Surprise: Hillary caught in another stump-speech lie
posted at 1:45 pm on April 5, 2008 by Allahpundit
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In her defense, she is a pathological liar.
Over the last five weeks, Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York has featured in her campaign stump speeches the story of a health care horror: an uninsured pregnant woman who lost her baby and died herself after being denied care by an Ohio hospital because she could not come up with a $100 fee.
The woman, Trina Bachtel, did die last August, two weeks after her baby boy was stillborn at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens, Ohio. But hospital administrators said Friday that Ms. Bachtel was under the care of an obstetrics practice affiliated with the hospital, that she was never refused treatment and that she was, in fact, insured…
Linda M. Weiss, a spokeswoman for the not-for-profit hospital, said the Clinton campaign had never contacted the hospital to check the accuracy of the story, which Mrs. Clinton had first heard from a Meigs County, Ohio, sheriff’s deputy in late February…
A Clinton spokesman, Mo Elleithee, said candidates would frequently retell stories relayed to them, vetting them when possible. “In this case, we did try but were not able to fully vet it,” Mr. Elleithee said. “If the hospital claims it did not happen that way, we respect that.”
Karen Tumulty at Time is shocked that Her Majesty’s crack research team couldn’t get to the bottom of this. To which I say: Why? They couldn’t figure out that Norman Hsu was a fugitive; they didn’t start pushing the Wright scandal until after Obama had taken an insurmountable delegate lead; they neglected to check the Tuzla story despite the availability of news footage that would have disproved it before she went out there and opened a major foreign policy speech with it. They’re incompetent, just like the strategic wing of the team was incompetent in not anticipating Obama’s operations in caucus states. Just like the financial wing of the team was incompetent in vastly overspending on underperforming assets, led as it was by Hillary’s hand-picked moron of a campaign manager who blew $30 mil on a senate race two years ago in which she was basically running unopposed. And this, in the context of supposedly being ready on day one. With all the idiots surrounding her, it’s a testament to the Clinton brand that she hasn’t imploded already. Soon enough.
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Worst! Campaign! Ever!
Lee on April 5, 2008 at 1:49 PM
Incompetent? You are more generous then I. I don’t attribute this to an inability to get to the facts.
This concoction is about a NFP too! Can’t wait until the next debate when Hillary elaborates on “George Bush’s war on non-profit hospitals”.
Spirit of 1776 on April 5, 2008 at 1:53 PM
Things were going so smoothly until the MSM finally had enough of the Clintons. The long, agonizing honeymoon is - over.
perroviejo on April 5, 2008 at 1:55 PM
Dah. So what is new amongst those in that gene pool? Huh?
ich dien on April 5, 2008 at 1:56 PM
I’m really tired of talking about the “uninsured” in America. Dare I say it’s the people who ARE insured who get refused treatment by their insurance company, not the uninsured people who show up at their local emergency room.
SouthernGent on April 5, 2008 at 1:56 PM
They’re not incopetent. They’re just being exposed for the liars that they are…
STAY HOME ‘08
DfDeportation on April 5, 2008 at 1:57 PM
And what kind of accent was that supposed to be? Midwest truckstop waitress?
lowandslow on April 5, 2008 at 2:00 PM
She is a chronic liar, but this doesn’t sound like as much of a bald-faced lie as the Tuzla sniper-dodging story. It sounds more like she was told a snippet of a story and it suited her campaign theme too much to bother fact-checking it. That’s just sloppy and indicates she has little interest in the truth. It doesn’t quite match making up something that you know is a complete whopper and peddling it as if it were true to make yourself sound brave.
Jill1066 on April 5, 2008 at 2:01 PM
That’s a pretty big whopper. You can bet Obama is going to have some fun with this.
SoulGlo on April 5, 2008 at 2:03 PM
Agreed, but don’t discount the possibility that the story was too good to check. That’s what I’ve always suspected about Hsu: They knew he was shady but he brought in so much coin, they didn’t want to know precisely what he was shady for.
