On Wednesday, MSNBC's Al Sharpton scoffed at the latest allegations that the White House is trying to cook the books on ObamaCare numbers by changing the census questions.
"I mean, who else is in this latest conspiracy, the Easter Bunny?" he quipped, in an interview with former Democratic Ohio governor Ted Strickland. He said those disputing the current ObamaCare enrollment figures were like "birthers" and "truthers." [Video below the break. Audio here.]
"I mean, we had the birthers, now we have the truthers on health care," he said.
Below is a transcript of the segment:
MSNBC
POLITICSNATION
4/16/14
6:35 p.m. EST
TED STRICKLAND, fmr. Ohio governor, CAP Action Fund: Listen, Reverend Al, the Republicans have been criticizing the Census for ever since I can remember. They are always looking for some nefarious motivation, and we know what their motive is. Their motive is to try to continue to discredit the effects of ObamaCare. Reverend Al, some 12 million Americans this year will have health care coverage that would not have had it without ObamaCare. We should be celebrating that. It makes me proud of our country to know that we are finally taking this major step and making health care affordable and available to the American people. We ought not to be looking for boogeymans. We ought to be celebrating the accomplishment.
SHARPTON: You know, Jamaal, the right is also claiming the enrollment numbers are bogus. Listen to this.
(Video Clip)
Rep. MARSHA BLACKBURN (R-Tenn.): They know they've got a math problem with ObamaCare, and the numbers are not going to work out.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN: I don't think it means anything, Chris. I think they are cooking the books on this.
Sen. TED CRUZ (R), TEXAS: Well, look, I mean, the numbers are a bit of funny math.
SEAN HANNITY, Fox News host: With millions of ObamaCare applicants appearing out of thin air now in the last few days, Kathleen Sebelius is fighting off allegations that they are cooking the books.
RUSH LIMBAUGH, radio talk show host: The real question is, when have they not lied about ObamaCare?
DONALD TRUMP, entrepreneur: You know, they say they had seven million startups. Now does anybody really believe that? Okay. Just an impossibility. It's actually impossible.
(End Video Clip)
SHARPTON: Well, you know, Jamaal, if the Donald says it, it must be true. I mean, we had the birthers, now we have the truthers on health care.
