Serving as President Obama's stenographer on Monday's NBC Nightly News,
chief White House correspondent Chuck Todd eagerly touted the President
hammering Republicans on the debt ceiling during a midday press
conference: "And with Washington once again careening toward a
fiscal crisis...the President made it clear he intends to stand
firm....[He] acknowledged Republicans could end up shutting down the
government if he doesn't yield on spending cuts. But he warned against
it." [Listen to the audio [1]]
During the final press conference of Obama's first term, Todd urged the
President to follow the recommendations of fellow Democrats and
unilaterally raise the nation's debt limit without congressional
approval: "Harry Reid sent you a letter, begging you, essentially, to
take – consider some sort of executive action on this debt ceiling
issue....Jim Clyburn asked you to use the 14th Amendment....He brought
up the Emancipation Proclamation...he compared the debt ceiling to that.
So are you considering a plan 'B'? And if not, why not?"
On Tuesday's Today, Todd touted his question to the President
and sympathetically declared: "The President, though, was pessimistic
when it comes to the idea of whether there's going to be a government
shutdown. He acknowledged that House Republicans may have the votes to
do that."
News briefs later on the morning show kept up the pressure on the GOP
to agree to a debt ceiling raise. At the top of the 8 a.m. et hour, CNBC
reporter Mary Thompson promoted Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke
following White House talking points on the issue: "He thinks that
Congress should raise it, noting it doesn't mean the government's gonna
spend any more money, merely that it will pay the bills it's already has
incurred."
At the top of the 9 a.m. et hour, news reader Natalie Morales reported:
"New financial troubles for the nation, even after averting the fiscal
cliff, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner tells Congress that the
government will exhaust its borrowing limit by the middle of next month,
that is earlier than expected. On Monday, President Obama warned that
if Congress doesn't raise the debt ceiling, the nation will face serious
repercussions."
None of the NBC coverage of the press conference laid blame for the stalemate on President Obama.
Here is a full transcript of Todd's January 14 Nightly News report:
7:09PM ET
BRIAN WILLIAMS: President Obama said today he's reviewing a series of
proposals from Vice President Biden about how to curb gun violence in
this country. The President was asked about that fight today at his
final news conference of his first term. He was also pressed about this
looming fight over the debt ceiling. Our chief White House correspondent
Chuck Todd was part of the questioning. He joins us from there tonight.
Chuck, good evening.
CHUCK
TODD: Good evening, Brian. Well, as you mentioned, Vice President Biden
formally gave the President the gun violence task force recommendation
that he was charged with getting. And while the President said he's
formally going to unveil what his proposals are going to be, he did say
today that if Congress doesn't act, at this news conference, he's
willing to do it himself. During the hour-long press conference,
President Obama said he wants stronger background checks and limits on
assault weapons and ammunition. But acknowledged the difficult politics.
BARACK OBAMA: Those are things I continue to believe make sense. Will all of them get through this Congress? I don't know.
TODD: And he said administrative action, such as backtracking guns used
by criminals, are things he may be able to do right away.
OBAMA: I'm confident that there are some steps that we can take that don't require legislation.
TODD: But gun control was not the President's main focus today. He
reiterated that he won't negotiate with congressional Republicans over
whether to raise the country's virtual credit card limit to pay its
bills.
OBAMA: We are not a deadbeat nation. Raising the debt ceiling does not
authorize more spending. It simply allows the country to pay for
spending that Congress has already committed to.
TODD: And with Washington once again careening toward a fiscal crisis,
this one involving debt and spending, the President made it clear he
intends to stand firm.
OBAMA: If congressional Republicans refuse to pay America's bills on
time, Social Security checks and veterans' benefits will be delayed.
TODD: The President acknowledged Republicans could end up shutting down
the government if he doesn't yield on spending cuts. But he warned
against it.
OBAMA: I think it would be profoundly damaging to our economy. I think
it would actually add to our deficit, because it will impede growth.
TODD: Another more immediate political fight for the President,
confirming his Pentagon nominee, Chuck Hagel, a Republican, who got a
boost on Meet the Press Sunday from former Republican Secretary of State
Colin Powell, who used the occasion to take a larger, deeper shot at
the GOP.
COLIN POWELL: There's also a dark – a dark vein of intolerance of some
parts of the party. What do I mean by that? What I mean by that is, they
still sort of look down on minorities. How can I evidence that? When I
see a former governor say that the President is "shuckin' and jivin'."
That's a racial era slave term.
TODD: Now, Brian, the issue of the lack of diversity in the President's
second-term appointment so far actually came up at the press conference
today, and the President simply asked for more time, defended his
record of diversity in the first term, and said wait until he's finished
with all of his appointments.
WILLIAMS: Chuck Todd on the north lawn of the White House for us tonight. Chuck, thanks.