Bill Clinton avoiding controversy after health-care riff
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Former President Bill Clinton spoke to a crowd at the Dow Event Center in Saginaw, Mich. while campaigning for his wife, presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, on Monday.
ATHENS, Ohio » Bill Clinton is trying to avoid muddling his message again as he campaigns for his wife in battleground Ohio a day after he described President Barack Obama’s signature health care law as “the craziest thing in the world.”
This time, Bill Clinton only briefly mentioned health care as he spoke for 45 minutes today at Ohio University. The former president lamented that too many Americans “can’t get affordable health insurance premiums in a lot of places” if they don’t work for large companies, and he said his wife offers solutions.
It was a far cry from his remarks Monday in Flint, Michigan.
“You’ve got this crazy system where all the sudden 25 million more people have health care and then the people are out there busting it, sometimes 60 hours a week, wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half,” Bill Clinton said then. “It’s the craziest thing in the world.”
The former president made no reference today to those earlier statements, even as they continued to reverberate, prompting responses from the White House and his wife’s top aides.
Separately today, Bill Clinton also sidestepped reporters’ questions about Trump bringing up his marital infidelity.
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“He’s been making those attacks from the beginning of this campaign, so I don’t think that’s anything new,” Clinton said in Marietta, Ohio.
His relationship with a White House intern was the subject of his 1998 impeachment. Bill Clinton did not respond to specific questions about Trump’s recent suggestion that Hillary Clinton also was not “loyal” to her husband.
Seemingly aware that he should avoid fanning the flames, Bill Clinton told reporters, “My job is very limited: I’m supposed to tell people why she’s the best choice to be president.”
The exchanges are the latest reminder that the 42nd president is both a tremendous asset and a wild card for his wife’s candidacy.
He draws enthusiastic crowds eager to a see a former president who is anything but a normal political spouse, but he’s also generated unwanted stories, including this summer when he approached Attorney General Loretta Lynch for a private meeting at an airport. The meeting was days before the FBI announced that it would not recommend any charges against Hillary Clinton related to her use of a private email server while she served as Obama’s secretary of state.
John Podesta, Hillary Clinton’s campaign chairman, tried to tamp down any controversy over his health-care riff. “We need to fix the problems, and I think that’s what President Clinton was referring to,” Podesta said.
In Ohio, Bill Clinton told the mostly student crowd today that Hillary Clinton supports a so-called “public option,” a government insurance plan to compete alongside private plans marketed in Affordable Care Act exchanges.
At the White House, Obama spokesman Josh Earnest said it was not “exactly clear what argument” Bill Clinton was making in Michigan. Earnest said Obama still has “strong confidence” in the law, and he cited subsidies that still allow “the vast majority” of shoppers in the individual policy market to find affordable coverage.
“President Obama has of course acknowledged that with cooperation from Democrats and Republicans in Congress, there are some things that could be done to further strengthen the law,” Earnest said, “and you know, that’s something that Secretary Clinton has vowed to pursue if she is elected president of the United States, and President Obama is certainly going to do everything he can to support that effort.”
In Ohio, Bill Clinton deflected a heckler early in his remarks. As he began to speak, a man yelled at the former president for signing a 1994 crime law that included stiffer sentences for many federal crimes. Clinton told the man “Hillary didn’t vote for the crime bill,” but noted “Senator Sanders” did, referring to Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, who challenged Hillary Clinton for the Democratic nomination.
Clinton’s overall remarks focused on why Hillary Clinton would be better for the economy than Trump, who Bill Clinton described as playing on working class voters’ economic frustrations with lies and empty promises.
“Answers work better than anger,” he said. “Empowerment better than resentment. Bridges work better than walls.”
Associated Press reporters Nancy Benac at the White House and Steve Peoples in Farmville, Virginia, contributed to this report.
26 responses to “Bill Clinton avoiding controversy after health-care riff”
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bubba shining the glaring light of truth on baba:
“we’ve finally come to the point where we can put the awful legacy of the last eight years behind us.”
“so you’ve got this crazy system where all of a sudden 25 million more people have health care and then the people who are out there busting it, sometimes 60 hours a week, wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half. It’s the craziest thing in the world.”
let’s not forget, the female felon was an intricate part in producing the “awful legacy of the last eight years” that left the american people with health premiums that doubled and their coverage cut in half.
“it’s the craziest thing in the world” to think that people would consider voting for female felon to extend the unlawful and “awful legacy of the last eight years.”
Hillary has, after numerous and in-depth investigations, never been charged with anything, let alone convicted in a court of law. She is clean. But hold on as the full truth about Trump’s crimes is not yet out.
