CBS Describes Democrats as ‘Orchestrating’ Pro-Obama Town Hall in Montana

On Friday’s broadcast network evening newscasts, the CBS Evening News uniquely noted that Democrats in Montana had "orchestrated" a friendly environment for President Obama at a Montana town hall event as many Democrats arrived early to secure tickets. After CBS correspondent Chip Reid filed a report in which he relayed that "this crowd was on [Obama's] side," and that "the questions were mostly softballs," Reid brought up "orchestration" as one of the reasons for a friendly crowd: "So why wasn't there more anger in here? For one thing, after accusing Republicans of orchestrating their protests, Democrats did some orchestrating of their own, getting in line early in large numbers and snatching up most of the tickets."

On the NBC Nightly News, substitute anchor Ann Curry led with Obama's town hall appearance:

The President was to squarely take on the anger we’ve seen in recent weeks over health care reform, flying to a town hall in a conservative part of Montana. The audience, we were told, was not pre-screened. But the meeting was more like a campaign rally than a debate over health care. The President even getting a standing ovation.

NBC's Chuck Todd passed on President Obama's criticism of media attention given to angry critics at other events, and related that the President tried to get audience members to ask contrarian questions:

CHUCK TODD: The President did take questions from a mostly supportive audience, but not before offering his own media critique of how town halls have been covered this week.

BARACK OBAMA: TV loves a ruckus. What you haven't seen on TV and what makes me proud are the many constructive meetings going on all over the country.

TODD: Mindful of Tuesday's relatively tame New Hampshire town hall, the President avoided calling on anyone who could easily be viewed as a supporter. So he found Randy Rathie, who was wearing a National Rifle Association shirt.

RANDY RATHIE, AUDIENCE MEMBER: -and we keep getting the bull. That's all we get is bull. You can't tell us how you’re going to pay for this.

After Todd's report, David Gregory appeared and also passed on Obama's complaint about television news focus on the "ruckus" because the President "wants to separate what he would call extremism from the core of the debate" and focus on "more constructive engagement." Gregory:

You heard what he said during Chuck's reporting, that, in his estimation, cable TV, TV in general, likes the ruckus, just likes the conflict and is overlooking some of the more constructive engagement, constructive debate going on around the country. The President wants to separate what he would call extremism from the core of the debate, regain control, reassure Americans about what he is trying to do and keep health care reform on track. 

On ABC's World News, anchor Charles Gibson more briefly recounted Obama's experience in Montana in front of a "friendly audience," before showing a clip of the exchange with audience member Randy Rathie challenging Obama, before moving on to a report by correspondent David Wright, who also referenced the town hall event, which focused on the efforts by health care-related businesses to influence members of Congress.

Below are complete transcripts of the relevant reports from the Friday, August 14, CBS Evening News, NBC Nightly News, and ABC's World News:

#From the CBS Evening News:

KATIE COURIC: Turning to the continuing battle over health care reform now, President Obama headed West today to big sky country to once again moderate his own town meeting. One of his goals, to win over some Blue Dog or conservative Democrats skeptical of his plans. Chip Reid is traveling with the President tonight in Belgrade, Montana.

CHIP REID: The President's critics predicted that at today's town hall in conservative Montana he would finally see face to face the rage over health care reform.

BARACK OBAMA: Hello, Montana!

REID: It was clear right from the start, though, this crowd was on his side.

OBAMA: And if we can get it done this year, the American people are going to be better off. Thank you, Montana.

REID: The questions were mostly softballs.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1, IN AUDIENCE: Welcome and thank you, and I believe in reform as well.

REID: The President even tried some humor.

OBAMA: Here in Montana, you've got bears and moose and elk, and in Washington you just have mostly bull.

REID: Then, finally, some anger from a man who turned the President's humor against him.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2, IN AUDIENCE: And we keep getting the bull. That's all we get is bull. You can't tell us how you're going to pay for this.

REID: It's unlikely the questioner was as pleased with the answer as the crowd was.

OBAMA: Two-thirds of the money we can obtain just from eliminating waste and inefficiencies.

REID: At one point, the President even asked for a tougher question.

OBAMA: And I want somebody who, who's got a concern or is skeptical about health care.

REID: And he got an upset insurance salesman who wanted to know why the President changed his strategy-

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #3, IN AUDIENCE: -and decided to vilify the insurance companies.

