Katie Couric Calls Ted Kennedy's Quest for Guaranteed Health Care A "Noble Goal"

On this morning's Today Katie Couric endorsed Ted Kennedy's goal of guaranteeing health care for every America as "noble." After a discussion about the White House shakeups Couric moved to promoting Ted Kennedy's new book: "Let me ask you about the seven challenges. You talk about the things that need to be done, Senator, from 'reclaiming our constitutional democracy, to protecting our national security, to guaranteeing health care for every American.' Noble, noble goals for sure. Are they doable and is there a national will to achieve these things in your view?"

Earlier Couric teased the segment by asking Today viewers: "Also ahead has America veered off course? Actually a serious book coming from Senator Ted Kennedy who's written one about public policy. He was recently voted one of the ten most effective senators in Time magazine. He'll be here to tell us about his book and also give us his take on the recent shakeup at the White House. And whether Donald Rumsfeld should in fact resign."

Ted Kennedy is one of the few liberals in the Senate that actually gets that label applied to him in the mainstream media but of course coming from reporters it's a term of endearment as they often attach the regal sounding, "lion" to it. Couric opening the segment:

"He's known as a liberal lion and Massachusett's Senator Edward Kennedy has roared more than once during his more than 40 years in the Senate. Now Kennedy says America is on the wrong path and in his new book America Back On Track, Kennedy details seven challenges facing this country. Senator Ted Kennedy, good morning, nice to see you."

After Couric tossed up this softball to Kennedy, 'Do you think Rumsfeld should go?' Kennedy went on his usual diatribe about Abu Ghraib. However Couric, referring to an earlier interview with Mary Matalin about White House shakeups, did pepper Kennedy about the state of the Democratic Party. However when it comes from Katie it always sounds like she's pushing the Democrats to be better players in the way a coach fires up his team right before the big game, the big game in this case being the midterm elections:

Couric: "Karl Rove will not be focused so much on domestic policy and in fact will be focused more on the midterm elections which Mary Matalin talked about earlier in this program. How, how concerned should Republicans be in your view about these upcoming midterm elections?"

[Kennedy]

Couric: "We'll get to, we'll get to the seven challenges in just a moment. But I'm just curious Mary Matalin also said the Democratic Party had no vision. I know you're gonna disagree with that Senator, but it seems to me the Democratic Party has done a miserable job of communicating its vision to the American people and offering any kind of alternative."

[Kennedy]

Couric: "But why, why, why is that attack always made?"

[Kennedy]

Couric: "But what about what it says, what it says it will do though?"

[Kennedy]

Couric: "But why can't people, why aren't people more fired up about the Democrats?"

Finally Couric concluded with her endorsement of Kennedy's plan:

Couric: "Let me ask you about the seven challenges. You talk about the things that need to be done, Senator, from 'reclaiming our constitutional democracy, to protecting our national security, to guaranteeing health care for every America.' Noble, noble goals for sure. Are they doable and is their a national will to achieve these things in your view?"