Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus on Sunday scolded CNN’s Candy Crowley for echoing White House talking points.
Appearing on CNN’s State of the Union, Priebus told his host, “The fact that it's on the Republican Party I just think is spin from the Democratic Party that you ought not be adopting. I don't know why you're adopting that spin” (video follows with transcript and commentary):
CANDY CROWLEY, HOST: Nonetheless, there are divides in the Democratic Party, you're right. There are divides in the Republican Party. As my father used to say, that's why God made horse races. So nothing wrong with that. But you are hearing some folks in the Republican Party saying, “I’m not going to, I would rather shut the government down than to continue to fund ObamaCare.” Politically speaking, how would a government shutdown play in 2014 for Republicans on the ballot?
REINCE PRIEBUS, REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE CHAIRMAN: Well, I think all Republicans are unified on one thing, and that’s defunding, delaying, getting rid of, eliminating ObamaCare. So we have total unanimity on that issue. The question is what are the tactics? And, you know, even if you take the position of a Ted Cruz or Mike Lee, basically what they're saying is we actually are funding 100% of the government except for that small percentage of nondiscretionary, excuse me, discretionary funding to ObamaCare. So Mr. President, if you want to shut the government down because you don’t, you want to continue to fund this monstrosity that you've already admitted is half-broken, then go ahead. I mean, the fact that it's on the Republican Party I just think is spin from the Democratic Party that you ought not be adopting. I don't know why you're adopting that spin.
As readers are likely well-aware, this isn't the first time Crowley has so obviously acted as a Democrat shill.
Last October she actually assisted President Obama in his debate with Mitt Romney.
More recently, Crowley asked her guests "Does it matter" if there is no diversity in Obama's cabinet?
It was therefore quite pleasing to see Priebus call her on it.
Unfortunately, she wasn't done playing Democratic operative:
CROWLEY: Because there had been plenty of Congressmen, Republicans and Senators, Republicans saying this will ruin the Republican Party if we are seen as forcing a shutdown of the government. I mean, it hasn't really worked for you, for Republicans in the past. So it isn't just Democrats kind of daring Republicans to do it. It's other Republicans saying, “No, you guys, we always lose when we do this.”
PRIEBUS: Well, I mean, it's not like it happens every year. I mean, the fact of the matter is I think that the budgetary effects back in the mid-90s were actually ultimately very positive for the Republicans. Look, I’m not advocating for one tactic or the other, but what I am advocating for is to set the record straight is that the Republican Party is the Party that’s totally unified in defunding and delaying and getting rid of ObamaCare. It's the Democrats that are fighting each other over the overall picture of whether or not we ought to keep ObamaCare in place. The President himself has told the American people that ObamaCare right now is half-broken. So how do you take taxpayer money and then fund something that the President has admitted is half-broken? Is that reasonable? We think it's not.
Watch Crowley inject more White House talking points:
CROWLEY: I think that they would, as you know, they're describing that as a technical glitch.
Is granting exemptions to members of Congress, their staffs, members of the Internal Revenue Service, and other entities "a technical glitch?"
I don't think so, but most in the media including obviously Crowley are willing to give the President a pass for this.
Pathetic, isn't it?
