- Daily Photo: Obama Jokes Around at G-20
- Blackwater gets replaced in Iraq
- Daily Photo: U.S. Marines Look Out for Taliban in Afghanistan
- Hillary Clinton the Tomboy and Her "Ah-Ha" Moment
- Obama Administration Sudan Envoy Headed to Region
- Daily Photo: Potential Flashpoint in Iraq
- Clinton Says New Afghanistan-Pakistan Plan Depends on Diplomacy
- Exclusive: Three Israeli Airstrikes Against Sudan
- Additional 4,000 Troops to Be Ordered to Afghanistan
- Daily Photo: Navy Submarine Trains in the Arctic
- Alarm Over North Korea Missile Prep
- Anti-Terror Stimulus? US Offers Rewards for Top Terrorists
- Daily Photo: Pakistani Women in Refugee Camp
- Condoleezza Rice Appears on "The Tonight Show"
- Diplomat and Aid Group Sound the Alarm on Darfur Camp Situation
- auto industry rescue
- Ballotwatch
- Biden, Joe
- Bush, George W.
- Clinton, Bill
- Clinton, Hillary
- Dodd, Chris
- Edwards, John
- Giuliani, Rudy
- Gravel, Mike
- Huckabee, Mike
- Hunter, Duncan
- Inauguration
- Iraq
- Kucinich, Dennis
- McCain, John
- Obama, Barack
- Palin, Sarah
- Paul, Ron
- Romney, Mitt
- Tancredo, Tom
- Thompson, Fred
- Veepstakes
- Vote 2008: Democrats
- Vote 2008: Republicans
- Washington
- White House
« Previous | Main | Next »
Bill Clinton Says Criticisms of Hillary's Healthcare Plan are 'Bull'
April 19, 2008 9:20 PM
ABC News' Sarah Amos reports: Former President Bill Clinton continued on the campaign trail today, with time quickly ticking away before Pennsylvania’s presidential primary on Tuesday.
Clinton started the day completely focused on his wife’s policies. But by as the day wore on Clinton found himself in Waynesburg, Pa., where he couldn’t help but mention the latest round of ads put out today by Sen. Barack Obama’s campaign.
"I just got a briefing before I came in here on all the radio ads and mailings that Sen. Obama’s sending out in this, uh, positive campaign," said Clinton with a sarcastic chuckle. "And um, I want to tell you what I think this election is really about, what it is really about. It is about your future. And the only relevant choice is who would do the best job at helping you realize that future."
The new television ads, which deal with Sen. Clinton’s plan for healthcare in America, were clearly on the former president's mind throughout the day. While discussing his wife’s plan at an earlier event in Hermitage, he took offense with what he says are false claims by the Obama campaign.
"Hillary's being subject to a television ad that has been roundly criticized in the form of mass mailings all across this country saying she's trying to make you buy insurance you can't afford and you're gonna be fined and all that. It isn't true. It is not true," he said. "Every expert who has looked at this says if you provide the subsidies and you cap somebody's income, everybody'll be able to afford it, it'll be cheaper than anything you're buying now if you buying it. But I'm just telling you, we won't get control of cost unless we cover everybody. Doing the morally right thing is the economically essential thing. If you agree with that, if you agree with that, you have only one choice left with the three candidates for president. You got to vote for Hillary for president, she'll fix this problem."
Later, in Beaver Falls the former president had one word to describe the arguments being leveled against Sen. Clinton’s healthcare plan –- "bull."
"And, you know, you may hear some more about it before Tuesday. 'Oh, it's the end of the world. Oh, you're gonna be forced to buy health care you can't afford.' That's bull. The only way you can afford it over the long run is that everyone is covered. Every other country knows this," Clinton told the crowd.
Not one to shy away from a full days worth of events, Clinton managed to hit up both sides of the state today, starting his day in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and ending his day four events later at Waynesburg University.
The former president had quite a bit of company on the road though, bringing along a variety of Hillary Clinton surrogates, including Former Iowa Gov. (and Western Pennsylvania native) Tom Vilsack.
April 19, 2008 in Bush, George W., Kucinich, Dennis | Permalink | User Comments (155)
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
This from the fountain of BS himself !
Posted by: Klein | Apr 19, 2008 10:46:52 PM
Supporters of both candidates are, with few exceptions, speaking with what I term "comment rage". This contest needs to continue until either HRC or BO decides to withdraw. They will eventually unite to attempt to defeat John McCain as they are both politicians. The real question is: Will the "rage" continue among supporters or will they also realize that John McCain must be defeated in November?