Allahpundit on April 5, 2008 at 2:03 PM
As a nurse who worked in hospitals and with Insurance companies (and Medicare), I’m so sick of people saying that they’re refused care because they don’t have insurance. Those morons clearly don’t know about the anti-dumping laws that have been in place for years now to insure that people get care regardless of their insurance. If they are refused care based on their lack of insurance, one word: Lawyer. Other words - Hospitals can get shut down for that crap.
As for the people who are “refused” treatment from their insurance, that gets a little more complicated. Perhaps they should, oh I don’t know, read their contract with their group. Or ask question of their physician before they get an investigational or cosmetic service done. Or understand how insurance works. It is not health insurance’s job to make people read their contracts - people need to take responsibility for themselves. They also need to understand that the doctors are sometimes doing investigational work to people knowing full well that insurance will not pay for it.
And Medicare is about four hundred times worse with their completely non-sensical rules about what qualifies as Medicare care and what does not.
Considering Hillary prides herself on knowing this stuff, perhaps she should actually know what the heck she’s talking about….
mjk on April 5, 2008 at 2:05 PM
Has anyone checked this with Sinbad, yet?
irishspy on April 5, 2008 at 2:06 PM
Sounds like she’s telling a story that a deputy told her. That she’s recounting the story accurately doesn’t mean that the story is true, but that also doesn’t mean that she’s lying.
Vizzini on April 5, 2008 at 2:09 PM
Every illegal alien in this country knows that hospitals cannot legally refuse to provide emergency services because of lack of insurance — yet somehow lawyer Hillary/Smartest Woman in the World doesn’t know this?
AZCoyote on April 5, 2008 at 2:11 PM
A country with 300 million people in it, and Hillary Clinton can’t even dredge up ONE stilted anecdote to prove Socialism is good without resorting to lies? Evil or not, this lady is proving herself too stupid even to be a passible moonbat.
And as regards he campaign’s response: there’s no “sorry” to be found anywhere in there; just a bromide, and a hypothetical one at that. This hospital is one of the few entities in America that hasn’t announced a Presidential candidacy. So who gives a rat’s ass whether or not Hillary respects them?
Hillary Clinton is the one running for office, so the only question that matters is: why should anyone respect HER?
And, once again, she gives no answer.
logis on April 5, 2008 at 2:12 PM
lowandslow:
You noticed that too?
HeIsSailing on April 5, 2008 at 2:18 PM
+1
mikeyboss on April 5, 2008 at 2:19 PM
Obama has his own made up story. About the farmer who “went out of business” but turns out he’s making more money growing corn now. Wonder if it’ll get pushed as much as this story.
lorien1973 on April 5, 2008 at 2:21 PM
Vizzini:
Suppose this is true - and give Hillary the benefit of the doubt. She is running for a position where ‘honest mistakes’ like that don’t cut it.
HeIsSailing on April 5, 2008 at 2:21 PM
Best business practice…create a problem then solve it. But you gotta do your homework libs!
dingbat on April 5, 2008 at 2:22 PM
Hillary chooses people for their level of admiration (for Hillary) and compliance to the fantasy world she lives in.
A fish rots from the head down and her campaign mismanagement proves the saying. In addition to being a pathological liar she is narcissistic sociopath who cannot tolerate being told she is wrong. Add that to a highly overated intellect and you have a train wreck coming. She is unfit to hold a Senatorial office, much less POTUS. And has proved it.
She is where she is because of Bill. She never could have made it on her merits or wisdom. I suspect she knows it and that scalding fact is the source of her determination to win at any cost. A poseur scared to death that she will be found out, trying to prove to herself and the world she can have all the toys her rotten husband had while he peed all over her honor as a wife and seh failed abysmally as a policy wonk or player on the international stage.
She needs some good meds and doctoring.
Harry Schell on April 5, 2008 at 2:24 PM
She knew it was a lie. On the one hand she was refused care and on the other they are airlifting her for care? I mean come on, the woman just doesn’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.
TheBigOldDog on April 5, 2008 at 2:28 PM
This is just a stupid lie and only an idiot would believe it.
Every emergency room that I have ever been in has a sign that says quite clearly
If Clinton’s lie were true then the woman didn’t die because we don’t have free healthcare, but rather because the hospital broke the law. That being the case, did anyone ever ask her who had been prosecuted/sued because of this woman’s death? No? Then they believed it either because they where either complete morons or because wanted to believe it. They wanted to believe that the evil, greedy healthcare system killed this woman.