My doctor of many years closed his practice when this was implemented. Now its hard to find a good one who accepts new patients. With my costs now tripled for less services I feel its been a disaster. Just saying..
The extreme left, aka Democrats, have ruined health-care in America. They started with the con about the 40 million uninsured, lied about the plan, and now we all got bent over. The extreme left is Hillaryville. It’s the party that has been destroying the fabric of our society.
possibly $20Trillion in Fed debt as a whole as of today. And the State of Calif. is the 1st State to petition for ObamaCare for illegal immigrants? YIKES! Now that’s CRAZY!
Shouldn’t we put US Citizens 1st! Doesn’t Calif. have homeless US citizens living on the streets? Does Californians have gangs and drug problems? YOU gotta clean your house before taking in illegal guests, imo
For once I have to agree with Waldo’s husband. Obamacare is the single biggest economic disaster to befall the country since the great depression. It just goes to show you what happens micro-managing super-smart progressives are allowed to go beyond the theoretical to application. The initial enrollment was an unqualified disaster. The state run exchanges are falling like dominoes and taking with them billions of hard earned taxpayer money. That includes the Hawaii Health Connector which the SA enthusiastically cheerleaded for before it imploded under it’s own weight. In the minds of mentally challenged progressives the central government is supposed to be great equalizer. Hence the subsidies for lower income people to buy insurance. Those who do not qualify are forced to insure themselves for things they do not need driving up premiums. Then there is the enforcement arm of Obamacare otherwise known as the IRS. And like the walls that progressives build to keep people in (think East Germany during the cold war) Obamacare participation is not optional. If you go uninsured you pay a fine or are an outlaw. This is a perfect example of the risk you run electing power hungry democrats. Oh yeah, the Oahu rail falls into the same category as the Obamacare failure.
Interesting that you should say that. Health care provision v. cost has never been better for me. I’m in a position where I pay really minimal co- pays and I don’t have to rant with text-dense screed. Can you possibly discuss the issues without the buzz-words?
My doctor-wife of thirty years says it sucks.. Buzz that.
reveal which plan you’re on now, so we can continue this dialogue
Well good for you, your parents must be proud. Allow me to school you so you do not go through life in blissful ignorance. Here are the top 5 (there are many, many more) failures of the ACA in no particular order. Low enrollment, high numbers of uninsured, lost plans, higher premiums and higher deductibles. And there’s always the aforementioned state run exchanges and the obscene amount of squandered taxpayer money their failures brought about.
Got to challenge you on that one. Good that you’re in a position where your costs declined, but that’s not representative of the majority, at least from picking through reports and anecdotes. I went through a 30% increase in premiums, over a three year period, with more to come. Insurers are leaving markets, and premiums are rising. Kinda tough facts to ignore. Who knows where we’d be without the changes, maybe worse off, but we have to be able to do better than this. Having so many formerly uninsured now covered is a positive thing, but the cost is rising quickly.
Cellodad…hello…hello…he must be conferring with his students.
cello: your posts refer to law enforcement background, do you have state retiree free full insurance with reimbursement of medicare deductions as well?
Maybe, if you weren’t on your parents health care plan, things would seem different.
The Affordable Care Act was a disaster and we can’t hide that fact simply so that Obama’s fictional legacy isn’t hurt. Obama, just admit that ACA was a mistake as have been a lot of things you have done particularly the unilateral decisions recently to finish your campaign promises. We know you want to sell books and give speeches so you can become ultra rich.
It’s under moderation because S-A doesn’t want anything not kind about Obama said.
You may have violated the 1st commandment of progressive media outlets. It goes like this: “Thou shalt not publish anything that brings to light the failures and incompetence of Barak Hussein Obama” You’re just lucky it got by the censors at the SA. Obviously one of Barry’s protectors is asleep at the switch.
Just like the Clintons. They suck
What is amazing is a Clinton got caught telling the truth.
O is P.O.
For once.
Just a matter of time before O says..”I’m with Bernie…yous twos..Bubba and hiLIARy…yous on your own!”
Wonder if Federal Judge k_____i, who he claims was appointed by GW Bush, will arrive to give his/her counterpoint on this debacle…err…law?
He said OBAMACARE is O’s #1 SIGNATURE achievement on O’s Legacy List (only one item so far..dat one).
Imagine his embarrassment upon realizing he spoke the truth.
Am sure he had his DEPENDS on for that spurt of the moment..but as to getting home and watching out for flying objects that’s another story.