NY Post claimed Thompson said Clinton health-care plan "would require Americans to provide proof of insurance in order to get a job"
SUMMARY: Echoing similar distortions previously made in the New York Post and on the Drudge Report, a September 20 Post article claimed that a statement on Fred Thompson's website says Sen. Hillary Clinton's health-care "proposal would require Americans to provide proof of insurance in order to get a job -- a job they would likely need in the first place in order to get health insurance." In fact, Clinton has not said that her health-care plan "would require Americans to provide proof of insurance" to potential employers.
A September 20 New York Post article claimed, "In a statement on his Web site, [Republican presidential candidate Fred] Thompson says [Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-NY) health-care] proposal would require Americans to provide proof of insurance in order to get a job -- a job they would likely need in the first place in order to get health insurance." The article went on to quote Thompson saying in his statement, "What is it that makes liberals think the best way to help somebody is to punish them?" In fact, Clinton has not said that her health-care plan "would require Americans to provide proof of insurance" to potential employers. According to a September 18 Associated Press article, Clinton said in an interview with the AP: "At this point, we don't have anything punitive that we have proposed" for people who do not purchase health insurance as required by her plan. Clinton added, "We're providing incentives and tax credits which we think will be very attractive to the vast majority of Americans." The article also stated that Clinton "said she could envision a day when 'you have to show proof to your employer that you're insured as a part of the job interview -- like when your kid goes to school and has to show proof of vaccination,' but said such details would be worked out through negotiations with Congress."
As Media Matters for America previously noted, the Drudge Report, the website of Internet gossip Matt Drudge, similarly misrepresented what Clinton said about proof of health insurance. On September 18, Drudge linked to the September 18 AP article with the false headline "HEALTH INSURANCE PROOF REQUIRED FOR WORK" under a picture of Clinton.
The following day, as Media Matters also noted, a New York Post article contradicted itself on the issue of Clinton's health-care plan. The September 19 article bore the headline "Hill Care-ried Away: Employees Must Prove Insurance" and reported that Clinton said "everyone eventually would have to prove they have health insurance when they apply for a job." But in the next sentence, Post correspondent Geoff Earle quoted Clinton saying that "she could envision a day when 'you have to show proof to your employer that you're insured as a part of the job interview,' " [emphasis added], not that workers will "have to prove they have health insurance."
From Thompson's September 19 statement:
On Tuesday, September 18th, the Associated Press reported, "[Hillary Clinton] said she could envision a day when 'you have to show proof to your employer that you're insured as a part of the job interview -- like when your kid goes to school and has to show proof of vaccination,' but said such details would be worked out through negotiations with Congress."
In his video message, Thompson asks, "What is it that makes liberals think the best way to help somebody is to punish them?"
Thompson continues, "I understand Hillary Clinton has just acknowledged that her new health care plan could require somebody to actually prove they've got insurance before they can get a job. You know, a job -- the thing that would help you get health care. That kind of mindset is that the government knows best and if you don't agree, then you're just going to have to pay for it, one way or the other. The best way to improve the best health care in the world, which is what we've got right here in the United States, is to expand choice, not punishment.
From the September 20 edition of the New York Post:
Fred Thompson lashed out at Hillary Rodham Clinton's proposed government-mandated health-care plan yesterday, calling it "scary enough to make you sick."
In a statement on his Web site, Thompson says the proposal would require Americans to provide proof of insurance in order to get a job -- a job they would likely need in the first place in order to get health insurance.
"What is it that makes liberals think the best way to help somebody is to punish them?" the Republican presidential candidate wondered.
A Clinton campaign spokesman said her plan changes nothing for those who already have health insurance.
"If Mr. Thompson has a plan to help every American get quality, affordable health care, we must have missed it," Blake Zeff said.
Thompson also worried about Clinton's idea of leaving it to Congress to work out some of the fine print.
"That's a thought scary enough to make you sick," he said.
SAVE DEMOCRACY, VOTE FOR A DEMOCRAT!!
Thompson's remark is evidence that he is ignorant of the basic principles of Clinton's proposal, and he is happy to lie about it because of a bankruptcy of ideas on the subject!!
Gimmicks, lies, and fear are what the Republicans used to shoot down Universal Healthcare 14 years ago, and it's all the have to this day!
Happy Thoughts;
Dan Grady
It appears that you, as Snoopy below, did not read the posting completely. The Post used "would" where Thompson used "could". Big difference in meaning especially when HRC herself said "could" (only in different words). The object of your frustration should be the misinformation of the Post, not the words of Thompson.
LOL, coulda woulda shoulda! Read everything after "could":
You know, a job -- the thing that would help you get health care. That kind of mindset is that the government knows best and if you don't agree, then you're just going to have to pay for it, one way or the other. The best way to improve the best health care in the world, which is what we've got right here in the United States, is to expand choice, not punishment.
"Could" loses all of the context you imply once he qualified it.
You also seem to have missed out that the US health care is not rated #1 like he just claimed. Not surprised, Alzenfreders can't even remember anyone telling him there was oil in the everglades.
