Bernstein Book Challenges Bill Clinton's Health Care Claim

Bernstein Book Challenges Bill Clinton's Health Care Claim
Sam Stein

November 9, 2007 03:33 PM


With his wife going through the toughest week of her presidential campaign, former President Bill Clinton is trying to take some political bullets on her behalf. The most recent charge: that the Hillary-led task force's failure to deliver on universal health care in 1993 was ultimately his fault, not hers.

"She has taken the rap for some of the problems we had with health care the last time that were far more my fault than hers," the former president said on the stump. "Let's just face it. We couldn't raise money...We told her she had to get to universal coverage and there would be no new money. She had to figure out how to do it. She also was very vulnerable to a Senate filibuster last time. Because they were on the 'just say no to Bill Clinton.'"

The comments seemed designed to deflect charges that, if elected president, Hillary would be too polarizing to make legislative headway. But are they accurate?

Well, Bubba is surely right in describing the congressional Republicans of his day as utterly recalcitrant to compromise. In the summer of 1994, the conservative stalwart Bill Kristol wrote a memo to GOP members, advising them to reject "sight unseen" the White House's proposal. Moreover, Bill Clinton admitted error in not scaling back the health care proposal when it became clear it would need 60 votes for passage.

But at least one Clinton biographer says the culpability for universal health cares failure rests as much, if not more so, with Hillary. In his book "A Woman In Charge," Carl Bernstein devotes much ink to the idea that the former first lady's secrecy and arrogance were toxic factors in Congressional negotiations. Below are a few choice Bernstein excerpts:




more...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2007/11/09/bernstein-book-challenges_n_71965.html

Hollow candidate with no sense of conviction?

So now her refusal to compromise is a bad thing.

:silly:

when she is campaigning, waiting for the most politically expedient moment for her to nail anything down.

And do we really need another person who refuses to compromise?

And tomorrow there will be a thread with evidence that she has no convictions and will not fight for anything.

would cause a backlash and that it would be easier to pass universal healthcare AFTER Clinton chalked up a win on welfare reform - that passing welfare reform would inoculate him for later battles. Clinton ended up siding with Hillary.

Now they're quote Stephanopolus and Bernstein

The msg is false. Sen Byrd, one of DU's heroes, is responsible for killing UHC in 1993.

Sen Byrd killed UHC in 1993

something his wife was responsible for. Ya know, I just don't like her 'using' him for her campaign. She should win on her own merits.

Slamming Bill is more important. That's why you avoid addressing the fact that it was Byrd

trying to change the subject. Have a lovely evening.

What Bill says is more important than health care?

Just trying to figure out your priorities.

Edwards has Elizabeth and they can have pretty sharp tongues on occasion? Why does Hillary have to fight all by herself against all those men? How come the men have the natural advantage of being men and it's horrible and unfair that Hillary use the feminine card? Also while I'm at it...what other candidate has many whole TV programs devoted to just bashing Hillary? Life doesn't seem fair to me. By the way...Edwards uses the death of his son and Elizabeth's cancer to capture political points and Obama uses his being black to go after black votes...so why is it so awful that Hillary would have her husband defend her the best he can?

Byrd prevented UHC from being included in the budget which meant that it needed a filibuster proof 60 votes (which it couldn't get) instead of the 50 votes (which it could get) it would need as part of the budget. Budgets can't be filibustered

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconciliation_(Senate)

The Congressional Budget Act of 1974 created reconciliation. (See Pub.L. 93-344, § 310; 88 Stat. 297; 2 U.S.C. § 641.) But Congress came to use it in the 1980s. Congress used reconciliation to enact President Bill Clinton's 1993 (fiscal year 1994) budget. (See Pub.L. 103-66, 107 Stat. 312.) President Clinton wanted to use reconciliation to pass his health care plan, but Senator Robert Byrd insisted that the health care plan was out of bounds for a process that is theoretically about budgets.

Just what we need in our next President.

He's supposed to be helping her tremendously right now but lately I'm not so sure. And if she won our nomination, he will definitely be a hindrance.

battles.

and I'm glad it's happening now so people will think twice before voting for her (not him or them).