Posted on November 16, 2014

Bob Schieffer to Gruber: If Obamacare Is As Bad As You Say, Then Give Back Money You Made As Advisor

BOB SCHIEFFER: I was dumbstruck when I heard the comments that are surfacing from an economist named Jonathan Gruber, who was paid four hundred thousand dollars to help shape the President's health care plan. First, he allowed his health plan passed only because of a lack of transparency and this is a direct quote, "the stupidity of the American people." Then Friday our Nancy Cordes found a couple of other things he said going back to 2011.



JONATHAN GRUBER: First by mislabeling it, calling it a tax on insurance plans rather than a tax on people and we all know it's really a tax on people who hold those insurance plans.



BOB SCHIEFFER: And there was this about Massachusetts health care plan.



JONATHAN GRUBER: The dirty secret in Massachusetts is the Feds pay for our bill. Okay. Ted Kennedy and smart people in Massachusetts had basically figured out way to sort of rip off the Feds for about four hundred million dollars a year.



BOB SCHIEFFER: I'll be honest, while I favor health insurance, I am not wild about the new plan and how it became law either. But here is my question for Mister Gruber. If all this was as bad as you say, why did you take the money you earned as an advisor, nor is it too late to give it back? What we have here is another example of the sorry state of American politics where people take money for things in which they don't believe and whether it's good for the American people is not even a question. As for the President he may want to consider that old politician's prayer, Lord, I can take care of my enemies; just protect me from my friends.