Q. If the Obama administration fails to keep its promise that the Obamacare website would be fixed by November 30th, how would you describe the press that reported that fact?
A. "Lazy media." If you're NBC political director Chuck Todd, that is. On today's Morning Joe, Todd said the White House was smart to lower the bar about the website by saying only 80% of people would be able to use it by November 30th. Had they not done so, said Todd, the "lazy media" would have jumped on the failed promise, waving "the hourglass." View the video after the jump.
Why is Todd siding with the Obama administration over his fellow journalists? Since when is it "lazy" of the media to hold politicians to their promises, particularly when they have so blatantly lied about a program in the past?
CHUCK TODD: I think the 80%, I have to say, you got to say at least they're learning some lesson here which is lower the bar. Because they know it's not going to run perfectly on November 30th. And if you promised a perfect website then you would have lazy media and some in the opposition party who would just say, aha! The website took -- look it. There's the hourglass! There's the hourglass!
MIKA BRZEZINSKI Lower the bar.
TODD: You gotta lower the bar a little bit.
