Is it asking too much of these talking heads to call one of these guys out after they've told this lie about a thousand times on the television?
While discussing whether or not the Democrats are going to have the votes to pass this health care bill, John Boehner repeats the talking point that the United States has the "best health care system in the world" with predictions of doom and gloom if the bill passes.
Rather than pointing out that we're actually about 37th in the world with our health care outcomes, Gregory jumps in there before Steny Hoyer can respond and shows a picture of Nancy Pelosi on a horse trying to herd cats and changes the subject instead.
DAVID GREGORY: Leader Boehner, do they have the votes?
REP. JOHN BOEHNER: Well, it's clear from-- listening to-- to Steny that-- they don't have the votes yet. You have to think about this, 54 speeches by the President of the United States over the last year. A year's conversation with the American People. And they've been heavily engaged in this conversation for nine months. The Senate bill's been out there now for three months. And yet, after all of this hand wringing, all of this debate, millions of Americans upset on both sides of this debate-- we're about to make this historic change on a purely partisan vote.
And I think if the American People stay engaged in this fi-- fight-- for the next few hours-- that this-- this fight is not lost yet. This fight for having real health care reform-- on a step by step basis to make our current system work better-- really can happen. But first, we have to stop this bill. Which will ruin our economy-- ruin our health care system, the best health care system in the world.
DAVID GREGORY: All right, you'll-- you'll be able to respond to some of the substance of that. But I thought Rex Dowdman in the Sacramento (UNINTEL) cartoonist summed up what the final push really looks like in this cartoon. You have Speaker Pelosi, the rough rider, trying to herd cats, literally in the Democratic Caucus. To Leader Boehner's point, why is this vote so close? Does it have something to do with the fact that if you look at the opinion surveys, the public's against it?
REP. STENY HOYER: No, I don't think that's right. The Economist poll shows that the majority of Americans are for it. Kaiser (PH) shows that Amer-- Americans are for it. Wall Street Journal poll that came out just a few days ago shows that--
DAVID GREGORY: That's our poll. That's not what it shows. It shows-- a majority want them to complete it, but the majority are opposed to it.
REP. STENY HOYER: Well, I think if you look at every one of the internals David about-- stopping insurance companies from-- from preventing preexisting conditions from getting insurance. From putting-- so much money on-- you have to spend per year that you go bankrupt. And not putting on-- lifetime caps. Those insurance reforms. Those process reforms-- to insurance companies that are hurting Americans-- are all supported by overwhelming numbers of people.
REP. STENY HOYER: Listen, there's no question----we ought to have a-- national exchanges so that the free market can be-- operate so you can have transparency and competition. Let me also say about this vote, David-- you remember the prescription drug bill? You remember that it took them three hours from 3:00 AM in the morning to 6:00 AM-- in the morning-- to-- bludgeon their members to get it to pass. And it was very controversial. And guess what? People like that prescription drug program. And in fact, we're gonna make sure that the failures of that program to-- to make sure all Americans could afford it-- we're gonna close the donut hole for seniors. So, I think that-- Americans are for this bill. What they don't like is the divisiveness, the competition, and very frankly, the misrepresentation.
