The journalists at Good Morning America on Wednesday conceded that Barack Obama may have "misled the public" on the health care law, that "some call it a lie." But at the same time, reporter Jim Avila helpfully told viewers that Americans would be only be losing "cheap, underperforming insurance." [See video below. MP3 audio here.] Anchor George Stephanopoulos introduced the story on Kathleen Sebelius's testimony before Congress as the "latest firestorm over ObamaCare."
The co-host revealed, "All this is happening as we learn of a new report from inside the administration that warned these website problems were coming." Avila related that the Health and Human Services Secretary will blame the disastrous launch of "contractors who built the site" and take "none of the" responsibility. The journalist explained, "A document posted overnight by a congressional committee shows that the main contractor did warn the government more testing was needed before launch."
Avila showed a montage of Obama insisting, "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor."
He then helpfully interpreted, "Republicans say the President misled the public. Some called it a lie because 15 million Americans may, in fact, lose the cheap, underperforming insurance they have now."
Avila then spun, "But the Obama administration says hold on. Even if this was oversold, the under-insured will be better off under ObamaCare, getting better insurance at about the same price."
On Tuesday, Avila excused Obama's false promises, knocking the "cheap" policies as "dangerous."
A transcript of the October 30 GMA segment is below:
7am tease
ROBIN ROBERTS: Health care hot seat. President Obama's top health care chief set to be grilled today over failures in the system. Who Kathleen Sebelius is blaming now.
7:03
2 minutes and 3 seconds
GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS: We're going to turn now to the latest firestorm over ObamaCare. One of the President's core promises being called a lie as Kathleen Sebelius, you see her right there, she's the cabinet member in charge of the health care roll out, taking the hot seat on Capitol Hill today. ABC's Jim Avila will be there, too. And Jim, all this is happening as we learn of a new report from inside the administration that warned these website problems were coming.
MARILYN TAVENNER (Admin, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services): To the millions of Americans who attempted to use Healthcare.Gov to shop and enroll in health care coverage, I want to apologize to you. We know how desperately you need affordable coverage.
AVILA: But there was no apology from the White House, for another ObamaCare dust-up, the off-repeated claim --
BARACK OBAMA [montage]: If you like your plan, you can keep your plan. If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor.
AVILA: Republicans say the President misled the public. Some called it a lie because 15 million Americans may, in fact, lose the cheap, underperforming insurance they have now.
REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R-Illinois): There was a glitch in, frankly, openness and honesty to the American people, in terms of the fact that you cannot keep your health insurance.
AVILA: But the Obama administration says hold on. Even if this was oversold, the under-insured will be better off under ObamaCare, getting better insurance at about the same price. George?
