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RNC Chair Reince Priebus Mocks the Liberal Bias of MSNBC: 'I Don't Buy Your Argument!'

By Scott Whitlock | April 11, 2012 | 12:30

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Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Wednesday mocked the liberal, pro-abortion bias of MSNBC, educating anchor Thomas Roberts about the so-called "war on women." After Priebus denied such an attack on females existed, Roberts dismissed, "But Chairman, how can you say that it's a fiction if you stand on the record on what the Republican Party has said and done? "

Priebus highlighted the pro-Obama spin of MSNBC, taking it right to the network: "If you believe that all women are pro-abortion, maybe in your own world, maybe there's a war on women." An indignant Roberts huffed, "I think he term is pro-choice." Continuing to call out MSNBC, Priebus attacked, "...You and I are never going to be on same page because I happen to believe that life begins at conception and you don't." [See video below. MP3 audio here.]

Not used to such a challenge, Roberts stumbled, "You can't- This is not about what I believe or don't believe. This is me asking you about the Republican National Committee and your leadership.

Priebus, exposed, "I don't buy that, because I don't buy your argument. I happen to believe that you can be pro-women and pro-life. You don't. The that's the problem, Thomas."

A partial transcript of the April 11 segment, which aired at 11:14, follows;

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THOMAS ROBERTS: Chairman, I want to get you on the record about something, because leadership is all about casting vision and you created a visual with your war on caterpillars when responding to what's been called the war on women. You called the war on women a fiction, obviously the war on caterpillar comment created a lot of headlines, is that something you want to walk back or clarify right now.

REINCE PRIEBUS: I'm not going to walk back. I'll double down on it. This war of women is a fiction that the Democrats have created. And the real war on women is the war that this president has put forward on the American people by not following through on his promises, by having women proportionately affected by the Obama economy. By- Go read Anita Dunn's book if you want to read about a war on women in the workplace, go read that book and you'll see what the White House's record on-

ROBERTS: But Chairman, how can you say that it's a fiction if you stand on the record on what the Republican Party has said and done? And let's just remind you, all three remaining Republican presidential  candidates, they are pledging to eliminate federal funding for family planning. All three of them say they support so-called personhood measures. According to the Guttmacher Institute,  90 anti-abortion bills have been signed into law in 2011. This after many of the state legislators and state governorships swung back to the Republican side. So, how do you say that it's fiction when these laws exist on the book now, on the books in this country?

PRIEBUS: Because it's a fiction, Thomas. It's a fiction because, because, because number one, there is no war on women, it's a fiction. If you believe that all women are pro-abortion, maybe in your own world, maybe there's a war on women.

ROBERTS: I think the term is pro-choice.

PRIEBUS: The fact of the matter is that our party, our party believes in life for everybody. And the fact of the matter is, that the real war on women, the actual things that I think most women in this country are most concerned about, which is a good job, a good family, being able to live the American dream, provide for your kids and your family, that war on women is being perpetrated by President Barack Obama who has put our economy on the wrong track and we're going to have an opportunity to correct all of that in November.

ROBERTS: But, Reince, the fiction that you talk about, the phrase war on women it's now being uttered by Republicans like Mitt Romney. Take a listen to this.

PRIEBUS: There's been some talk about war on women. The real war on women has been waged by the Obama administration's failure on the economy.

ROBERTS: All right, so it sounds like you got the messaging going there from Romney, because it's the exact same phrasing that you gave me.

PRIEBUS: Yeah. We're just borrowing- We're just borrowing your messaging. We're just borrowing your messaging an pointing out to the American people that his war on women fiction that the Democrats have tried to perpetuated on us, is a war that if you actually look at what matters most to Americans, which is the jobs and economy, it's a war that the president is losing. Because women in the country know that the most important thing in any family is a good job. And this President isn't providing it.

ROBERTS: But, Reince, you can't discount the fact that we almost took the government to the brink of closing over Planned Parenthood. Correct? Did we or didn't we?

PRIEBUS: The Brink of closing? Thomas, the world will continue. The world will continue.

ROBERTS: The world will continue, exactly. But is this the fact of the Republican Party or not? Because you say it's a fiction and you don't want to walk back the fact that, you know, the war on caterpillar. That is fine. But, how can you still say it's a fiction when this truly exists and these laws 90, spiking in 2011, 90 different anti-abortion calls coming across the state legislatures, spiking in the country after the Republicans take back state legislatures and governorships. How do you say it's a fiction?                        

