What a difference a few hours makes. On the July 15 “World News with Charles Gibson,” ABC medical expert Dr. Tim Johnson interviewed President Obama about his healthcare reform proposals and grilled the president over the cost of the bill, benefits, and primary care. But by the next morning Johnson was back to form, parroting the administration’s line on “Good Morning America.” Johnson often cheerleads for the Obama administration and socialized medicine.
Introducing Johnson, Robin Roberts said, “Tim, President Obama and others, they keep saying, that in the long run, we're going to save money while expanding coverage. As you know, many are skeptical about that statement.”
Roberts didn’t name those skeptics or their specific criticism and Johnson steered away dissent. “Well I think the one thing Obama would say for sure, is that if we do nothing, the dramatic increase in costs that we are now having every year will continue unabated. So what he hopes is that we will slow down at least that increase in costs. And, of course, one of the keys to his program, in terms of slowing down costs, is to increase primary care. I'm one of those who believes you will never control costs or improve quality without expanded primary care, meaning the kinds of doctors and physician assistants and nurse practitioners that you can go to when you're first sick. They're the ones who can deliver most of the care in low-cost fashion, who can decide when you really need certain tests or specialists. And so he's really pushing hard on increasing primary care to help control costs.”
Asked by Roberts about Obama’s statement that the health care plan won’t be in effect until 2013, Johnson simply plugged Obama’s positions. “He was referring very specifically at that point to this primary care program. But since that's absolutely essential to his entire program, that is a bit surprising. But when you stop and think about it, it probably will take four years to get electronic records in place, to get all the expanded numbers of primary care doctors that he wants and to get it all working in a rather smooth fashion. So it's not going to happen overnight. And that's what he was trying to tell us.”
Robert Gibbs couldn’t have said it better himself.
Johnson did a good job interviewing the president the previous evening, but he’s clearly more comfortable as a mouthpiece than as a journalist.



















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Rah rah rah - O bam
July 16, 2009 - 16:04 ET by mattmRah rah rah - O bam ah
Rah rah rass kiss his @$$
Just shut-up Tim. Go take
July 16, 2009 - 16:08 ET by bigtimerJust shut-up Tim.
Go take care of your patients...people like me have run out of patience with propagandists like you.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Timmy...
July 16, 2009 - 16:21 ET by Forbus"Well...if we do nothing....."
"Well, if we do nothing......"
So let's do something REALLY stupid.
CBO says it will increase costs, not reduce them
July 16, 2009 - 16:46 ET by Gary HallThis is priceless:
According to the non-partisan office of the CBO today:
And I got more news for ya - it aint' going to improve healthcare either.
Pesky, pesky facts
July 16, 2009 - 16:54 ET by BlondeHmmm....wonder how Bamster's going to spin that?
I hope he fails, too.
Gary... I also heard that
July 16, 2009 - 17:00 ET by bigtimerGary...
I also heard that about the CBO numbers early this morning somewhere...as usual the majority of the msm are ignoring these facts...isn't that convenient?
The dems along with the msm sure love to quote the CBO numbers when it fits their paticular agenda.
Some things never will change.
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
Some of those skeptics are also in the democrat party too
July 16, 2009 - 17:10 ET by IamTinmanThe CBO says that just what they have scored would increase the health cost deficit. It doesn't include the parts of the plan that they haven't worked on yet.
The Bay Area Rapid Transit system was supposed to cost $750 Million when approved by the voters. Uncompleted, it has so far cost the taxpayers $4 Billion and counting. Look at the Massachussetts "Big Dig" or any other large government project.
Now go stand in front of a mirror and tell yourself that this time the government will get it right without having to cover your eyes.
It's a hoax people! The Obama Administration wants both power and your unprotesting obedience to their desires. You will pay Neiman-Marcus prices and get 99 Cent store medical care.
It's time to again become the national ideal to which our ancestors pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
Damn, Obama's shin-busters sure work fast, don't they?
July 16, 2009 - 17:02 ET by R D Helm-Dave
"...stimulus plan is 'working exactly as we had anticipated.'" - PrezBO
ROFLMAO! Fast
July 16, 2009 - 17:05 ET by bigtimerROFLMAO!
Fast indeed...he's a Miracle Worker Dave...hadn't you heard?
Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea. ~Andrew Breitbart
"But when you stop and
July 17, 2009 - 02:46 ET by stratmanFour years? This is a joke, right?
I guess GE already has Socialized Medicine's the new spiff-o-matic mandatory EMR ready to ship and Obama has mesmerized the college youth to go into Primary Care despite the projected stiff reimbursement cuts, endless paper work, and crappy hours.
Johnson should be selling ShamWows because he certainly knows how to polish the apple.
I get the feeling that the
July 17, 2009 - 04:31 ET by RR GOPI get the feeling that the good doctor doesn't have to rely on actually touching sick people anymore for a good living and looks like he's near retirement, so I don't think he has a huge stake in all of this.
He's been getting paid by ABC since the mid-70s for and writes books, etc. Obamacare wouldn't affect him one bit...er, other than the taxes he'd have to pay for it I suppose.
BTW, isn't he suppose to be an evangelical or something? If so, I never would have dreamed that "evangelical" actually meant "Liberal Christian"?
One of the 34% who thinks George W. Bush was a great President. One of the 61% who wants to bring back the stock and pillory (yep...approval for Congress now at 39%...do you believe that!?).