Outrageous ObamaCare statements

Howard Kurtz on the media ignoring Dr. Johnathan Gruber's controversial ObamaCare comments

This is a RUSH transcript from "The O'Reilly Factor," November 12, 2014. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.
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O'REILLY: "Impact" segment tonight as ‘The Factor’ reported last night MIT professor Jonathan Gruber one of the architects of Obamacare who was actually paid $400,000 bucks by the government to consult on a project told economists at the University of Pennsylvania the whole thing was deceitful.

Dr. Gruber saying the Affordable Healthcare Act is actually a giant tax but the Obama administration would not present it that way. That bombshell dropped on Monday, joining us now from Washington to analyze how the national TV media apart from Fox News covered it, Howard Kurtz. So they really didn't cover it, did they?

HOWARD KURTZ, FOX NEWS HOST, "MEDIA BUZZ": It's been a virtual blackout, Bill and it's inexcusable, nothing on the network evening newscast, one mention on CNN, not a word in the "New York Times." On what planet is this kind of embarrassing emission not news? Maybe on that comet where the spaceship just landed?

O'REILLY: All right let me just run down CBS evening news on Monday night -- the time that the story broke. No coverage, ABC no coverage, NBC no coverage, CNN one mention on the program called "The Lead". Tuesday morning on the morning shows, with three hours sometimes of editorial time. CBS this morning no coverage, ABC "Good Morning America" no coverage but I understand Renee Zellwegger did get another eyebrow lift so that took 45 minutes. You can understand why "Good Morning America" didn't cover. NBC "Today" show no coverage. CNN "New Day" no coverage. We don't even count MSNBC. They are not a news organization. Ok.

KURTZ: Well, I sometimes sit here and tell you, you know, they were consumed with other stories, but nobody in America has ebola anymore.

O'REILLY: Ok now, look, but part of this is your fault, Kurtz. It is I'm not joking. For years I think it was like 75 years, you were the media writer for the "The Washington Post" all right is that correct?

KURTZ: That is correct.

O'REILLY: Since World War I you were there. All right and I remember you used to rake me over the coals sometimes. But you, very rarely, if ever, accused the media of a left wing bias. All right? You didn't do it.

KURTZ: I got hammered a lot for accusing the media of not covering stories that favored the left. I will send you the clips. I'll send you the clips.

O'REILLY: I never saw in your column. But you do that, and I will just put them in the mail thing and I will read it tomorrow. But, I very rarely saw I never saw but I will take your word for it but you didn't pound like Bernie Goldberg does and a few others that the media is a liberal colossus and that they basically filtered through the national media and the network news and morning programs. You don't really get the news if it goes against the liberal orthodoxy. And this is proof. This is absolute proof.

KURTZ: I cannot argue on this. I think it's gotten more pronounced during the Obama administration and by the way you mentioned MSNBC. Jonathan Gruber goes on afternoon show there and talks to Ronan Farrow who's got zero journalistic experience.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: Yes we invited, we invited Dr. Gruber on. He has been on before. He turned us down. But if you are Dr. Gruber who are you going to face? You know some kid who is 14 years old or me? I mean come on.

KURTZ: My nine-year-old daughter could have conducted a better interview with Jonathan Gruber.

O'REILLY: Of course but that's he says. He knew that and that's why he went there.

KURTZ: He says he acted inappropriately. Farrow doesn't say what do you mean by that? Do you stand by the comments? Nuances.

O'REILLY: The story isn't Dr. Gruber. I think Dr. Gruber is a patriot for finally telling the truth to the people. The story is that we have a free press and the press was designed by the founding fathers to hold those in power accountable for what they do. The doctor asserts alleges and he's in a position to know. That Obamacare legislation was deceitful it was a fraud. It was put together as a giant redistribution tax but the administration would not say that.

The Supreme Court Justice, John Roberts ruled it constitutional based on a tax. Ok? So, Roberts saw the ruse that the Obama administration did. Ok he saw through it but then he still -- he should have punished the Obama administration but he didn't.

So what I am trying to tell you is that you contributed to this as "The Washington Post" media writer because this has been going on for decades and now finally it is broken open. Last word.

KURTZ: You know I've always blown the whistle on both sides and I'll send you the clips. But finally Gruber you know I see the headlines, Gruber apologized. Well, he has apologized for committing cancer.

(CROSSTALK)

O'REILLY: He apologized for telling the truth now he can't get invited to any cocktail parties up there in Massachusetts in Boston and Cambridge he is in MIT. He's got to wander the streets now, Howard. He's got to watch foreign films. He can't have white wine on Braddle Street (ph) anymore.

KURTZ: Yes. He won't get invited to those parties.

O'REILLY: That's right.

KURTZ: I thought the media would come around this story but still ignored it.

O'REILLY: You are living in the Land of Oz. All right Howard Kurtz, everybody.

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