29Victor on April 5, 2008 at 2:34 PM
The only difference in Clinton’s campaign this time around is that the drive-by media is not on her side. All the lies that she and her husband normally tell during the standard Clinton business day have here-to-fore gone unchallenged. Now the drive-by’s have a new liar and racist to carry water for in Barry O. Why settle for just a liar when you can have a liar AND a racist to cover for.
Mojave Mark on April 5, 2008 at 2:37 PM
I heard a story that the Clintons murdered someone from their own staff. Vince something. Yeah, they took baseball bats to his head in the oval office. I heard it, but don’t have time to vet it, so I’m just “airing” it to see what comes up.
VolMagic on April 5, 2008 at 2:39 PM
It seems to me she is trying to say that since the woman could not get care earlier, before a true emergency condition existed, the problem progressed to become life-threatening, at which time the law you refer to (EMTALA) would apply. Apparently, though, even that it not the case.
mikeyboss on April 5, 2008 at 2:39 PM
Sorry - “is not the case”
mikeyboss on April 5, 2008 at 2:41 PM
Well I’m sure there is a woman working for minimum wage at a pizza place somewhere in the US who accidently got pregnant and was refused treatment then got airlifted to a nearby hospital but eventually died all because she didn’t have $100. There must be millions of them.
ctmom on April 5, 2008 at 2:44 PM
I think the guy in the black Cowboy hat and the white beard is Bill in disguise feeding Chillary info through a wireless mic.
Drtuddle on April 5, 2008 at 2:46 PM
Assuming this “mis-speak” does fall under the “too good to check” category, it’s still worth someone getting in contact with that sheriff’s deputy, to see if that’s what he really did tell the Clinton campaign (and they simply took it as the truth and ran with it without contacting the hospital), or if the deputy either didn’t say that, or say something much less damning against the hospital and the insurance company, and the Clinton campaign simply “embellished” that report into something they could then use to tout National Health Insurance.
jon1979 on April 5, 2008 at 2:48 PM
Does it still count as a lie since she didn’t name the poor uninsured living on pennies for tips pizza parlor
waitressManager in her little tale?ctmom on April 5, 2008 at 2:51 PM
The fact that there is federal law requiring hospitals to take people no matter their ability to pay is why so many hospitals in Southern California are shutting down. They’re taking a bath because of all the illegals who come into the ER for everything and anything.
bikermailman on April 5, 2008 at 2:53 PM
B=jon1979 on April 5, 2008 at 2:48 PM
Looks like the Times actually did do some reporting for a change.
bikermailman on April 5, 2008 at 2:56 PM
Basing domestic policy on anecdotes is bad enough. Untrue anecdotes, even worse.
jgapinoy on April 5, 2008 at 2:56 PM
This story especially interested me since I am originally from that part of Ohio. With Hillary, I see the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree in the Clinton household. This will probably erode her support in Ohio.
Planet Boulder on April 5, 2008 at 3:01 PM
I’ll be so glad when it is Nov 6th and all this soap opera crap is over.
What am I saying? You Dems just go right on with your little production. Hollyweird writers couldn’t come up with a better farce.
Limerick on April 5, 2008 at 3:12 PM
A waitress at a truck stop in Iowa has probably graduated from High School. Can the rest of the country make the same claim? I dare say not! Iowa is the brunt of many a joke but we current and in my case former residents have received one of the best educational systems in the country! Hillary would never understand this!
sabbott on April 5, 2008 at 3:19 PM
I work in a hospital.
These stories are complete and utter bullshit.
If you could only know how many people are cared for who can’t pay, it would make you cry. Not all these people are deadbeats and/or illegals. And there are also other options people can take advantage of to be covered.
We are the best country in the world at taking care of people when it comes to medical needs and emergencies. Hillary should shut up and spend some time in hospital ERs and clinics.
Mommynator on April 5, 2008 at 3:23 PM
For the life of me, I cannot understand why Dem’s want to change the health care system. We have the best medical care in the world, and anyone who can’t pay gets it free at the emergency room. The “rich” people (working stiffs) completely subsidize everyone else.
