The look on Nora O’Donnell’s face at the end of this exchange with serious budget analyst and noble liar Paul Ryan is priceless. She’s trying to pin him down on the hypocrisy of the Romney campaign criticizing Obama for signing a “defense cuts” bill (actually the sequestration compromise) that Ryan himself voted for. That’s true, but Ryan won’t admit it. James Fallows and Think Progress both have more on our blue-eyed boy’s lies.
Yesterday’s Romney snow job on Meet the Press is already melting, even though David Gregory can’t ask a followup to save his life. One of Romney’s white lies was that his healthcare plan would cover pre-existing conditions without a mandate. We had a two year debate over Obamacare where Gregory was mainly concerned with whose fee-fees were hurt, so he doesn’t understand that private insurers can only cover pre-existing conditions with a mandate so they make money from the people who aren’t sick.
When the journalists who do understand some public policy asked their follow-ups, the whole thing collapsed. Romney’s spokesman first said that he won’t have a mandate, so pre-existing conditions won’t be covered, then the campaign clarified to say that magic market fairy dust would let them cover pre-existing conditions without a mandate.
The underlying problem is that Romney and the Republicans have provided no details on the “replace” part of “repeal and replace”. Maybe beltway mainstays like Gregory will finally catch on to this before the end of the election and ask a followup the next time Romney or Ryan talk about their “plan”.
Steve
Romney “clarified” to say that you won’t be denied based on a pre-existing condition, but only if you had previous coverage. Like if you change jobs or something.
Many people don’t know, but that was already the law. It’s Title I of HIPAA. The P stands for “Portability.”
I realize Romney is in a really tough spot on this issue, but is he really trying to get away with promising something that was already passed?
MikeJ
@Steve: Clinton signed HIPAA so it doesn’t count as an actual law until it’s blessed by a Republican. It’s like baptism of the dead for legislation.
c u n d gulag
The only “plan” they have, is to win.
By any means possible.
The ends, will justify the means.
And in the end, that means nothing good for the regular people of America.
Wag
That woman interviewing Ryan was sure enjoying stiicking it to the GOP Vp choice. Good for her!
riptyde
“The goal was never that these defense cuts actually occur”. A remarkable moment of clarity from Paul Ryan there. “Hey, we hung the military out to dry as a ruse, but we totally figured we’d talk our way out of it when the time came.”
arguingwithsignposts
I voted for it, but I didn’t vote for it at the same time! Brilliant!
Cermet
So romney wants it both ways but is screwing both bases; the teabagers will be angry and the so-called independents that lean left will realize they are being made fools.
comrade scott's agenda of rage
Wow, who woulda thunk. Norah O’Donnell isn’t exactly known as a hard-nosed questioner, she’s like the rest of the Villagers in that regard. I really do wonder if or Villager Betters actually realize they’ll sell more papers, or get more click thrus by actually DOING THEIR FUCKING JOBS and not worrying about the wingnut backlash their editors will get when they actually take on the likes of Ryan.
Believe me, O’Donnell’s bosses got blasted by phone and email by the wingnut rank and file, it’s how they operate and how they bully/intimidate the Villagers. But lately? Hmmmm, could be a sign.
Or something like that.Suffern Ace
@riptyde: Hmmm. I guess that’s called being disengineuies
dr. bloor
Only slightly less likely than the possibility that Michelle Pfeiffer will finally start returning my calls.
SFAW
@comrade scott’s agenda of rage:
Well, not compared to Fluffy Gregory, she isn’t.
Jay in Oregon
@Steve:
Well, he’s trying to get away with promising no additional job creation beyond what would already happen if the current policies continue, so…
(And this is before he starts amputating and starving social programs to feed his tax cuts, so he probably won’t even get that.)
Ash Can
@c u n d gulag: Actually, there’s more to their plan than just winning. Their plan is to win and then resume shaking down the US for their, and their friends’, personal gain.
@comrade scott’s agenda of rage: I’m thinking it’s quite possible that some of them are getting tired of being made asses of. O’Donnell’s attitude here is one of being insulted by the obviousness of Ryan’s bullshit; she’s reacting to Ryan treating her as though she doesn’t have a brain in her head. When these pundits finally reach their limits of how much abuse they can tolerate, they’ll react accordingly.
balconesfault
This is akin to why I argue that everyone who voted for the Bush Tax Cuts voted for those cuts to expire.
Feudalism Now!
Koch brothers and Crosshairs GPS money will begin to funnel to House Senate races. Romney ads will highlight the need for Repug control in Congress to undo the horrors of the Kenyan soshulist usurper tyrant. Romney is going to go full tea bagger ni*clang ringer to pull in the crazies. The Rovian ads will highlight the deficit and the need for ‘tough choices’ from ‘Daddy figures’ to replace the childlike spendthrift democrat party. Ann Marie Buerkle campaign ads for NY-25 already show this. Buerkle ads highlight the crazy, defense of marriage, pro-life, ‘strengthening’ Medicare. Crossroads and RNC ads show a childlike Maffei underwater ‘drowning us’ in debt and voting for the failed stimulus.
