Clinton Hospital Story May Actually Be True

ABC's Political Punch:

The New York Times had a real attention-grabbing story over the weekend indicating that Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-NY, had been irritating an Ohio hospital by telling a false story about a poor, pregnant woman denied health care.

"The hospital said, 'Well, you don't have insurance,'" Clinton said. "She said, 'No, I don't.' They said, 'Well, we can't see you until you give $100.' She said, 'Where am I going to get $100?' The next time she came back to the hospital, she came in an ambulance," Mrs. Clinton continued. "She was in distress. The doctors and the nurses worked on her and couldn't save the baby."

Read the whole story: ABC's Political Punch

Comments

[ChrisS13]

I hope that was a joke. Obama's admitted to sneaking a cig. and he's already lied multiple times this election process, one of his biggest was over the canada meeting.

[FreedomLoverX]

ChrisS, are you really so lame? Maybe if you lay off the 13 for a while, you'll start to see through the fog again. Do you want Hillary to be your president? Are you nuts? Forget about Obama for a minute. Do you really want this bald faced LIAR? The one who helped send a million and counting to their death? The one who helpd hundreds of thousands lose jobs? The one that says one thing and keeps doing the opposite? The one with no ethics whatsoever? That is the one you want? What the hell is wrong with you?

"Zeifman fired Hillary from the committee staff and refused to give her a letter of recommendation – one of only three people who earned that dubious distinction in Zeifman’s 17-year career.

Why?

'Because she was a liar,' Zeifman said in an interview last week. 'She was an unethical, dishonest lawyer. She conspired to violate the Constitution, the rules of the House, the rules of the committee and the rules of confidentiality.'"

[ChrisS13]

SOmeone who throws accusations of bald faced liar around, shouldn't be lying about her being fired. She wasn't, go do a fact check. Not too mention you are referring to something that happen almost 40 years ago. Has HRC lied, YES, Has OBama lied YES. Do all politicians LIE, YES. Get off your high horse for a minute. I don't worship politicians, i take them for what they are. And IMO HRC has a chance to get more accomplished and she isn't far leftest. Sorry but I'm a moderate Democrat, and the majority of this country is in the middle. I don't get brainwashed or inspired by politiicians. I don't have anything personal against Obama. I am however disgusted by his supporters, the majority doesn't seem to want to follow his words or his mantra. They would rather just tear down and attack HRC or her supporers with every word out of there mouth..

[IslandGyal]

The FACT is the woman was not turned away; she made a decision not to go to a particular hospital; the hospital did NOT turn her away. The FACT is the woman HAD medical insurance. The FACT is the woman was TAKEN CARE of. So, another FACT is Hil-liar-y so eager to get any story to prove her point, did not take the time for her staff to find out if the story was ACCURATE! That is the FACT! We all know there are thousands of REAL stories like that, why didn’t Hil-liar-y and her STAFF find one?!??!

[Pharos]

She was taken care of and still died of a completely treatable condition? That would not meet my definition of taken care of.

[unsolved999]

As far as I can tell we don't know what she died of. The original story says that OBleness misdiagnosed her condition because it didn't have the means to properly diagnose her. I think we are still waiting for all of the facts.

However, the real point is that Hillary did not vet the story and then embellished the facts to make the story more effective. Sound familiar? That's what she did with the Bosnia story as well. She took a perfectly reasonable and true story about going to a war zone and then embellished the story until it had no relation to reality.

[SenorBob]

But that has nothing to do with whether or not she had insurance.

[Pharos]

So let me summarize what I see on this site. A woman and her baby are dead from eclampsia, a condition that no one should die of in an modern society with an advanced system of health care.
The story is told by Hillary Clinton and all the discussion here is about whether or not the story as told is exactly true in all it details.

What happened to our humanity? Why aren't we working together to make sure this never happens again?

[Mattie]

It's become anything to tear Clinton down, this is an example of how life under the politics of hope and change will be . I see that Huffington Post moved this to the front page, but still are giving it far less space than they gave the original screaming headline about HIllary lying again. It's just sick what the campaign of hope and change will do to get elected. Millions of people don't have healthcare, and all these people care about is trashing Hillary. I don't think we can work together anymore, to much hate has been spewed here and other places. The democratic party I grew up with didn't call other candidates f***ing whores, murderes, liars and worse. We stood together as one party and we supported one another. That will not happen in this campaign, and I will be switching to independent after the primary season is over. The democratic party I belonged to didn't suppress the vote of millions or call for the end of voting in the primary season. I think compassion is gone, get used to this new way, again it's part of the politics of hope and change.

[ChrisS13]

Great Post Mattie, I'm right there with you. I'm ashamed of this party and what it's become.

[Pharos]

I largely agree with you but I saw much of the same during the McGovern era and the Humphrey - McCarthy battles in 1968. It's not so new but it's depressing the number of people who refuse to learn from history.