Who cares how many “uninsured” people there are. Uninsured doesn’t mean no access to medical care. It means you don’t have to pay.
The only reason for this to be a Democrat issue is to get government control over a large portion of the economy. It has very little if anything to do with healthcare.
JiangxiDad on April 5, 2008 at 3:24 PM
She shudda got the hundert dollars from Ma Cliton, hell she and Bills’ got a hundert and Nine MILLION.
Hill won’t need it all she won’t be gittin pregnant no mo… Even Bill won’t touch that one.
Iowandslow quit insultin Midwest Truckstop Waitresses the’ve got a lot more class and are a lot more fun lovin than Heartbreak Hill.
dhunter on April 5, 2008 at 3:24 PM
Does anyone believe the story she told about when she heard MLK was shot? I don’t. She flung her bookbag across the room, yeah right…
elifino on April 5, 2008 at 3:26 PM
Exactly!!!
I must add, even though it’s just the fickle media that’s changed course, it’s still awesome to watch the Clinton’s chickens coming home to roost!
4shoes on April 5, 2008 at 3:27 PM
The only reason that Ms. Clinton is still in the race is not because of the strength of the “Clinton brand,” but the weakness of the Obama a brand. I think that either one of these candidates will lose to McCain, no matter how thoroughly the media favors Democrats. There is only so much lipstick that can be put on a pig, or in the Democrats’ case, a jackass.
chsw
chsw on April 5, 2008 at 3:40 PM
I’ll take that bet. To “have some fun” with this, Barry would basically have to say that our healthcare system did its job.
I wouldn’t sit up waiting on that if I were you.
Typhoon on April 5, 2008 at 3:42 PM
“She didn’t have a $100……….”
…. but while the hospital was saying that, 4,000 illegal aliens walked by her into the Emergency Room and gave birth, got a Social Security Card for the baby, was immediately signed up for Welfare, Food Stamps, and was signed up for a 100% secured loan for a $350,000.00 house with no questions asked.
Seven Percent Solution on April 5, 2008 at 3:45 PM
This is how elections are lost. It’s a given that Conservatives will not vote for either Obama nor Clinton.
But another, greater segment of the population, those who once would have been labeled “Reagan Democrats” and moderates, have to be looking at both Democratic challengers and shaking their heads. Neither is trustworthy, neither is Presidential, neither one will win. McCain is slightly better, and that should win him the election.
Doug on April 5, 2008 at 3:50 PM
This woman is such a pathological liar that the only time I would feel secure is if she “guaranteed” us we were going to war.
MaiDee on April 5, 2008 at 3:55 PM
labrat on April 5, 2008 at 4:08 PM
Indeed. Nor could any other writer, fiction, or non-.
To be able to say, like in the case of Social Security “we are for the people”, while garnering votes, and stealing blindly from the middle class. The very rich/poor will be unaffected.
Also, to say “we are like the EU-nuchs, Canadians, Australians”, “sophisticated, socialist, caring, empathetic, simpathetic, humanitarian, bla, bla, bla…”.
We have some otherwise very intelligent (independent/conservative) commenters here on HA who see it exactly like the libs do, even if it will hit them hard in their own pockets/lives/spirit/freedom, and will make their care go to the same average toilet the rest of the world is stuck in.
Entelechy on April 5, 2008 at 4:15 PM
…sorry mjk, didn’t mean to mutilate your comment. You make an excellent point, and it can be used as a template for what decades of living under a nanny state has done to western society.
labrat on April 5, 2008 at 4:24 PM
The fact the she just spouts this stuff because it suits the themes of her campaign shows just how evil and cynical she really is. A person with a real soul would have inquired as to what actually happened, interviewed the family, talked to the hospital, yadayadayada. The fact that she did NONE OF THAT shows me that she actually doesn’t care about the people she claims to want to help… she was just looking for sympathy for herself and her policies and the votes that would surely follow. This is actually WORSE than Tuzla because of how disrespectful it is to entire class of people, the hospital staff, and of course, the family involved. Evil is as evil does.
