No one can accuse "CBS Evening News" anchor Katie Couric of being totally in the tank for President Barack Obama - at least when it comes to the issue of health care.
Couric appeared in a Facebook exclusive video chat on Sept. 24 and suggested the president could do a better job selling his health care plan, but instead is being very vague.
"I think that the President could have done a better job of really outlining the issues and what's involved in health care reform. I think it's mind-numbingly dull and complicated and a lot of people don't truly understand a) why the system is broken, if it is in fact broken and the proposals - and how these proposals will actually improve the quality of care."
She blamed the 24/7 news cycle in part for his inability to finish the task and get it pushed through, but said ultimately what would be passed would not be as "wide-reaching" as what the administration had originally set to do.
"I think unfortunately in this - as I don't mean to echo President Obama, but in this news cycle, 24/7 news cycle - where there are little bits of information, that it leads to a lot of misunderstanding. I think there are a lot of politically motivated people out there who are trying to plant seeds of misunderstanding and I think that, you know, that there will be some kind of health care reform, that it won't be probably as wide-reaching."
The "Evening News" anchor maintained the debate was affecting her on an emotional basis because there seems to be a high degree of passion on both sides of the debate.
"And I think that, to be honest with you, the whole debate has kind of depressed me because it seems to be - the country is so polarized and so angry and the idea of kind of sitting down and working things out, and saying you know Medicare is a government-run program or your benefits aren't going to be reduced and have somebody challenge that assessment is a really necessary part of the political process but it seems increasingly difficult to do that in this day and age and just makes me feel sort of depressed about it," Couric said.
Couric criticized those who voiced their opinions who didn't know enough to have credibility in her view. However, she said she wished both sides could reach a Rodney King moment in the debate and "all just get along," or at least have a "rational" conversation.
"So, we'll see what happens and you know on one level, I'm glad that people are making their voices heard," Couric continued. "But the one thing that I really don't like are opinions without portfolio or judgments without knowledge, or basic information. I think that we have a lot of that. And there are people fanning the flames, encouraging that as well. So - I always feel like Rodney King, can't we all just get along, but can't we all just have a rational conversation about things and that's the way I feel about the health care debate."
