(Bloomberg Politics) — President Obama dismissed the outrage over a consultant's remarks that the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was passed using a "lack of transparency" that was benefitted by "the stupidity of the American voter."
At a news conference on Sunday in Brisbane, Australia, Obama was asked by Fox News correspondent Ed Henry whether he mislead the American public about aspects of PPACA in order to get it passed.
"No. I did not," Obama responded, adding, "The fact that an adviser who was never on our staff expressed an opinion that I completely disagree with in terms of the voters is not a reflection on the actual process that was run."
The adviser in question, MIT economics professor Jonathan Gruber, has been alternately described as either the "architect of Obamacare," or simply as a consultant who had also worked to help craft Massachusetts' health care law under then Gov. Mitt Romney. Unearthed remarks Gruber made regarding the lack of transparency of PPACA have given critics of the law fresh ammunition to criticize it.
See also: PPACA World TV.
