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Bill Angrily Defends Hillary's Healthcare History

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May 08, 2008 5:51 PM

ABC News' Sarah Amos reports: While speaking at Fayetteville High School in Fayetteville, West Virginia, former President Bill Clinton was interrupted by a woman who said he and Hillary Clinton promised to fix healthcare when he was president and then did nothing.

Clinton got angry during the exchange, clearly upset by the woman's claim.

Watch the VIDEO HERE.

"And do you know why it was defeated? Clinton asked, "I can't believe you are saying this. There are, there are millions of pages of documents that we have released. Showing the exhausting work that was done, the tens of thousands of people who were consulted, the rallies and movements we had all over the country."

The former president then added: "This is, one of the problems, one of the problems of this whole presidential campaign is how many things that people have said that are flat untrue."

Bill Clinton angrily defended his wife, telling the woman Hillary's first universal healthcare plan failed because of Republican opposition. 

"She worked her, she worked her fingers to the bone, I worked my fingers to the bone," He said. "We got beat because [Former Senate Majority Leader] Robert Dole, who promised to work with me on it, got a memo which said, you will never be elected president and the Republicans can't win a majority unless you keep them from adopting anything and they filibustered my healthcare bill. That's what happened."

The former president said his wife also continued to work on healthcare issues once elected to the Senate.

"After we lost, Hillary went back, and worked on the children's health insurance program, which gave six million kids healthcare, the biggest increase since Medicare. You might be interested to know that because we because we held cost down and did other things we had the first reduction of people without health insurance in a dozen years when I was president, because of what we did on healthcare. There is nobody in America who has more credibility and for you or any other person to claim she didn't work on it, is the craziest thing I ever heard. "

May 8, 2008 in Bush, George W., Tancredo, Tom | Permalink | User Comments (73)

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Sorry Bill, you're 8 years are up. Them's the rules. Time for a new guy to get it done.

Posted by: Steve | May 8, 2008 8:08:17 PM

From the text of his response, Bill was being totally sincere and had strong feelings about the questioner's misconceptions. Why shouldn't he show strong feelings if he has them? I trust someone who is up front with what he feels, & can express why, more than someone who hides it with snarky comments about the opponent.

Posted by: Charlesetta | May 8, 2008 8:12:21 PM

What I find most ammusing..


Many of the blue collar folk- if they had some white collar show up and claim to understand them on any typical jobsite- they'd be TOAST! Especially if HRC was recently hired to be their boss... not for president, just to be their boss at their job. How would you like her then?

As an American, among the "bitter" that Obama spoke of and the media made a TIZZY of, I will still vote Obama. So will my grandfather who is a Vietnam Vet. (Special Ops Marine may I add)

Enough with this, the minute folks understand mainstream medai is out for ratings, do research for themselves, then maybe.... just maybe... we can get this forward moving forward. My grandfather is ready for me to type and defend his position,he says most of you don't know #### about war, so you will never understand why he supports OBAMA. (he asked me to make obama all caps)

Posted by: Bud | May 8, 2008 8:16:44 PM

Ya I remember Hillary screwing up HillaryCare big time.

And I remember that this FAILURE doomed alotta people to the tender mercies of an HMO or worse.

Ya I remember Hillary royally screwing up and people losing out.

Posted by: The Commander Guy | May 8, 2008 8:28:25 PM

the only people that Obama work for is for himself, he should go back to Chicago and open his own church. If he is the nominee, I hope Hillary is not the Vice. He will loose and we can elect Hillary in 2012

Go Hillary, Go Away Obama

Posted by: peter | May 8, 2008 8:31:15 PM

Working SMART for health care would have been much better than 'working hard'.

As the visionary, Barack Obama, might say, 'in order to tackle our big national issues, we have to CHANGE THE WAY WASHINGTON WORKS!

National Health care plan HAS TO BE bi-partisan in highly polarized Washington! Too bad that the so-called politically astute Clintons can't figure that out.

Hilary's 'go it alone' cowgirl style means that her selfish, self-centered and self-absorbed approach to national health care is dead on arrival.

Using Karl Rove & Klintons slimy tactics to best opponents in contentious campaigns CANNOT get health care legislation past in Washington; because the Karl Roves and Clintons of America ARE TOO POLITICALLY & IDEOLOGICALLY DIVISIVE!

Posted by: Patriot | May 8, 2008 9:22:03 PM

The Clintons are famous for being "policy wonks" whatever that means. What I think it means in their case is that they can't see the wood for the trees. The Clinton health care plan made the US Tax code look like a children's nursery rhyme. But, in typical Clintonesque style, someone else was to blame for its failure. The Republicans conspired against them, as usual.

Posted by: J Robinson | May 8, 2008 9:39:44 PM

Bill Clinton should also be reminded that President Regan inherited a democratic congress, and got most of his agenda passed. It is a gift that Hillary nor Bill has, and that is being able to work with your enemies. Bill couldn't then and Hillary can't now. It is there way or no way (uncompromising is a flaw in character), and that kind of government produces grid lock. We had 8 years of grid lock when he and Hillary were in Washington. If Bill and Hillary couldn't do it then with 8 full years with him being so popular, then why on earth would anyone truly believe they can do it now. She proposes a gas tax vacation, and not even one democrat back her. Bad ideas and gimmicks don't solve prolems. America needs leadership and Clintons do not have any.