PRIEBUS: You and I are never going to be on the same page as long as you believe that if you're pro-life, you're anti-women. And you and I are never going to be on same page because I happen to believe that life begins at conception and you don't. So, since you don't believe that you're always going to- Let me finish.

ROBERTS: You can't- This is not about what I believe or don't believe. This is me asking you about the Republican National Committee and your leadership.

PRIEBUS: I don't buy that because I don't buy your argument. I happen to believe that you can be pro-women and pro-life. You don't. The that's the problem, Thomas. And I'm going to go back to the most  important issue in this country, the most important issue in this country is the economy. The issue that you and President Obama don't want to talk about because it's an issue in regard to the economy that this president has been an absolute failure on. As long as he has been a failure in the economy he's going to lose the women vote in November, because he has not full field the promises to the Americans. And, that, my friend, is the most important issue facing women in this country.

ROBERTS: We shall see. Right now the gender gap is two-to-one with women under 50 in swing states right now leaning towards President Obama.  Reince Priebus, chairman of the RNC, nice to see you.

PRIEBUS: Mmmhmm. Have a great day.

About the Author

Scott Whitlock is the senior news analyst for the Media Research Center. Click here to follow Scott Whitlock on Twitter.
  • Campaigns & Elections
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Comments

I have to say Reince Priebus

Submitted by dasher on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 12:39pm.

I have to say Reince Priebus is the best RNC chairman they have had in some time.

"Liberalism is just Communism sold by the drink."  P.J.O'Rourke
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agreed. I know when we had Michael Steele they

Submitted by Lipton on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 1:00pm.

really wanted him to stop going out in front of the camera so much, but with Priebus, I really like it. He handles himself so much better than the elected Rs do.

I'd like to thank Hollywood for renewing my interest in reading.
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I never thought Reince was Cool.....

Submitted by Nemesisesq on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 1:42pm.

But the only way he would have been cooler is if he told the MSNBC host to have an ice cream and pipe down.

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It's strange that homosexuals like Roberts are pro-abortion

Submitted by frank14 on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 3:03pm.

How is the country going to perpetuate a social welfare system based on younger workers providing for retirees if the heterosexuals don't reproduce? Russia, Japan and Western Europe are already on the verge of demographic collapse. Someone should call these libs out and ask them how Social Security and Medicare can continue if the average couple isn't having more than 2 kids? Duh!

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I Agree

Submitted by FistsforLiberty on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 3:45pm.

@dasher +1

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That's how it's done.

Submitted by NeoKong on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 12:43pm.

First you have to reject their silly premises and then go right to the real issue.
The economy.
All this social issues talk is just a deflection tactic.
It's a race track rabbit.
Priebus nailed him when he said MSNBC does not want to discuss the economy.

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Did you see the look on the PMSnbc propagandists face

Submitted by OldJarhead77 on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 1:52pm.

When the chairman slapped him with that little truth!! God I thought he was trying to swallow a skunk!

Liberals: No Morals, No Standards, NO Problem!
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I saw this. I don't usually

Submitted by ThisnThat on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 12:49pm.

I saw this. I don't usually catch MSNBC, so maybe I shouldn't have been as surprised at their line of attack as I was. This guy, Roberts -- as biased as he can be. Every sentence is totally anti-conservative. He was trying to paint Romney as a puppet of the party who is waging a "war on women". And his planned parenthood examples were just pathetic. I loved it when Priebus said "pro-abortion", and Roberts was just beside himself saying "no, the phrase is pro choice". It's so typical of rabid liberals, that they have to try to hide behind pre-approved and (mostly) re-defined words. Losers!

Another thing Roberts did prior to this interview -- he described Romney as "in the lead, but flawed". I racked my brain, but could not bring up an instance where the MSM described o'bama as "flawed". I expect to hear this a lot, now, from the MSM and from o'bama himself. 

__________
“Didn't win the Medal of Honor? Didn't even serve? Then lie about it. We'll support you." — 9th Circuit Court

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Yo, Skippy! I mean

Submitted by motherbelt on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 1:09pm.

Yo, Skippy! I mean Tommy!

