MSNBC’s Wagner Grills Earnest: You Call It a ‘Compromise Bill, Pelosi Calls It a ‘Blackmail Bill’
MSNBC’s Wagner Grills Earnest: You Call It a ‘Compromise Bill, Pelosi Calls It a ‘Blackmail Bill’ (RealClearPolitics)
MSNBC host Alex Wagner grilled White House press secretary Josh Earnest on why the White House and Democrats like House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi can't agree on what is being dubbed the "CRomnibus" -- a bill that would fund the government through March 15, 2015.
Earlier today, Rep. Pelosi (D-CA) took to the floor of the House to voice her "disappointment" in the White House for pushing a bill she claimed is ransom "blackmail" by Republicans.
"I'm enormously disappointed that the White House feels that the only way they can get a bill is to go along with this and that would be the only reason they would sign such a bill that would weaken a critical component of financial system reform aimed at reducing taxpayer risk," Pelosi said Thursday afternoon.
"This is a ransom," Pelosi said of the bill. "This is blackmail."
"It's clear that we have a difference of opinion here," Earnest responded at the White House daily briefing.
Wagner laid into Earnest for calling it a "compromise bill" while Pelosi calls it "blackmail bill."
"Josh, I'm struck by the difference in adjectives here," Wagner said on the Thursday evening broadcast of her MSNBC show. "You call it a compromise bill; Nancy Pelosi calls it a blackmail bill. I mean, is the onus on House Democrats for not having their caucus together? I mean where does the fault lie? You guys say you gave the House Democrats running room to negotiate the best deal they cold. You guys are on board. House Democrats say, well, wait a second, this is blackmail."
Earnest called it a "pretty good deal" and pointed out that it doesn't gut healthcare reform or President Obama's executive action on immigration.
"Well, Alex, you'd have to ask House Democrats for their positions," Earnest said. "I think a lot of House Democrats agree with us that this is a pretty good deal. We're going to try to get some House Republicans onboard."
