Comments on: Clinton Has Learned Her Health Care Lesson

By: DLS

DLS — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 23:09:58 +0000

Itâ€™s tragic to think that this is the optimum we can hope for.

It’s not the best, or the most. She’s taking it easy before the election so as not to frighten swing voters by being too far to the left. (For this election that is forthcoming, she can receive HMO and other special-interest money if she doesn’t appear to be threatening to end their bountiful livelihoods — “I’m safer and saner than Obama or Edwards” [sic].)

Just wait until after she’s elected.

There is no way she’s going to try the same fascistic HMO-”alliance”-based scheme that was the main driving force behind the 1994 election results. It makes more sense to expand Medicare, which already exists and has something of a sacred-cow status already among some in this country. This is likely what she’ll do once she has determined how to pay for it. I don’t know if she’ll still attempt the age-related “pincer” first (offering Medicare for all children, i.e., minors, first rather than to everyone) or if she’ll proceed with trying to offer it to everyone, but enlarging the scope of Medicare is obviously the thing for her to do after 2008 and what most people are anticipating if not expecting or demanding.

By: Project Vote Smart

Project Vote Smart — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 22:04:49 +0000

Hillary Clintonâ€™s voting record on health care can be found at: Hillary Clintonâ€™s Voting Record Hillary Clintonâ€™s history of speeches on health care can be found at: Hillary Clintonâ€™s Record of Speeches Hillary Clintonâ€™s ratings from special interest groups on health care can be found at: Hillary Clintonâ€™s Interest Group Ratings For more information on Hillary Clintonâ€™s position on health care please visit Project Vote Smart or call our hotline at 1-888-VOTE-SMART.

By: domajot

domajot — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 21:11:38 +0000

Yes, Hillary learned her political lessons.
Unfortuantely, that means that, so far, she is proposing band aids instead of meaningful reform.

It’s tragic to think that this is the optimum we can hope for.

By: University Update - John Edwards - Clinton Has Learned Her Health Care Lesson

University Update - John Edwards - Clinton Has Learned Her Health Care Lesson — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:59:51 +0000

[...] Clark Link to Article john edwards Clinton Has Learned Her Health Care Lesson » Posted at The [...]

By: DLS

DLS — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 16:37:12 +0000

Shaun, don’t worry. Hillary Clinton will lurch leftward after she is elected (she’s playing it quiet now so as not to repel swing voters). The current plans of the most extreme Democrats on health care, Conyers and Kucinich, actually constitute something close to what most Americans who want government intervention envision — namely expanding Medicare to more beneficiaries, ideally everybody. The problem is finding the money to pay the costs (including compensation for lost profits over 20-30 years if health care is forcibly converted to non-profit only, an unconstitutional defect and intentional plan for theft in the current Conyers plan).

By: Shaun Mullen

Shaun Mullen — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 14:55:13 +0000

As someone who reported on Hillary’s abortive 1993 initiative full time, I am gratified that she has gotten religion.

Unfortunately, no matter the size of a Democratic majority and even with a Democrat in the White House, experience tells me that meaningful health-care reform will not happen.

It is, as usual, all about the money, and the health care, health insurance and pharmaceutical lobbies are enormously powerful. Any meaningful reform would have to take on all three, and that just ain’t gonna happen.