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General discussion

Bush and health insurance

Mar 16, 2004 8:31AM PST

It was on ABC news tonight (can't find a link on their website) that Bush is saying that the lack of jobs is not outsourcing but the high cost of health insurance. He says that employers want to do right by their employees but can't afford the health insurance that a new hire would cost. He says something must be done about the rising cost of health insurance.

Does anyone remember how the Republicans buried the Clinton's plan to give everyone health care?

Discussion is locked

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And does everybody remember..
Mar 16, 2004 9:05AM PST

And does everybody remember who Bill Clinton wanted to put in charge of that project? His wife, Hillary, who the people did not elect to anything. That's what caused all the mess and shouting.
Since the Democrats seem to have the opinion that the wife off the President should have an active role in policies and actions that determine things that affect the people of the U.S., we need to remember that with an elected President, you get his wife as a First Lady.
Note for research types: Maria Teresa Thierstein Simoes-Ferreira married John Heinz in 1966. Heinz died in 1991. She had married Kerry in 1995, but she didn't put Kerry into her name until several years after they were married, so there are several variations of her name that will yield different results on a search.
BTW, she's worth more than $500 Million dollars. Yes, She and Kerry have a prenuptial agreement.

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Re:And does everybody remember..
Mar 16, 2004 12:12PM PST

Hi, J.

Another cheap distorion. Hillary, at no cost to the taxpayer, was put in charge of the panel charged with devising a health care plan that would then be debated in Congress. She was not to be "in charge" of the plan. And, btw, every single feature (but one)that the Insurance industry ads used to attack the plan has now come true for those fortunate enough to still have health coverage, except that the savings went to big insurance companies, rather than being used to provide universal health coverage, as the Clinton plan proposed. The one exception? There still aren't any large insurance pools for individuals needing health insurance, which, of course, would have drastically cut consumers' costs for health care while significantly cutting insurer's profits. Think if the same plan were put forward today it would still lose? It would win in a heartbeat!

-- Dave K, Speakeasy Moderator
click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

The opinions expressed above are my own,
and do not necessarily reflect those of CNET!

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Blind trust question, Dave...
Mar 16, 2004 1:34PM PST

Dave, while she was in charge of that panel which would devise a health plan, had the required blind trust documents for her and Bill been filed? After all, her actions might have an an effect on business things.

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Ah come on, Hillary wasn't put in charge
Mar 16, 2004 11:41PM PST

She was in charge from the day Bill announced he'd run.

She ran Bill about like Nancy ran Reagan. The only thing she couldn't control was his zipper.

Seriously tho, I suspect she always had a lot to say about what he did and said. It would probably be interesting to know which First Ladies had how much determination on the President's decisions.

As far as national health insurance, if it ever passes, I predict in a decade or less it'll be the only insurance anyone other than the CEO types have. Business and government jobs will stop offering insurance very quickly. The opinion will be you already got it.

So in 2 decades, it'll be socialized medical care for all but the wealthy. It could turn out ok, but there are a lot of problems with that version too, so better is far from a certain conclusion.

RogerNC

click here to email semods4@yahoo.com

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Re:Bush and health insurance
Mar 16, 2004 9:36PM PST

Yes, I remember it well and it seems to me that this issue is what made Hillary such a piranha to so many