Well, having a job certainly would help you get health care insurance, may not be the total answer, but it would help. Also, how many of you out there that don't think we have adequate health care are in the process of relocating to one of the top 5 countries on the list (or at the very least, to Moore favorite, Cuba?) The problem with rankings it is hard to discern how the ranking are derived and the major differences between position #1 and say position #30.
Oscar, that is quite a disengenious argument. I love America 1st and formost because I was born here and grew up understanding this system the best. That doesn't mean it's the best system, does it? A different example - think of lean manufacturing (just revealed I'm in manufacturing!). We are throwing all of the traditional ways out the window because we want to grow our business to fit the current model. Shouldn't government do the same?
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
This is unbelievable - I thought I've seen it all, but this takes the cake.
Talk about role-reversal....
"What is it that makes liberals think the best way to help somebody is to punish them?" the Republican presidential candidate wondered.
That sounds like what Republicans believe.
See the Patriot Act and ask Katrina survivors about how this criminal administration is here to "help"
From Drudge to the NY Post to Fred Thompson's lips.
Echo chamber? What echo chamber?
...then the NY Post reprints its original distortion citing Thompson.
Echo chamber? What echo chamber?
I can't wait for Bill-O to pounce on Thompson for getting his information from a smear site.
(deep breath........and hold)
I'm no Fred Thompson fan, but this is an unfair article by mmfa.
Here's what Thompson actually said: "I understand Hillary Clinton has just acknowledged that her new health care plan could require somebody to actually prove they've got insurance before they can get a job."
Here's what the Post reports: "In a statement on his Web site, Thompson says the proposal would require Americans to provide proof of insurance in order to get a job."
Thompson's statement was misrepresented by the Post. All he said was that Hillary's plan "could require" insurance to get a job. That's what Hillary herself said when talking about "envision[ing] a day...". This is an absolutely poor job by mmfa.
How is that any different from the way MMFA presented the item?
If I'm not mistaken, MMFA's headline reads "NY Post claimed Thompson said Clinton health-care plan 'would require Americans to provide proof of insurance in order to get a job'".
Which part of that is in any way inaccurate?
MMFA's beef here is largely with the NY Post's reporting, not with what Thompson said (both of which are gross misrepresentations of Clinton's policy regardless.)
The NY Post said...
...that Fred Thompson said...
...that Sen. Clinton has proposed...
In a Court of Law, the Judge puts an immediate stop to such nonsense (it's sometimes referred to as "hear-say").
Let the principals speak for themselves, if they will; why should the Court rely on the testimony of persons once-removed from the principal, let alone twice-removed...
And when it's the TV Actor/Lobbyist Candidate Fred Thompson, and the ink-stained rag the NY Post providing the "hear-say", well all the more reason, to simply call Sen. Clinton to the stand, and ask her to tell us first-hand, what it is she might have proposed regarding Health Care.
Of course Hillary wants you to prove that you have insurance...she just can't get it done all at once. Her britches...while currently quite expansive...simply aren't big enough.
Even though she denied it you KNOW she wants to. And you know that because... Oh those amazing mind reading powers of yours that DONT EXIST. Not even a good try
We are talking about Fred Thompson, the same guy who the other day said it was news to him that there was oil in the everglades? Not the sharpest tool in the shed, obviously perfect presidential material to the neocon crowd.
We'll all need to work two jobs to pay for Hillary's mandatory forced private health care plan.
Clinton "said she could envision a day when 'you have to show proof to your employer that you're insured as a part of the job interview -- like when your kid goes to school and has to show proof of vaccination".....so does this mean she sees a day when we have to have insurance of our OWN to get jobs? As in, the employer no longer needs to provide it? That you won't get jobs if you're not enrolled in a private health care scheme? "Show us your papers!" Lovely.
Her plan looks worse and worse every time I look at it.
both canada and britain have much better health care, overall, than the united states, for far less than what we spend on it. in the case of britain, they spend 40% of what we spend on health care, and every citizen is ensured.
mr. thompson and his cronies studied law, not economics, other than the mandatory 6 hours. a "single payer" health insurance plan has proved, the world over, to the be the most cost efficient method of providing health care to all citizens of a country. naturally, the health insurance industry is aghast at the thought of losing those billions in profits. as well, the republicans are aghast at the thought of poor people actually receiving regular health care. that better health might result in them actually voting, and god knows, they can't have that!
mr. thompson and his ilk are less than believable, when they cry wolf over health insurance and care for the chronically uninsured.
Aside from the rogue republican red army attacking Senator Clinton's public health initiatives; let's not forget they've been ramping up their attack on Americans' health with onslaughts of public drinking water fluoridation, a crackpot prescription from no school of medicine, to be taken orally, 8-glasses a day.
As a result, the CDC last February would not allow one shred of etilogy concerning the baffling mental retardation/autism pandemic now at national emergency levels of prevalence. Rogue Republican monarchio fascist reds have not one word to lend to issues of public safety and our national healthcare system. They belong in the clink and will get where they belong eventually.