Posted on 11/14/2013 11:23:07 AM PST by Kaslin
CBS journalist Major Garrett grilled Barack Obama at a White House news conference, Thursday. On the subject of ObamaCare's disastrous rollout, the reporter repeatedly zeroed in on what the President knew and when: "You said after the law was implemented or signed, if like your plan, you can keep it. Americans believed you, sir, when you said that to them over and over."[See video below. MP3 audio here.]
Garrett pushed, "Do you not believe, sir, the American people deserve a deeper, more transparent accountability from you as to why you said it over and over and when your own statistics, published in the Federal Register, alerted your policy staff, and I presume you, to the fact that millions of Americans would, in fact, probably fall into the very gap you are trying to administratively fix now?" The journalist wasn't done. He offered up two more hard-hitting queries.
CBS's Major Garrett Grills Obama on Breaking Promise to Americans: Where's the Accountability?
Garrett added, "You were informed or – several people in this building were informed two weeks before the launch of the website that it was failing the most basic tests internally. Yet, a decision was made to launch the website on October 1st. Did you, sir, make that test and if so, did you regret it?"
Obama professed ignorance:
OBAMA: On the website, I was not informed directly that the website would not be working the way it was supposed to. Had I been informed I wouldn't be going out saying "boy, this is going to be great." You know, I'm accused of a lot of things but I don't think that I'm stupid enough to go around saying this is going to be like shopping on Amazon or Travelocity a week before the website open it is I thought it wasn't going to work.
Staying focused, Garrett demanded, "Did you decide, sir, that the simple declaration was something the American people could handle but this nuance was something they couldn't handle and didn't trust the American people with the fuller truth?"
A transcript of the questions and some of Obama's answers follow:
11/14/1312: 20
BARACK OBAMA: Major Garrett.
MAJOR GARRETT: Thank you, Mr. President. You said while the law was being debated, if you like your plan, you can keep it. You said after the law was implemented or signed, if like your plan, you can keep it. Americans believed you, sir, when you said that to them over and over. Do you not believe, sir, the American people deserve a deeper, more transparent accountability from you as to why you said it over and over and when your own statistics, published in the Federal Register, alerted your policy staff, and I presume you, to the fact that millions of Americans would, in fact, probably fall into the very gap you are trying to administratively fix now? That's one question. Second question. [Laughter in room.] You were informed or – several people in this building were informed two weeks before the launch of the website that it was failing the most basic tests internally. And yet, a decision was made to launch the website on October 1. Did you, sir, make that test and if so, did you regret it?
OBAMA: Okay. On the website, I was not informed directly that the website would not be working the way it was supposed to. Had I been informed I wouldn't be going out saying "boy, this is going to be great. You know, I'm accused of a lot of things but I don't think that I'm stupid enough to go around saying this is going to be like shopping on Amazon or Travelocity a week before the website open it is I thought it wasn't going to work.
...
GARRETT: Did you decide, sir, that the simple declaration was something the American people could handle but this nuance was something they couldn't handle and didn't trust the American people with the fuller truth?
OBAMA: No. I think, as I said earlier, major, Major, my expectation was that for 98 percent of the American people either it genuinely wouldn't change at all or they would be pleasantly surprised with the options in the marketplace.
So why would he go out saying that if he had no information about what he was promoting?
You have got to give Major his due, he asked a tough question.
Now my question Major: Why have the media permitted this travesty to proceed for 5.5 years without anyone holding Obama accountable for anything?
I haven't seen any of it, but the minute I heard all this uproar over Major Garrett I became suspicious. He's part of Obama's 'A'-Team. So even if what he asks seems a bit contentious, my guess is it came approved and prepared.
OBAMA: No. I think, as I said earlier, major, Major, my expectation was that for 98 percent of the American people either it genuinely wouldn’t change at all or they would be pleasantly surprised with the options in the marketplace.
Translation: I have a two digit IQ - or I’m lying through my whistling teeth.
Exactly.
If he “was not informed directly”, was he informed indirectly?
“Stand by that mirror, Kathleen. And face the other way. Now, tell me how the website is coming along.”
“....As Richard Baehr put it:
Since policies on exchanges assumed (at least in insurance company minds) that their policyholders would shift, they now have to re-price both the old policies which they had abandoned and the new ones. In the time frame involved — by December 15 — this is IMPOSSIBLE!
This fix is designed to fix nothing, but just look like a fix. Insurance companies can decide to stick with their cancellations and they become the bad guys. In essence, this is design of the fix: shift blame. If the insurance companies decide to reoffer old policies, which could be very costly at this point, insurance commissioners in Democratic states, who understand the impact of fewer enrollees on the exchanges, can override the administration fix, and force people to move to exchanges.
My guess is few if any insurance companies will reoffer old policies. I like the Landrieu bill better than Upton, since it is mandatory, and effectively guarantees first year failure of Obamacare. Of course it is financially harmful to insurance companies, but they at least are not bad guys for refusing Obama’s fix. The people in the White House are not real brainy, if this is the best they can do.
Ed Lasky adds:
They are tying themselves into knots. Why can’t uninsured people get the presumably better deals being offered by private insurance companies to old customers?.....
May 2, 2013
RUSH: Dingy Harry “says he shares colleagues’ concerns that the Affordable Care Act could become a ‘train wreck’ if it’s not implemented properly,” which means as quick as it can be before people figure out even more what’s in it. Dingy Harry “warned that people will not be able to choose health insurance plans on government health exchanges if federal authorities lack the resources to set them up and educate the public. ‘Max [Baucus ] said unless we implement this properly it’s going to be a train wreck, and I agree with him,’ Reid said...”
don’t worry, CBS will soon either fire him or brainwash him into an Obamabot.
No hard feelings. In fact, Garrett’s going to get an exclusive interview out of it. Somewhere close by, nice and peaceful - Fort Marcy Park. Funny, though, they don’t usually do interviews at that time of night...
It’s time for a committee of mature, adult dims (are there any left?) to go down to the White House and tell obama that it’s time for him to resign, ala Richard Nixon. Then we can be entertained by the other buffoon, biden, for the remainder of the term.
CBS knew what they were getting with Garrett. He had been doing the same thing on FOX for years when Bret Hume had the 6pm show.
He is
Anyone know why he left FOX?
Don’t come to a premature conclusion.
Exactly, oh and you forgot CNN
I did not watch it, because I can not listen to that arrogant pos. I changed the channel, just before he came up and watched a movie. I checked during the commercial if he was done with his lies and switched back to the channel the movie was on
Why do you call him Bambi? It sounds so affectionate.
Especially in the Senate.>>>>
Isn't it the truth, that this is exactly what you want?
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