicare. They want to make sure that we can keep costs down, not add costs to seniors. They want to make sure that we can balance our budget in a way that's responsible, that protects the investments that we need to grow, like education, like clean energy, like innovation. All of these things that mean good jobs, competitiveness, America, the economy coming back. And that's not what the Ryan budget or the Romney budget does.

LAUER: Alright. We've got a lot of weeks to sort through this. Stephanie Cutter, it's nice of you to spend time with us this morning, I appreciate it.

CUTTER: Thank you for having me.

[MeganC]

Matt Lauer suddenly trying to look impartial and all won’t get me to watch NBC.

NBC = No Body Cares.

[Billthedrill]

Yes, it is Ryan's budget proposal that is in play here. Naturally the Democrat budget proposal is much more popular, at least if you define "popular" as "losing 99-0 in the Senate and 414-0 in the House".

For those Americans still paying attention, the utter failure of Democrats to pass a budget, any budget, even in the two years in which they had control of both Houses of Congress AND the White House, is a simple indication that they haven't the slightest intention of putting up a benchmark whereby their own performance might be measured. Politics doesn't come any more cowardly than that, and up until now the MSM have been letting them get away with it.

[stocksthatgoup]

Dear Stephanie,

Thanks for being had!

[Deb]

This must be one of those single examples reporters point to when they claim they’re “tough on both sides”. David Gregory did everything but grab David Axelrod’s butt cheeks in his hands and smooch it on “Meet The Press”.

[TomGuy]

Those 0 votes for Zero’s budgets [plural] are fodder for opposition TV commercials.

If his own party won’t even support his budgets, no wonder his effectiveness at helping the economy and joblessness is also ZERO.

[bray]

Give her a break, she has been working all week to find out who was behind the Romney the murderer ad. Obviously got the job by her Affirmative Action status.

Pray for America

[holden]

Cutter: You know, being courageous means you have to buck your own party and Mr. Ryan has never done that.

The Left will give its approval to opposition candidates in the mold of John "Keating Five" (or is that "Maverick"?) McCain.

HF

[taildragger]

Is Matt channeling the Late Time Russert? Is he angling for the top slot in Meet The Depressed because I have plenty of hair David Gregory sucks on ice? Or does he have kids and a modicum of knowledge of Accounting and Goverment Spending to realize his kids are screwed if nothing is done?

[linn37]

Cutter is a liar.

[KosmicKitty]

IMHO, the democRATS know how badly BO has F-up’ed and want him gone, but can’t come out and say so.

Plus the message sent by the viewing public on Chick-Fil-A Appreciation day had to be noticed by the networks. Maybe they are finally ready to admit that the country isn’t all the liberal anymore and to maintain their cushy jobs, they have to appeal to the real masses.

[1FreeAmerican]

“Governor Romney’s been getting a lot of credit for making a bold, game-changing choice here. It strikes me that you don’t make a choice like that if you think you are winning the campaign.”

Was Romney supposed to pick a loser? How about an incredibly boring white guy?

IDIOTS ON PARADE!!

[aruanan]

Shocker: NBC's Lauer Uses Obama's Own Words to Knock Down Attacks on Ryan

Perhaps he realizes that if Obama loses, he and all the other Obama enablers in the media are going to be very much on the outside.

[kabar]

Yes, it is Ryan's budget proposal that is in play here.

It is actually the House budget, which was passed twice by the House.

[Billthedrill]

Yes, and you just caught me in an error I really hate to make. BTT.

[RummyChick]

[taildragger]

Plus the message sent by the viewing public on Chick-Fil-A Appreciation day had to be noticed by the networks. Maybe they are finally ready to admit that the country isn’t all the liberal anymore and to maintain their cushy jobs, they have to appeal to the real masses.

Never mind the soccer mom vote etc..

The voting block this year?

Chick-Fil-A Voters... and we are them....

[CitizenM]

Matt was at the Olympics and must have tried swinging on the uneven bars, fallen on his head, and knocked a little sense into it. He will recover, and go back to his old ways after a good discussion with NBC execs.

[Dallas59]

Haven’t watched NBC in years...not even the local affiliate. Waste of time.

[Lorianne]

"I mean, the vast majority of Democrats on Capitol Hill would prefer not to have to do anything on entitlements; would prefer, frankly, not to have to do anything on some of these debt and deficit problems....

And what I’ve tried to explain to them is, number one, if you look at the numbers, then Medicare in particular will run out of money and we will not be able to sustain that program no matter how much taxes go up. I mean, it’s not an option for us to just sit by and do nothing. And if you’re a progressive who cares about the integrity of Social Security and Medicare and Medicaid, and believes that it is part of what makes our country great that we look after our seniors and we look after the most vulnerable, then we have an obligation to make sure that we make those changes that are required to make it sustainable over the long term."

___ Barack Oboma . July 11, 2011

http://historymusings.wordpress.com/2011/07/11/full-text-president-obamas-press-conference-debt-ceiling-talks-republican-congressional-leaders/