Posted by: Al | May 8, 2008 10:00:29 PM

Whenever the Clinton's are involved, it's always SOMEONE ELSE that is at fault. They have a boogeyman for every one of their failures.

Posted by: James | May 8, 2008 10:06:00 PM

Do you people that are for Hillary's health-plan know that it is mandatory?If you don't have enough money left over after you pay your bills, buy gas,buy food, pay taxes,you know frivolus stuff like this. If you don't have enough money to pay for your health care you will be fined or the payment will be taken out of your paycheck?
so, go ahead, vote for Hillary

Posted by: kathy | May 8, 2008 10:08:16 PM

dwc

If you are concerned about your sister...Hillary's plan is something like medicare...

and under medicare...a state provided system...she probably would not qualify either because any medical billing professional will tell you the worst coverage is medi-care....

It has to be about three or four things...

medical billing simplified (esp[ecially medicare) and figuring out soemthing with the out of control medical mal-practice.

the shortage of family physicians,nurses and surgeons...

and the still ongoing (reduced but ongoing) payola with pharmaceutical companies and physicians.

Until those are reined in and we look at cost the approval process will never change...

the increase of people's with a state run program is not going to reduce costs...it will increase them because two of the biggest issues are lack of medical staff...and billing out of control... both of those will be exascerbated by a state or country wide major increase in coverage.

It is about cost first.

Her healthcare plan will not get people who are already covered better coverage now will it reduce what they are paying...in fact it will (no matter how much they tell yuo it will decrease cost...it absolutely will not...that is the same as the gas tax argument...in the end it will cost yuo more)...

I personally feel for people like your sister who needs a treatment and is being fooled into thinking that universal healthcare will help them... unfortunately...although universal healthcare has to happen...if costs aren't reined in first it will make matters much worse for people like your sister.

and I hate to go there because it almost sounds disrespectful to address such a sensitive issue but until people realize that Hillary's healthcare proposal helps the insurance companies and may get everyone covered but ...it is at a huge cost...and more so because it isn't giving you the facts about what it will do to people who already have coverage.
everyone can argue thsi point with me all you want but what I have stated is true...go look or talk to someone that works in hospital billing...or budgeting...or a doctor that is trying to make a practice work on their own...
ask them about medicare and what is happening and has happened to the Massachusetts system...a state that has incredible medical resources ...yet is already making huge increases to the stipend that people are paying.

It is a disservice to people to promise them something for votes... why do you think they won't address where the moneys will come from...because it will be an additional tax (obviously it has to be) or stipend in the midst of our economic situation...and most likely that will fall squarely on lower middle class where they are trying to figure out how to feed their families or pay the rent...all the while most are scraping together something for insurance....

It is about cost.

Posted by: dl | May 8, 2008 10:31:59 PM

The Clintons are freaky liars. The whole healthcare plan was done so secretly by Bosnian Hilry, nobody would trust her for anything.

They have this secret thing and fooling the ignorant public so much in their blood, no good will come from Hilry for all her gimmick promises.

She should quit or be thrown out. She deserves no respect whatsoever. As for Bill, give him some cigars but hide the interns!

Posted by: marie | May 8, 2008 10:43:40 PM

Nobody owes the Clintons anything, they had their run in the 90's. they owe the voters, Hillary needs to step down asap. and support Barack and the dems for the fall, she tried and lost, what the hell is she still in it for? nothing will change with the rest of the numbers, she's hanging around like someone owes her, it's done get over it.
and you losers that want to vote for McCane, go ahead, who cares? you want the same crap, vote for the same morons...

Posted by: Paul | May 8, 2008 11:26:37 PM

When i hear some of you say if Hillary did not become the nominee you'll vote for McCain or stay at home, i laugh.

Who will suffer? its you people. Obama will not suffer, he's not even the owner of the party but a representative. Hillary has just loaned her campaign $11.5M money that is enough to take care of some county. With this you cannot ask yourselves what does this woman really wants?

That is the money Obama and Michelle made for a year, some veterans are leaving homeless, people can't afford medical bills, still the Clintons said they donated to charity, and where was the charity? Bill's library.

Guys please wake up from slumber, the clock is ticking.

Posted by: Cole | May 8, 2008 11:31:31 PM

well if the clintons are liars then obama nose grows daily.if you obamaites think that those of us in the middle will vote for a closet marxist than i have some swampland id like to sell you.

Posted by: don tufts | May 8, 2008 11:34:56 PM

He has every right to be angry.
Maybe this lady is sent by Obama group.

Posted by: Ga | May 8, 2008 11:45:28 PM

I heard that in NC Black churches used their buses to get people to the polls that is illegal especially when it looks like a school bus and isnt marked!

Posted by: staniam | May 8, 2008 11:51:20 PM

Don

Obama sortof looks like pinnocio :)

Posted by: staniam | May 8, 2008 11:52:52 PM

I am a big Obama supporter and I really believe saying that the Clintons didn't do anything for healthcare is a stupid thing to say. Just flat out not true.

Posted by: Matt | May 8, 2008 11:57:06 PM

You think BHO's experience as a community organizer qualifies him to run for President let alone be elected. Please! He has no experience and is not electable in November. I am under educated, stupid and bitter remember. I am a typical white person. And why should I vote for BHO.

Posted by: PZ | May 8, 2008 11:59:39 PM

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