Gruber: My Comments Were ‘Glib, Thoughtless And Downright Insulting’

Jonathan Gruber, an Mass. Institute of Technology economist and advisor to President Obama, poses in his home in Lexington, Mass., Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011. Gruber has suggested using a comic book to explain the intric... Jonathan Gruber, an Mass. Institute of Technology economist and advisor to President Obama, poses in his home in Lexington, Mass., Tuesday, Feb. 8, 2011. Gruber has suggested using a comic book to explain the intricacies of the President's health care law.(AP Photo/Charles Krupa) MORE LESS
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MIT professor Jonathan Gruber made a lengthy apology for his comments on the “stupidity of the American voter” and the “lack of transparency” during the passage of the Affordable Care Act during a House Oversight Committee hearingTuesday.

He called his comments, revealed in a series of videos, “glib, thoughts and sometimes downright insulting.”

“I would like to begin by apologizing sincerely for the offending comments that I have made,” Gruber said in his opening statement. “In some cases, I made uninformed and glib comments about the political process behind health care reform. I am not an expert on politics and my tone implied that I was, which is wrong.”

“In other cases, I simply made insulting and mean comments that are totally uncalled for in any situation. I sincerely apologize both for conjecturing with a tone of expertise and for doing so in such a disparaging fashion,” he continued. “It is never appropriate to try to make oneself seem more important or smarter by demeaning others. I knew better. I know better. I am embarrassed, and I am sorry.”

Gruber took pains to clarify that he was not an “architect” of Obamacare and stressed that he believed the law’s passage had been transparent. Throughout his statement, he sought to downplay the significance of his comments.

“The recent response to my comments at academic and other conference exceeds both their relevance and my role in federal health care reform,” Gruber said.”

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Notable Replies

  1. Avatar for byteme byteme says:

    Gruber on Gruber:

    Who? I never heard of the guy. He wasn’t in the room when we negotiated anything.

  2. There are things you just should not say in public but he was correct in what he said, the average American voters are stupid.

  3. Avatar for msm msm says:

    But. but… according to ABC news this morning, " this could be embarrassing to the President." The President? This garbage from a schmuck that shoots off his mouth?

  4. Just to mess with the Republican trolls holding this hearing, Gruber should acknowledge that his comments were not politically correct and to recognize how seriously Republicans in Congress take the job of enforcing political correctness.

  5. Avatar for don don says:

    It’s o.k. if he insults Issa, in fact , we recommend it. How can this idiot allow himself to be verbally
    assaulted by a “hooting urchin” is beyond me.

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