Obama On Hillary Health Plan: I've Already Gotten Results And Can Do A Better Job
Barack Obama has already released this statement in response to Hillary Clinton's upcoming health-care plan, ahead of her official announcement later today:
I commend Senator Clinton for her health care proposal. Its similar to the one I put forth last spring, though my universal health care plan would go further in reducing the punishing cost of health care than any other proposal thats been offered in this campaign. But the real key to passing any health care reform is the ability to bring people together in an open, transparent process that builds a broad consensus for change. Thats how I was able to pass health care reform in Illinois that covered an additional 150,000 children and their parents, and thats how we'll prevent the drug and insurance industry from defeating our reform efforts like they did in 1994.
Note the line about how "an open, transparent process that builds a broad consensus for change" can help prevent a divisive political debate — a direct hit against the closed process that helped bring about "Hillary Care" in 1993-94.
Comments (8)
AJM wrote on September 17, 2007 10:53 AM:I wonder how soon we are going to get Obama defenders maintaining that this can't possibly be a direct hit on Hillary because she isn't mentioned by name.
texasdem wrote on September 17, 2007 11:04 AM:But AJM, he does mention her by name, as well as include the years relevant to her healthcare proposal. A little hypersensitive?
elrapierwit wrote on September 17, 2007 11:47 AM:a direct hit against the closed process that helped bring about "Hillary Care" in 1993-94
Kleefeld, did you leave out the word demise? As in, helped bring about the demise of "HillaryCare' in 1993-1994.
Obama is not the first to note that the lack of a transparent process was heavily instrumental in causing the collossal failure of Hillary's one leadership role as a First Lady. Healthcare was a massive complex problem and Hillary demonstrated that she lacked the judgment and executive skills to bring about effective change. Just as Iraq is a massive complex problem that will also require firm diplomacy and leadership which Hillary lacks.
Hillary divided 500people into 34 committees and demanded no notes be taken and all meetings were closed. In fact, she was the forerunner of how Cheney has not disclosed the meetings with the energy companies as the beginning of Bush's term. Cheney took that page from Hillary. Hillary was so adamant about the lack of open government that she took the issue of closed door policy all the way to the US courts and loss. The end result was Americans still do not have universal health care today and now we are suppose to beleive Hillary will be better at it this go round? There is no evidence that Hillary' experience in Washington will have any different results. Nothing points to a better outcome with Hillary driving the issue.
No one believes that Hillary has the skills to navigate and create a consensus on health care. The recent statements she made on foreign policy about not divulging foreign policy strategy to the American public tells us she has not learned how to work with others in an open and forthright manner to effect change.
Obama is dead on target if Hillary is in charge of health care we will end up with the same absymal results. There is nothing in her record as First Lady nor in her tenure as a US Senator that supports the notion that Hillary is capable of executing, or implementing a plan that will be effective to bring home the troops or bring American citizens healthcare.
demwinger wrote on September 17, 2007 11:58 AM:my problem with Obama is the guy smokes.
so you cannot be taken seriously on healthcare if you are a smoker. i mean come on.. its like a 300lb person giving me advice on healthy diet
Michael Caine wrote on September 17, 2007 12:33 PM:Or like someone that has the vast majority of their Campaign donations from PACs giving advice on Campaign Finance reform? Oh wait, that's Hillary.
Michael Caine wrote on September 17, 2007 12:37 PM:Or that a good portion of those PAC contributions come from Big Pharma and Insurance industry PACs? I'm sure that won't play into her Health Care Plan. The one that sounds suspiciously similar to the Part D plan.
kjoe wrote on September 17, 2007 12:50 PM:demwinger wrote on September 17, 2007 11:58 AM:
my problem with Obama is the guy smokes.
so you cannot be taken seriously on healthcare if you are a smoker. i mean come on.. its like a 300lb person giving me advice on healthy diet
Bill looks like he has slimmed down a little.
Hillary is putting on a republican plumpness.
DonnaG wrote on September 17, 2007 1:19 PM:I thought, demwinger, that Obama quit smoking last winter, as per Michelle's insistence on that point. Do you have evidence otherwise?
