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Clinton Says Obama’s Health-Care Plan Leaves People Out in the Cold
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ShareApril 19, 2008 5:10 PM
ABC News' Eloise Harper and Kate Snow report: Sen. Hillary Clinton, speaking in York, Pa., attacked Sen. Barack Obama today for an ad his campaign released this weekend in Pennsylvania. “I just heard that my opponent has put up an ad attacking my health-care plan," Clinton said, "which is kind of curious because my plan covers everybody and his plan leaves out 15 million people -- just leaves 'em out in the cold. Now instead of attacking the problem, he chooses to attack my solution. I don’t think that we can just make speeches about this. I think we have to have a plan that we can actually implement that will provide quality affordable health care."
ABC's Jake Tapper points out that Obama's plan does not offer a mandate, therefore his plan does not "leave people out." They essentially leave themselves out.
Clinton, who, as her campaign has pointed out, is up by one percentage point in a recent Gallup Poll, is crisscrossing the state days before the primary trying to shore up votes before the election on Tuesday. At a stop in West Lawn, Pa., Clinton expressed to the audience how critical a win in Pennsylvania is to her campaign.
“I have to win,” Clinton said. “And that really depends upon what happens on Tuesday in the Pennsylvania primary. Pennsylvanians have a tremendous opportunity to help pick the next president, and I’m asking for your support and vote.”
On a conference call Saturday, Clinton campaign officials called Obama's new ad a "last-minute false attack."
"The way to ensure health care is most affordable is to have universal coverage," said Neera Tanden, Clinton's policy director.
The Obama ad states that Clinton's plan "forces everyone to buy insurance even if you can't afford it and you pay a penalty if you don’t." But Tanden said that was not true.
Clinton's plan would offer help to lower-income Americans and said the Senator "would consider a range of options" in terms of how to deal with people who do not purchase insurance, Tanden said. She said Obama's plan includes a mandate that children have health insurance and argued that it is Obama who would in fact "force parents to pay a fine" if they did not provide that coverage.
"Sen. Obama talks about running a positive campaign," said Clinton communications director Howard Wolfson. "The fact is in the closing days of this campaign in Pennsylvania, Sen. Obama has employed a kitchen-sink strategy against us."
Wolfson said Obama had out-spent the Clinton campaign dramatically, by about 3 to 1 overall in Pennsylvania. He claimed the Obama campaign spent $3.4 million on television ads in the past week.
And Wolfson once again made sure he set the bar for expectations.
"If Sen. Obama is unable to win here with his enormous spending advantage, with his last-minute false negative attacks, it will again demonstrate that he has a significant problem winning in the large swing states that a Democrat needs to win.”
April 19, 2008 in Bush, George W. | Permalink | User Comments (30)
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Too bad she's going to lose. She's been lowering expectations since her Super Tuesday shock!!!
Obama 2008 -- Yes, WE CAN!!!
Posted by: Jackt51 -- Vietnam Vet and Proud Liberal | Apr 19, 2008 5:13:51 PM
Of course screwing up HillaryCare, as bad as Hillary did, doomed many to an HMO or worse.
Posted by: The Commander Guy | Apr 19, 2008 5:14:19 PM
Well she can say what she wants, the devil is in the details. I haven't seen or they haven't talked about the details yet.
Last I heard she wanted a cap of 10% of income on the premiums.
That seems a little high to me
Posted by: Thinking | Apr 19, 2008 5:20:41 PM
The only Republican I see in the contest is Hillary.
Posted by: Thinking | Apr 19, 2008 5:26:38 PM
she lost it last time for the same issues she is doing this time...but this time she thinks she will be the President and she can force it...
she is not looking at the big picture
It is about cost and getting SOMETHING done.../her plan is too big...has she seen what is happening in Massachusetts
does she know that Medicare is the worst healthcare program around...
does she understand working families that choose between paying the rent and a healthcare crisis...that tax breaks don't help those people because they have a tough enough time figuring out the bureaucracies and payments they already have...
the bureaucracy that comes with her healthcare plan will make costs go not only up but make it inefficient
Does she understand what we are going to have to go through and how long a massive overhaul of this system is going to take and how the middleclass and lower middleclass are going to carry the brunt of this ...
this is if she could even get anything through...which with her plan ...she can't look...we have adivided country...and a polar congress... she as President or not... a national healthcare program is MASSIVE...MASSIVE and detailed... it's implementation alone...
we are not doing a healthcare system switch like other countries that have national healthcare...many of which do suck...yes Michael Moore there is MANY that suck.
With the economy, with the war, with social security and medicare issues...
To not focus on specifically cost first and get that passed (and if she knew anything she would realize the costs have a lot to do with three things...medical malpractice, billing, and pharmaceutical sales two of which will get worse with a massive bureaucracy and the third (pharmaceutical costs) is a separate issue.
What she proves is that SHE is the one who has had a silver spoon in her mouth for too long to understand this.
It is about cost and getting something actually passed. Neither of which she can do or at least will have no chance of doing at this time with this plan.
