by Jim Tankersley
PORTLAND, Ore. - A subdued but resolute Sen. Hillary Clinton returned to her signature issue and a long-debated contrast with Democratic rival Barack Obama in a brief Oregon campaign stop today.
Clinton used a trip to Doernbecher Children's Hospital, in the hills on the west bank of the Willamette River, to re-stake her campaign as a crusade for health care for all Americans - and to reframe the Democratic race as a choice between a candidate who will achieve universal coverage and one who won't even try.
"If you don't start in favor of universal health care, you're never going to get there," Clinton said at the outdoor hospital courtyard event. "How can anybody run to be the Democratic nominee for president and not have a universal health care plan? This is a huge difference."
The New York senator called universal coverage a moral and economic imperative for both children and adults, emphasizing a distinction between her plan and Obama's that she has highlighted for months with mixed results.
Clinton's plan would require all Americans to have health insurance. Obama's plan would mandate coverage for all children but not for all adults. The campaigns have clashed over how many people Obama would leave uninsured, and whether Clinton's mandate would truly result in universal coverage.
Clinton referred to Obama only as "my opponent" in her remarks, which lasted less than 20 minutes and included brief testimony from mothers of children struggling to get the physical and mental care they need for a variety of high-risk ailments. Also joining her was Jordan Kokich, a 22-year-old Oregon woman who survived a heart defect and a kidney transplant as a child, and who met the then-First Lady through the Make-a-Wish program in 1994.
Kokich introduced Clinton. In thanking her, Clinton gave her only nod - intentional or otherwise - of the morning to the increasingly steep challenges facing her as she seeks the nomination.
"Jordan beat all the odds," Clinton said, "time and time again."
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Comments
Yawn, the clinton's did great things for health care in the 90's, yeah right.
Posted by: concerned parent | May 9, 2008 5:02 PM
"SENATOR CLINTON SPEAKS"
AT LEAST AT THE END OF THE DAY, LET ME GIVE YOU "HEALTHCARE"
AT LEAST AT THE END OF THE PRIMARY, LET ME GIVE YOUR CHILD "HEALTHCARE"
AT LEAST AT THE END OF THE JOURNEY, LET ME GIVE YOU "SOMETHING" OTHER THAN "FEDERAL SWAPPED LAND" A "FREE TOM DELAY"
AT LEAST AT THE END OF THE DAY, LET ME GIVE YOU DAUGHTER, PRENATAL CARE, AND SOMETHING TO EAT!
AT LEAST AT THE END OF THE PRIMARY, LET ME "SEAT" YOUR VOTE!
AT LEAST AT THE END OF THIS JOURNEY, PLEASE LET ME GIVE YOU "JUSTICE" FOR ALL!
AT LEAST AT THE END OF THE DAY, PLEASE LET ME GIVE YOU LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT TO YOUR OWN BODY!
ALL MEN CLAIM THEY CAN "DELIVER" BUT WE ALL KNOW ONLY A "WOMAN" CAN. AT LEAST AT THE END OF THE DAY!
Posted by: Roger Morris | May 9, 2008 5:03 PM
We need every speaker we can get, speaking for health care for everybody!! The healthcare Corporations are part of the problem, not the solution. The Republicans have made a career of taking money from all of these corporations, especially the healthcare Corporations. Can you imagine that, making profits off of someone's diseases or injuries!! God, isn't capitalism glorious!! All the profits we want, from where ever we want!!
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS, BRING THEM HOME, ALIVE. NOW.
Posted by: Don Fitzgerald, Chicago | May 9, 2008 5:17 PM
Since when does "pass a law requiring everyone to have health care" mean "universal health care"?
Posted by: mcc | May 9, 2008 5:47 PM
The reason Hillary Clinton is losing is because of the choices she made in putting together her campaign staff.
She relied on loyal cronies rather than people that could get the job done. This after many years of careful planning for this effort.
Her entire campaign was poorly managed, badly financed and strategically flawed. They didn't see the Obama train roaring down the track until they were run over by it. Is this how she would run the White House? How, and when, would that White House react to a terrorist attack?
She thinks she should have been the automatic choice of Democrats everywhere, and so didn't work at it until it was too late. And now, despite her ineffective management of the campaign, wants everyone to become energized in support of her because she has finally found a workable strategy for campaigning, despite the fact that the process is virtually over, and Obama has proven himself a winner. Why should anyone support such a lousy candidate?
Posted by: chuncha | May 9, 2008 5:49 PM
Grasping, grasping, grasping.
Time to go home now, Hillary. Back to Scranton, or New York, or Arkansas, or Park Ridge, or any of the other places you claim to be from.