If you are Pro-choice, that means you are PRO abortion, if that's the woman's "choice."

How do you get around that?

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Much more fun to watch if you just watch Roberts

Submitted by Lipton on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 1:03pm.

after my 3rd viewing that is my recommendation. He keeps looking away desparately wanting someone to feed him something he can shoot back at Priebus.

I'd like to thank Hollywood for renewing my interest in reading.
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I have a slogan for the

Submitted by motherbelt on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 1:21pm.

I have a slogan for the Romney campaign (stealing from Vince Lombardi):

"The economy isn't the most important thing. It's the ONLY thing!"

But unfortunately, what Roberts says is probably true:

Right now the gender gap is two-to-one with women under 50 in swing states right now leaning towards President Obama.

If you go back to the very beginnings of the feminist movement, it's always been about abortion.

Women could never compete with men on a level field because they were slaves to reproduction, and the only way to bring them up to speed was by first birth control, and then abortion on demand.

And too many women still, today, vote only on the issue of "What's in it for me and my reproductive tract?"

Democrats know this, and they know how to  ride the single-issue women's vote to victory.

 


 

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Have to disagree, mb

Submitted by Blonde on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 1:34pm.

I think the RNC chair has just found the winning tactic for this faux War on Women. The only thing that he didn't mention was that Georgie kicked off Baracka's little "Wag the Dog" during the January debate with his idiot question to Mitt about contraception.

If every single R on the ballot hammers this issue, in exactly this fashion, I believe even the ardent pro-abortion people will come to understand that we object to paying for their sex lives. I really don't care about their sex lives other than paying for it. If they want to have sex, they can pay for it themselves.

The other thing liberals fail to point out when shouting about the "gender gap" is that people over 50 vote, almost every election, and secondly, the "gender gap" swings the other way for men and Romney. I don't think any single issue, particularly not the faux gender war, is going to swing this election.

We just need to keep reminding these liberal talking heads "It's the Economy, Stupid".

Handy Reference Guide to Obama's Gaffes and Goofs ~ Currently Numbering 200 (and Counting)

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delete double

Submitted by motherbelt on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 2:33pm.

delete double

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Unfortunately, B, even

Submitted by motherbelt on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 2:33pm.

Unfortunately, B, even Priebus isn't making that point.

Kudos to him for his points on the economy, but on the "war on women" he said a lot of things, including this:

It's a fiction because, because, because number one, there is no war on women, it's a fiction. If you believe that all women are pro-abortion, maybe in your own world, maybe there's a war on women.

He still argued the point on Roberts' terms. He played along, denying that there is a war on women, without pointing out  that Roberts, along with his fellow liberals,  was twisting what is actually a liberal war on religious liberty, which started with the HHS mandate, into a "war on women."

Notice how nicely libs have "disappeared" that fact and now just want to talk about abortion, so they can reframe the argument.

Unless I missed something, he still let Roberts set the terms of the discussion.

That's where Priebus should have gone with it, IMO, not "jobs."  Because "jobs" just looks like he's trying to change the subject, whereas hitting Roberts where he planted his flag would have shown him for weasel he is, along with his liberal pals.

Democrats will just keep trumpeting "Republicans think women don't care about contraception" just like they did with Nicki Haley.

They have to be hit on BOTH fronts.

And from perusing the comments, it appears I am alone in my thinking.  Oh, well.

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No, MB...

Submitted by ProudAmerican58 on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 5:09pm.

You are not alone. I thought the very same thing when I heard Nikki Haley say that women didn't care about contraception. They're buying into the narrative rather than refuting it and it's driving me crazy!

That's just my opinion; I could be wrong. -- Dennis Miller
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Tommy Bobby is an expert on the 'War on Women' like

Submitted by SickofLibs on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 1:32pm.

Maddow is an expert on birth control.

I'm waiting for MSNBC to hire a muslim expert on Christianity.

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That was great!

Submitted by dzejk113 on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 1:32pm.

We need to see more of this, A LOT more of this from Republicans.

I heartily accept the motto "That government is best which governs least" . . . Carried out, it finally amounts to this, which also I believe -- "That government is best which governs not at all" -Henry David Thoreau
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Priebus

Submitted by HockeyKid on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 1:51pm.

has set the example;now the Rs must follow it.

