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Subscribe to RSSGov. Rick Perry may face an old political ghost from his tenure as Texas Agriculture Commisioner -- a complimentary letter he wrote in 1993 to then-First Lady Hillary Clinton to urge her to consider the needs of rural residents as she drafted what would later be derided as "Hillarycare."
In the letter, dated April 6, 1993, Perry wrote to Clinton, “I think your efforts in trying to reform the nation’s health care system are most commendable."
He went on to request that the health-care task force consider the unique needs of "farmers, ranchers, and agriculture workers, and other members of rural communities."
Perry campaign strategist Dave Carney told The Daily Caller, which first reported on the letter yesterday, that Perry would not have known the specifics of the policy at the time. "The letter was at the onset of her efforts before she proposed anything," he said. "No one could have imagined the horrible monstrosity she cooked up, in fact, not to be outdone until 'ObamaCare' years later."
It is true that the precise details of the plan were unclear at the time and the process of hashing out the policy was (now infamously) opaque. But some of the broad goals of the legislation were being reported at the same time Perry was penning praise to Clinton.
According to a Los Angles Times report from April 5, 1993, the plan was designed to, in part:
* Guarantee that a uniform package of basic benefits will be available to everyone, although not all the uninsured will get this coverage right away. Among the basic benefits would be hospital and doctor services, including mental health care, and some prescription drug coverage.
* Create a standardized insurance form and bar insurers from refusing to cover people with pre-existing medical conditions, in order to enable people to change jobs-and insurers-without fear of losing coverage.
* Enact tort reforms to reduce medical malpractice litigation.
* Impose a price freeze on private-sector medical providers while the system of cooperatives is phased in, a process that could take three to five years.
* Phase in a requirement for employers to provide workers with health insurance, with government subsidies to help the smaller businesses.
Several of those objectives, including the mandate that employers provide health care for workers and the guarantee of universal benefits to everyone regardless of pre-existing conditions, are now objectionable to conservatives like Perry, who has said he wants to use an executive order to dismantle "Obamacare."
Asked if Perry would have considered "commendable" those goals, which were public at the time that Perry praised Clinton, Carney told NBC News that while "insiders" were speculating about the details, Perry was simply raising concerns about an important constituency.
"The letter is very clear," Carney wrote via email. "They were trying to reform health care and no one knew how awful the final product would become. Insiders may have speculated on what might come out of the process. Rural voices and concerns deserved to be included."
NBC's Marcie Rickun contributed to this report.
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lolololo kissing Hillarys bottom lolololo
I do agree with that one thing you said, but you opened with "Less government solves nothing" and I felt obligated to blurt out my two cents.
The Republican leadership could care less about the American people. They have one objective; defeat and destroy President Obama at any cost. Even at the expense of the American people.
I am neither a Democrat or Republican, but, one thing I am sick and tired of is the silliness portrayed by the Republican party.
Furthermore, if Cantor's home would have been damage or destroyed I bet he wouldn't have a second thought about receiving assistance.
jim, i think you are wrong here. someone needed to stop the obama spending spree and you will see in the months to come. printing money will continue to increase inflation, interest rates will soar and the only ones who have gotten ahead are the special interest groups. i say we vote everyone of them out of office. they deserve an a--kicking from the american people. the stimlus money should have went to the tax-payer not special interests.
I am finally glad to see people are wisein up and actually joking and entertaining themselves with this clown verses actually entertaining the though of electing him, way to go folks I just hope to God you keep it up. Like I have said before they are all just chimps with cymbals.
he may be clown be we have a full circus in the whitehouse. unemployment 12-14, foreclosures at an all time high, energy and food prices continue to rise, deficit 4x's what it was 4 years ago, special interests received taxpayers money and newly created jobs by obama are welfare. i asked my broker how i should invest in what little money i have left. i asked should i buy gold, silver, stocks or bonds. he said if the current president is re-elected in 2012 buy canned goods and bottled water.
debby,
the scariest people are in the office now. texas has created more jobs than any state and that was way before the so-called stimulus package. they could have gave each american taxpayer 100,000 dollars instead it was given to special interests who hoard american taxpayer dollars. so many people from other states and mexico have moved here over the last 6 years. it has put our state in a crisis. needing more schools, social services, and healthcare. the illegals are hard working and came here to improve there way of life. most are very nice people but they do strain our education and healthcare system. so if our education and healthcare system appear not to be the best in the country you know why. we are talking about alot of people here.
