On Tuesday's Situation Room, CNN's Jack Cafferty returned to targeting Nancy Pelosi, this time for endorsing the controversial "Slaughter Solution" to passing ObamaCare through the House of Representatives without a vote. Cafferty labeled the proposal "beyond sleazy," and later flatly remarked, "This reeks!" The commentator even gave some rare kudos to House Republicans [audio clips from the segment available here].
Cafferty devoted his 5 pm Eastern hour commentary to Pelosi's support for the "deem and pass" procedural maneuver that Democratic Representative Louise Slaughter submitted as a possible way of getting the Senate version of health care "reform" passed through the House. He wasted little time in expressing his amazement at the move: "Just when you think you've seen it all in Washington, along comes something like this. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may try to pass the controversial health care reform bill without making members vote on it- simply unbelievable."
Later, after using his "beyond sleazy" label, Cafferty ripped into the House Speaker and her Democratic colleagues, and commended their Republican opponents for speaking out against the so-called Slaughter Solution: "Pelosi says of this process- quote, 'I like it, because people don't have to vote on the Senate bill,' unquote. In Nancy Pelosi's world, accountability is a dirty word....This tactic has been used in the past, but never- never for something as big and important as the $900 billion health care reform bill- never. Republicans are jumping all over this, rightfully so. They're painting it as a way for Democrats to avoid taking responsibility, which is exactly what it is. Some even suggest it's unconstitutional."
Near the end of the segment, anchor Wolf Blitzer remarked, "We're earning a lot about reconciliation, about 'deeming' bills passed into law. We're getting a little civics lesson out there, aren't we, Jack?" The CNN commentator replied, "We're learning a lot more about lack of political guts." When Blitzer retorted that "that's been around for a while," Cafferty bluntly replied, "Not quite in this obnoxious form or noxious form. This reeks!"
The CNN personality bashed Pelosi earlier in March for her handling of the ethics investigation into Rep. Charlie Rangel. Earlier in 2010, Cafferty devoted three other commentaries to criticizing the House Speaker. On January 6, he singled out Pelosi while criticizing Democrats in general over their lack of transparency on the health care "reform" issue. A week later, the commentator twice labeled the California Democrat a "horrible woman." At the end of that month, Cafferty blasted Pelosi's failure to account for her spending on a trip overseas to the UN's climate summit: "Her arrogance on this subject: breathtaking."
The full transcript of Jack Cafferty's segment, which began 14 minutes into the 5 pm Eastern hour of Tuesday's Situation Room:
CAFFERTY: Just when you think you've seen it all in Washington, along comes something like this. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi may try to pass the controversial health care reform bill without making members vote on it- simply unbelievable. Pelosi says she might use a procedural tactic where the House will vote on the package of fixes to the Senate bill, and then that vote would signify that lawmakers- quote, 'deem' the health care bill to be passed.
Politically speaking, this is beyond sleazy. It's meant to protect House Democrats, who are all running for reelection in November, from having to make a tough vote up or down on health care reform. Pelosi says of this process- quote, 'I like it, because people don't have to vote on the Senate bill,' unquote. In Nancy Pelosi's world, accountability is a dirty word. The Senate bill, of course, contains many provisions that are unpopular among some House Democrats, including language on abortion funding and taxes on high-cost so-called Cadillac insurance plans.
This tactic has been used in the past, but never- never for something as big and important as the $900 billion health care reform bill- never. Republicans are jumping all over this, rightfully so. They're painting it as a way for Democrats to avoid taking responsibility, which is exactly what it is. Some even suggest it's unconstitutional.
Meanwhile, President Obama's campaigning relentlessly, calling on lawmakers to pass health care reform- quote, 'I want some courage. I want us to do the right thing,' unquote. Well, the irony here is if Nancy Pelosi gets her way, it won't take much courage at all on the part of our so-called representatives, will it?
Here’s the question: should Nancy Pelosi be allowed to push health care reform through the House without a vote? Go to CNN.com/CaffertyFile, post a comment on my blog. Wolf?
WOLF BLITZER (off-camera): We're earning a lot about reconciliation, about 'deeming' bills passed into law. We're getting a little civics lesson out there, aren't we, Jack?
CAFFERTY: We're learning a lot more about lack of political guts.
BLITZER: Yeah, but you and I know that's been around for a while, right?
CAFFERTY: Not quite in this obnoxious form or noxious form. This reeks!
BLITZER: Jack Cafferty- telling it the way it is. Jack, thank you.
