When a high school student asked President Obama about his administrations record of transparency, he replied that he should have made sure the health care negotiations were actually on C-SPAN, like he promised at least eight times:
President Obama on Tuesday said he “probably should have” made sure the closed-door meetings on Democrats’ health care overhaul were broadcast to the public on C-SPAN — as he pledged during the campaign — and said it’s a “legitimate criticism” to hold him accountable for not living up to his promise.
Had he stopped there, one could actually have some respect for the man, having taken responsibility for failing his voters. But then:
But Mr. Obama, answering a high school student’s question about his administration’s record on openness, stressed that most of the deliberations over the health care bills were in fact on television because they were negotiated in several congressional committees during open hearings.
This is the classic, “I’m sorry I just piled all the mess into my closet when I cleaned the room. I know it’s not what you wanted…but the room is cleaner now, so really you have nothing to complain about…”
He’s telling them he didn’t do what he later says was done.
Who cares if the original bills were on C-SPAN if the negotiations are behind closed doors, which Obama admitted they were:
Mr. Obama nevertheless acknowledged that he met repeatedly with Democratic leaders on Capitol Hill behind closed doors to discuss how to merge the House and Senate health bills, which take different approaches to several thorny issues. Doing so violated the letter and — according to some — the spirit of a pledge he made on the campaign trail to broadcast all the negotiations on C-SPAN.
Read the bold text. Remember it.
Now push play:
Eight times.
He promised at least eight times. Then he turned right around and did what he promised not to do.