Or perhaps a nice long vacation, complete with massages, drinks with umbrellas, and lots and lots of intensive therapy.
Posted by: Susan | May 9, 2008 5:58 PM
The only things keeping her in this race are ego, narcissism and denial.
Will someone please show her the
door ?
Posted by: Alison | May 9, 2008 6:00 PM
Obama is too green, and he doesn't speak off the cuff in complete sentences.
It's time we let a smart, experienced woman run the country. Step aside, gentlement.
Posted by: El Gallo | May 9, 2008 6:17 PM
the experts have said, over and over, that there is very little difference between Clinton's and Obama's proposed health care plans. Hillary is only marching on to fool supporters into donating to her campaign so that her campaign is able to pay her back her loans, which she will otherwise have to write off if she cannot raise donations. She's not fooling too many anymore.
Posted by: tony | May 9, 2008 6:49 PM
Hillary has too much class to say REZKO trial--but that's clearly what she's waiting for--what if he's INDICTED along with the rest of the Illinois combine?
Other pols were smart enough to get 'political level rich'--oligarchy rich without getting caught.
HOpe that's the case with the Obama's.
The jury is still out--heck it hasn't even gotten instructions yet!
Posted by: We need Hillary and Obama or Edwards and Hillary | May 9, 2008 7:12 PM
Hillary said what about health care...Oh that's right nobody care but her. Hillary GO AWAY!!! Obama 2008.
Posted by: Logic Prisoner | May 9, 2008 7:54 PM
Geez, she shoulda stuck to this all along. Too late Hills.
Posted by: C.Morris | May 9, 2008 8:59 PM
One of the major skills needed to pass a health care plan is the ability to "cross the isle." Congress writes the laws. The differences between Obama and Clinton's health care plan are political rhetoric by Hillary. Neither plan is likely to be passed by Congress without considerable negotiation
Hillary was not able to pass a health care plan after 15 years. Why should we think she would be successful now? She has been in Congress for eight years. Has she been successful in moving any health care bills through Congress?
Posted by: Jim | May 9, 2008 9:54 PM
People seem to forget whitewater and all the mess that the repugnicans dug up on the Clintons. And here own finances arent exposed either. Bill has been getting money from overseas NAFTA chronies.
Posted by: Keith Lifetime Chicagoan and Southsider | May 9, 2008 11:22 PM
She's right about this, both as a matter of policy and as the one issue where most Democrats like what she says. I'm quite sure that she will fade away after the primary campaign is over, but if she can move Obama, and put her position in the platform, then she will have left a legacy of which she can be proud.
Posted by: Eric | May 10, 2008 6:40 AM
Every politician of any magnitude is dirty--they had to raise TONS of cash to become part of the oligarchy--witht he exception of JOhn Edwards whokicked the insurance ocmpanies' butts righteously.
But Dems DESERVE to have Obama vetted vigorously--and that didn't happen.
Everytime it STARTED to happen--the Obama camp blamed Hillary!
HOPE THE NATIONAL MEDIA WILL READ JOHN KASS AND GET OFF THEIR DUFFS AND DO THEIR JOBS. DALEY.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/
opinion/chi-kass_bd11
may11,0,6686128,print.column
Posted by: Not So Fast | May 10, 2008 9:09 AM
WHY WAIT! Get back to DC right now and earn your pay - the lot of you!
Posted by: lochnessmonster | May 10, 2008 10:08 AM
heh,
reality check, Obama hasn't got the nom *magic* number neither does she.
He's the constitutional law professor and wants her to drop out before the rest of the states vote. Its the 3rd time he's wanted her out before the contest was over. Is this the kind of president you want?
No thank you, he's a nice guy, but not ready for prime time.
Posted by: kate | May 10, 2008 10:37 AM
I wonder if her campaign has paid the outstanding debts for their employee's health care.
I remember this as one of the more outstanding features of her latest FEC filing. In addition to a mountain of debts to small vendors, she had allowed health care premiums to go unpaid.
How many sides of her mouth can she speak from? She needs to stop now, before she blows any future in politics she may have.
Posted by: Susan | May 10, 2008 10:41 AM
Kate: Don't you watch tv ? If you do, I'm SURE you've seen Senator Obama patiently explaining to the interviewers, etc. that he'd been talking with that he doesn't even consider himself the nominee until it's been officially declared. You all can talk all the TRASH you want...it doesn't change the fact that Senator Obama has class, character, an abundance of patience AND SELF-RESTRAINT!!!
Posted by: Mary in Ft. Madison | May 11, 2008 3:53 PM