Gruber seems like a bath water creep to me but that doesn't make the ACA baby any less valuable to millions http://t.co/721FAHHNDi
WASHINGTON — Comedian John Hodgman referenced the ongoing fight over past statements by Obama administration health care adviser Jonathan Gruber in a tweet that was part of an official White House health care enrollment push Monday.
Asked about the Hodgman tweet, a White House official said aides make suggestions about what could be included in tweets by its celebrity heath care surrogates, but the White House leaves what's included in the tweets to the celebrities themselves. Other celebrity health care tweets flagged by the White House or viewed independently Monday didn't include any reference to Gruber.
The administration has distanced itself from Gruber, who has been called the "architect" of Obamacare in articles for years, as videos of his past statements painting an ugly picture of the way the law was crafted continue to emerge. On Sunday, former top Obama adviser David Axelrod called Gruber "stupid." A day earlier, President Obama condemned Gruber's rhetoric and downplayed Gruber's role in crafting the Affordable Care Act, for which he was paid nearly $400,000.
Meanwhile, HealthCare.gov is open for business again. And, once again, the White House is calling on celebrities to help spread the word.
Last year's enrollment rollout crashed and burned as the federal online exchange collapsed in the opening days of the process. The White House relied on celebrities — most notably Zach Galifianakis — to boost traffic to the website after the sizable wrinkles were ironed out. This year, with the administration confident that the site is working, the celebs are being called in earlier, just a couple days after enrollment officially opened on Nov. 15.
In addition to the Hollywood and music stars, the White House is hoping to make minor celebrities of some of the people who signed up for Obamacare in 2014 and are enjoying their insurance coverage.
"Since taking office, the president has received more thank you letters and letters of support on the ACA than support letters on any other topic – by far," a White House official said. The official said Obama has received around 15,000 letters since the day federal exchanges on Oct. 1, 2013 "from people who support the law or have personally benefitted."
Some of the people praising Obamacare will get a White House platform to tell their stories as enrollment continues, according to details of the messaging plan shared with BuzzFeed News.
Monday was the first administration Celebrity Day of Action for the Affordable Care Act, and celebrity surrogates reached out to their fans mostly through variants of the same boilerplate tweet. A White House official said future celebrity outreach efforts will include PSAs, Facebook campaigns, and other efforts.
Update, 5:41 PM.
Hodgman clarified his tweet Monday on Tumblr. He wrote that the White House reached out to him to help advertise open enrollment, but he never responded to the request and tweeted his comments about Gruber only after actress Lena Dunham posted her own tweet about the Affordable Care Act.
"I had honestly forgotten all about the [administration] request when I saw Lena Dunham, who is not a friend or anything, mention it on twitter," he wrote. "This reminded me that today was the rollout. And the fact is that I am a supporter of the ACA. I think it has done a lot of good and will do more good the more people sign up. I also think Gruber's comments were stupid politically and gross to me personally."
Hodgman also tweeted about Obamacare enrollment during administration celebrity campaigns in 2013.
A sampling of the White House celebrity surrogates who tweeted Monday
Hey there, fellow Americans. #GetCovered at http://t.co/hQYelx6r1m. Open enrollment is back! Yeehaw.
#GetCovered at http://t.co/wxrwJIyWKP. Open enrollment is back!
Your health is everything. Have you and your family enrolled for health coverage yet? #GetCovered @HealthCareGov
#ICYMI: Open enrollment is back! #GetCovered at http://t.co/msWlOTRPQM.
Health care is a right! Open enrollment is back! #GetCovered at http://t.co/q6xjbpn43z.
Care about your #hearthealth and the health of those you love? #ACA #OpenEnrollment is back! #GetCovered at http://t.co/oqNMvJohlK.
Friends! Take care of yourself! If you don’t have health care, go get some now! #GetCovered http://t.co/Zk6CS7ShKS
Happy Mon darlings! #GetCovered at http://t.co/cwsdR6mdPf Open enrollment is back! Take care of yourself! Stay happy n blessed darlings;)
#GetCovered at http://t.co/c1KPkFZTrs. Open enrollment is back!
Keep those you love healthy. Today is the day to #GetCovered at http://t.co/up7RpXH3TY
If you don't have health care then #GetCovered at http://t.co/acwF4JTKdC Open enrollment is back Baby! http://t.co/rRyzjeEHyb
Nov. 15 was the kickoff for open enrollment season. Are you covered? #GetCovered by visiting http://t.co/HzLfMTeNhh today