Meet The Press - December 20, 2009

Guests:
David Axelrod
Howard Dean
Joe Scarborough
Markos Moulistas
Ed Gillespie
Tavis Smiley
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Gregory: Axel did you win or sell out all your principles for a terrible health bill?

Axelrod: both

Gregory: explain

Axelrod: we’re going to help a few people without insurance and reduce the deficit by a trillion dollars

Gregory: please say “mission accomplished”
so I can make fun of you for it

Axelrod: look I know liberals are mad but Paul Krugman supports it and it will end all preexisting conditions

Gregory: will any part of the House bill survive?

Axelrod: maybe the first “whereas”

Gregory: why the fuck do we need 60 votes to
pass laws in the Senate?

Axelrod: it’s time-honored abject stupidity

Gregory: we asked some Poles and they don’t understand this bill at all

Axelrod: when you tell people what we pretend
is in the bill then people love it

Gregory: it’s so sad that Republicans once supported Medicare but now Obama can’t
get any get GOP votes - doesn’t that prove that Obama is a total failure?

Axelrod: I heard you were a moron Fluffy -
but you’re an obtuse hack too

Gregory: [ fluffs hair ] um what

Axelrod: hey idiot - the GOP has become an obstructionist party of total assholes

Gregory: yeah but they’re rich and so funny

Axelrod: can I talk to Luke Russsert - at least
he’s adorably stupid

Gregory: Howard Dean says this bill sucks

Axelrod: well we says it does good and I’d like
to see him get a better bill enacted

Gregory: Obama promised that Ben Nelson
and Joe Lieberman would support a public option

Axelrod: that’s ridiculous - this a good bill and
that’s the important thing

Gregory: but you betrayed liberals

Axelrod: no we didn’t - we worked in the legislative process available to us

Gregory: but this is a compromise!

Axelrod: oh noes!

Gregory: Obama didn’t fight for a public option!

Axelrod: yes he did - but this is how the system works

Gregory: will the bill bring overall health costs
down or not?

Axelrod: it will reduce the deficits and reduce premiums

Gregory: but a CAT scan is still expensive!

Axelrod: I’d like to scan your brain someday

Gregory: don’t bother you won’t find anything

Axelrod: ok

Gregory: have you killed the Democrats’ chances
in 2010?

Axelrod: The President doesn’t worry about polls - he’s trying to help the nation long-term

Gregory: but if the Democrats lose seats in 2010
that will prove Americans don’t need health care

Axelrod: even though President always lose seats
in the first Congressional election

Gregory: right

[ break ]

Gregory: What's up Doc

Dean: it's snowing and you're a dancing fool

Gregory: Howard is the health care bill horrible
or great?

Dean: it’s been improved since I hated on it but
it still isn’t perfect

Gregory: so should it be supported or not?

Dean: the problem is the whole thing revolves around for-profit insurance companies

Gregory: I am going to challenge you by citing criticisms of Obama

Dean: there was an unseemly scramble for votes

Gregory: don’t you need votes for pass laws?

Dean: naww

Gregory: you are not in office - so you will your
fake vote not go to this bill?

Dean: No!

Gregory: do you expect the White House to put
in a public option or not

Dean: no - Obama is not a fighter like me

Gregory: so without a public option you would
vote ‘no’?

Dean: a 30 year fight with insurance companies
is a bad thing

Gregory: and killing the bill would prevent that

Dean: right

Gregory: Vicki Kennedy says we can’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good

Dean: yeah but I am in favor of getting the bill right

Gregory: I see

Gregory: John McCain says you are right
and we should let the Republicans write this bill

Dean: I hate Republicans and they are fucking evil

Gregory: so I hear you saying you are leaving
the Democratic party

Dean: Calm down Fluffy - you stupid fuck

Gregory: Is this internal fight going to ruin the Democratic party?

Dean: I know that’s your dream but if I were that room I’d answer you by punching you in the face

Gregory: ha ha

Dean: I’m not kidding

Gregory: so what went wrong

Dean: it’s a damn shame that a few asshole Senators can hold up legislation

Gregory: take your snow and leave Doc

Dean: fuck you

[ break ]

Gregory: Markos I love you on “Two and Half Men”

Moulitsas: I’m not on that show

Gregory: what? who are you then?

Moulitsas: I have a blog called the Daily Kos

Gregory: alright Kos is this health care bill a horrible compromise?

Moulitsas: no it only reinforces the existing system and if deductibles are too high poor people are screwed

Scarborough: ha ha insurance stocks are higher
ha ha

Gregory: Tavis Obama didn’t fight for the public option and this isn’t reform!

Smiley: sadly I am your third guest to agree that Obama didn’t fulfill his promises and he didn’t
crush the insurance lobby

Gillespie: sadly I must agree that this bill is an unmitigated disaster because this will help people get free medical care which will only encourage
poor lazy people to get sick

Scarborough: ha ha this bill will elect Republicans ha ha

Gregory: Obama says this bill takes on the insurance companies

Moulitsas: well sure but we need to crush the insurers - they are evil

Gregory: Kos isn’t passing federal legislation a little more difficult that idealistic liberals think?

Moulitsas: true but insurers spend millions on lobbying and the GOP can’t be reasoned with

Gregory: ok then

Smiley: You need to stand on principle! Screw gradualism or incrementalism! Ain’t gonna
get it done!

Gregory: Ed how do answer the charge that Obama is unpopular?!!?

Gillespie: he’s a socialist!

Gregory: but people hate the GOP too

Gillespie: no I took a poll that said people age 90
and over support the GOP

Gregory: Joe Scar how do answer the charge that people hate liberals?

Scarborough: it’s all these distractions like health care and wars and winning the Nobel prize -
we need jobs! Obama needs to be in Cleveland
not Oslo!

Moulitsas: Obama’s polls are down because he’s
not liberal enough!

Gillespie: no Obama’s radically partisan and not Republican enough!

Moulitsas: this nation hates Republicans

Gillespie: we’ll see about that Daily

Moulitsas: my name is Markos

Smiley: You have to stand on principle! Keep your eye on the ball! Jobs jobs jobs!

Gregory: Joe Obama is a total failure - Scar how does he turn it around

Scarborough: he needs to reach out to Republicans and crush the teachers unions and tell Henry Waxman to fuck off

Gregory: that makes perfect sense if you are ingesting large amounts of mind altering drugs

Scarborough: ha [ sniffs glue ]

Scarborough: ha ha when has he reached out to Republicans like the U.S. Constitution requires??

Moulitsas: the base is disenchanted - but the way
to get bloggers really excited bloggers is regulatory reform

Gregory: you’re a nerd

Moulitsas: blog power!

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