Meredith Viera plays Hillary Bot when interviewing Barack Obama on Today Show 1/23/08

[zulchzulu]

Video link to interview:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22425001/vp/22799477#22799477

In the video (which was supplied by the Hillary Clinton campaign for Viera to show), Obama's full statement is cut off. The video has Obama in the debate last August saying:

Obama: "I never said that we should try to go ahead and get single-payer." (The rest of the statement is missing)

Then it cuts to Obama in 2003.

Obama: "I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer health care program."

It's amazing how one can edit a couple quotes and take them out of context and then try to lie about what the intentions were.

Here is the full statement from the debate:

I never said that we should try to go ahead and get single-payer. What I said was that if I were starting from scratch, if we didn't have a system in which employers had typically provided health care, I would probably go with a single-payer system.

transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0801/22/lkl.01.html

In the video, the entire quote (indicated in red) was taken out to use his quote out of context. This is nothing new in the Clinton campaign where they chop off vital parts of a quote for their continuation of lying about Obama's record.

To add even more deception in the clip that Viera was supplied with by the Clinton campaign, they again chopped off more vital parts of his view on single payer healthcare to further deceive and lie about Obama's statement, which is here in full:

I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer health care program. I see no reason why the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, is spending 14 percent, 14 percent, of its gross national product on health care cannot provide basic health insurance to everybody. And that’s what Jim is talking about when he says everybody in, nobody out. A single-payer health care plan, a universal health care plan. And that’s what I’d like to see. And as all of you know, we may not get there immediately. Because first we have to take back the White House, we have to take back the Senate, we have to take back the House.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=32maPZg_Ukc

Again, the rest of the quote, indicated in red, is not in the video...or even part of it.

It turns out that Meredith Viera must have some connections with the Hillary Clinton campaign and is doing some of their dirty work on her behalf.

[MethuenProgressive]

1. Obama caught in yet another lie/flip flop.

That clown just can't just ever keep his story straight from one day to the next.

[zulchzulu]

2. You have serious comprehension issues

Thanks for kicking the thread though!

:thumbsup:

[dionysus]

3. you didn't even read the post did you?

[MethuenProgressive]

4. Actually, it's a dupe of: "Obama gets caught in a lie on Today show interview" from yesterday.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=4167042&mesg_id=4167042

A media member didn't kiss his lying ass for once. Good for her! :thumbsup:

[zulchzulu]

10. Actually, this OP shows just how lousy a journalist Viera is

Like I said in your OP, she should stick to reviewing pumpkin muffin recipes. That's her "talent".

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[rinsd]

5. "And as all of you know, we may not get there immediately"

Vs. "I never said that we should try to go ahead and get single-payer."

Thanks for your help in nailing Obama, ZZ!

[JackORoses]

6. do you ever get tired of trying to distort the truth?

I understand you want your candidate to win, but does that mean you are willing to sacrifice all integrity as she has done?

[rinsd]

7. The only dishonesty is Obama's.

[JackORoses]

11. prove it.

show me in the statements which Viera's incomplete clips came from where Obama said anything dishonest.

He wishes we could be Single-Payer, but realizes that is not compatible with the system that already exists.
How hard is that to understand?

Does it not worry you that all Hillary has left is criticizing Obama.
She has no Hope or Change, all she have is dirty politics.

Do you think People will not realize this?

[rinsd]

20. I was sampling from the full quote issued, not the video

"I never said that we should try to go ahead and get single-payer. What I said was that if I were starting from scratch, if we didn't have a system in which employers had typically provided health care, I would probably go with a single-payer system."

"I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer health care program. I see no reason why the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, is spending 14 percent, 14 percent, of its gross national product on health care cannot provide basic health insurance to everybody. And that’s what Jim is talking about when he says everybody in, nobody out. A single-payer health care plan, a universal health care plan. And that’s what I’d like to see. And as all of you know, we may not get there immediately. Because first we have to take back the White House, we have to take back the Senate, we have to take back the House."

There's no talk of from scratch. Its about turning our system into single payer and that the road there may be difficult politically but that he would be leading the way towards it.

[JackORoses]

26. so where does he say that he is only for single payer with no exceptions?

What, he never said that?

Do you mean that even in the older statement he qualifies his support for a Single Payer system?

so where is the contradiction?
He consistently says that Single-Payer is preferable but not possible in the short-term.

