Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN) on Thursday dismissed female CNN host Carol Costello as “beautiful” but “part of the problem” after she confronted him about why the Republicans insisted on shutting down the federal government over President Barack Obama’s health care reform law.

Costello began her Thursday interview with the Indiana Republican by asking him why he insisted on keeping his congressional salary while over 800,000 government workers had been furloughed. Rokita said that it would be “sending the wrong message” to give up his pay while he was fighting to end “one of the most insidious laws ever developed by man.”

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The CNN host pointed out that the government shutdown was actually costing “millions and millions of dollars” every day.

“The debt ceiling fight is coming up,” Costello noted. “Obamacare hurts the country worse than not raising the debt ceiling? Because that’s not what a bunch of Wall Street bankers told the president yesterday.”

“One way we don’t help the children of tomorrow is by putting $2 trillion more on their plate,” Rokita opined. “And that’s what Obamacare spends over the next 10 years. It’s an insidious law, it’s a lie, it is not providing more affordable health care.”

“I think most Americans would say fight that fight separate from the federal budget,” Costello observed. “Don’t partially shut down the government, don’t make things worse by fighting the same fight over and over.”

“Carol, we seem to go around in circles,” Rokita observed.

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“Right! We’re going in circles! Right!” Costello exclaimed. “That’s what you guys are doing!”

“No, you’re part of the problem,” the congressman charged. “The media is part of the problem as well.”

“Oh, come on,” Costello sighed. “That so easy.”

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“Oh, come on,” Rokita replied, mocking the CNN host. “Carol, you’re beautiful, but you have to be honest as well.”

“Okay, I think we should leave it here,” Costello concluded.

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Watch this video from CNN’s Newsroom, broadcast Oct. 3, 2013.