Elizabeth Edwards: Hillary Took John's Health Plan
Elizabeth Edwards is now wading into the fight between her husband and Hillary Clinton, echoing an earlier comment by John Edwards accusing Hillary of ripping off his healthcare plan.
"I call it John Edwards' health care plan as delivered by Hillary Clinton," Mrs. Edwards told CNN. "The truth is that anyone who tries to describe Hillary's health care plan will run through every material part of John's health care plan."
She also echoed another theme of her husband's campaign, blasting Hillary for granting special access to donors.
"You can have a meeting with a member of Congress if you donate to Hillary's campaign," she said. "What this is saying is she's willing to sell special access to the government if you just have the check. Isn't that just exactly what John is saying we shouldn't be doing?"
Comments (24)
rts wrote on September 20, 2007 4:16 PM:Doesn't this smack of sour grapes, just a bit? If the worst you can say about your opponent's plan is that it is the same as your own it really isn't much of a criticism.
I give Edwards kudos for being in front on the battle of the health care plans but, at the end of this process, the plan that will be passed (assuming a Democrat wins the White House) will be the result of various compromises in order to get the votes needed in Congress. None of the plans will look the same as what is ultimately enacted. The fact that we are having a debate about expanding health care is really the important thing, isn't it?
Outside the beltway wrote on September 20, 2007 4:20 PM:And this time John Edwards said the exact same thing first, so people can't accuse him of hiding behind Elizabeth.
Finally, is there anything Hillary is going to lead on? that's something else Hillary is illustrating by re-releasing the Edwards' health plan under her name
js wrote on September 20, 2007 4:20 PM:Things must be going bad for Edwards in Iowa. If it was edwards plan, why did he blast her ?
js wrote on September 20, 2007 4:23 PM:btw, Edwards is a wimp. Using your sick wife to attack your opponent is weak.
dcshungu wrote on September 20, 2007 4:28 PM:Bill Clinton preempted, pushed and signed into law some of the Republicans' favorite ideas and, guess what? They hated him for it...
Elizabeth and John Edwards should feel flattered (you know what they say about imitation), just like the Repubs should have thanked Bill...!
Outside the beltway wrote on September 20, 2007 4:28 PM:come on Js you know Edwards is Hillary's only threat.
I was very impressed that Elizabeth has echoed what I've said any time you make a substantative claim against Hillary Clinton , they distract with "flagging polls" whether it's Giuliani or Obama and NEVER address the issue
js wrote on September 20, 2007 4:34 PM:Edwards is a threat to Hillary? please. It is ok to pimp your candidate but act like you are sane person. Using your sick wife as an attack dog is weak. Do Edwards have balls? Why do he need to use his sick wife ? it is pretty weak.
Anonymous wrote on September 20, 2007 4:35 PM:Things must be going bad for Edwards in Iowa. If it was edwards plan, why did he blast
I had wondered the same thing the other day... Why was Edwards 'ripping' HRC for a health care plan that had many of the elements of his own plan? Wasn't he then essentially 'ripping' his own plan?
Things must indeed be tough in IA for the former Senator...
OUtside the beltway wrote on September 20, 2007 4:45 PM:Edwards is helping point out how biased the media is.
Edwards' plan has been on the web for 7 months yet Hillary's plan is so "new"??
Also, to all you clueless people above, John Edwards at 2 union events earlier this week said Hillary was copying his plan. "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"..
it's great the Hillary has Endorsed the Edwards plan.
Christian wrote on September 20, 2007 4:47 PM:js, the ubermoron. Nothing he says makes any sense, and he can't even use proper English to say it.
Elizabeth Edwards' is doing what a) she wants to do and b) she does best. She's as bad-ass as Edwards is, and he has the brains not to squelch her help.
Meanwhile, you're just so terrified of Edwards beating Hillary I can feel it from here.
Please, more posts. They're providing me with great entertainment today.
jeanruss wrote on September 20, 2007 4:51 PM:Hillary Clinton has no ideas-if John Edwards had not come up with a great plan and promoted it, do you really think she even would have had one? The BIG difference between these candidates, is that Edwards will GET IT DONE and Hillary WILL NOT-the truth is that America would not be in this mess right now if she had had a better marriage and if the Clintons hadn't caved to big business with NAFTA-they shamed the office of the Presidency AND screwed over working Americans-now they have the nerve to COME BACK-I always vote Democratic, but I can't vote for her-There are millions who feel the way I do, both Republican and Democrat-and I'm sure the Republicans are counting on this.
Jerry L. Bonham wrote on September 20, 2007 5:05 PM:Two points: First, for js. I don't suppose it entered your head that Ms Edwards is a bright, accomplished, and courageous woman who is entirely capable of making her own decisions about what to say and when to say it. Only a terminal nincompoop would think that John Edwards is somehow sending his wife on the attack or hiding behind her skirts. Moreover, given the Edwards' run of personal misfortunes, I'll take their strength of character over yours any day of the week!!
As for you other Hillary acolytes, put you money where your mouth is on the Iowa caucuses. What odds are you giving on a Hillary win over Edwards? Also, no one in public life (and private life as well) likes having some johnny come lately take credit for his or her work in developing a plan or proposal.
gqmartinez wrote on September 20, 2007 5:15 PM:Does anyone really believe that Hillary was behind the curve on health care? Really?
