Boehner: How Dare Obama Televise The Health Care Debate After I Demanded He Televise The Health Care Debate!

TPM

After slamming the Obama administration for "secret deliberations" and going back on his campaign promise to televise the health care debate, House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) criticized the President yesterday for televising the bipartisan health care summit on Feb. 25, asking "is this a political event or is this going to be a real conversation?"

Boehner had been a rather vocal supporter of C-SPAN's request to televise the earlier negotiations, writing to the network in January that "House Republicans strongly endorse your proposal and stand ready to work with you to make it a reality."

Well now, it seems, the idea of televising the health care summit has Boehner a bit squeamish.

Last night, Fox News' Greta Van Susteren asked him what he thinks about the fact that it's going to be televised, and added that "the American people are probably delighted that we're getting this televised."

Boehner responded: "I think that's fine, but you know, is this a political event or is this going to be a real conversation?"

Van Susteren didn't let that slide: "Well, except that we've been hammering them about the transparency. The president said, you know, he was going to put everything on C-SPAN, so we can't criticize him now for when he finally does put it on C-SPAN."

Boehner said "well, that's fine," but he doesn't "want to walk into some set-up."

I don't know who's going to be there. I don't know how big the room's going to be. I don't know -- what the set-up is going to be.

Later on in the interview, he added: "I just want to know what I'm getting into before I get there.".................................