Hacker News Reader

Obama - In a lengthy answer, Obama speculated about someone making $40,000-$50,000 a year, who thinks an insurance option that costs $300 a month is too much.

Chaffetz - people should “invest in their own health care” instead of “getting that new iPhone.”

I get very different meaning from what they said, thus no I do not think what he said was 'just as idiotic'.

Oh for the love of God, adults are trying to have a conversation here. Get out of here with that /r/politics, "there are only two sides and every conversation is about which is worse!!" bullshit. I don't follow the non-policy part of politics closely and don't remember those remarks of Obama's: if they were substantively similar to Chaffetz's, then yes, they were idiotic.

Grow up.

From the very article you are sharing : Chaffetz "conceded he didn’t make his remarks “as smoothly” as he could."

The argument is always the same, the idiotic part is when you need to convince an entire nation to sign up for your healthcare plan but instead blame people for having an iPhone.