I suspect Romney ads to be all about changing Washington. Gov’t is the problem and the manly men and matronly women need to save us from our wastrel ways. Not an original insight, but hey it’s a Monday.
grandpa john
@arguingwithsignposts: I’m sure the MSM is all over Ryans statement like they were Kerry’s statement in 2004
grandpa john
@comrade scott’s agenda of rage: yeah , O’Donnell being a real journalist, who would have thunk it.
hep kitty
Well, again, the press, at least, appears to be none too satisfied with the Romney campaign denying them the precious access they are used to, so they don’t have as much incentive to suck up in hopes of getting greater access.
hep kitty
And then I heard Candy Crowley taking up for Mitt w/ regard to “Let Detroit Go Bankrupt”
Crowley (to paraphrase):
Just to clarify, my dad had it on yesterday, he watches ALL the Sun. morning shows, so no I did not tune in to CNN by choice!
grandpa john
@hep kitty:
and to think that this POS is going to be one of the debate moderators
PurpleGirl
The Shrill One (may he long be blessed) does not disappoint in explaining things, in this case Romney and pre-existing conditions coverage:
Cacti
@Ash Can:
Their “plan” has four basic points:
1. Pass massive permanent tax cuts for the most comfortable members of society.
2. Turn Medicare into a public-funded profit opportunity for the insurance industry.
3. Allow the financial services industry to loot the Social Security trust fund.
4. Start a war with Iran for fun and profit.
kerFuFFler
That fairy dust would have to be pretty magical given that the market would ensure a death spiral for insurers because of adverse selection. There is a reason that Mitt’s program in Massachusetts has a mandate: you cannot cover pre-existing conditions without one. It’s really that simple.
Shrillhouse
Norah O’Donnell is absolutely beautiful. Have you ever seen prettier eyes?
Steeplejack
Fallows makes another good point in his piece (linked above):
Kudos to Norah O’Donnell.
hep kitty
@grandpa john: Jeebz. Oh well, she can stuff her head as far up Mitt’s butt as it will go, but she, nor anyone else, is going to trip up our President.
Biscuits
OT, but Noron’s eye makeup is horrendous. She looks like Spock’s sister.
schrodinger's cat
@Cacti: If they succeed, then welcome to the Chinese century. Iran is three times the size of Iraq, they will have to bring the draft for a ground war in Iran.
xian
@PurpleGirl: i want the RRR campaign to become a national laughingstock and collapse sobad wingnuts are ashamed to vote and we swamp Congress too, maybe pick off another surprise state like Missouri.
Feudalism Now!
@schrodinger’s cat:
Is that a problem? The draft could solve unemployment! It is the serfs duty to die for the nobility for the good of the kingdom.
Peter
The look on her face is one of sheer incredulity. She really can’t believe someone would have the balls to say that he didn’t vote for something in the bill he voted for.
Also what the fuck’s with his line that the supercommitee produced a plan? Correct me of I’m wrong, but didn’t the supercommitee fall apart without accomplishing jack diddly squat?
schrodinger's cat
Ryan is a liar, that Mitt Romney wishes he was. When Mitt lies, he seems a tad uncomfortable but when Ryan lies he does so with absolute ease, lying is as easy as breathing is to the sociopath. He lies about stuff for self aggrandizement (marathon, fourteeners, and no doubt many more examples that we don’t know of yet)and not just political expediency (most of Romney lies). Can you imagine, what would happen if such a person becomes President.
xian
@Peter: “You’re mistaken, Nora,” he said dishonestly and with condescension in his voice.
Villago Delenda Est
@Jay in Oregon:
Once again, some libtard fails to take into account the Romney Boom that will drop from the heavens at right around noon, EST, on 20 January 2013.
Villago Delenda Est
@schrodinger’s cat:
Also, the terrain is terrible for mobile warfare. It’s serious infantry country. Any land war in Iran will be bloody and slow, with endless guerrilla actions in the rear, where all the fucking civilian slime that provide support are who will bug out in a heartbeat, leaving the troops high and dry.
It will not go well. At all.
IowaOldLady
It’s odd, but I think Ryan’s trivial lie about his marathon time really hurt him. Unlike the budget stuff, it’s easy for people to recognize, and they figure if someone will lie about an easily checkable fact like that, you can’t trust them on anything.
Gloryb
I’m beginning to think that they see these local nobody reporters get accolades for doing some, you know, real reporting, and they think that people might start questioning the justification for their large salaries.
Roger Moore
@Steve:
I don’t see why not. That seems to be SOP for corporate-backed ballot initiatives here in California. They all seem to have two parts:
1) A part that’s very popular, already the law, and will form the major talking point of their advertising campaign.
2) A part that is loosely associated with part 1) but is close enough not to fall afoul of the rule requiring initiatives to stick to a single issue, benefits the corporation(s) behind the bill, would never be passed on its own, and will never be talked about by the sponsors.
It’s a well-established formula that you can easily spot in any initiative.
mds
@Peter:
Yes, the supercommittee failed to produce an official plan … because supercommittee member Paul Ryan voted against it. Jeebus, if Paul Ryan tells you what he had for breakfast this morning, he’s lying.
Villago Delenda Est
@IowaOldLady:
Furthermore, the marathon lie is about a point of personal honor.
People can relate to this particular instance in a very personal way.
Those who are desperately trying to minimize this particular fuckup know exactly how telling it is, and are trying to downplay it as much as possible.
It reveals a great deal about Paul Ryan’s lack of character.
WaterGirl
I’m thinking these so-called journalists have been watching The Newsroom and they aren’t too happy with recognizing themselves in the cowardly behavior displayed by most of the media in the show and not recognizing themselves in the protagonists who are actually committing journalism.
Nemesis
Because, Candy sweetie, a structured bkrptcy WITHOUT the full support and backing of the US gummit would have destroyed the auto industry. Are you that partisan or just that stupid?
Its the backing of the gummit during managed bkrptcy that ensured the whole US auto industry didnt cave in on itself.
And on the US medias seemingly short fuse with the gop ticket, where were these big balls during gwb’s presidency? Why grow a pair now? Can the media see that murika is a changin?