ABC anchor Diane Sawyer shared the glow of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's health policy victory, showing her, in an “ABC News exclusive” interview, a Washington Post with the headline of “Democrats Claim Health Votes” as she wondered: “What do you think your dad and your mom would have said about this moment?” Sawyer followed up: “Did your dad have a phrase, a sentence that meant the most to you when he'd say it to you, or your mom?” Pelosi's answer, “make sure you have the votes,” cracked up Sawyer, who chuckled: “No so sentimental.”
Sawyer framed her sit-down by trumpeting Pelosi's power, teasing at the top of World News: “Our exclusive interview with the woman now called the most powerful Speaker in one hundred years.”
Setting up the interview excerpts, Sawyer heralded how “she's said to have done it with an epic blend of persuasion, muscle,” describing Pelosi as the “indefatigable,, unwavering almost 70-year-old Speaker, mother of five, grandmother of seven.” After fretting about how “there was such vitriol around the Capitol and also inside the room last night,” Sawyer told Pelosi: “The Economist said that you are arguably the most powerful woman in American history. A Brown university professor has said you are certainly the most powerful Speaker in one hundred years.”
And, in a question best filed under “oh, now you get around to it,” Sawyer raised how Medicare costs far more than predicted:
As you know, there's great anxiety in the country about the potential cost of this bill. We went back and looked and in 1967, the projected cost by 1990 of Medicare was $12 billion. What really happened is it was $107 billion, which is more than eight times what they projected it would cost. What guarantee is there to the American people that this won't similarly balloon out of control?
Pelosi promised “we're addressing some of the ballooning controls of Medicare and taking those down.” Huh?
Back in January of 2007 when Pelosi was sworn in as Speaker, then-ABC anchor Charles Gibson opened World News by trumpeting how, video of Speaker Nancy Pelosi on the House floor holding a baby while she talked to colleagues, demonstrated “the ultimate in multitasking: Taking care of the children and the country.” NewsBusters post. Video.
Sawyer, setting up the interview excerpt aired on the Monday, March 22 World News on ABC:
Last night, they cheered her in the chamber and lining up in front of her office. Their indefatigable,, unwavering almost 70-year-old Speaker, mother of five, grandmother of seven. She is powerful and polarizing. Republicans say they'll run against her in the November elections, but politics is in her DNA. Her father, a Congressman and Mayor of Baltimore, there in a wheelchair when she was sworn in to Congress. He did not live to see her become the first female Speaker. We talked to her in the room where the President called her last night to thank her.
Sawyer's “questions” to Pelosi:
- So this was the room where President Obama called you. The two of you talked in here last night. What did you say to each other?
- As you know, there was such vitriol around the Capitol and also inside the room last night. We heard people saying this is Nancy Pelosi's one party rule. We heard the Minority Leader Boehner say shame on you. Shame on you. You think that's the Minority Leader's motive? His entire motive?
- As you know, there's great anxiety in the country about the potential cost of this bill. We went back and looked and in 1967, the projected cost by 1990 of Medicare was $12 billion. What really happened is it was $107 billion, which is more than eight times what they projected it would cost. What guarantee is there to the American people that this won't similarly balloon out of control?
- When the Republicans say they can run against you in November and this will be their ticket to win?
- The Economist said that you are arguably the most powerful woman in American history. A Brown university professor has said you are certainly the most powerful Speaker in one hundred years.
- [Showing Washington Post with “Democrats Claim Health Votes” headline] What do you think your dad and your mom would have said about this moment?
- Not so sentimental!
excerpts will run on Monday's Nightline and Tuesday's Good Morning America.
