Kennedy "Shocked" At "Distortion" In Clinton Health Care Ad

Political Radar:

The presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama put out big gun backer Sen. Ted Kennedy and the Wisconsin Gov. Jim Doyle to respond to the negative Clinton camapign mailer on health care being distributed in Wisconsin.

Kennedy said he was shocked and surprised that Clinton would put out a mailer like this, ad called it a "distortion, misrepresentation, and wrong." He referenced Clinton's health care fight in 1994 - and said similar negative ads were what contributed to the sinking it - so essentially said that Clinton should have learned from that. Kennedy said health care in the cause of his life, and that he would never have supported Obama if he wasn't the one who could get comprehensive health care done.

Read the whole story: Political Radar

Comments

[BrickSykes]

Why is it necessary to bash Ted Kennedy when he is simply supporting Obama's Health Plan? It certainly confirms the abject HATE that some people still harbor for him.

Ted Kennedy has served the American Public well for many, many years. He deserves better.

Brick

[Tellmethetruth]

If Ted kennedy had kept the promise he made in 1980 when he ran for President to give Americans national health care, Ted Kennedy today would have nothing to complain about other candidates who today are still fighting the battle to get national health care for Americans.

Ted Kennedy has been the most powerful Senator in the Congress for 45 years, spending time as the majority leader. Still, Ted Kennedy has failed to keep the promise he made to give Americans national health care.

Ted Kennedy's best chance of realizing that dream would have been to support Hillary Clinton who even Joe Biden mentioned in one of the debates knows the issue of national health care better than anyone. Had Ted Kennedy linked up with Hillary Clinton even in 1994, Americans would have had national health care today. But, Ted Kennedy can't lower himself to work with a woman as a co-equal partner in any capacity, either in his personal life or professional life. His relationship with woman has kept Ted Kennedy from keeping any of the promises he made to the American people.

The angry Ted Kennedy now spews at Hillary Clinton is anger at his own inability to do what she is so capable of doing. Jealously.­...

I am sorry Ted Kennedy has such a sour attititude towards women. It has been his undoing...­and we all suffer because of his limitation­s...

[RHR]

Hmmm.

I received some pretty misleading direct mail pieces on healthcare from the Obama camp in Colorado before the caucuses that swiped at Hillary.

Tit for Tat....

[Average]

Anybody who believes ANYTHING Kennedy says is CRAZY.

[riverhouse]

The Clintons have no scruples. They will do or say anything to win this nomination. Sick puppies, both of them. This is just another of several false claim mailers the Clintons have spread around primary states. It's just yet another example of why the Clintons should not be returned to the White House. They simply are not principled people.

[Politiking]

This is more shocking - Chappaquiddick: circumstances surrounding the death of Mary Jo Kopechne, where Ted Kennedy 'turns tail' and left the scene of the so-called accident.

[JimK2]

>"They both effectively have universal health care programs," Kennedy said. "The >point of this ad is to undermine people's belief that Barack Obama is committed to >universal health care, and that is simply a distortion, a misreprese­ntation... that is >the kind of distortion that we had back in 1994."

The simple fact is that Obama plan is not a universal health care and saying theirs no difference between HRC and Obama's plan is a lie. Obama's National Health Insurance Exchange
is a $80 giveaway to the insurance companys

[JimK2]

Obama's National Health Insurance Exchange
is a $80 billin dollar giveaway to the insurance companies

[BUSHsurvivor]

Senator K, are you equally as shocked as the Obama mailer circulating about Hillary and NAFTA?

The Obamaniacs want to distance Hillary from the Bill Clinton Years, but on NAFTA they want to join them. Which is it?

Obama, anything and everything to get the nomination. Typical Washington Politician. F.O.R. (friend of Rezco)

[AnninCA]

No kidding! This tactic only works once.

He's not at all even credible on this.

[JakeEasy]

I notice that the Senator and the Governor were shocked and dismayed, that they were appalled and upset, that they were aghast. I didn't notice that they had one line to refute the ads. I didn't notice one place where they showed where the ads were untruthful. More talk and not walk from the Obama Express.

This is the same Kennedy who was 100% behind Bush's No Child Left Behind bill. He didn't read it either.

[AnninCA]

He probably liked Obama's mailer that compared her plan to Naziism. LOL*

Maybe this is just more sexism. The "girl" isn't suppose to do what the "boy" has done. She should play nicer. Preferably, she shouldn't win.