The truth about the different plans is that they are a collaboration between the candidate and several political advisers and policy wonks, not one individual. If you look at most of the Dem plans (including "lower tier") they are very similar fundamentally. This reflects the general consensus as to the best approach, with slight details changed for political posturing. Given the current consensus, it shouldn't be a surprise that the plans are similar.
It should be pointed out that during the Clinton presidency income rose in every quintile, poverty went down, more people were saving money and more people were able to send their children to college. Maybe that's not perfect, but I'd hardly call that an assault on the working Americans. If you look at the polls, lower income people prefer Clinton easily and I'm pretty sure it's not because they are "ignorant".
js wrote on September 20, 2007 5:19 PM:Jerry L. Bonham-
I did not call Mrs Edwards a stupid person. All I am saying is using your sick wife as attack dog is weak especially when you, the man, is runnning for prez. That's all. Hey I don't know the likely winner is in Iowa but Edwards and his wife are ripping Hillary's plan when it is very similar to his.
Pragmatic Liberal wrote on September 20, 2007 5:22 PM:Who put out the first health care reform plan? Edwards? Obama? NO - Hillary Clinton in 1993. That plan proved to be too ambitious and was undermined by the insurance (and tobacco) industry. The dems back then didn't have enough will to stand behind it either.
To suggest Edwards plan was somehow lifted by Clinton is ridiculous. It's the other way around. And shame on Elizabeth for knowing that (she's a smart woman) and going out there and lying anyway.
dcshungu wrote on September 20, 2007 5:28 PM:Is this what one might a screed?
Hillary Clinton has no ideas-if John Edwards had not come up with a great plan and promoted it, do you really think she even would have had one? The BIG difference between these candidates, is that Edwards will GET IT DONE and Hillary WILL NOT-the truth is that America would not be in this mess right now if she had had a better marriage and if the Clintons hadn't caved to big business with NAFTA-they shamed the office of the Presidency AND screwed over working Americans-now they have the nerve to COME BACK-I always vote Democratic, but I can't vote for her-There are millions who feel the way I do, both Republican and Democrat-and I'm sure the Republicans are counting on this.
While HRC's plan necessarily contains elements contained in both Obama's and Edwards' plans (after all, these are ideas which have been circulating in the progressive think tanks for a while), her plan is different from and, by all accounts, better than Edwards'. Educate yourself before spewing the venom! Below is a third-grade level dissection of HRC's innovative health care plan. Read it, understand it, and then pontificate.
Christian wrote on September 20, 2007 5:51 PM:js, you do realize that repeating the same tired, stupid sentence over and over doesn't make it any more true, right?
You refuse to acknowledge what Elizabeth Edwards has asserted time and time again...namely that she's not being used by her husband (and so he is not sick). Rather, she is getting to be passionate and forthright about whatever she wants to.
Which makes you the sick person here.
bp wrote on September 20, 2007 5:59 PM:I am really saddened by the Edwards sop. They whip out Elizabeth because she has credibility. Joe Trippi was on Hardball attacking HRC. What do they hope to achieve? Criticisng HRC's plans with "we did it first"is hardly encouraging. Saying lobbyists pay to play is nothing new. Taking money from trial lawyers: that's ok because they are not lobbyists. Give me a break. Edwards comes across as a phoney: poor boy, mill worker's son, worked hard, lives in a $20M house and talks about the poor. Something is wrong with this picture. I am going to check whether he is going to be in Jena tonight: working hard for justice.
js wrote on September 20, 2007 6:00 PM:You think she gonna tell you and I that her hubby wanted her to be the attack dog? please.
Jeff Winchell wrote on September 20, 2007 6:00 PM:Hillary and Bill are very skilled in determining exactly what to do that will get their objective. I knew Bill could do it, but I was at first skeptical whether Hillary could do it as well. Watching this year play out, from her ability to dodge the Iraq war vote question, to her handling of the healthcare question all year long, has convinced me that she is an extremely skilled politician.
I hope, with all my heart, that someone more genuine and less calculating than Hillary (e.g. Edwards or Biden) will win the Democratic nomination. But, if Hillary manages to manipulate everything so well, that she wins all the early primaries handily, well then at least I won't worry about her losing the general election to some Republican idiot like the last two Democratic nominees did. (Though I'd prefer that Gore was the Democratic nominee in '08 because he seems to have returned to authenticity and he would throughly trounce whatever fake the Republicans nominate).
BTW, living in Germany the past year, which has a healthcare system similar to what Edwards proposes, I have to say it's WAY better than what exists in America. But after watching Sicko, I think Kucinich has the real right answer (as he always did with Iraq) and I'm jealous of what the French, English and Canadians have.
Lookingforhome wrote on September 20, 2007 7:53 PM:Amazing that Hillary is capable of pushing an 'identical' plan to Edwards', considering how she's completed corrupted by the special interests that he opposes. Hmmm....
Neat trick on her part...
Lookingforhome wrote on September 20, 2007 8:00 PM:...completely corrupted....
Oh, if only we could preview and edit....:-(
MarkL wrote on September 20, 2007 9:32 PM:I have passed the point where I cringe *before* I start reading anything Elizabeth Edwards has to say, especially if its about Hillary.
The hillary candidate and campaign are like Microsoft... they don't innovate, they subsume.
