Appearing on Tuesday's NBC Today, left-wing MSNBC host Rachel Maddow
spun the Supreme Court ruling on ObamaCare as being a judgment of how
partisan the high court has become: "...this may as m
[1]uch be a
referendum on the Supreme Court and whether or not the Roberts court is
so conservatively politicized that it will make a decision to hurt the
President, rather than sticking closely to precedent here."
Maddow touted a recent Bloomberg poll, "that 75% of people think that
the Supreme Court will decide based on their political beliefs, not on
the law." She conveniently left out the results of the latest CBS News/New [1] York Times poll [1] that showed only 36% of Americans approve of ObamaCare, while 47% disapprove. A recent Rasmussen poll [2] showed 56% favoring repeal of the law.
Rather
than challenge Maddow's assertions, Lauer wondered: "...if they uphold
this – this law, what's the effect on the President come re-election
time in November?" Surprisingly, Maddow yawned at that result: "I don't
actually think it will have that much of an effect if it is upheld....if
what the Republicans call ObamaCare, is upheld, then the President has
still reformed health care and Republicans still hate it and we're back
to where we are now." The CBS/New York Times poll found only 56% of
Democrats approved of the law.
Lauer also asked Maddow about an open mic gaffe President Obama made
while meeting with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, speaking about
having more "flexibility" to deal with Russia on arms control after his
"last election." Lauer pressed: "Why shouldn't people think this is a
disingenuous stand on foreign policy?...it adds to the cynicism that
people have. They say our leaders should take a stand on principle, not
political vulnerability."
Maddow predictably downplayed the obvious stumble for the President:
"So it's a little bit of a window into realpolitik and the way these
guys really talk to each other. I don't think we learned anything new.
But it's kind of interesting to see two leaders, you know, speaking
unguardedly."
Here is a portion of the March 27 exchange:
7:11AM ET
(...)
LAUER: Let's move over to what's happening at the Supreme Court today.
Second day of oral arguments over the President's health care reform
law. If it is struck down by the Supreme Court, talk to me about how
that affects November. And then take it the other way, if it's upheld by
the Supreme Court.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Supreme Test; How Will Health Care Debate Impact The Election?]
MADDOW: The most interesting thing that I have seen about this in terms
of how it's going to affect the public, is that Bloomberg did some
polling on it and Bloomberg's poll found that 75% of people think that
the Supreme Court will decide based on their political beliefs, not on
the law. So, this – this may as much be a referendum on the Supreme
Court and whether or not the Roberts court is so conservatively
politicized that it will make a decision to hurt the President, rather
than sticking closely to precedent here.
LAUER: If they don't, though, if they uphold this – this law, what's
the effect on the President come re-election time in November?
MADDOW: I don't actually think it will have that much of an effect if
it is upheld. I mean, I realize that the partisans who have – the people
who have made this about partisan politics think that it will be the
end-all-be-all for the election. But, if what the Republicans call
ObamaCare, is upheld, then the President has still reformed health care
and Republicans still hate it and we're back to where we are now.
LAUER: This open mic issue, okay? It happened yesterday. The President
speaking to the Russian president, said, "On all these issues, but
particularly missile defense, this can be solved but it's important for
him, Putin, to give me space." "Yeah, I understand," replied the Russian
president, "I understand your message about space." And then President
Obama said, "This is my last election. After my election, I have more
flexibility."
MADDOW: Yeah.
[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Open Mic; What Does Candid Comment Say About Obama?]
LAUER: Why shouldn't people think this is a disingenuous stand on foreign policy?
MADDOW: Well, what they're talking about is missile defense. And what
he's saying is, "We're probably not going to make any further agreements
or have any better – we're not going to make much progress in terms of
talking about missile defense while I am in an election year."
LAUER: But it adds to the cynicism that people have. They say our
leaders should take a stand on principle, not political vulnerability.
MADDOW: But the issue with arms control and the Russians is that the
agreements that the President has been making with the Russians, the
Senate will not follow. The Congress will not follow. And so, if you
want to be realistic about it, the Congress and the Senate, in
particular, is not going to follow him in an election year. So it's a
little bit of a window into realpolitik and the way these guys really
talk to each other. I don't think we learned anything new. But it's kind
of interesting to see two leaders, you know, speaking unguardedly.
(...)
-- Kyle Drennen is a news analyst at the Media Research Center. Click here [3] to follow Kyle Drennen on Twitter.