Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Scott Brown and David Gergen

David Gergen didn't seem like the moderator of last night's debate between U.S. Senate candidates Scott Brown and Martha Coakley.

He seemed like a Democrat operative.

Brown responded to an emotionally charged question from an emotionally charged Gergen with tremendous poise.

Robert Costa,
NRO's "The Corner," offers this analysis:

Brown’s words hit at the heart of the question that’s driving this special-election campaign: Will Massachusetts' vote be based on its past or on its future?

That is the question.

Debate transcript, from NewsBusters:
SCOTT BROWN: It's not going to be the Senate bill, as you know its in conference committee now, it's going to come out, the bill is going to be a compromise, and the bottom line is, regardless of what version comes out, this bill is not good for Massachusetts. It's going to cost us jobs. It's going to cost us very real jobs at a time when we cannot afford it.

DAVID GERGEN: Mr. Brown, let me ask you this question, it's on a lot of people's minds. You said you're for health care reform, just not this bill. We know from the Clinton experience that if this bill fails, it could well be another 15 years before we see health care reform efforts in Washington. Are you willing under those circumstances to say, 'I'm going to be the person. I'm going to sit in Teddy Kennedy's seat and I'm going to be the person who's going to block it for another 15 years'?

SCOTT BROWN: Well with all due respect its not the Kennedys' seat, and its not the Democrats' seat, it's the people's seat. And they have the chance to send somebody down there who is an independent voter, and an independent thinker and going to look out for the best interests of the people of Massachusetts. And the way that this bill is configured, I'd like to send it back to the drawing board because I believe people should have insurance. Not just this particular bill because it's not good for the entire country. You're talking about another trillion dollars in costs, a half a trillion dollars in Medicare cuts, military people, if you're veterans, you're going to have cuts in Tricare, and it's not good. We need to go back to the drawing board. Nobody has confidence in this bill right now.

Video.

3 comments:

hiredbyharoldb said...

GO SCOTT BROWN! Awesome rebuttal...

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Anonymous said...

"David Gergen didn't seem like the moderator of last night's debate between U.S. Senate candidates Scott Brown and Martha Coakley....He seemed like a Democrat operative." ???

How could you say that about David Gergen? He is one of the most even-minded individuals I've ever listened to. It seems to me he has always used extreme caution to AVOID sounding bipartisan and his life's work proves this point.

Mr Gergen served as an advisor in the Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton administrations... that adds up to 3 Republicans and 1 Democratic Presidents. He was also a campaign staffer for George H. W. Bush's 1980 presidential campaign.

Mary said...

In recent years, Gergen has become extremely biased, so much so that he's indistinguishable from a lifelong lib.