MSNBC anchor Thomas Roberts and Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R., Tenn.) had a testy exchange Tuesday on MSNBC Live, starting with Roberts asking Blackburn a loaded question about whether she "hated Obamacare" more than she loved the country.
Roberts also continued to use Democratic talking point language, asking Blackburn if she thought it was inappropriate to take Americans "hostage" and push them over the cliff, similar to rhetoric used by President Obama and other Democratic leaders castigating Republicans over the shutdown.
Blackburn chastised him for his loaded questions.
"Listen to yourself," she said. "Just listen to the way you're sounding, my goodness. We didn't want a government shutdown. We don't want a government default. We in the House are continuing to work through this."
THOMAS ROBERTS: Congressman, let me ask you, when it comes to Obamacare, do you hate Obamacare more than you love your country?
MARSHA BLACKBURN: I've got to tell you something. I think that comments like that that you are making are just incredibly inappropriate. What we have to realize --
ROBERTS: You don't think it's incredibly inappropriate to shut down our government and take all the hostages of Americans that you've taken? No, no, no, it's not inappropriate because you've taken the government hostage through a shutdown and all the American people, you're now walking them to a cliff, the economy, and you're going to push them over one by one based on the fact that you don't like the ACA. That's all it is. You don't like the Affordable Care Act.
BLACKBURN: Listen to yourself. Listen to yourself. We didn't want a government shutdown. Just listen to the way you're sounding, my goodness. We didn't want a government shutdown. We don't want a government default. We in the House are continuing to work through this.