Wouldn't want to hurt the "boy's" egos now.

[kingofscotts]

Uncle Teddy

Maybe if you put down the scotch for a few minutes and read Obama's proposal you would realize you are making a fool of yourself.

Not a single person (not affiliated with the campaigns) has disagreed with the fact that it DOES leave millions of people uninsured. It's right there on his website. Just go read the damn thing before expressing all this faux outrage.

You can't call it universal if it doesn't cover all people.

That's just academic.

[AnninCA]

And he had the gall to tell Bill Clinton how to act appropriately?

This campaign is sort of stupid in a lot of ways. And it's making asses out of these people.

[Kally]

I'm shocked that Kennedy is still about to get around. I thought all the alcohol might have put him on a par with bush, you know -brainless.

[AnninCA]

Ouch! That ad must have really hurt Obama. :)

[GLaB]

Senator Kennedy in 2005:

"In an interview with the Globe, Kennedy declined to endorse any of the plans pending on Beacon Hill, but he offered praise for the controversial insurance mandates on employers and individuals in a bill passed by the House last month. Kennedy, a Democrat, has long advocated for a federal requirement that employers provide health insurance for their workers."

- Boston Globe, Dec. 5, 2005


Senator Kennedy in 2007:

"The federal government should join the state of Massachusetts in enacting universal health coverage, said Senator Kennedy, the new chairman of the Senate committee with jurisdiction over numerous health issues.

Mr. Kennedy's home state is the first to require everyone to have health insurance, just as drivers must have automobile coverage."

- The New York Sun, January 10, 2007


Senator Kennedy after joining Obama campaign:

"Mandates?! We don't need no stinkin' mandates!"

[2liveNdie]

What I'd like to know is if there is a "mandated" health care, what exactly are the penalties if one does not or can not pay for it? I think that is a legitimate question to ask Hillary. Mandate:"an authoritative command". Does this sound like her plan gives choice or option for health care? Or punishment for those without?

[SEQUOIABISON]

Personally I am getting very tired of Bill and Hill telling us about their fabulous Health Plan, have we forgotten the endless excuses they gave us as to why they were unable to get Universal Health Care passed when we gave them 8 years to accomplish that promise and a democratic congress?

Obviously according to experts like Kennedy the two health plans are very similar only Hillarys would be a big windfall for the Insurance companies as she makes it mandatory without lowering premiums.

So it is not so much about which health plan covers more people but rather which candidate can get the job accomplished.

From my perspective the Clintons are too over laden with past scandals and enemies to get anything accomplished.

Quite frankly do we need to go through another version of Ground Hog Day, with republicans replaying; “I did not have sex with that woman” and the definition of Is, is, over and over again?

Do we have to relive whether impeaching Bill and disbarring him was wrong or not and whether investigating White Water was necessary?

I personally like Hillary but think it is really time for the country to move on, we have much more important issues to deal with than to start defending the Clinton improprieties all over again.

Undoubtedly the republican hit machine will go after Obama with the same intensity that they did against Clinton, Gore and Kerry but at least it will not be the unbearably boring never ending talking points the republicans will throw at us about Clinton dishonoring the oval office.

Who knows if young female white house interns will be safe with womanizing Bill roaming the halls of the west wing again in search of Jennifer, Paula or Monica?

[2liveNdie]

Well said! Bill would like us to remember how good the 90's was, but I recall an embarrassing one as well. Time for real change.

[pleeezzze]

You sound like a fool SEQ !!
Making your case for Obama while trying to bring up the Republican garbage about Bill,is'nt working !!
YOU really should MOVE on !!!

[SEQUOIABISON]

You sound fairly naive pleezze, do you actually think the republicans will forget about Bills past indiscretions?

Or that Hillary had to appear before a Grand Jury and nearly became the only first lady ever to be indicted?

Quite frankly liberal democrats are tired of republican lite warmongers.

[thgy]

It is all about you isn't it Ted, you and your fellow humps how can't stand up to a president with 29% approval rating who is trampling on the constitution you swore to uphold.
Do you have dreams of glory about how you are going to take the lead if your empty suit gets to the White House? Is that why you can't bare the thought of a powerful president? Because that is what Hillary is, a powerful leader. If her name was Smith and she was a man and you would still be in the opposition because, though you let a republican bring our country to ruin, you feel sure you can run a weak democratic president.