"Beauty is only skin deep, but liberal's to the bone." - me

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Pro-choice = Pro-abortion

Submitted by Kevin Groenhagen on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 1:54pm.

http://cjonline.com/interact/blog/groenhagen/2009-03-09/pro_choice_pro_a...

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NBC Lied

Submitted by CJohnson on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 2:08pm.

90 laws against abortions? That was a lie. Not funding it and restricting it as one would any other activity is not a law against abortions anymore than a driver age restriction and taxes on gas are laws against driving.

Hakapelita!
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The GOP has to openly call the media

Submitted by katiejane on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 2:36pm.

on their biases. We've got to stop letting themedia do Obama's dirty work for him. The GOP talking heads sit quietly while the Left leaning media hacks quote DNC talking points and pretend they don't see the elephant in the room. Not saying we need to play the victim but we also need to make the media own their positions.

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A Hole "Reporter"

Submitted by mmilesll on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 4:03pm.

This "news reader" is such an a hole. Why do any Republicans go on this "cable channel", nobody watches it and they wouldn't know "news or facts" if it bit them in the ass.

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Hmmm... if Reince is the "Best" it's not saying much

Submitted by gopcongress on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 10:08pm.

Frankly, I've not been at all happy with Reince's performance. He should have been more involved in the primary process, particularly with being able to control the debate scheduling and venues. He should have been more at front in defending republicans from media attacks. I do understand a position where one should let the participants duke it out, but in this case I believe he let outer forces have WAY too much control over the debate process.

That is my biggest gripe, and to be frank, I am on the fence right now. But he certainly doesn't help with his inability to control the debates.

"The news and truth are not the same thing." -Walter Lippmann (1889-1974) FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER

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OUTSTANDING Twitter pile on tonight

Submitted by bkeyser on Wed, 04/11/2012 - 11:21pm.

I'm sure those of you who haven't seen this yet tonight will get caught up on it tomorrow, but if you're still up and love to see a Democrat step in shit and trample it all throughout their house, check out this Twitter feed.

Here's the backstory. Dem Strategist Hilary Rosen stated tonight on AC360:

"What you have is Mitt Romney running around the country saying, “Well, my wife tells me what women really care about are economic issues.” And, “When I listen to my wife, that’s what I’m hearing.” Guess what? His wife has never actually worked a day in her life. She’s never really dealt with the economic issues that a majority of the women in this country are facing—in terms of how do we feed our kids, how do we send them to school, and how do—why we worry about their future."

Conservatives are tearing her up. Both David Axelrod and Jim Messina have denounced her statements.

This is fun.

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And it's the big Drudge headline this AM!

Submitted by motherbelt on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 8:09am.

She’s never really dealt with the economic issues that a majority of the women in this country are facing—in terms of how do we feed our kids, how do we send them to school, and how do—why we worry about their future."

Apparently Rosen thinks only women in the workplace worry about feeding their kids, sending them to school and worry about their future.

She tweeted back (paraphrasing) that she was talking about Romney not having to care for her kids AND earn a paycheck like MOST American women do.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, one out of every three American children is born to a single mother.

Majority?  Really Hilary??

And it is increasingly a CHOICE, Hilary.  So put away your "victim" paintbrush.

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Priebus good and bad

Submitted by Mattheus on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 4:23am.

While I liked that he talked about the fundamental disagreement on axioms regarding abortion, but to say that the most important issue is the economy? I hated that logic when the Democrats were using it in the last Presidential election, and I hate it now. Unborn babies trump money, Priebus.

But the so-called "pro-life" politicians are really "pro-abortion to a lesser degree candidates". During the last election, the media overhyped McCain and Palin's "pro-life" credentials, and yet, when pressed on the issue, they felt it was a "state's rights issue".

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The Surprise

Submitted by John21 on Thu, 04/12/2012 - 7:59am.

The surprise that Mr. Roberts experienced was because he is a liberal Obamabot in the employ of the Obama PR agency.
He never expected anyone to actually tell the truth on that network let alone his segment. He never expected that anyone would ever challenge the glory and profound intelligence of the Obama agenda. He never expect one of those dumb Republicans to even question his profound truths, but to roll over like the RINO’s that he is used to castigating.

Nicely Done, Mr. Priebus

“Truth is always stranger than fiction because fiction has to make sense” Mark Twain

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