Gartrip on April 5, 2008 at 4:24 PM
Yep….the media gave up being skeptics. Now it is just about being cynical. We are much the poorer for it.
Limerick on April 5, 2008 at 4:28 PM
Allah, ever the apologist!
Ann on April 5, 2008 at 4:28 PM
A great philosopher and entertainer once wrote a work entitled:
Lies and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them
Hear that? Get the roost ready, the chickens are swarming in.
labrat on April 5, 2008 at 4:40 PM
But, dear, the liberals’ “lies” are just mis-speeches.
Entelechy on April 5, 2008 at 4:44 PM
I’m shocked to hear that a
Marine, Army veteranpolitician would lie. She and her husband give pathalogical liars a bad name.moxie_neanderthal on April 5, 2008 at 4:45 PM
I am certain that this woman exists in some parallel universe.
rplat on April 5, 2008 at 5:00 PM
Is there not a single Democrat who can tell the truth?
I keed, I keed!
drjohn on April 5, 2008 at 5:00 PM
A second-hand Pinocchio in a Pants Suit using an unchecked anecdote to push for unchecked socialization of medical care.
LaMonte on April 5, 2008 at 5:02 PM
In other words: The Lips of a Clinton are moving again.
If Hillary greets you “Good Morning,” check your watch.
franksalterego on April 5, 2008 at 5:03 PM
Too good to check!
Seixon on April 5, 2008 at 5:19 PM
Yeah, you’re right. I do have to be reminded from time to time who it is we’re talking about.
labrat on April 5, 2008 at 5:21 PM
When you surround yourself with idiots, you look good by comparison.
Cicero43 on April 5, 2008 at 5:31 PM
In other words Hillary’s staff is saying, ‘we don’t have any confidence in the accuracy (truthfulness) in what Hillary says.’
blink on April 5, 2008 at 5:53 PM
You know, these two Dem candidates, what pieces of work. Its seriously kind of scary that these unsavory politicians are so close to the most powerful position in the world. Well, second most powerful…Al Gores Global Warming reign is more vital. McCain better be taking notes, he is getting silver platter after silver platter of morsels.
malkinmania on April 5, 2008 at 5:56 PM
If she is making accusations of illegal behaviour, this is actionable.
She is destroying the hospitals reputation without any foundation in fact… especialy if she has repeated the story AFTER being appraised of the real facts.
Just cause your a politician it does NOT mean you can sling around accusations… just ask Jack Murtha…
Romeo13 on April 5, 2008 at 6:04 PM
I won’t believe it until I see Obama’s name on the ticket. They’ll do anything to win. Anything.
I can’t wait to see the convention. We’ll finally get to see self-absorption and narcissism at the professional level.
BacaDog on April 5, 2008 at 6:25 PM
I would really like to know where this ” she is the smartest woman in the world” crap came from.. I know a lot of women smarter than her.
twiggman on April 5, 2008 at 6:27 PM
Vizzini
“Sounds like she’s telling a story that a deputy told her. That she’s recounting the story accurately doesn’t mean that the story is true, but that also doesn’t mean that she’s lying.”
I guess that reasoning doesn’t go for GWB’s Saddams’ attemp to buy yellowcake stance. Of course, it does go if it protects a Democrat.
Old Country Boy on April 5, 2008 at 6:49 PM
Juan Hernandez!
Uhh.. What was the question? >:{
Chakra Hammer on April 5, 2008 at 6:56 PM
Hillary’s crack research… getting to the bottom of this? Looking at another WH Plumber operation?
petefrt on April 5, 2008 at 6:58 PM
Hear, hear. Well said.
thegreatbeast on April 5, 2008 at 7:04 PM
Ya, it really has hurt him huh?
TheBigOldDog on April 5, 2008 at 7:22 PM
Which is why it was ridiculous on it’s face. She knew. You knew it. I knew it. Everybody knew it. Now somebody bothered to waste the time to prove it.
TheBigOldDog on April 5, 2008 at 7:24 PM
Just ask her she will tell you…
Wade on April 5, 2008 at 7:25 PM
From Bill’s reference to his wife, earlier in the campaign I believe.
Only thing I can think of that might qualify, is not getting the House Majority Leader position. But that seems more of an issue of money, then truth, so your point is well made.
