On Tuesday night, NBC News anchor Brian Williams charged that “a lot people hope” a reality check by Meet the Press moderator Chuck Todd was wrong in asserting that most of President Obama's initiatives proposed during his State of the Union address won’t become law.
“Some people hope you’re right, a lot of people hope you’re wrong,” interjected Williams following Todd’s brief outlook on whether topics covered by Obama such as paid sick leave and trade authorizations will pass the Republican-controlled Congress.
Todd’s thoughts came after being prompted to provide one final piece of analysis before going to a commercial break (emphasis mine):
Just the reality check of what you heard and what's actually going to pass. What you heard: Child care tax credit, that's probably going to pass. These trade authorizations that he wants fast track authority, a lot of Democrats will be upset about this, that’s probably going to pass and a new war authorization, in some form, is probably going to. That's probably it. He read a lot of issues, paid sick leave, a lot of things that people may like what they heard, but it’s a Republican Congress and I thought we should do a reality check in what might actually get to his desk. Those are the three items I would suspect.
Once Williams gave his own take on Obama’s liberal agenda, Todd joked that he didn’t “mean to pour the cold water here.” To that, Williams simply said: “No, no, that’s just great timing, Chuck.”
The relevant transcript from NBC’s State of the Union 2015 coverage on January 20 can be found below.
NBC’s State of the Union 2015 coverage
January 20, 2015
10:21 p.m. EasternBRIAN WILLIAMS: Chuck Todd, one more point before we have to fit in a break before the GOP response.
CHUCK TODD: Just the reality check of what you heard and what's actually going to pass. What you heard: Child care tax credit, that's probably going to pass. These trade authorizations that he wants fast track authority, a lot of Democrats will be upset about this, that’s probably going to pass and a new war authorization, in some form, that’s probably going to. That's probably it. He read a lot of issues, paid sick leave, a lot of things that people may like what they heard, but it’s a Republican Congress and I thought we should do a reality check in what might actually get to his desk. Those are the three items I would suspect.
WILLIAMS: That's traditionally your role. Some people hope you’re right, a lot of people hope you’re wrong.
TODD: Don't mean to pour the cold water here.
WILLIAMS: No, no, that’s just great timing, Chuck.
