‘Morning Joe’ Panel Mocks White House for Lies About Gruber’s Role in ObamaCare

[rush transcript]

BRZEZINSKI: “Let’s take a look at the morning papers. The Wall Street Journal, the man who said America was strict about the high cost of ObamaCare, was a lot closer to controversial laws creation –“

SCARBOROUGH: “Very interesting.”

BRZEZINSKI: “-- than previously known. New e-mails show that MIT economist Jonathan Gruber, remember him, was in regular contact with high level Obama administration staffers about the health care laws.” [Crosstalk]

SCARBOROUGH: “But wait, that's not what the White House said, Mark Halperin. They said he was (indecipherable)”

BRZEZINSKI: “Small player.”

HALPERIN: “I owe my Republican sources an apology because they kept telling me he was hugely involved and the White House played it down. They were right.”

SCARBOROUGH: “So, the White House lie?”

HALPERIN: “The Republicans were right.”

SCARBOROUGH: “Did the White House lie about that?

HALPERIN: “I think they were not fully forthcoming, or they may have had their recollections impaired.” (Laughter)

SCARBOROUGH: “Howard, the White House lie about Mr. Gruber?”

DEAN: “I think they were not fully forthcoming.” [Crosstalk]

HALPERIN: “Gruber was Uber.”

SCARBOROUGH: “Harold, it appears that some would say -- not I -- but some would say the White House lied about Mr. Gruber’s  involvement -- Professor Gruber’s involvement. Would you say the White House lied about his involvement?”

FORD: “I would say they were not fully forthcoming.” (Laughter)

HALPERIN: “-- maybe architect of ObamaCare.”

SCARBOROUGH: “Mika let me see if one person will talk straight. – (laughter) -- The White House assured us that Mr. Gruber was a bit player. It appears now that that was not true. Did the White House lie about Mr. Gruber’s involvement?”

BRZEZINSKI: “It certainly appears they did. The White House sought distance from Gruber after his comments that the administration used a lack of transparency and ‘stupidity of the American voter’ to pass health care reform.”

SCARBOROUGH: “You like that, Harold?” (Laughter)

BRZEZINSKI: “The House Oversight Committee obtained 20,000 pages of e-mail through MIT chirman Jason Chaffetz and he is now asking the Department of Health and Human Services for more information Gruber’s contract with the government.”