ordinary folks on questions about the u.s. constitution and basic civics. only 49% of them could name all three branchs of government, compared with 50% of the general public. 20% of elected official said the electoral college is a school for training those aspiring for higher political office. now the top story at the bottom of the hour. house voted to repeal the president s healthcare reform law. the yeas and nays were 245-189. and three democrats crossed over to vote with republicans in favor of repeal. one of the flash points in the debate over obamacare has been abortion funding. correspondent shannon breem looks at the emotional issue. reporter: it s been nearly ten months since president obama signed
that these tax breaks will not be extended. and furthermore, as this deficit goes up, as the national debt goes up, trust me, republicans will come back and say, we want cuts in social security, medicare, medicaid, education, environmental protection. and we re going to consistently be on the defensive unless we take the case to the american people, we get them to stand up and put pressure on republicans rather than us always being on the receiving end of this. the next time unemployment insurance benefits come up for extension in 13 months, democrats will have to give up what, do you suppose? well, i ll tell you what? this concessions, keith, took place right now, with the democrats controlling three branchs. what do you think happens next time. the republicans apparently do not see the word concession within their lexicon. that s not what they do. i think unless the american people begin to stand up, and
what s the value of free speech like today? what does it mean, free religion? what does it mean, liberty that word in the 14th amendment? there is no computer so brilliant from which we can die dues t deduce the meaning of those worlds. larry: you ought to be on the court. does it bother you that a poll said two-thirds of those questioned couldn t name one supreme court justice? i was asked this question the other day. i ve been asked it several times. larry: does it bother you? no. i say this. here s why. my point is what used to be about four or five years ago, we had this other, people would say, we discovered, because it was some poll then, that more people can name the three stooges than can name three supreme court justices. so i say that s fine, if they don t know my name. what isn t fine, what isn t fine at all, is they can t name the three branchs of government.
what does it mean, liberty, that word in the 14th amendment? there is no computer so brilliant from which we can deduce the meaning of those words. larry: you ought to be on the court. does it bother you that a poll said that two-thirds of those questioned couldn t name one supreme court justice? i was asked this question the other day. i ve been asked it several times. larry: does it bug you? no. larry: it doesn t bug you? i say this. here s why. my point is what used to be about four or five years ago, we had this other, people would say, we discovered, because it was some poll then, that more people can name the three stooges than can name three supreme court justices. so i say that s fine, if they don t know my name. what isn t fine, what isn t fine at all, is they can t name the three branchs of government. if they can t name the legislature, congress, the president, the executive, the courts, the judiciary, then we re in trouble.