REID: Half a mile away, at the designated protest site, there was vocal opposition.

CLIP OF PROTESTERS CHANTING: Kill Obama health care, kill Obama health care!

REID: So why wasn't there more anger in here? For one thing, after accusing Republicans of orchestrating their protests, Democrats did some orchestrating of their own, getting in line early in large numbers and snatching up most of the tickets. Some here said they wanted to ask tougher questions, but didn't even raise their hands. They were intimidated, they said, by the fact that this is the President of the United States, not to mention the fact that he's surrounded by an adoring crowd and the Secret Service.

#From the NBC Nightly News:

ANN CURRY, IN OPENING TEASER: On the broadcast tonight, making the case: After days of attacks, the President takes on the critics to take back the message on health care. Where was the anger?

...

CURRY: Good evening. I'm Ann Curry, in for Brian Williams tonight. The President was to squarely take on the anger we’ve seen in recent weeks over health care reform, flying to a town hall in a conservative part of Montana. The audience, we were told, was not pre-screened, but the meeting was more like a campaign rally than a debate over health care. The President even getting a standing ovation. We have this story covered tonight, beginning with the chief White House correspondent, Chuck Todd, now joining us from Belgrade, Montana. Chuck?

CHUCK TODD: Good evening, Ann. Well, the President just finished up the first of what are going to be back-to-back town hall meetings here out West. Colorado happens tomorrow. All of this part of [an] opportunity to try to regain the political momentum in his push for health care reform. President Obama came to the hills of Montana, with his entire family in tow, for what was billed as a town hall on health care but at times felt more like a campaign rally.

BARACK OBAMA: Hello, Montana!

TODD: President Obama was reminiscent of candidate Obama at times, as he worked the audience.

OBAMA: So I need you to keep knocking on doors, talking to your neighbors, spread the facts.

TODD: The President did take questions from a mostly supportive audience, but not before offering his own media critique of how town halls have been covered this week.

OBAMA: TV loves a ruckus. What you haven't seen on TV and what makes me proud are the many constructive meetings going on all over the country.

TODD: Mindful of Tuesday's relatively tame New Hampshire town hall, the President avoided calling on anyone who could easily be viewed as a supporter. So he found Randy Rathie, who was wearing a National Rifle Association shirt.

RANDY RATHIE, AUDIENCE MEMBER: And we keep getting the bull. That's all we get is bull. You can't tell us how you’re going to pay for this.

OBAMA: You are absolutely right that I can't cover another 46 million people for free.

TODD: The President went on to reiterate his pledge not to raise taxes on families making $250,000 or less, but also said the wealthy would have to pay more.

OBAMA: That's what I said. But I said that for people like myself who make more than that, there’s nothing wrong with me paying a little bit more in order to help people who’ve got a little bit less.

TODD: After the town hall, Rathie, a McCain voter who drove 300 miles across the state to be here, said he wasn't convinced the President could fulfill his promise.

RATHIE: I want to tell him and Max Baucus and people to say here's where the money is. And I’m afraid where it’s coming from is out of us taxpayers' pockets again.

TODD: Today's town hall was held in an an airplane hangar easily secured from the public. And while the requisite protesters were gathered about a half mile away, the demonstration never got out of hand. Back at the town hall, Mr. Obama was also challenged by a man who sells individual health insurance.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN, IN AUDIENCE: Why is it that you’ve changed your strategy from talking about health care reform to health insurance reform and decided to vilify the insurance companies?

OBAMA: Okay, that’s a fair question. My intent is not to vilify insurance companies. What I said is let's work with the existing system.

TODD: All right, tomorrow, Ann, another town hall in Grand Junction, Colorado, a conservative part of that state. But the tickets were handed out a little bit differently there. We'll see what kind of reception he gets. Ann?

CURRY: All right, Chuck Todd tonight. Chuck, thanks for your reporting. Now with perspective on today's town hall, we are joined by David Gregory, the moderator of NBC’s Meet the Press. David, given the events of today, how important will it be for the President to continue to hold these town halls on health care reforms to counteract the negative publicity of recent weeks?

