C-SPAN

Obama: Lack of Transparency on Health Care Was 'A Mistake.'

9:59 AM, Jan 26, 2010 • By MARY KATHARINE HAM

After several weeks of denial, Obama is ready to 'fess up to breaking the C-SPAN promise:

“We had to make so many decisions quickly in a very difficult set of circumstances that after awhile, we started worrying more about getting the policy right than getting the process right,” Obama told ABC’s Diane Sawyer Monday. “But I had campaigned on process—part of what I had campaigned on was changing how Washington works, opening up, transparency. ...The health care debate as it unfolded legitimately raised concerns not just among my opponents, but also amongst supporters that we just don't know what's going on. And it's an ugly process and it looks like there are a bunch of back room deals.”

Two things. 1) The process is part of what made the policy so bad. It's not as if the transparent process was sacrificed to bring forth a sterling, expertly crafted piece of legislation. Obama seems to cling to the idea that it's merely a perception problem, not a real problem, voters have with health care. 2) It looks like there are a bunch of back-room deals because there are a lot of back-room deals. Again, it's a real problem, not a perception problem. The president then took responsibility, but shortly thereafter passed the buck:

“Let's just clarify. I didn't make a bunch of deals,” Obama told ABC. “There is a legislative process that is taking place in Congress and I am happy to own up to the fact that I have not changed Congress and how it operates the way I would have liked.”

From the Archives: Brooks on Brian Lamb

From the Archives: Brooks on Brian Lamb

A blast from the past.

1:32 PM, Jan 6, 2010 • By MATTHEW CONTINETTI

Earlier this week, C-SPAN CEO Brian Lamb sent a letter to the Democratic leadership asking them to "open all important negotiations, including any conference committee meetings, to electronic media coverage." No word from the Democrats on whether they'll accept Lamb's offer--stranger things have happened, I suppose.

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Brian Lamb's America

How C-SPAN stepped into the breach and became our national historian.

Nov 8, 1999, Vol. 5, No. 08 • By DAVID BROOKS

The quintessential C-SPAN moment came during a Booknotes program in 1991, while host Brian Lamb was interviewing Martin Gilbert, the author of a biography of Winston Churchill. Gilbert was talking about the interplay between private scandal and public life when the following exchange took place:

GILBERT: When Churchill was 20 and a young soldier, he was accused of buggery, and, you know, that's, you know, a terrible accusation. Well, he ended up prime minister for just quite a long time.

LAMB: Why was he accused of buggery and what is it?

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