Clinton touts wife's health care plan, its benefits for S.C.By James Scott (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Sunday, December 9, 2007
Former President Bill Clinton said during a campaign visit to Charleston on Saturday that South Carolina — home to an estimated 672,000 uninsured residents — stands to benefit the most from his wife's proposed health care plan. During a half-hour speech to about 100 people at the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority on Meeting Street, the former two-term president championed Hillary Clinton's lifelong commitment to improving health care. 
Tyrone Walker Former President Bill Clinton, campaigning for his wife, Hillary, greets supporters Saturday at the City Market in downtown Charleston. "We have got to do something about health care. The time has come," Clinton told members of the national black sorority's local graduate chapter. "South Carolina has a bigger stake than almost any state in America." Clinton's visit to Charleston — which included stops at the Medical University of South Carolina Children's Hospital, downtown's City Market and the Finishing Touch Styling Salon on Dorchester Road — came only about a month after he spoke to some 800 students at Trident Technical College in North Charleston. It also preceded a much-hyped visit by his wife's Democratic primary challenger Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who is scheduled to hold a rally today with talk show host Oprah Winfrey at Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia. Beyond South Carolina, Clinton said his wife's health care plan also would drive down the high costs businesses now face to cover employees, a move that would free up capital and help businesses grow. For example, Clinton said, General Motors builds about $1,500 into the price of each vehicle for its health care costs, compared with Japanese carmaker Toyota, which spends about $110. "This is not only the humane thing to do," Clinton said. "But as we bring costs in line with our competitors around the world, it will create more jobs here by freeing up money that businesses were spending on health care to invest in the future." Clinton also defended his wife's unsuccessful efforts during his presidency to create a universal health care plan. "I say it is better to fail going in the right direction than to succeed going in the wrong direction," he said. Clinton was joined on the trail Saturday by Rep. John Lewis, D-Georgia. "Hillary Clinton, like so many of us, is not a Johnny-come-lately to health care," said Lewis, a former civil rights leader. "We need her now more than ever before." Edith Deas, president of Alpha Kappa Alpha's local chapter, said she found out at noon Friday that Clinton might speak at the sorority's regular meeting, but that it wasn't confirmed until late in the day. She said Clinton's message hit home with the audience, some of whom work in health care and see firsthand the struggles uninsured residents face. "I think it was wonderful," she said of Clinton's speech. "I think it is a great big issue." One of those in attendance was D'Jaris Whipper-Lewis, who has a master's degree in health administration. "That's a good platform," she said. "It is something that is very needed." Still, S.C. Republican Party Chairman Katon Dawson said in a statement released Saturday that he doubted Hillary Clinton would be able to sway a majority of the state to support her. "Today, Bill Clinton is trying to clean up Hillary's South Carolina mess," Dawson said. "But he never carried our state, and Hillary Clinton won't either — if she can win her party's nomination." Reach James Scott at 745-5855 or at jscott@postandcourier.com. |
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Comments
This article has 7 comment(s)
Posted by southerner on December 9, 2007 at 11:11 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Talk about VOTE BUYING. We need someone who will do for all of America, not just the ones that continue to hold their hands out.
Posted by ballachulish on December 9, 2007 at 11:42 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Ahhh the Clinton haters, the same folks who asked Huckabee to arrange a parole so that a convicted rapist and murderer be let free, to rape an murder a young woman pregnant w/ her 1st child.
Why would a law and order Republican want a serial rapist released? Because he was convicted of raping Bill Clinton's cousin.
Right-wingers are so blinded by hatred that they would advocate releasing a monster, just to spite the Clintons.
As for the socialist crack, can I call all Republicans(except Ron Paul) fascists?
Posted by teeitup on December 9, 2007 at 1:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Talk about monsters being released, the Clintons are loose. The reference to being socialist is not just a crack, look at their records. Only like minded socialist agree with their message.
Posted by Ayarkay on December 9, 2007 at 4:04 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yeah, it's truly socialist to want health care reform. I'm sure you would also think it's socialist to have fire protection, police protection, and maintenance of roads and bridges. Darn that big government.
Posted by ImplantedYankee on December 10, 2007 at 7:36 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Republicans Fascist? Let's look at the characteristics of fascism: Big government, control economy, socialism, disarmed public, and replacement of faith in God with faith in state. Sounds a lot more like the left than the right. Calling the right fascist is a twisted propaganda move from the left in order to try to claim a moral high ground that doesn't rightfully belong to them.
If we're going to bring up Huckabee's parole, we should also bring up the Klinton pardons. Let's also bring up the 44 convicted murders set free by Michael Dukakis. I lived in Massachusetts at the time. Smart move, left.
Posted by grannyofsix on December 10, 2007 at 8:49 a.m. (Suggest removal)
HMMM ok first off I never voted for Cliton as president didnt vote for Bush either . but we are saying here Clinton is bad cause of his personal bad behavior in office and with Bush the war is good? Just want to be sure what is right here is all
Posted by ImplantedYankee on December 10, 2007 at 9:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
I wonder how many of those 672,000 uninsured are legal residents? I wonder how Billary plans to PAY for those 672,000 people. That's one key point with any vote buying plan from the left. They never tell you where they are going to come up with the money. Saying that relieving companies of their healthcare burden will free up capital is also ridiculous. Taxes, both corporate and income, will have to be so high to accommodate such a plan, that companies will have to pay their employees more to make up for higher income taxes, and have to pay higher corporate taxes as well, both of which will be passed on to the consumer in higher prices. Then employees will want even more pay (can you see where this is going yet?).
We already have the best healthcare system in the world, despite the claims of some dishonest "documentaries". There is a reason why most medical advances come from this country. There is a reason that patients are flocking to the US to pay out-of-pocket for care they cannot receive in their own countries with their socialized systems. It blows me away that the Klintons would be willing to destroy that to buy votes.
If we really want to make healthcare more affordable, we should start with tort reform. With the liberal elite stacked with blood-sucking lawyers (like Edwards), however, that is highly unlikely.