Ed Schultz Rewrites History to Ignore His Bogus ObamaCare Prediction

Apparently, Ed Schultz doesn't mean it when he says "get your tapes rolling at home." The MSNBC anchor on Wednesday attempted to rewrite his bogus, boastful prediction about ObamaCare. As noted by the Washington Post, on December 11, 2013, Schultz prognosticated: "I'm going to make a prediction tonight. It's going to hit five million by March 1st. That's right. Five million people signed up by March 1st. Get your tapes rolling at home folks 'cause it's going to be a big 'I told you so.'" 

The just-released ObamaCare numbers for the end of February state that 4.2 million Americans have enrolled. Talking to Michael Hiltzik of the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday, Schultz whitewashed his prediction, announcing, "Well, I predicted five million people are going to sign up by the end of this month. We're closing on it on that number." [See video below for a contrast of the two quotes. MP3 audio here.]

On December 11, Schultz even mocked conservatives for not keeping track of what they say: "Do you ever wonder if the conservatives ever go back and look at their old tape? We all do it in the business from time to time just to kind of see how it all looked at home." 

Erik Wemple of the Post first noticed the contradiction. He explained: 

Yet Schultz now appears to be attempting to amend cable-news history, saying that his prediction held true for “the end of this month.” March 31, not March 1. Perhaps that’s what he meant to say back in December. But it’s not what he actually said.

Partial transcripts from the December 11 and March 12 shows are below: 

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12/11/13

5:01pm ET 

SCHULTZ: Do you ever wonder if the conservatives ever go back and look at their old tape? We all do it in the business from time to time just to kind of see how it all looked at home.

...

5:10pm ET

ED SCHULTZ: Here is the bottom line. If we show you the numbers again on that chart and this trend is going this way, where do you think it's going to go in the month of December? Where do you think that chart is going to be in the month of January and February and then into March? I mean, if we have got 3 million people who have been on to it already, where are we going to be in April? These baby is going to be off the chart.

I'm going to make a prediction tonight. It's going to hit 5 million by March 1st. That's right. Five million people signed up by March 1st. Get your tapes rolling at home folks 'cause it's going to be a big "I told you so."

3/12/14

5:11pm ET

SCHULTZ: Well, I predicted five million people are going to sign up by the end of this month. We`re closing on it on that number.