Posted by: 1943Tom | Apr 19, 2008 10:55:53 PM
""I just got a briefing before I came in here on all the radio ads and mailings that Sen. Obama’s sending out in this, uh, positive campaign," said Clinton with a sarcastic chuckle."
Haha.
Obama has alienated so many people through his slander of Hillary, and his arrogance and numerous lies throughout this campaign. The Obama campaign is most negative one out there. Bill is right.
Posted by: TIm | Apr 19, 2008 11:00:51 PM
In '92 she took the health care portfolio and as I recall, because of personality, secrecy, and honesty issues, she didn't do well. She did manage to give us HMO's however.
She now has a detailed plan- detailed- based on the Massachusetts plan enacted by Mitt Romney. Unbelievable.
Posted by: DWH | Apr 19, 2008 11:01:40 PM
What will her plan do for veterans? Will they have to pay too? She needs to explain the details. If you support her plan without the details I have to challenge your judgement. I personally do not want to be part of any mandatory plan.
Posted by: Chris | Apr 19, 2008 11:07:35 PM
THE CLINTONS ARE BULL.
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE ONLY WORKS IN A SOCIALIST ECONOMY.
Posted by: CAROLYN | Apr 19, 2008 11:07:50 PM
With universal heathcare, the insurance company can't cancel your plan when you are sick.
Elizabeth Edwards already said publicly that she has more confident in HRC plan than BO.
Posted by: JoeSky | Apr 19, 2008 11:08:20 PM
Elizabeth Edwards says that Clinton's Health Care plan is the best because it covers everyone.
Obama is wrong to actual put lies into mailers and send them to the people of PA. Health Care is about saving people's lives - Obama is acting shameful.
Posted by: bluestocking1920 | Apr 19, 2008 11:09:42 PM
THEY WERE RUN OUT OF ARKANSAS.
WHY?
THE BIGGEST LIARS IN THAT STATE.
NEXT NEW YORK WILL RUN THEM OUT.
THEY'LL PROBABLY END UP IN ENGLAND, NEXT, WHINING.
Posted by: CAROLYN | Apr 19, 2008 11:10:47 PM
I don't have faith in any of the plans, I certainly do not want to buy into something I see as a scam. I do not care who is for it Edwards, Clinton, or Obama
Posted by: Thinking | Apr 19, 2008 11:11:29 PM
Bill Clinton's claim that every expert has signed off on the plan and that it works is a LIE. Nearly 50% of the same experts Clinton mentions argued that the plan would force families to pay higher out of pocket costs as a result of NOT being able to provide universal health coverage because their is no incentive to force people who have good health care coverage to get it, and that there is no mechanism to enforce obtaining it. The Clinton Plan needs EVERYONE to obtain it to keep the cost artifically low. Problem is, not all Americans are going to want to get the plan, in which case, the costs cannot be kept artifically low, and forcing someone to buy something they don't want is...unAmerican.
Posted by: gayle s. | Apr 19, 2008 11:15:50 PM
Bill Clinton's claim that every expert has signed off on the plan and that it works is a LIE. Nearly 50% of the same experts Clinton mentions argued that the plan would force families to pay higher out of pocket costs as a result of NOT being able to provide universal health coverage because their is no incentive to force people who have good health care coverage to get it, and that there is no mechanism to enforce obtaining it. The Clinton Plan needs EVERYONE to obtain it to keep the cost artifically low. Problem is, not all Americans are going to want to get the plan, in which case, the costs cannot be kept artifically low, and forcing someone to buy something they don't want is...unAmerican.
Posted by: gayle s. | Apr 19, 2008 11:16:00 PM
At the end of the day what is bull is the idea that hillary's plan would ever pass. Thats the point. I think the clintons are a little too happy to give us this great plan that would never pass and quietly set the plan once in the white house like the last time. Obama's plan is more realistic. And for Bill to even compare Hillary's plan to the systems in Europe is nonsensical. In fact that would only work on people who have no knowledge of the differences.