THIS is her second worst idea...her first is this umbrella/cowboy diplomacy thing that no one is talking about how dangerous and financially and constitutionally ignorant a plan it is... it is George Bush III.
Posted by: dl | Apr 19, 2008 5:39:27 PM
No it don't ,hers is a must>>>No if ands or buts.TS if you can't pay for it and cover your childern You will be fined ,OPSSSSS if you don't have the money to buy it in the first place how the hell does she think they can pay a fine????Answer me that????Didn't work in Mass,won't work in the country and the government can not run any such proghram>>>>>
Posted by: h | Apr 19, 2008 5:59:46 PM
Unfortuantely for both Hillary & Obama, only 29% of Americans want government run health care.
Just a little poll the mainstream liberal media DOESN'T want you to know about. Meanwhile, they keep pushing polls they DO want you to know. Like 81% of Americans think the country is going in the wrong direction. Of course that's supposed to make you think that is displeasure with Bush, when there are LOTS of reasons Americans think this that have nothing to do with politics at all, and more to do with the culture, etc.
Truth is not on Hillary & Obama's side.
Posted by: Jo | Apr 19, 2008 6:13:01 PM
Jack cited Black Liberation Theology:
Clearly Obama has an unacceptable background. Past behavior is the best indicator of future behavior, and those who support Obama are of his own ilk.
Too bad America allows this kind of freedom.
Posted by: Bill W. | Apr 19, 2008 6:55:40 PM
We would have had health care reform back in the 90's if HRC had not screwed it up. She could not put together a plan that would pass even though her husband was President and the Democrats controlled the congress. Oh, but that was not her fault. It never is her fault. Judging by how badly managed her "inevitable" presidential campaign has been, HRC has not learned a thing. Oh, but that is not her fault either. It never is.
Posted by: DMR | Apr 19, 2008 7:23:31 PM
Barrack should let her KNOW he has a NAME! I am SO sick of "my opponent"!
He is a FELLOW DEMOCRAT, HILLARY!
NOT that YOU ACT like one!
Posted by: vinnie | Apr 19, 2008 7:50:31 PM
Go ahead, Vote for the Clinton Machine. Especially if you love her health care plan and want your wages garnished.
Posted by: CS3539 | Apr 19, 2008 8:28:15 PM
Obama's plan does have mandates...It's really about whose plan is Universl...Obama's plan has mandates on every parent of a child under 18 in America..
So the arguement really is about Universal as opposed to partial. Elizabeth Edwards explained it best. If it's not Universal you can't suppose the prices will be driven down to make it afffordable.
Obama is an attacker and a liar. Univeral Health care is not debateable...that is the only reason many people are going Democrat.
Posted by: Jackie | Apr 19, 2008 9:12:55 PM
I no longer support Senator Obama for President. The primary reason I supported him and sent him money
was because I thought he was honest.
What a disappointment.
I am paying closer attention to Senator Clinton these days. I get to vote in Harrisburg soon.
Posted by: David Alter | Apr 19, 2008 9:22:08 PM
I only saw the videos of Reverand Wright one time and it was enough for me. I don't even believe how Barack and his wife would take their little girls to hear this man preach. I am
so shocked I don't know what else to say. I already voted for Obama in New York and am sorry I did so and I will
vote for Mr. McCain in November rather than Obama.
Just awful.
Posted by: Carla George | Apr 19, 2008 9:26:03 PM
Looks like Obama will do anything to get elected. We have come awful close to loosing america to people who hate it. Hillary or MCCain
Posted by: Bishop | Apr 19, 2008 9:38:59 PM
Here's the deal Clinton needs a big win in PA...There are a lot of voters that wish they had known about Wright and Rezko and Obama's 2 faced campaigning....
No politician is perfect. But this one is pretending to be a saint...and if you watched the last half of the debate you know that he only gives the speeches. He can't take questions and he can't explain policy.
Posted by: Jackie | Apr 19, 2008 9:52:18 PM
“There is clearly a high frustration level among campaign types and from the Clintons themselves,” said Leon Panetta, a White House chief of staff under Mr. Clinton, who is backing Mrs. Clinton’s campaign.
Posted by: PA | Apr 19, 2008 10:35:18 PM
It don't matter to me: Trinity Church,
Ayers, Rev. Wright, Farrakan. I do not
care. Why didn't the news report that 8,000 people belong to that church! Why
didn't the news cover the standing ovation that Rev. Wright got at the Catholic Church???? Why all the "perceived" bad. Hillary and Bill
got some skeletons too. Many, Many.
We have a President that has to justify
why our Soldiers are dying in Iraq.
Posted by: kathleen | Apr 20, 2008 2:09:38 AM
Garnish wages? That's food for some!!!
Obama won't let them people down. I know
it.
Posted by: kathleen | Apr 20, 2008 2:11:10 AM
Obama has demonstrated to all Americans irrespective of race, age and social status that we can all be united to face our challenges in the 21st Century to build a stronger America. That why I will be part of OBAMA, 08
Posted by: Sam | Apr 20, 2008 2:27:21 AM
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