CBS Plays Softball With Durbin on ObamaCare, Chicago Teachers Strike
On Monday's CBS This Morning, Charlie Rose and Norah O'Donnell
let Illinois Senator Dick Durbin forward the Democratic Party's talking
points against Mitt Romney on ObamaCare by tossing him softball
questions on the issue. Rose acknowledged that "the Obama health care
reform was unpopular in the country", but wondered if Republicans would "be on dangerous ground if the debate becomes health care."
Rose merely prompted Senator Durbin for his take on the Chicago teacher's strike: "Quickly turning to local politics in Chicago, the public schools strike", with O'Donnell adding that "in the end, it's the children who suffer."
The veteran PBS host first asked the Senate majority whip about Romney
affirming that he would keep two provisions of ObamaCare: pre-existing
conditions and the coverage of adults under 26 on their parents' health
plans: "So, what do you make of this Romney – saying that on
these two provisions, he wants to keep them - two things that I would
assume people – most people are in favor of?" This set up
Durbin to reply, in part, that "Governor Romney should
understand...[that] the concept of insurance is to bring into the pool
healthy people, as well as sick people....That's why the idea of an
individual mandate – personal responsibility – was part of
Massachusetts, and part of the Obama plan."
O'Donnell followed up by repeating a talking point of ObamaCare supporters: "That's
the whole point, I thought, of ObamaCare, was in order to get more
people pre-existing coverage, you had to expand the base and mandate
that individuals and employers pay for health insurance." The
Illinois Democrat answered by continuing his attack on the Republican
presidential candidate: "He's trying to take the popular part - coverage
of people with pre-existing conditions - and not acknowledge the basis
for it, which is to bring everybody in, as ObamaCare does. So, he's
picking and choosing the pieces he likes, but they don't fit....But I
think they're on the defensive. As Bill Clinton said, the arithmetic is not on their side."
The two CBS anchors made their beyond kid glove treatment of the
teachers strike near the end of the segment. The closest that they got
to asking a tough question was when O'Donnell brought up the recent
unemployment figures: "This election is still going to be about the
economy and jobs, and we had a very disappointing jobs report on Friday:
just 96,000 new jobs, well below expectations. How does President Obama and the Democrats get elected, given that there's still so much pain and anxiety out there?"
Even though Rose and O'Donnell had the number two Democrat in the
Senate on their program, they didn't ask their guest about his caucus's
failure to pass a budget since April 9, 2009.
The full transcript of Charlie Rose and Norah O'Donnell's interview of Senator Dick Durbin from Monday's CBS This Morning:
CHARLIE ROSE: With us now, Illinois Senator Dick Durbin, the Senate majority whip. Welcome.
SEN. DICK DURBIN, (D), ILLINOIS: Good morning.
ROSE: So, what do you make of this: Romney saying that on these two
provisions [of ObamaCare], he wants to keep them - two things that I
would assume people – most people are in favor of?
[CBS News Graphic: "Race For The White House: IL Senator On Romney's Health Plan"]
DURBIN: Widely popular-
ROSE: Yeah-
DURBIN: This is the part of ObamaCare Republicans could never explain -
1.6 million young people now are covered under their parents' plan.
It's a good idea, because, you know, young people come out of college
looking for a job. They get their first job that doesn't have health
insurance. They can stay on their parents' plan, and that's part of
ObamaCare.
The second part is one that Governor Romney should understand from
Massachusetts: the concept of insurance is to bring into the pool
healthy people, as well as sick people. And so, if you just bring in
sick people when they're sick, it doesn't work. That's why the idea of
an individual mandate – personal responsibility – was part of
Massachusetts, and part of the Obama plan.
O'DONNELL: Well, I thought the whole point is, you can't get insurance
companies to bring in people with pre-existing conditions unless you
broaden the base-
DURBIN: That's it-
O'DONNELL: Because they're expensive - people with pre-existing
conditions are expensive. So, that's the whole point, I thought, of
ObamaCare, was in order to get more people pre-existing coverage, you
had to expand the base and mandate that individuals and employers pay
for health insurance.
DURBIN: Governor Romney knows it, because he put the mandate in place
in Massachusetts for that very same reason, and this is called adverse
selection. If you just wait to buy insurance when you're sick, then it
doesn't work, and he knows that. And now, he's trying to take the
popular part - coverage of people with pre-existing conditions - and not
acknowledge the basis for it, which is to bring everybody in, as
ObamaCare does. So, he's picking and choosing the pieces he likes, but
they don't fit.
ROSE: The impression was, politically, that the Obama health care
reform was unpopular in the country. Now, you have this debate going on.
Are the Republicans going to emphasize the economy, or are they going
to be on dangerous ground if the debate becomes health care?
DURBIN: Well, I think health care is an important issue, but I think
the economy is still the overriding issue. This is the one people will
look to, and it gets back to what Bill Clinton said at the election
[sic] - the arithmetic of the positions of Romney and [Paul] Ryan. And,
Norah, you raised this yesterday with Congressman Ryan. I mean, they
are arguing against things that Congressman Ryan has voted for, and
they're trying to pick out pieces of ObamaCare that they like. This
selective approach - one from column A and one from column B - doesn't
make for much of a campaign. But I think they're on the defensive. As
Bill Clinton said, the arithmetic is not on their side.
O’DONNELL: Despite all of that, this economy is still going – this
election is still going to be about the economy and jobs, and we had a
very disappointing jobs report on Friday: just 96,000 new jobs, well
below expectations. How does President Obama and the Democrats get
elected, given that there's still so much pain and anxiety out there?
[CBS News Graphic: "Race For The White House: IL Senator On Obama Jobs Plan"]
DURBIN: Still, thirty straight months of private sector jobs creation
improvement, which is what we want – we'd like to see a faster pace –
and a slight downtick in the unemployment rate. We want to see, as I
said, a quicker pace. But we put the President's approach, which is
showing positive results, against a Romney theory, which doesn't even
compute. It doesn't calculate – the arithmetic doesn't work. And we
think that's what the voters will come into. They'll take a look at this
and say, after all the rhetoric is set aside, why would we stop an
improving economy with President Obama's leadership?
ROSE: Quickly turning to local politics in Chicago, the public schools strike.
[CBS News Graphic: "Chicago Teacher Strike: IL Senator On Labor Showdown"]
DURBIN: Twenty-five years since it's happened – it's – it's really
devastating, when you think about the impact on families, particularly
on the children. And I understand what the mayor is trying to do. He's
trying to say to Karen Lewis, with the teachers' union, roll up your
sleeves. Let's sit down and get it done. And that's exactly what needs
to occur.
ROSE: Because you've also said – go ahead-
O’DONNELL: I was just going to say, but, in the end, it's the children who suffer because-
DURBIN: Absolutely. What are you going to do with these poor kids now?
The parents are trying to figure out day care, who's going to watch the
kids. They should be in school.
ROSE: So how long will it last?
DURBIN: Well, it's hard to say. The sooner it ends, the better for Chicago.
ROSE: Thank you, Senator.
DURBIN: Thank you.