BULL from this Texan of more than 60 years!
good call anus
Mrs. Clinton's husband was former President, and her husband had a universal health care reform, but it has never passed to the Congress; it is because of the affair. Mr. Clinton's terms are before Bush's terms. And Mrs. Clinton's health care plan is from her husband. Mr. Clinton's health care reform has spent a lot of money to do the research/study. It is unfortunate that the plan has never passed through the Congress because of the affair/scandal with the intern.
Why was Perry never mentioning the health care reform when his friend, Mr. Bush, was in the WH after Mr. Clinton?
perry and bush were never friends
Perry is a " TASMANIAN " DEVIL IN A SUIT, religious extremist bible thumping mad man that sold his soul to the rich.
So Dick Perry writes a letter of commendation and praise about a proposal for universal healthcare to Hillary Clinton of which he knows nothing about? C'mon Perry fart smellers, you can do better than that, Like try admitting the truth, at one time Perry was aa PROPONENT of a form of universal healthcare that again would have helped his constituency manyfold.
Ah Perry, Perry, Perry, the more you talk and the more we learn about you the less you impress.
Go back to Texas and root around those Republican dung hills for some new ways to embarrass you and that state of yours.
hey smallstuff, why did you pick that name? i can care less what perry said about hillary, maybe he had a crush on her since bill was doing someone else, i do know. i am not a perry fart smeller but i do think we need to get rid of everyone in the whitehouse. we need someone with fiscal responsibilty and someone who can create jobs. i do not know who that is but obumer is not doing it. i am sure it is someone's fault.
New boss, same as the old boss.
Time for anti-war, anti-tax, libertarian, Ron Paul for president.
Ron Paul is a nice old, old, old, old, old man but hes got "ALZHEIMER'S" Its time to put him out to "PASTURE".
Dear "honest", Who is this "anyone" that you're talking about? Could we have a name please? Oh, you don't have one? OOOOOOOOOPPPPPPPPPPPPSSSSSSSSSSSSS. Our economic problems are global, not just American! Figure it out yet? America sent their jobs to China for profit, but they forgot that the unemployed don't have any money to buy the junk when it gets shipped back home. Duh!
dear fag, the anyone is anyone who is not in the whitehouse now. the politicians for profit and special interests all need to go. which is all of them. obama included. and don't duh! me bitch.
LET US just get some facts straight , Governor Perry Complimented H. Clinton on her efforts , Not the final product, FACT CHECK we do need some medical reform , MEDICARE & MEDICAID FRAUD COSTING MILLIONS , frivolous law suits forcing DOCTORS and Hospitals to do unnecessary care , at the cost of patent and insurance , INSURANCE LAWS, which monopolise the insurance companies , e.t.c.
FACT CHECK Obama is half white , it's not about collor its about policies
FACT CHECK the tea party represents , constitutional government , balanced budget, energy independence, free markets, secure borders , legal immigration
TELL ME what is it that you all represent besides name calling ( we get that ) racial accusations ( we get that two ) SPELL IT OUT WHAT DO YOU REPRESENT AND STAND FOR ?
Get the National Enquirer on the MOtel with a male member of the Texas Legislation. They can dig out all the dirt, because it's apparent the National media won't dare dig into this incident. As old religious Perry would say folks "Adios MoFo's"! Please beware of this black beady eyed hypocrite before you fall for his BULL! We here in Texas that are not rich, and the most vunlerable know just how bad he can behave!
