The cast and guests of MSNBC’s Morning Joe blasted the White House Tuesday for press secretary Jay Carney’s angry and mocking response to questions from ABC’s Jonathan Karl regarding healthcare.gov’s continuing problems:
MIKE ALLEN: It wasn't just contentious which you get every day in the briefing room. You don't get Jay Carney basically mocking Jon Karl, imitating his tone.
JOE SCARBOROUGH: Why would he do it?
ALLEN: There is great frustration. The ABC memos showed not only that the problem also exists if you apply by paper or by phone but that the administration well knew it before the president came out and said the alternative ways are fine. The congressional committees are having a field day with notes. They say war room notes at the top. That's a reporter's dream. Turned over to Congress, make it to reporters. The Wall Street Journal story is a real canary in the coal mine. The plan depends on getting young people like Louis Bergdorf into the plan.
SCARBOROUGH: That ain't happening.
The Associated Press’ White House correspondent Julie Pace, who was also at the briefing Monday, weighed in when asked why Carney would mock a well-respected reporter like Karl.
JULIE PACE: This is something we say a lot during political campaigns and the same applies to the White House. Any time you are turning your attention toward going after reporters and going after the press I think that's a sign that you're in trouble. That's usually the last resort. Going back to what Obama said last night, when he said we have said all along you could keep your plan unless it changed it may be what's written in the law or what becomes good policy. That's not what the president said over the past three years. Words matter, especially on something like this that's been unpopular with many members of the public. Seems like they tried to frame it in a way that would be more appealing but may not have been true.