On Andrea Mitchell Reports Tuesday, Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI) called Mitchell and the “pathetic” media out on their unwillingness to hold the president accountable.
Following a segment on another shutdown casualty—the denial of $100k death gratuity for the families of deceased soldiers—Mitchell invited on Rep. Sean Duffy (R-WI).
Duffy started by confirming the information in a letter from Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-CA) of the House Armed Services Committee that in fact the Pentagon has the discretion to release the death gratuity. But acknowledging the confusion between the Pentagon and Congress on the matter, Duffy said, regardless, the House would promptly pass a mini-CR bill directed toward the problem.
Mitchell rejected this solution outright with a WH talking point:
You can’t take this piecemeal, Congressman. Isn’t the issue that someone has to sit down and figure out what to do about the stalemate that has led to this disgrace.
A comment that brought a smile to Duffy’s face:
You hit the nail on the head. And the president has said I won’t sit at the table. Harry Reid said I won’t negotiate.
Feeling it her duty to defend the president, Mitchell responded with another administration talking point: the president will negotiate “once the threat of the government shutdown and the debt default is not hanging over their heads.”
After calling her response “ridiculous,” Duffy moved into the central issue for Republicans, Obamacare.
Mitchell dismissed it as irrelevant because it’s “non-negotiable.” That’s when Duffy launched into his critique of the media:
That's “non-negotiable.” Come on. That's not reasonable. One issue we have is the media won't ask the question about why are you treating families differently than big business? You need Jon Stewart on Comedy Central to ask Secretary Sebelius, “Hey, why won't you treat these two equally?" And she won't answer it. That's how pathetic news reporting has become when they won't ask tough questions to the administration.
Mitchell bristled at his disparagement of the media, claiming “That’s not fair.”
To which Duffy replied,
Do you ask that question, Andrea? Ask the question ... I haven’t seen anyone ask it on MSNBC. Please ask it.
Don’t hold your breath, Congressman Duffy.