Perry can flip-flop till he can't stop. Nothing new there. Health care and the word "reform" is a joke. Until the ridiculous cost of education, products, equipment and services the Medical field uses becomes less, nothing will change. They simply “pass the buck” on to you. Government, Medical and Insurance meeting up behind closed doors in order to fix your medical cost will never work. But it may provide an agreement on how to best divide up your hard earned money.
I can only wonder if ever, an individual running for President will ever go out and ask people across America what it is they truly want, and act upon it. It seems the norm for a nominee is to stand at a microphone, praise the agenda of their ideas and leave people within the awe of political questions that may never get answers.
During WWII, the Axis powers did the same thing. They stood in front of a microphone; exclaimed change and millions of people paid the price.
Voting for a person because they are simply a Democrat, Republican, popular, lots of money, because that's what your friends did may not be the best idea. But yet, that's what many do. ... Duh? I feel we need a new check-box on the Voting Ballet. If there is no one really worth voting for, vote for "no confidence" and if the vote is so, write in new applicants.
As we learn more about slick Rick -- his star will fade. This guy is a phony as they come.
What poor candidates the GOP has this year! Tea Party action threatening not to pay debts resulted in a sharp decline in consumer business and consumer confidence in August, reversing the somewhat positive trend in July.
The health care reform is not complete. Getting working people to buy insurance was only the start (instead of going to the emergency room with an exacerbated condition at ten times the cost of going to the doctor - charged to everyone else). Our health care costs are twice those of other countries with poor results (we rank 41 among countries in infant mortality - below European countries, even below Cuba). We need to revise the way medical care is priced - getting more GP's and nurses (from abroad), making patients and doctors more concerned with costs (e.g. most branded drugs charged at 20 percent up to an annual maximum; generics free to the patient), more states following Texas and California to adopt malpractice award limits, making it a conflict of interest for doctors to profit excessively from expensive and unnecessary and sometimes dangerous tests, reining in the price gouging of insurance companies and drug companies.
Insurance companies used to keep 20 percent of the premium 20 years ago. Recently they have been keeping 20 percent of sharply increased premiums. Many big companies self insure to avoid the rip off. The rest of us get ripped off. A public option would give them some competition and put high risk people in a single risk pool (more efficient).
We pay 18 percent of our GDP in health care costs - moving to 20 percent and twice what other developed countries pay for universal care with better overall results (in terms of preventable deaths). No one is proposing changing our system from use of private doctors and private hospitals, but the system needs reform. We need to reduce health care costs to make our labor competitive, not just shift costs around.
Correction - Insurance companies used to keep 5 percent of the health insurance premium 20 years ago to cover their costs. Recently they have been keeping 20 percent of the greatly increased premium.
Honest- scary people, look in the mirror! You do love to rant, no facts,just rants!!! Turn off the faux noise, it is rotting your brain. Richard your a nut job, and spot has your number 0.
Perry sold his soul to the devil.
Texans say we struggled under Perry, he told too many falsehoods to be credible. Also Perry should be put in jail for the executions of innocent people. Wake up America.
Madison, you are one of the most uninformed, confused person on this particular thread. One would hope that after you do away with all of these agencies that you fall sick, lose your job and then have to live in that free enterprise system that you seem to prize so highly, or are you one of that 10% of Americans that was born into wealth and never has or will have to work for a living. You idiots make me sick. The government is the only thing that stands in the way of unbridled greed (the free enterprise system). The free enterprise system without proper controls is a worse monster than communisim. Think! Think! Think! and for once in your life study your history.
The hypocrisy doesn't even surprise me anymore...
