On Monday's PoliticsNation, Washington Post columnist Dana Milbank claimed that it "couldn't be the case at this time" that ObamaCare is already causing people to lose their current health insurance plans, in spite of all the documented cases insurance companies canceling plans as they struggle to comply with ObamaCare regulations.
After recounting the story of one man who appeared on FNC's Hannity show who supposedly misunderstood the ObamaCare law, Milbank continued:
I think what's going on, on the right now, it's sort of cynical which may surprise you just a little bit. But the idea is anything that goes bad in health care in America they feel that they can make this president own. So if anybody's premiums have to go up, if anybody's lost their health care coverage, they're going to say that's because of ObamaCare even though pretty much by definition, that couldn't be the case at this time.
Host Al Sharpton had alluded to an article from Salon.com [1] which complains that several guests on FNC's Hannity show who lost insurance have not yet tried the ObamaCare exchanges, ignoring President Obama's promise that people would be able to keep their current plans.
Milbank then fretted:
So what I was saying earlier is that it would be nice if the President and his administration could be making a more full-throated case right now arguing for the merits. And they've really been hobbled by their own IT people inside HHS who have not allowed him to make that more assertive case. Yet he was quite upbeat in the White House. I was there in the Rose Garden today. But it's just a shame that he's got this drag at this moment because he really should be making the case for the policy.
Below is a transcript of the relevant portion of the Tuesday, October 21, PoliticsNation on MSNBC:
AL SHARPTON: Now, you know, Dana, I'll give you another example of these exaggerations. Fox News recently did a segment about ObamaCare with some people who claim the law was hurting them personally in their business. Watch this.
SEAN HANNITY, FNC: Average Americans, their families are also feeling the pain thanks to the health care overhaul train wreck. And six of them, they're here with us tonight.
SHARPTON: But Salon, Joan's Web site, followed up with some investigative work, the report titled "Inside the Fox News Lie Machine: I Fact-checked Sean Hannity on ObamaCare." And the reporter interviewed the people supposedly getting gouged by ObamaCare. And it turned out none of them had even visited the insurance exchange. So they're jumping on anything because they never wanted the Affordable Care Act known as ObamaCare.
DANA MILBANK, WASHINGTON POST: That's right. And in that same report, this fellow who's claiming he's cutting back on his employees because ObamaCare was actually misreading the law and wasn't required to do so in the first place. I think what's going on, on the right now, it's sort of cynical which may surprise you just a little bit. But the idea is anything that goes bad in health care in America they feel that they can make this president own. So if anybody's premiums have to go up, if anybody's lost their health care coverage, they're going to say that's because of ObamaCare even though pretty much by definition, that couldn't be the case at this time.
So what I was saying earlier is that it would be nice if the President and his administration could be making a more full-throated case right now arguing for the merits. And they've really been hobbled by their own IT people inside HHS who have not allowed him to make that more assertive case. Yet he was quite upbeat in the White House. I was there in the Rose Garden today. But it's just a shame that he's got this drag at this moment because he really should be making the case for the policy.
SHARPTON: No, I agree with you it's a shame that he has to deal with this and someone ought to be held accountable. But as I said at the beginning of the show, Dana, I'm in Chicago. I'm headed to New York tomorrow. Even if the pilot takes a route that is more turbulent and out of the way than he could have had a smooth flight, I still keep in mind my destination is New York, not just a smooth ride.
MILBANK: The key is in getting there.
SHARPTON: We got some serious problems on the ride, but let's not get off the plane till we arrive at affordable health care for all Americans.