White House: We will NOT discuss broken C-Span promise

[BloodEclipse]

[Print] [email]


By: Byron York
Chief Political Correspondent
01/06/10 4:49 PM EST

On Tuesday, White House press secretary Robert Gibbs declined to answer questions about the president's campaign commitment to hold health-care negotiations on C-Span. Gibbs said he had not seen a letter from C-Span's Brian Lamb to congressional leaders requesting the coverage and thus could not comment on it.
On Wednesday, Gibbs was asked again about the C-Span commitment. The story had gotten pretty big in the intervening time, and presumably Gibbs had had a chance to familiarize himself with it. So reporters tried for a second day to get him to comment on the president's commitment to holding televised health-care talks. Gibbs' answer? "We covered this yesterday." Gibbs referred reporters to the transcript of Tuesday's briefing and said, "The answer I would give today is similar."
But of course, he hadn't answered the question at all. Here is the transcript from the Tuesday briefing:
QUESTION: C-Span television is requesting leaders in Congress to open up the debate to their cameras, and I know this is something that the President talked about on the campaign trail. Is this something that he supports, will be pushing for?
GIBBS: I have not seen that letter. I know the President is going to begin some discussions later today on health care in order to try to iron out the differences that remain between the House and the Senate bill and try to get something hopefully to his desk quite quickly….
Later in that same briefing, a reporter raised the C-Span issue again:
QUESTION: Okay, just lastly, why can't you answer the C-Span question --
GIBBS: I did.
QUESTION: You didn't, because you said --
GIBBS: I said I hadn't seen the letter, which I haven't --
QUESTION: do you need to see a letter? I mean, this is something the President said during the campaign and he talked about he wants everything open on C-SPAN --
GIBBS: Dan asked me about the letter and I haven't read the letter.
QUESTION: Well, I'll just ask you about having it on C-Span --
GIBBS: I answered Dan's question and I answered this before we left for the break, Keith. The President's number-one priority is getting the differences worked out, getting a bill to the House and the Senate…
QUESTION: There are a lot of reasons not to do it on C-Span -- people could showboat. Does he regret making that statement during the campaign?
GIBBS: No.
Fast forward to Wednesday's briefing. Another question from another reporter:
QUESTION: During the campaign the President on numerous occasions said words to the effect of -- quoting one -- "all of this will be done on C-SPAN in front of the public." Do you agree that the President is breaking an explicit campaign promise?
GIBBS: Chip, we covered this yesterday and I would refer you to yesterday's transcript.
QUESTION: But today is today and --
GIBBS: And the answer that I would give today is similar to the one --
QUESTION: But there was an intervening meeting in which it's been reported that the President pressed the leaders in Congress to take the fast-track approach, to skip the conference committee. Did he do that?
GIBBS: The President wants to get a bill to his desk as quickly as possible.
QUESTION: In spite of the fact that he promised to do this on C-Span?
GIBBS: I would refer you to what we talked about in this room yesterday.
QUESTION: But the President in this meeting yesterday --
GIBBS: And I addressed that --
QUESTION: -- pressed for something that's in direct violation of a promise he made during the campaign.
GIBBS: And I addressed that yesterday.
Another reporter took up the questioning:
QUESTION: Well, does the President think it would be more helpful if this process were more transparent, that the American people could see --
GIBBS: Mike, how many stories do you think NBC has done on this?
QUESTION: Speaking for myself --
GIBBS: Just a guess.
QUESTION: That's not the issue. The issue is whether he broke an explicit campaign promise.
GIBBS: So the answer is --
QUESTION: I deal with the information that --
GIBBS: So the answer is hundreds, is that correct?
QUESTION: Right, but that's got nothing to do with it. I deal with the information, however much or little of it, there is. I'm saying would people benefit by having more information?
GIBBS: Have you lacked information in those hundred stories? Do you think you've reported stuff that was inaccurate based on the lack of information?
QUESTION: Democrats ran against the very sort of process that is being employed in this health care --
GIBBS: We had this discussion yesterday. I answered this yesterday. Is there anything --
QUESTION: But the President met with members of Congress in the meantime --
GIBBS: And he'll do so today.
QUESTION: -- and pressed them to --
GIBBS: Do you have another question?
And that was the end of that. If the public wants to know why President Obama didn't keep his pledge to hold televised health-care negotations, they'll have to look for answers elsewhere. The White House isn't talking.


