NBC Brings on Pelosi to Bash Romney Over Video, A 'Gift from Above' for Democrats
In an interview with Democratic House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday's NBC Today,
co-host Savannah Guthrie teed up the liberal congresswoman to rip into
Mitt Romney over a hidden camera video of him at a fundraiser: "Republicans
and Democrats have criticized him for it. I'm sure Democrats view it as
a gift from above, but do you think with the big issues facing our
country, this is something that should be a substantive part of our
campaign?" [Listen to the audio]
Predictably, Pelosi was eager for the topic to be an issue in the
presidential race: "Absolutely. This is fundamental." She slammed Romney
for having "demonstrated the demeaning attitude that...[he] has toward a
large segment of the American people." In an odd slip of the tongue,
she referred to "Governor Obama," but Guthrie never corrected her.
To Guthrie's credit, she did raise a similar incident involving Barack
Obama speaking at a fundraiser in 2008: "...then-Senator Obama was
quoted calling Pennsylvania voters "bitter" and said that they clung to
their guns and their religion. Do you see any difference between those
two scenarios?"
After Pelosi completely dodged the question, Guthrie followed up: "In
terms of a moment where a candidate, in speaking candidly to private
fundraisers, speaks somewhat disparagingly of some voters, do you see a
difference between those two scenarios?" Pelosi argued: "I think it's a
drastic difference. What Governor Romney said here was disparaging to
our whole system, our whole system, which is that we are a sense of
community."
Guthrie also asked if Pelosi approved of such secret video taping at
private campaign events. Pelosi replied: "I don't think there's ever any
private fundraiser. I think that when you run for president, everything
you say is a matter – should be a matter of public record, or it can
be." Guthrie wondered: "So you don't change your wording behind closed
doors?" Pelosi asserted: "No, no, I always assume, and I say what I
believe."
Moving on to congressional politics, Guthrie asked Pelosi if
Republicans would cooperate with Democrats if President Obama won
reelection:
Let me ask you something about the President has been saying a lot on the campaign trail, that if he wins reelection he'll have a better time of it, he be able to get more done, essentially, because he believes the fever will break, that the Republicans will stop blocking his – his agenda. You've been around Congress a long time. Do you share that optimism?
Pelosi
proclaimed: "Well, first of all, when we were in the majority and the
President in his first two years, we had the most productive Congress in
history for the American people....We cooperated with President Bush
when I was speaker and he was president."
Rather than challenge Pelosi on those statements, Guthrie simply turned
to Democratic chances of winning back the House: "Is it a long shot at
this point? Would you call it 50/50?" Pelosi declared: "Oh, no, I think
it's 50/50 and especially since the selection of Ryan, that tipped
things very much our way because that put the issue of Medicare. Ryan
wants to sever the Medicare guarantee, it will be gone..." Again, no
challenge from Guthrie.
Wrapping up the soft interview, Guthrie fumbled Pelosi's congressional
title and explained: "...we're so used to saying Speaker that I messed
it up."
Here is a full transcript of the September 19 segment:
7:00AM ET TEASE:
MATT LAUER: Romney allows the press into two new fundraisers and offers
no apologies. This morning, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi is here
to weigh in.
7:08AM ET SEGMENT:
SAVANNAH GUTHRIE: Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi is the House Democratic leader. Congresswoman Pelosi, it's good to see you.
NANCY PELOSI: Good morning.
GUTHRIE:
Let's talk about this tape. Mitt Romney has said it may have been
inelegantly stated, but he stands by the sentiment. Republicans and
Democrats have criticized him for it. I'm sure Democrats view it as a
gift from above, but do you think with the big issues facing our
country, this is something that should be a substantive part of our
campaign?
PELOSI: Absolutely. This is fundamental. As the President said last
night, the president has to be president of all the people. This,
unfortunately, demonstrated the demeaning attitude that Governor Obama
[Romney] has toward a large segment of the American people.
GUTHRIE: This tape reminded a lot of people of a moment in 2008, during
the Democratic campaign, when then-Senator Obama was quoted calling
Pennsylvania voters "bitter" and said that they clung to their guns and
their religion. Do you see any difference between those two scenarios?
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Pelosi in the House; Is it Fair to Blame Romney for Private Remarks?]
PELOSI: I see a difference in this respect because this clearly
differentiates President Obama from Governor Romney. The Democrats
believe in reigniting the American dream, to build ladders of
opportunity for all who want to work hard, play by the rules, and take
responsibility. And this – and we know we have a lot of work to do to
get that done. With this he says, "I'll get my ladder and walk away, the
rest of you are not even trying."
GUTHRIE: In terms of a moment where a candidate, in speaking candidly
to private fundraisers, speaks somewhat disparagingly of some voters, do
you see a difference between those two scenarios?
PELOSI: I think it's a drastic difference. What Governor Romney said
here was disparaging to our whole system, our whole system, which is
that we are a sense of community. Many of the people he is talking about
not paying taxes include thousands of millionaires not paying taxes.
But the fact is even Republicans disagree with the idea that – that he
is proposing.
GUTHRIE: This was secretly recorded by someone who was supposed to be
at a private fundraiser. As somebody who speaks a lot at private
fundraisers, do you approve of that conduct?
PELOSI: I don't think there's ever any private fundraiser. I think that
when you run for president, everything you say is a matter – should be a
matter of public record, or it can be. Especially
GUTHRIE: So you don't change your wording behind closed doors?
PELOSI: No, no, I always assume, and I say what I believe. And I think
that's what Governor Romney did. I think he said what he believed, and
what he believed is to – is not in furtherance of the American dream for
the American people, work hard, play by the rules, take responsibility.
And it is – what are we talking about? People on Social Security, they
paid into that. People on Medicare, many of them – most of them paid
into that. So it's a – it's even a false – it's even a false premise
that he's putting forth, but it's a demeaning one.
GUTHRIE: Real quickly on this. Governor Romney opened up his last two
fundraisers to the public, to the media, to cameras. Would you be
willing to do the same kind of thing? Do you think the President should
do the same kind of thing?
PELOSI: Well that's really mostly up to the host. People sometimes
don't want cameras in their homes or whatever that is. That's really up
to the host. As far as I'm concerned, every event is a public event
unless you're going to confession or something.
GUTHRIE: Let me ask you something about the President has been saying a
lot on the campaign trail, that if he wins reelection he'll have a
better time of it, he be able to get more done, essentially, because he
believes the fever will break, that the Republicans will stop blocking
his – his agenda. You've been around Congress a long time. Do you share
that optimism?
PELOSI: Well, first of all, when we were in the majority and the
President in his first two years, we had the most productive Congress in
history for the American people, but we fully intend to win this
election, and one way or another there has to be cooperation. We
cooperated with President Bush when I was speaker and he was president.
There has to be cooperation. We owe it to the American people.
GUTHRIE: You need 25 seats to win back the Democratic majority in the
House. Is it a long shot at this point? Would you call it 50/50?
PELOSI: Oh, no, I think it's 50/50 and especially since the selection
of Ryan, that tipped things very much our way because that put the issue
of Medicare. Ryan wants to sever the Medicare guarantee, it will be
gone, and we want to make sure that it is a guarantee, not a gamble.
GUTHRIE: I know it's an issue you're talking a lot about on the
campaign trail. House Leader – Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, thank you,
we're so used to saying Speaker that I messed it up.
PELOSI: Thank you, Savannah.
GUTHRIE: But thank you for being here, appreciate it.
PELOSI: My pleasure, thank you.