HA!!! This is the big news? Rick Perry was a democrat in the early part of his political career??? Of course he was a democrat! Most of Texas state officeholders were democrats...they were CONSERVATIVE democrats. Now think hard, you liberal goofballs....remember those guys....CONSERVATIVE DEMOCRATS? Yes, now it's all coming back to you. Those were the people that you liberal, socialist loving, communist adoring, America hating radicals chased to the GOP decades ago!!! Remember the phrase, " the solid south"? Before the radical 1960s those were ALL DEMOCRATS.
Come November 2012, America will bury it's collective political boot so far up Obama's and the democrats' backside they will need the Jaws of Life to dislodge it. The 2010 midterm elections will look like a walk in the park compared to the butt kicking that is in store for them this election cycle.
Uh, MARTY: Yea, there used to be Conservative Democrats just as their used to be LIBERAL Republicans. That was in the days before your party was completely taken over by bible thumping, evangelical, ultra Reich Wing nutcases. You know, the kind of Republicans you just adore. The kind of folks who are so anti intellectual they elect semi illiterate cretans like Dubya and are well on there way to nominating Bush II, i.e., yet another swaggering, tough talking, gun slinging Texas cowboy. The kind of guy who shoots first and asks questions later. You know, like "weapons of mass destruction", "mushroom clouds", and "we've got to fight them there so we don't fight them here". It was that kind of "logic" that got this nation embroiled in the most unnecessary war in our history.
And please, spare me your hate filled rant about "communist loving, America hating" Liberals. Your party has a long and storied history of questioning the patriotism of anyone who dares disagree with them. Perhaps the name Joseph McCarthy rings a bell with you??? Listen Marty, anytime you want to compare notes on what prominent Democrats served in our military with distinction as compared to how many blustering, puffed up phone patriots on the Right served our country, I'm more than happy to have that debate with you. Let's start with Senator George McGovern, anti war candidate of 1972, B-24 pilot, 35 combat missions in the big leagues (over Germany) Distinguished Flying Cross & Distinguised Service Cross.
As for the South, guess you've forgotten about Nixon's "Southern Strategy" which wrote off the Black vote entirely to go after the racist White vote in the South. Your party sure knows how to play to people's worst instincts, I'll give you that much. We're well rid of those Dixiecrats, you can have them. The only reason that they were ever "Democrats" was because Lincoln and "his war of Northern Aggression". Once they figured out the the modern Republican Party had NOTHING to do with the Party of Lincoln, they gleefully joined it.
Isn't that "hate" and namecalling. Of course, it is not true. I am not Bible thumping or evangelical and my politics fall right in line with the founding fathers.
Just more name calling. Just because Obama can talk well with a teleprompter doesn't mean he understands economics. I'll take you on any day. What no race card in this?
Our Asian wars ended the Soviet Union.
Joseph McCarthy was right. There were lots of commies in Gov and Hollywood now they call themselves Progressives and Democrats.
Basically, conservatives are for freedom. They want to treat everyone equally as Americans not segregated groups to try and buy their votes.
Frankwye- you are naive if you really believe that conservatives are for freedom and that because Obama talks with a teleprompter that he is dumber than Bush.
g
Rick Perry is an Idiot and only idiots like the crazed right-wing and tea-party fools will vote for him and anyone who thinks other wise has no political campaign experience ! this country is a middle of the road country, and not a radical political activist country !
What is radical about the Constitution except that it tries to concede my own sovereignty.
Anybody or anything is better than BO.
Pretty obvious where your moral compass is pointing Disney Di. Maybe you should re-name yourself Daffy Duck??? It never ceases to amaze me how many in our great nation lack the moral integrity necessary to be taken seriously; all the while claiming to be Christian or have faith in God. In case Rick Perry's supporters hadn't noticed, Rick Perry and moral integrity are dyametrically opposed.
Perry sold his soul to the "devil" ( The rich ) Perry worships the rich. Perry said many times in the past that S.S., & Medicare are " UNCONSTITUTIONAL " and if he ever got into office he would do away with them.
"Patriotic" used to mean constitutional. I guess PAUSA doesn't get it.