Posted by: realistic | Apr 19, 2008 11:16:24 PM
I can't wait to see the Clinton campaign bite the dust and get off our daily lives. Not only do we have to listen to Hillary's lies, we are forced to listen to bull from Bill also. He has proved time and again that he is a skirt chaser and a bigtime liar. He lied to his family, he lied to the American people, and he is at it again. Even after Hillary admitted that the sniper fire story was a fabrication and she misspoke, Bill goes around claiming she was actually encountering sniper fire and the opponents are to be blamed for that story. What a crook and a pathological liar. Now he wants people to think that Hillary's healthcare plan is good for them. She couldn't get any healthcare reform for New York while she was a senator for the state for the past 7 years. Do you think she will have any luck in getting anything done with her finger pointing at the republicans for everything wrong with our system? I think not. The Clintons have amassed so much money, most of it by pandering and selling out our government to pharmaceutical companies. How is Hillary oing to disassociate herself from that.
Just the fiasco of the Columbian trade pact should be a warning to voters about the two faces of the Clintons. Hillary wants votes, so she talks as if she does not support the Columbian trade pact. At the same time Bill Clinton is getting an award from the Columbian lobbyists for his service to them in pushing the Columbian trade agreement through the lobbyists to congress. At the same time Chelsea Clinton who is working in the financial institution is probably involved in it too in stashing the lobbying money into safe accounts in the Caymen islands away from the eyes of the American people.
Think about this family getting to run our country again. it will b worse than the way some dictators run other communist countries.
Posted by: Jane Smaley | Apr 19, 2008 11:18:21 PM
Neither Obama or Clinton can get there plans adpoted unless it is supported by congress. Most people agree that Obama's plan will be the best plan to be able to get approved by congress, which still requires Dems or Reps. Things are about comprimses.
Posted by: Gail | Apr 19, 2008 11:18:34 PM
Obama supporters are 'highly educated', 'fund managers', 'latte drikers'. They have plenty money. What do they need to worry about costs or coverages of health care. They only think you 15 million poor bitter people don't get sick and don't need to have health care in his plan.
Posted by: lazy | Apr 19, 2008 11:21:00 PM
Carolyn: Good point. Wow, Hillary, that sounds great, I can't wait to go to Walter Reed for my next check-up, they have such a wonderful reputation. You know what? In retrospect, she may be right, everyone will have universal healthcare and it will be cheap because everyone will be scared to death going to the doctor. And how do you think an even distribution of wealth from this plan is going to work? By dealing with insurance companies and hospitals and forcing people to go to hacks who are or have been censured by the same AMA boards that are supposed to protect you. Anyone hear the stories about the CA plastic surgeon that operated while he was drunk...that he had been a chronic alcoholic and that because he was in a treatment program and admitted his addiction he was allowed to continue performing surgeries who ended up with severe scars and open wounds that hadn't healed in years? This was to protect those doctors who have aubstance abuse problems and to encourage doctors to seek treatment and maintain their livelihood. To the detriment of the patients. Anyone really think Hillary's universal healthcare plan is going to exclude these doctors from cashing in?
Posted by: gayle s. | Apr 19, 2008 11:23:15 PM
in response to nicole gina and others, i find it interesting that you would suggest that Hillary has given more details on her plan when she was in fact that last person to even release 'her' plan which was in fact just the edwards plan. Obama's plan is available on the web like everything else if you really want to see it. As much as I think a single payer plan would be better, it would never pass, and neither would the Clinton plan. Interestingly enough no one seems to be addressing the fact that the monstrous system we face today was largely constructed by the Clintons!
Posted by: realistic | Apr 19, 2008 11:24:16 PM
Does Hillary's Universal Health Care plan actually means that Hillary cares about the American people?
As the New York Senator, Hillary did not visit ANY of the New York funerals of the thousands who died in the attacks, nor did she visit even ONE of the thousands of New York families who were devastated by their personal losses.
So much for Hillary's care!
Posted by: Veronica, NY | Apr 19, 2008 11:25:11 PM
My husband recently had an 8 day stay at our local hospital and the bill for JUST the hospital stay was $160,000!!! Now, even with good insurance, what is 20% or 35% of that?!! And, how will any of us pay it? Neither plan means a hill of beans if someone doesn't do something about the outrageous amounts being charged by the hospitals, doctors, technicians, etc. Also, the President won't be implementing anything- only Congress can do that, and I'm sure either candidate would sign a bill for any plan that makes sense and helps Americans get coverage. We need to quit the infighting and concentrate on putting lots of Dems in Congressional seats to back up whichever candidate does make it. Both Clinton's are being very divisive and are ruining any goodwill they had left over from the 90's.
Posted by: BJean | Apr 19, 2008 11:26:27 PM
Post a comment