[dtd]

NO. The story is NOT true!

She was NOT making minimum wage.

Her insurance afforded her coverage at ANY hospital.

She was told to make a $100 deposit because she had previously been sued by the hospital for an outstanding debt of almost $5,000.00 It had nothing to do with the quality or lace of insurance, but bad credit with the hospital.

The substance of Clinto's story is that this woman was without good options, which is NOT TRUE. She had quality care available to her through her insurance. She could have sought treatment at ANY hospital and NO hospital turned her away. The did, however, ask for a $100 deposit because of her bad credit history with them.

[Mattie]

the women is dead, what is wrong with you

[unsolved999]

And Hillary is using her death for political points. What is wrong with you?

[RenStimpy]

HOW TO TELL WHEN HILLARY IS LYING

Answer: Chris Matthews lips are moving.

Alternate Answer: Olberman devotes a half hour to dumbing down the topic.

Best Answer: Andrea Mitchell (between aneurism's) sit's in for Howard Fineman.

[StillAmused]

NEWS BULLETIN:

The Parsing Championship, once held briefly by Bill Clinton, has been won in an explosive, last-minute performance by The Obamatons. Setting dramatically new horizons for the picking of nits, the Big Os stunned fans and commentators by employing, for the first time in competition history, laboratory-grade electron scanning microscopes to seize the crown.

Observers were stunned. "Gee," said one. "They had us all fooled... it sure looked like the hospital story was basically true, but these guys are REALLY good."

[VFH]

Great comment, really made me laugh! I totally agree about 'the picking of nits'.

[IslandGyal]

StillAmused,
Sorry, the story was not accurate, while it had an essence of truth, it was inaccurate, thus not the truth. IF I were walking down the street and tripped, stumbled but then caught myself before hitting the ground, but then went on to tell my friends and family I fell; would I be telling the “truth”? Yes, I tripped. Yes, I stumbled. Yes, I caught myself. Did I fall, no!

[StillAmused]

Guess it depends on what the meaning of "fall" is, huh? Bet that, on the way down, you'd have signed a fuckin' sworn affidavit that you were "falling".

Excellent dramatic re-creation for our viewers, O'bot.

Atsa somma spicy nits you pickin'.

[rixhex56]

It is amazing that people are so focused on insignificant details of a story that is not only basically true in this case, but in so many cases, and the main point is lost.

A young working woman, and her baby, are both dead when the healthcare she needed was so readily available. In the richest nation on the planet, these two people died, as do many others, because of the profit motive involved in caring for them. Their lives became commodities for profits, and when those profits were compromised, their lives became less meaningful. A shameful example, this is, for the richest nation on the planet.

[StillAmused]

Official response from the foaming-at-the-mouth MSM (and HuffPo), delivered by Emily Litella (bless Gilda):

"Never mind."

[Oldtt]

Here is another article in the Washington Post which give a bit more detail about this story:

http://blog.washingtonpost.com/the-trail/2008/04/07/clinton_told_true_tale_of_woe.html

I suggested in an earlier post that people might want to withhold judgement until more information came out. Clinton took the deputy's story - which he obtained directly from the young woman's family - and "humanized" it slightly into a story to illustrate a larger point, which is valid. Had universal health care been in effect over the course of these events, there would have been no unpaid bill preventing the woman from seeking immediate attention at the most appropriate medical facility, and she wouldn't have been forced to go to another hospital with less capability where her condition may well have been misdiagnosed as the family alleges. The details might have been stated inaccurately, but the fundamental facts were correct. Lack of $100 ultimately resulted in inadequate medical care which led to her death. Instead of jumping all over Clinton, Obama supporters should use these events to refocus their demand for universal health care.

[VFH]

I agree that the Obama supporters could refocus on health care. The Obama campaign touts 'Hope' and 'Change', but that's really a cover. It's about picking apart the opposition, destroying all credibility, then swooping in for the votes. When voters find out the truth, it will be too late.

[IslandGyal]

That is so NOT true. IF Hil-liar-y implements her mandate and fines folks for not having insurance, I wonder how many would have $100 sitting around?

[mcnairbo]

How petty and disgusting you Obama people are. Gotta shower after reading all the vile spewings from your twisted minds. I believe the phrase is "sorry, we were wrong."

[Mattie]

no, can't you hear them screaming, no, no, she lied, I don't care what the press said. I hate her, hate her, she lied, she lied. It's like a crazy disease they have. Than you have the Huffington Post, and other media giving the fact that they were wrong about her, very little press, considering the glee they used when they thought she had lied.

[fantagor]

Clinton's mistake, again, is telling an apocryphal tale based on shaky foundations. Were there snipers somewhere in Bosnia when she visited? Sure. Were they peppering her when she and the First Daughter landed? No. Was the woman who died from a still birth once uninsured? Yes. But was she insured at the time of her death? Yes.