Doesn't it worry you that Hillary is relying so heavily on misrepresenting Obama?
Think about it.

[rinsd]

27. And the goalposts move....

Where is the claim that he said he is for single payer no exceptions?

No one has made that claim.

He now claims he never said we should try it. His own words say otherwise.

[JackORoses]

29. he never said we should try it in the first place. he knows it is not currently possible.

He always qualified that we will have to work with the existing Insurance structure in our efforts to improve things.

I ask you again, are you not slightly worried that misquoted word games are all that Hillary has on Obama?

There are many real mistakes she has made that can be pointed out.
But she just can't seem to do the same with Obama. So she relies on mischaracterization and innuendo.

She is not use to facing an honest, upstanding human being.

[rinsd]

32. "he never said we should try it in the first place."

"I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer health care program. I see no reason why the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world, is spending 14 percent, 14 percent, of its gross national product on health care cannot provide basic health insurance to everybody. And that’s what Jim is talking about when he says everybody in, nobody out. A single-payer health care plan, a universal health care plan. And that’s what I’d like to see. And as all of you know, we may not get there immediately. Because first we have to take back the White House, we have to take back the Senate, we have to take back the House."

We have the Senate & House and soon will have the Presidency no matter who the nominee is.

Conditions for single payer politically are better now than they have ever been.

That's why Clinton and Edwards talk about bridging to single payer though not making the direct leap.

Obama apparently is no longer interested.

[JackORoses]

33. he sais he would LIKE to see it, he did not say that is what we should do

"And as all of you know, we may not get there immediately"

You can bend his words as much as you like.

What exactly is the point that you are trying to make?

[rinsd]

34. Exactly

"And as all of you know, we may not get there immediately"

Which directly implies that it is a cause worthy of pursuing and based on his lead in to that that he intends to help foster it.

He does lay out the political conditions necessary for us to begin that.

And what do you know we're 2/3 the way there.

[JackORoses]

36. so he likes the idea but knows we can't do it immediately. agreed

and your point is?

I'm trying to see why you are attacking him or this.

[BenDavid]

8. another OOPS moment for obama...oops is something a small

child says when he/she shits their pants....maybe obama is shitting his pants more often since Bill has got inside obama's psyche...well obama get you some depends or huggies cause you going to need them...:rofl:

[zulchzulu]

9. Ah yes...supporting the lies and the liars must feel good...

Supporting someone who takes Obama's words out of context and tries to make it an issue is call a liar in my book.

Do I trust liars? No. Do I trust the Clintons? I would be a fool to trust them.

[Zodiak]

12. Oh look, another asshole to put on ignore.

My god you people are really making DU an unpleasant place.

[Exultant Democracy]

17. You got that right.

[Cha]

22. It's already

on Ignored from my screen. :)

[indimuse]

15. ha!

:rofl::rofl::rofl:

[truebrit71]

21. Umm did you even bother to read the OP?

No?

Then why spout off more of your pro-Hillary bullshit?

Welcome to ignore asshole.... :eyes:

[zulchzulu]

28. Reading is really hard for some people n/t

[MethuenProgressive]

13. "Fall to your knees and worship before our Idol Obama or be marked HillaryBot!"

I :puke: on your idolatry.

[jlake]

14. There is FINALLY a journalist doing their job and you complain....

And Viera is not a Hillbot ..... you cannot blame Obama's lies on the media.

[Cha]

25. hilalry is dispicable and there're no

lies you conjur to change that.

[jlake]

30. What a substantive and informative post....welcome to ignore idiot.

[David Zephyr]

16. What bad lighting they had for Barack. Shameful of NBC to tape him in a dark room.

What a crock of shit this was.

[1776Forever]

19. Just sent The Today Show an email and asked that they play the full quote at [e-mail]

How about everyone that want fair media coverage emailing too! It is time to make them tell the full truth for the good of the country!!!!!!:applause:

[Cha]

23. So how was Obama able

to come across in spite of viera who's been busted for going all couric on Dems before?

[PresidentObama]

24. Evidence she's working with the campaign? Otherwise she's doing her job, and asking tough questions.

Doesn't mean you should label her a "Hillary Bot"

Sheesh!

[Imagevision]

31. Daily updates should appear in the msm detailing Billary's role in Whitewater land deal...

[rinsd]

35. What's to update? They were cleared.

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F03E4D71439F93AA25755C0A960958260

[zulchzulu]

37. Ya think?

:popcorn: