Obama's "Universal" Health Care claim rated "Barely True" by Congressional Quarterly

[MethuenProgressive]

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/210/
Politifact is website of the St. Petersburg Times and Congressional Quarterly "sorting out the truth in politics."

Obama’s plan includes a mandate to insure children, but it does not include a mandate for adults, as the Clinton and Edwards plans do. That likely means not as many people will be insured, said Kenneth Thorpe, professor of health policy and management at Emory University.

So is it fair for Obama to call his plan “universal”? Well, not really. Even if you buy his argument that his plan will create the market conditions to make health care universally available, nothing in his plan guarantees it. We rate his claim Barely True.

[babylonsister]

1. And looky here! All of Clinton's records on health care are available - barely true!

Where are those records, and what is she hiding?


http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/167/

"All of the records, as far as I know, about what we did with health care, those are already available."

Hillary Clinton on Tuesday, October 30th, 2007 in Philadelphia
Not all records are available
Barely True

At the Democratic debate on Oct. 30, moderator Tim Russert asked Hillary Clinton about delays in releasing White House records from her husband's administration and her tenure as first lady. The question has swirled around in recent weeks as she runs for president, in large measure on her record as a policymaking first lady.

She answered, in part: “Well, actually, Tim, the (National) Archives is moving as rapidly as the Archives moves. There's about 20-million pieces of paper there and they are moving, and they are releasing as they do their process. And I am fully in favor of that. Now, all of the records, as far as I know, about what we did with health care, those are already available.”

Clinton must be misinformed. It’s true that many of the documents from the unsuccessful health care effort that Sen. Clinton helmed are available, but there are several gaps in the record, such as her calendar and internal memos.

Judicial Watch, a conservative think tank and longtime Clinton critic, is suing to have its Freedom of Information Act request on the records filled.

Also missing from the records are any correspondence on health care between her and former President Clinton. That has been designated for review at the former president’s request. It's not knowable whether the documents will be cleared in time for either the primary or general election, but given delays at the National Archives and in the reviewing process, it seems questionable.

[MethuenProgressive]

3. All candidates are fair game, from "Pants-On-Fire Edwards" to Clinton's True claim re Edwards' Plan

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/179/

"When Sen. Edwards ran in 2004, he wasn't for universal health care. I'm glad he is now."
Clinton is correct. In 2004, when he was running for president, Edwards favored universal coverage for children but stopped short of proposing universal coverage for adults. At the time, he was concerned that true universal coverage would be too costly. "What we ought to be doing is something that No. 1 is achievable and No. 2 is responsible," he said at a debate in Manchester, N.H., on July 28, 2003.

The GOP gets a False on their attack against Clinton, too.
http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/197/

It's good to link out to a non-DU source when looking for Truth.

[cuke]

11. Good advice

but many on DU have no use for the truth

[MethuenProgressive]

12. Many are very... well, 'economical' with the truth, that's for sure.

And they think it helps their guy/gal? That's nuts.

[Progress And Change]

2. It is a shame

Too bad the truth is irrelevant to Obama's new politics...

[MethuenProgressive]

4. Truth isn't irrelevant to Obama, Pro

It's just inconvenient.

[Cameron27]

5. Thanks,

K&R

[boricua79]

6. I like Obama's character more than Clinton

but I must admit his plan pales in comparison to hers.

And hers is not very good either.

I want European style, government run, single payer healthcare. If it works in Europe and Canada, it works here.

[Cameron27]

7. Well Dennis has the best plan IMO.

[boricua79]

8. oh for sure...

that's why I will be giving him my vote in the primaries. Too bad that it seems he won't move anywhere after that, but I'll give him my vote. He's earned it for his unequivocal defense of the Constitution and his patrotism.

[zulchzulu]

9. Hillary's Enforced Healthcare Insurance Plan tells us why it will fail

What happened in 1993 when Hillary basically tried to tell Americans they will be forced to buy healthcare insurance?

IT FAILED!

Why?

Because it's easy for Republicans to say it's forced healthcare insurance.

So what would change if the Hillary Plan was enacted?

NOTHING! It would still be expensive...it would still be insurance-based and not contain any real reliable reform.

[MethuenProgressive]

10. 14 year old Republican talking points

That don't apply at all to 2007.
What's next from ObamaNation? More junior high snickering over Clinton's personal hygiene?

[cuke]

13. Z opposes mandates. Obama's plan has mandates

Z won't talk about that

[MNDemNY]

14. I heard they a preparing to release:

Hillary has cooties!

[BootinUp]

15. Apparently it will fail because too many Democrats

are against it. Go figure. Lets save the money for Iraq and those making over 250,000 a year.

[IronLionZion]

16. There are plenty of people sitting around not wanting health insurance

because they are healthy and don't feel they need it enough to pay for it. 28 year old engineers and other such people, mostly young men, who can easily afford it but choose not to. When they crash their motorcycles, the taxpayers pay part of the ER and ambulance costs. That's why it's not universal unless there is a mandate.

While I want single-payer, I will settle for the mandated plans because they still get everyone covered. Once everyone is covered, then you have a constituency that may be interested in lowering their costs and improving the system further by moving towards single-payer.

[cuke]

17. Single payer is a mandate

It forces everyone to buy govt insurance.

All this talk about mandates is just political BS. There's nothing wrong with having the govt force people to do certain things. We do it ALL the time, but somehow, when it comes to health insurance it becomes EVIL

Big Pharma's propoganda is alive and doing well on DU