Here's your CNN "centrist" folks. Someone repeating every Republican talking point in the book and saying it's unfair to say that the GOP has been obstructing for anything other than principled rather than political reasons. And of course money and the insurance industry never have anything to do with how someone votes in Gergen's world. It's a "side argument".
Gergen's been around advising several administrations and following politics for a lot longer than I have. He knows full well he's full of crap here but that doesn't stop him from towing the line for the health insurance industry and the GOP and pretending their profits are not THE issue with this debate. Just shameful.
COOPER: David, it is interesting, though. This is exactly what then-candidate Obama said he was best at, getting people from divergent points of view to agree on something and actually get things done. It hasn't worked out that way. I mean, what -- what did you think of what he said today? What do you think of his chances moving forward?
GERGEN: Anderson, he inherited a political dynamic in Washington. It was unhealthy. And then by contracting out the writing of the bill to the House and Senate Democrats, and the process that then followed, the Republicans felt very marginalized, not a -- didn't have a seat at the table, especially in the House.
And to come at this last minute with essentially a 2,000-page- plus bill and say, we would like to add a few amendments from Republicans, it's -- that is not going to fly. It is -- I think it helps him with his outreach to the country to show that he is being reasonable. I think it may help him with some moderate Democrats.
But it was -- it was just built in that he wasn't going to get Republicans. The Republicans believe that this is a fundamentally flawed plan. I think he mischaracterized the Republican opposition today. He said -- Basically, he said today, if you vote against my bill, that is because you are voting for the insurance companies.
This is not about insurance companies, from a Republican point of view. It is about -- you know, it is about government intervention, a large cost, and significant question marks about it.
COOPER: Yes.
GERGEN: Democrats believe that we have a moral responsibility to provide coverage. That is a legitimate argument. The insurance argument, I think, is a side argument.
