It didn't take long after ObamaCare was upheld by the Supreme Court for CNN to browbeat Republicans about accepting defeat and getting behind the law. Anchor Brooke Baldwin asked Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) on Thursday afternoon why he was still fighting a law opposed by a majority of Americans.
"You lost in 2010 when this law was passed, you lost again today. Yet you are still pushing for the repeal of this law. Doesn't that make you look kind of like a sore loser?" Baldwin obnoxiously asked. [Video below the break. Audio here.]
Perhaps Baldwin forgot that according to her network's own poll, a majority of Americans oppose the law. And in the 2010 elections Republicans gained over 60 seats in the House months after a Democratic Congress passed ObamaCare by the narrowest of margins. Yet she still thought GOP opposition to the law would hurt the party in the long-run.
Baldwin also hit Republicans for attacking the financial cost of the new law, but Blunt smacked down her efforts. "Well we know for sure that they're – they intended to cut $500 billion from Medicare to fund this new program, so you could have the whole 'could we afford it' debate on that one issue alone," he retorted.
A partial transcript of the segment, which aired on June 28 on CNN Newsroom at 2:36 p.m. EDT, is as follows:
BROOKE BALDWIN: ObamaCare lives. Republicans did everything they could to chip away at the law in the two years since it was passed, and many were confident the Court would strike down the individual mandate. So for them, today's ruling kind of has to sting. Senator Roy Blunt is one of those Republicans who is rooting for ObamaCare to fall. Senator, welcome. You lost in 2010 when this law was passed, you lost again today. Yet you are still pushing for the repeal of this law. Doesn't that make you look kind of like a sore loser?
(...)
BALDWIN: I want to begin with Chief Justice John Roberts, a man appointed by George W. Bush. Sided with the liberal-leaning justices on this. Does that make you take a step back when you realize that a conservative justice, Chief Justice, was the swing vote here?
(...)
BALDWIN: But sir, I just asked about the chief justice specifically. Forgive me for interrupting, but the Chief Justice specifically – does that make you step back and worry about this supposed conservative Chief Justice?
(...)
BALDWIN: On the affordability, on the dollars and cents that Americans will be facing come 2014, the CBO director does say that because of the size and the scope of this law, certain cost projections like looking ahead – it's impossible to really tell right now. So isn't it misleading for your Republican colleagues to cry financial doom over this today?
Sen. ROY BLUNT (R-Mo.): Well we know for sure that they're – they intended to cut $500 billion from Medicare to fund this new program, so you could have the whole "could we afford it" debate on that one issue alone. Why would you take a program that's about to have significant financial challenges anyway and use it as a big pay-for for a new government takeover of more of the health care plan. This debate now really gets started. The constitutional thing, while narrowly decided, set aside, and now we get to do you think this is a good idea? Aren't there better things to do to make the health care system work better? And my side of this debate is let's repeal this and let's start over again and try to produce this system where people get more competition to provide services to them and they are their doctors make decisions, not some regulating board at some far-away place.
BALDWIN: I know Romney said day one if he is elected, he used the same word, he will repeal ObamaCare. You are Romney's congressional liaison. His campaign says it raised a million dollars since the ruling. I want to just listen to some of Romney's comments on this.
(Video Clip)
MITT ROMNEY, Republican presidential candidate: As you might imagine, I disagree with the Supreme Court's decision. And I agree with the dissent. What the Court did not do on its last day of session, I will do on my first day if elected President of the United States. And that is I will act to repeal ObamaCare.
(End Video Clip)
BALDWIN: You yourself said the law is the law, now that the nation's highest court has ruled this is constitutional. Doesn't it hurt Romney's rhetoric in the long-run?
(...)
BALDWIN: I want to read something you said on Monday. Quote, "I could get in lots of trouble in the current environment saying I think we should have more compromise. But what I've said about this is what I believe – compromise is the price for living in a democracy." Compromise, senator. Will more of your Republican colleagues have to learn the meaning of compromise after today?