What an arrogant SOB.

 

[topgunbobby@hotmail.com]

While I agree with this new argument, I fail to understand the significance of bringing it up now. This could have been brought up a long time ago. "Let me be clear" has been his response for a long time, yet he has contradicted himself many times. This administration thrives on misdirection, so why pay into it? Why do you think he didn't denounce 'birthers' (not bashing anyone who is)? He had the birth certificate/proof. Yet he deliberately witheld them to polarize his opposition!!! What better to make your opponents sound like a bunch of conspiracy theorists! It's beautiful work for a community organizer. He is a smart, smart man, if you can see past all the smoke. I don't like his policies or his associates, but I can admire his skills of diversion. So sorry to sound like a conspiracy nut, but this news about the 'broken promises' is not as big, relatively-speaking, as the intentional bankrupting of our nation and of his socialist/marxist policies. It's not like it's the first time a politician has ever broken a promise (or shall we start a list of them)!

 

[dross]

The important thing to notice here is that finally the MSM - basically the PR arm of the administration - is breaking ranks and asking tough questions.

 

[Blue Tile Spook]

The important thing to notice here is that finally the MSM - basically the PR arm of the administration - is breaking ranks and asking tough questions.

I have seen the beginnings of some of this, and the example that comes to mind was when FOX News was not going to be allowed to interview the president and some of the FRINGE media (formerly the MSM since FOX has blown them out of the water IMO) came to the defense of FOX and said, "If they aren't allowed, then we're not doing it either."

Drudge likes to post the viewer numbers on his site, and from the looks of the last several times he posted, the FRINGE media continues to lose viewers to FOX's news and opinion shows. I think the FRINGE media new that it could hold their distance from FOX for a while but at some point would have to work with them or tighten media ties with them.

 

[IUGradStudent]

Wow.

Day 1: Well, I've never heard of that, I don't have the facts so can't answer.
Day 2: I answered that yesterday, you doofus. Any NEW questions?

LOL

 

[silentvoice71]

its like a big death ray covered up in the room......everyone knows what it is but the white house claim its a pony......not a death ray.......just a pony and it will make u happy weather u like it or not.

 

[INGunGuy]

I still dont understand why everyone is up in arms about the Health Insurance reform. There is no way in hell this bill will EVER pass Constitutional muster. Requiring a citizen to purchase health care as a requirement to be a citizen. Nope wont ever pass...

INGunGuy

 

[Bigum1969]

This is a big, steaming, smoking, stinky, nasty, disgusting pile of .

 

[topgunbobby@hotmail.com]

The important thing to notice here is that finally the MSM - basically the PR arm of the administration - is breaking ranks and asking tough questions.

A good point! This is not the first time the media has bit Gibbs' smug little hand.

I still dont understand why everyone is up in arms about the Health Insurance reform. There is no way in hell this bill will EVER pass Constitutional muster. Requiring a citizen to purchase health care as a requirement to be a citizen. Nope wont ever pass...

INGunGuy

While I applaud and uphold your belief and respect the Constitution, I know the majority of our elected officials do not. If you don't believe me, then you would need only spend 5 minutes on YouTube listening to their own personal words. This bill will pass, but if we(by we, I mean the overwhelming majority) stir up pot enough, we might be able to stop or slow them. Do we really think those elected will "protect and uphold the constitution from all enemies foreign and domestic"? I don't think it will happen. If we are counting on the judicial branch to throw it out constitutionally, that may have that happen. In the mean time, everyone/the majority of Americans will have to deal with the problem. Of course, if you meant that people will not pay and rather go to jail, then that's another matter all together.

 

[dross]

I expect that a some point before the next election, Obama will have made a great show of being very transparent on some particular piece of relatively uncontroversial legislation as insurance for the next campaign.

I have a leftie friend I use for a temperature gauge. I asked if she was bothered by the lack of promised transparency. She said she wasn't, she always felt that was campaign BS. I don't think the left cares much about this issue. They want transparency when it's not their people.

Interestingly, the only thing she was upset with about this administration is that they are "being too nice" to the opposition. That's what we're up against, folks.

 

[HICKMAN]

I still dont understand why everyone is up in arms about the Health Insurance reform. There is no way in hell this bill will EVER pass Constitutional muster. Requiring a citizen to purchase health care as a requirement to be a citizen. Nope wont ever pass...

INGunGuy

Who would stop Obama from signing it?

 

[HICKMAN]

I expect that a some point before the next election, Obama will have made a great show of being very transparent on some particular piece of relatively uncontroversial legislation as insurance for the next campaign.

I have a leftie friend I use for a temperature gauge. I asked if she was bothered by the lack of promised transparency. She said she wasn't, she always felt that was campaign BS. I don't think the left cares much about this issue. They want transparency when it's not their people.

Interestingly, the only thing she was upset with about this administration is that they are "being too nice" to the opposition. That's what we're up against, folks.

Yup, I deal with that on a daily basis as well. Mean spirited bunch...

 

[dross]

I still dont understand why everyone is up in arms about the Health Insurance reform. There is no way in hell this bill will EVER pass Constitutional muster. Requiring a citizen to purchase health care as a requirement to be a citizen. Nope wont ever pass...

INGunGuy

Have you noticed some of the things that have passed "constitutional muster"?

I don't share your faith in Justice Kennedy.

 

[antsi]

She said she wasn't, she always felt that was campaign BS.

This is actually a dramatic change from the giddy utopianism of the Obama bots in the early days. Remember when he was a totally new kind of leader, and not really a politician at all? He was going to transform Washington into a new kind of place where Unprecedented Genius would usher in a New Age of Humanity?

Now, he's just a snake oil salesman, who happens to be selling their brand of snake oil, only they wish he would hurry up and put the other brand out of business.

 

[ArmedProgrammer]

And to think that one Congressman who had the guts to say "you lie." about Obama was excoriated for it.... "Lying (degenerate) b@stard" would have been closer to the mark. While those of us on the Right or Libertarian side of things suspected that he was one, it's now blatantly apparent for the centrists to see as well. And the lefties are just hiding their head in the sand. And it's the shift of the centrists that's gonna make November's payback a witch....

 

[JCA1776]

I still dont understand why everyone is up in arms about the Health Insurance reform. There is no way in hell this bill will EVER pass Constitutional muster. Requiring a citizen to purchase health care as a requirement to be a citizen. Nope wont ever pass...

The constitutionality of the bill is not a concern to the the Democrats pushing it in Congress. When Nancy Pelosi was asked a couple of weeks ago about whether or not the bill was constitutional, her only response was a contemptuous, "Are you serious? Are you serious??" See the link below.

YouTube - Pelosi - "Are You Serious"

When Senator Mary Landrieu was asked the same question, she responded that as a US Senator, she is lucky enough to have constitutional lawyers on staff, so she would let them answer that question. But, she did go on to say that it was absolutely in the jurisdiction of Congress to come up with a health care system that would be funded with "shared responsibility." See the link below.

YouTube - Mary Landrieu asked about the Constitutionality of Health Care

However, it is not just the Democrats that have supported unconstitutional laws. The McCain-Feingold Campaign Finance Reform bill was passed into law in 2002 with wide bi-partisan support, including our very own Senator Dick Lugar.

The current US Congress does not care whether or not this bill is constitutional. They only want to get the structure in place with which to wield greater power in our individual lives.

 

[SigSense]

The current US Congress does not care whether or not this bill is constitutional. They only want to get the structure in place with which to wield greater power in our individual lives.

This is EXACTLY what it's all about. Plain and simple.

 

[Dryden]

Oh, nooooow the media is looking back at Osamabama's past statements. Where were they last year? C-SPAN gets stiffed and now they start to question the Dear One.
Hell hath no fury like the media scorned.

 

[CarmelHP]

Oh, nooooow the media is looking back at Osamabama's past statements. Where were they last year? C-SPAN gets stiffed and now they start to question the Dear One.
Hell hath no fury like the media scorned.

Impossible, this is the MOST OPEN ADMINISTRATION EVAH. Dontcha' know?

 

[dross]

Yep, they know you don't have to fool all the people all the time, you just have to have a core group of idiots to start with, and then you only have to fool the complete and total moronic idiots (also known as "swing voters") who really truly don't know by the end of October which candidate they agree with.