Links: morningconsult.com/…
A Kaiser Family Foundation poll showed that 58% of Americans and 81% of Democrats are in favor of the idea of Medicare-for-all, a form of single-payer healthcare that Bernie Sanders is promoting in his campaign.
Hillary Clinton, meanwhile, apparently is one of the 19% of Democrats against it, as she has distorted Bernie Sanders’ plan.
On Medicare-for-All, Clinton Reminds Us That She's Part of the ProblemIf the Hillary Clinton campaign had its way, supporters of Bernie Sanders – whose backing she will obviously want in November should she win the Democratic nomination – would feel that, while Clinton might not be all that they want in a president, she would at least go part of the way there. But if you followed the third debate deep enough into the night, you witnessed, in what stands as the most disingenuous moment of the Democratic race thus far, Clinton not simply disagreeing with Sanders on his Medicare For All, single payer health insurance plan, but knowingly distorting it. This was not Hillary Clinton offering a more moderate version of a solution, this was Hillary Clinton acting as part of the problem.
Hillary claimed that Bernie’s plan will cost $18 to $20 trillion. One little problem:
In ignoring the fact that a single payer plan would, as Sanders quickly pointed out, do “away with the cost of private insurance,” meaning that “the middle class will be paying substantially less for health care,” not only was Clinton wrong on the claim that the Sanders plan would cost the middle class more, but she knew it. As Sanders said of her, “I know you know a lot about health care.” Hillary Clinton, let’s remember, was the point person for Bill Clinton’s unsuccessful 1993 health insurance reform, to the point where it was sometimes called “Hillarycare.” People have applied a lot of negative labels to Hillary Clinton over the years, but “stupid” is not one you hear very often. This was not an actor like Ronald Reagan, delivering lines he may or may not have understood. This was not George W. Bush, struggling over words and concepts. It was a telling, cynical moment.
Knowingly distorting Sanders’ record. Pathetic.
This article recalls the famous Hillary flip-flop that Elizabeth Warren recalled regarding the bankruptcy bill she hated as First Lady and voted for as Senator Clinton:
The health care story is similar. Back then, the for-profit health insurance industry went all out to obfuscate the facts of the Clinton bill, most memorably with a series of TV ads featuring a pair of actors named Harry and Louise. Yet by the time Senator Clinton was running for reelection in 2006, yesterday’s enemies had become today’s campaign contributors. The New York Times reported her the second highest recipient of health care industry campaign contributions, trailing only Republican Senator Rick Santorum. Washington health care lawyer and lobbyist Frederick H. Graefe told the paper that “People in many industries, including health care, are contributing to Senator Clinton today because they fully expect she will be the Democratic presidential nominee in 2008.” Therefore he felt that “If the usual rules apply,” early donors would “get a seat at the table when health care and other issues are discussed.”
We need to face it: Hillary is OUT OF THE DEMOCRATIC MAINSTREAM when it comes to healthcare. Of course, do you really expect much else from a Wall Street-sponsored candidate?
It’s time to call her on her corporatist bullshit. It’s time to vote for a candidate who doesn’t flip and flop, and who has consistently fought for middle- and lower-income Americans: Bernie Sanders.
Hillary is making a travesty of the Democratic Party voter’s wishes, but luckily there IS a cure.
VOTE BERNIE SANDERS.