What this highlights is that Hillary needs to streamline her rhetoric. Stop plying the public with apocryphal bromides and tales of combat experience. What's wrong with saying universal healthcare is a public necessity, same as firemen and policemen, or saying her time in the public eye makes her the superior candidate? Nothing...till Obama's beating her in the popular vote, total states and total delegates. Notice that Hillary's need to wade hip-deep in hard-nosed bull did not materialize until it was apparent that her candidacy was in jeopardy, and desperation inevitably clouds one’s judgment.

Randy

[StillAmused]

Could you press your face down a little harder on the floor? You're missing a couple of dust particles, and one of them could prove to be real DYNAMITE.

"I'm sorry" would have worked nicely.

[mcnairbo]

What? No huge banner saying the hospital story may indeed be true???? Nice work "Fair and Balanced-Huffington Post."

[hardsun]

Hillary embellished a story to fit her campaign. While the core of the story may be true, the details are not. That is the truth. That is why she will not recieve credit for telling a factual story.

[mcnairbo]

Ahhhhhhh Ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!!!! Never let the truth get in the way of a nice whopper dittohead....ha ha ha ha!!!!...

[hardsun]

Time for your meds.

[MRb1000]

LOOK I DO NOT LIKE PEOPLE THAT TELL HALF TRUTHS. SHE SHOULD OF GOT THE STORY RIGHT THE FIRST TIME. SHE WANTES TO BE THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES NOT PRESIDENT OF WALMART!!! WHEN YOU SPEAK AS A PRESIDENT YOU CANNOT GET A STORY WRONG OR LIE. THE PROBLEM IS SHE GOT THE STORY WRONG. HER PEOPLE DID NOT VETT THE STORY. SHE DID NOT READ THE INTELLIGENT REPORT THAT LEAD US IN TO THE IRAQ WAR. THIS IS A PATERN THAT IS VERY TROUBLING. WE CANNOT LET SOMEONE IN THE WHITE HOUSE WITH THIS TYPE OF JUDGEMENT TO RUN OUR NATION. THE TOUNGE IS THE MOST POWERFUL WEAPON IN THE WORLD. THE TOUNGE HAS KILLED MORE PEOPLE THAN ANY WEAPON. SO LETS NOT DOWN PLAY THIS GETTING THE STORY WRONG BUSINESS.

AMERICA IF SHE WANTS TO BE PRESIDENT SHE NEEDS TO GET THE STORY RIGHT!!!!

[KDH]

There's are several examples of where Obama and McCain have embellished as well. In the interest of all, I won't post those, but Google search will show them under Obama Lies and McCain Lies

[mcnairbo]

So you must be terribly upset that Obama lied to you about his fathers airlift courtesy of the Kennedy clan and his claim to have not been in church when his pastor dissed America. Oh, and the NAFTA gate too.

[MRb1000]

I bet when you speak about your parents you know everything. Family stuff is handed down from relatives. This is totally different you are comparing apples to oranges. Which one would you like to have. LOL

[MRb1000]

Oh about his pastor, you need to here the whole sermon before you speak because there are a lot of pastor out their defending Rev Wright including Hillary Clintons old pastor. Please do your home work.

[Mattie]

are you kidding, that would disqualify Obama, he can't even get the story correct on how his father came to America.

[MRb1000]

I can get the story right how my father came here. So what are you speaking about, the comparison is stupid. Please come up with something else the is more credible.

[MRb1000]

Well all I can say is a Harvard doctor said they were pathological liars They just cannot help themselves. Please post them! You are weak. Goggle the Clinton's lies you will fine that you would crash google's server. You been drinking that Kool-Aid so long you are delusional. Hey, say hi to Mr. I did not have sex with that women. Along with Hillary that said all those women told the same lie. So please if you got the information share if not get off the toilet.

[AnninCA]

Typical Starr tactics. Accuse.

No proof.

But after the emotional reaction is over, and the person is tarred and feathered, then admit there was no proof.

Starr tactics all the way.

This is why I'm no longer a Democrat.

The Independents like Huff have destroyed the party.

They took it over.

But that's OK.

The label now reflects "them."

And I personally will laugh as "they" try to persuade voters.

[havisham]

Agreed. Is it just me, or did this site not run the headline about the "lie" in a very prominent place on a day when there were many more substantive issues that could have been addressed? And now, is it just me, or do they appear to be burying this story? One of the problems with blogs is that, unlike other forms of "journalism," they are not required to issue retractions.

[Shelly1970]

I agree too.

The days when it was good to be a Clinton supporter are over.

It works both ways though: the Clintons have been exposed as liars, AND HuffPost doesn't help to repair any of that damage.

Sure, if I could take back my vote for Hillary, I would. I was duped.

But looks like she wont win much beyond PA anyway.