SICKO health care: Clinton's speech accurately reflects what she was told;

[candice]

and if no hospital ever turned anyone away....denial of care wouldn't need to be part of anyone's speech, nor part of the movie "SICKO."


There is something wrong with a country in which those without money cannot get the health care they need. Universal health care is very important to me, and I am touched that Hillary is making an emotional case for those who need it but are denied care because of the profit motive. As she said in a speech I heard last Thursday, the billions (7? I forgot) that insurance companies spend denying people medical coverage could be put to a much higher good.

Excerpts follow from CNN:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/04/06/clinton.hospital/index.html


The New York senator heard the story during a campaign visit to a family's living room in Pomeroy, Ohio, in late February. Bryan Holman was hosting the candidate and told Clinton the story. She has repeated it frequently since then.


Clinton's speech accurately reflects what she was told that day, but the campaign admits they were not able to confirm the account.

Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee said, "She had no reason to doubt his word."

"Candidates are told stories by people all the time, and it's common for candidates to retell those stories. It's not always possible to fully vet them, but we try. For example, medical records are confidential. In this case, we tried but weren't able to fully vet the story," he said.



Elleithee added, "If the hospital claims it didn't happen that way, we certainly respect that, and she won't repeat the story."

"She never mentions the hospital by name and isn't trying to cast blame. She tells this story because it illustrates the point that we have a very serious health care problem in America. That's a point very few people will dispute."

[dkf]

1. Well find a story that is real then...especially if it is so common.

What are the odds that when this happens so often, she can't find one authentic story?

Jeez.

[OhioChick]

2. Maybe she should have carefully

confirmed the facts before repeating the story. One never goes by here-say. Can you fathom how the family of the woman feels reliving this?

[Yael]

6. Funny you ask

The gave an exclusive to the Post today: http://www.nypost.com/seven/04062008/news/nationalnews/a_painful_lie_105295.htm

Right, Left, Middle -- doesn't matter. They are pissed and rightfully so.

[OhioChick]

7. "A PAINFUL 'LIE'

is accurate. Has HRC tried contacting the family? You should start a new thread on that story. I hadn't read it, until now.

[Yael]

8. IK am going to be hung out to dry over it being the Post, but why not.

[sandnsea]

11. Oh lord, an 80 year old grandma??

Who is so old-school she thinks her granddaughter has been disgraced for being poor?? These are the people who vote Republican because being self-reliant is the most important character trait they have.

[Shae]

12. There is a thread here on the family

"A Painful Lie" (HospitalGate family speaks out, and they are NOT happy)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x5410912

[Bonobo]

3. Shouldn't she get the sheriff who told her this to make a statement?

[pocoloco]

4. No reason to doubt bush*'s word either.

[Yael]

5. Michael Moore reported over 27,000 submissions while he was working on SiCKO

Plenty of true tales out there. I am sure that if asked, he would have been happy to share -- and the folks impacted happy to have their stories told. VETTED stories.

Not good enough for Hills. She had to take a snippet and make up a full blown story out of whole cloth.

[classykaren]

9. 10,000 americans die each year without health insurance n/t

[Hepburn]

10. And her vote in favor the IWR accurately reflects that the bought the bullshit from Bush.

Your point?