Hillary on Heath Care Attack!

As “Sicko” becomes Mainstream, and it is “Very” Mainstream, all things Healthcare are up for grabs. So Hillary, and Hillarycare, will be trashed and dragged out as an example of big government and socialized medicine by the Republicans. Though these characterizations are an inaccurate representation of the Democratic plan that she worked on, it makes no difference. She and her plan will be pilloried and for all the wrong reasons.

None-the-less the facts are that she has learned from the experience. Here is her response as presented by the WAPO:

Clinton Lashes Out At Health Care Critic

LAS VEGAS--After years of being criticized for the failed universal health care plan she crafted during her husband's first term in office, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) apparently has had enough.

During a forum at the National Association of Black Journalists convention Thursday, Clinton was asked why as a candidate for president she was "still insisting" on bringing "socialized medicine" to the United States, when people were "pulling away" from similar systems in Canada and Great Britain. Worse, the questioner argued, socialized medicine hurt rather than helped poor people.

"That was a string of misrepresentations about me and about the systems in other countries," Clinton began. "Number one, I have never advocated socialized medicine and I hope all the journalists here heard that loudly and clearly because that has been a right-wing attack on me for 15 years. "

Clinton's plan, which died in Congress in 1994,would have required employers to provide health care coverage to employees through health maintenance organizations. Insurance firms opposed the proposal, as did political conservatives who thought it removed health care -- a huge portion of the nation's economy -- out of the competitive marketplace. In the minds of some, the episode sealed Clinton's reputation as a big-government liberal.

"Do you think Medicare is socialized medicine? Clinton asked, turning the tables on her inquisitor, who did not identify himself.

"To a degree," he responded.

"Well, then you are in a small minority in America," Clinton said to applause, before explaining that Medicare allows patients to choose their doctors even though the federal government foots the bill with money deducted from workers' paychecks.

Clinton then asserted that "on balance" countries with uniform national systems of health care, including Japan, Australia and Canada, offer their citizens better health care than the U.S. The answer left her questioner shaking his head in disagreement.

"I can give you the statistics and you can shake your head," Clinton said sharply. "You come and introduce yourself to the staff. And we'll try to give you some information if you're interested in being educated instead of being rhetorical."

Good for her. She hasn’t gone far enough as far as I am concerned, but she has stood her ground and for a Democrat that is positive. The Healthcare and Hillarycare meme isn’t going to go away anytime soon. So, her ability to challenge her challengers counts!!

Medicare for everyone! Okay, so she isn’t going there yet! But, who is to say?