DAVID GREGORY: Well, vitally important in this respect, Ann. And that is that the President wants to regain control of the debate. You heard what he said during Chuck's reporting, that, in his estimation, cable TV, TV in general, likes the ruckus, just likes the conflict and is overlooking some of the more constructive engagement, constructive debate going on around the country. The President wants to separate what he would call extremism from the core of the debate, regain control, reassure Americans about what he is trying to do and keep health care reform on track. Think of the geography as well. He’s out in a part of the country with more conservative moderate Democrats and independent voters. He wants to keep them on board, so he has Democrats supporting him, in case he can't get bipartisan reform passed.

CURRY: At the same time, David, at today's rally there were notably fewer seniors who have been very vocal in their concerns about reform, so does the President have to reassure seniors for his agenda to succeed?

GREGORY: It’s an important part of it. Yeah, you saw a single mother in the crowd today. You saw younger working people. Seniors are mobilized, they vote, they get in touch with their members of Congress. They can have a lasting impact here, a determinative impact, really, in terms of whether this can succeed. It happened in ‘93. It happened with President Bush's Social Security reform. So the ability of the President to say to those older Americans who have Medicare that their care will not be impacted and that they're not going to have to pay more becomes very important. That's if he can make good on the pledge.

CURRY: All right, NBC’s David Gregory of NBC’s Meet the Press. Thank you so much tonight.

#From ABC's World News:

CHARLES GIBSON: Next, we turn to the health care battle, which shifted West today. President Obama flew to Belgrade, Montana – it’s a conservative town in a conservative state – to hold a town hall meeting and press his case for health care reform. While it was generally a friendly audience, the President specifically asked to hear from his critics.

RANDY RATHIE, AUDIENCE MEMBER: -and we keep getting the bull. That's all we get, is bull. You can't tell us how you're going to pay for this. But you have no money. The only way you're going to get that money is to raise our taxes.

BARACK OBAMA: You are absolutely right that I can't cover another 46 million people for free. Even after we eliminate some of the waste and we've gotten those savings from within the health care system, that's only two-thirds. And then, the other third, we would have to find additional revenue, but it wouldn't come on the backs of the middle class.

GIBSON: While dozens of town hall meetings are being held across the country, a lot of the action is happening in Washington. Groups with a keen interest in how health care plays out, and with deep pockets, are all hiring Capitol Hill lobbyists and doing so at a breathtaking rate. Here's David Wright.

DAVID WRIGHT: Today in Montana, President Obama expressed concern that special interests are trying to shanghai the health care debate.

BARACK OBAMA: Every time we are in sight of health insurance reform, the special interests fight back with everything they've got.

WRIGHT: Currently, 3,300 lobbyists are registered to pressure lawmakers on health care reform, according to a Bloomberg N,ews investigation of Senate records. The health reform lobbyists outnumber the Congressmen six to one.

BILL ALLISON, SUNLIGHT FOUINDATION: Insurance companies battling providers, drug companies battling insurance companies, while hospitals going to war against nursing homes. You know, all kinds of different institutions are looking to protect their bottom interest.

WRIGHT: In other words, they're hoping to shape the legislation in ways that will either protect or profit them. Drug companies alone have spent more than $134 million on lobbying during the first six months of this year. And that's just the money they're spending on shoe leather -- well-heeled layers walking these halls here at the Capitol buttonholing members of Congress. Of course, the other way special interests try to buy influence is through campaign contributions. Senator Max Baucus, who chairs the committee drafting the senate health bill, is number four in total contributions from health care and insurance interests. Nearly $4 million over 20 years raised at events like Camp Baucus, an annual fly fishing and golfing weekend the Senator held two weeks ago in Big Sky, Montana. Oh, and by the way, five of his former staff members are now lobbyists for health care and insurance interests. The Republicans are raising their fair share, too. The health industry is Senator Chuck Grassley's biggest rain maker -- $600,000 so far this campaign cycle. Senator Orrin hatch, a senior Republican on the health committee, has pulled nearly a million.

SHEILA KRUMHOLZ, CENTER FOR RESPONSIVE POLITICS: Money is going to speak louder than the merits of the legislation.

WRIGHT: Out on the campaign trail last year, Obama vowed he wouldn't let that happen.

OBAMA: I'm going to have all the negotiations around the big table. We'll have doctors and nurses and hospital administrators, insurance companies, drug companies. They’ll get a seat at the table – they just won't be able to buy every chair.

WRIGHT: But the table is getting pretty crowded with special interests. David Wright, ABC News, the Capitol.