Spirit of 1776 on April 5, 2008 at 7:31 PM
Whats really amazing in this Clinton soap opera odessy
is the fact that after two terms of Bill and Hill they
lied through the whole eight years while the late night
comedy shows marveled at how well they could pull it off!
The political talk shows like CNN’s Crossfire,no longer
on,meet the press,continually paraded the Clinton defenders
who admired how well the pathological liars lied!
I know it’s politics,but hey your lying buck stops here,
maybe a lying free zone might work!haha
Maybe Hillary needs a truth tazer,as soon as Hillary starts
yapping and the stories get more away from the truth the
tazer stars ramping up the charge and then BAM,OUWEEE!
canopfor on April 5, 2008 at 8:03 PM
What I heard was that the docs tried as hard as they could to save the woman — and her baby — but were pinned down by sniper fire.
MrScribbler on April 5, 2008 at 8:04 PM
That’s about the size of it. When Ronald Reagan pushed for welfare reform, the media started running sympathetic stories about the poor people barely scraping by on Medicare and food stamps, and how they really needed the support from the government. When Clinton finally decided he couldn’t stop welfare reform, so he might as well push it and take credit for it, the media started reporting stories about how someone on the public dole could bring home just $5 less a week than someone working a full-time job at minimum wage. Suddenly, welfare reform was just good common sense rather than mean-spirited conservatives out to get the poor and helpless.
Hillary’s never had to deal with a press that doesn’t cover for her before. She’s having a little trouble adapting…
theregoestheneighborhood on April 5, 2008 at 8:07 PM
ABC News ran the video of her being told this story, so I think that in this case, she didn’t lie!
Pam on April 5, 2008 at 8:11 PM
Yaaaawwwn….What else is new?
CynicalOptimist on April 5, 2008 at 8:28 PM
Actually I think it means just the opposite. It is the campaigns way of being patronizing while delivering a non-apology and avoiding all responsibility.
jdkchem on April 5, 2008 at 8:42 PM
The story was a lie, but the affected folksy way of speaking is a bigger one.
morganfrost on April 5, 2008 at 9:05 PM
INCOMPETENT Campaign workers? /shocka
I’m expecting Shillary to turn into the Red Queen in regards to her “advisors” any day now.
kiakjones on April 5, 2008 at 9:38 PM
If a U.S. President overthrew a genocidal dictator because her doorman told her he might have WMD’s, I wouldn’t have a problem with that.
But when a Presidential candidate wants to do that to US doctors, and confiscate 1/7th of the US economy over to government control, and this is the kind of justification they use…
logis on April 5, 2008 at 9:41 PM
If there was internet like there is now we never would have had Billy Jeff.
LtE126 on April 5, 2008 at 9:46 PM
She lied about Tuzla!
She lied about healthcare!
She lied about Vince Foster!
Oh wait! That’s next!
pilamaye on April 5, 2008 at 9:57 PM
Good one. Yeah, Athens is a tough town, all right …
GoHskrs on April 5, 2008 at 10:10 PM
Agreed.
They’re clearly competent enough to find the truth. But this story was better than the truth, so why bother?
Professor Blather on April 5, 2008 at 10:11 PM
Apparently Sinbad and other comedians are the experts in charge of Hillary’s policies, which are patterned after old Three Stooges plots. Her speeches also borrow heavily from material originally written for Jon Lovitz (The Liar) skits.
I can’t even imagine what health care would be like if it were designed by the dumbest woman in the world!!!
landlines on April 5, 2008 at 10:29 PM
Uh, oh! Colombia has “fired” Clinton’s top aid, Mark Penn.
Is this woman’s campaign creating an international incident of ill will?
Not. Ready. For. Prime. Time.
onlineanalyst on April 5, 2008 at 10:56 PM
*vomits*
Capitana on April 5, 2008 at 11:01 PM
Doesn’t matter whether it was due to sloppiness or dishonesty. The truth is not something Big Mama cares about.
whitetop on April 5, 2008 at 11:22 PM
…and in other news, water still reported to be running downhill.
labrat on April 5, 2008 at 11:23 PM
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