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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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Such a non-story. Every politician of every stripe since time immemorial has been for something before they were against it. If anyone thinks they are going to knock Perry off his stride because of some letter he wrote 18 years ago, lots of luck. Especially since all the letter really asks for is consideration for the unique health care needs of rural Americans. For Pete's sake, that alone will give him a few more points in the polls. I am not saying I like Perry. But this story certainly doesn't make me dislike him anymore than I might be inclined to otherwise.
Chris
Get used to it. The Obama people are sooo desperate they will try anything and everything to try and discredit the opposition. And it is going to get a lot worse, a whole lot worse, as the exit door slowly creeps open between now and Nov 2012. It's all they've got.
I agree an 18-year-old letter is pretty weak. However, his recently published book contains more troubling issues for Perry.
"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."
But former President Bush was after former President Clinton. How come Mr. Perry did not say it to former President Bush in his 8-years-2-terms as a president of U.S.A?
Mr. Perry, as a personal friend of Mr. Bush, he should say it. Now, he says it; it is too late. When all the preparation and arguing and discuusion about the healthcare have not been new in our nation, why he has not said it all these times?
Mr. Perry has using the tactics of "catch 22" to stir up the problems in Democratic party.
However, the former Bush administration was receiving the torch from former Clinton administration.
If any of these so called Republican/Tea-Party nominees gets elected as President, then you can be assured the new constitution will be the bible. And be assured separation of church and state will be dissolved, especially with these fanatics. I am no democrat, but no way can I vote for such ideologies as represented by the nominees in the Republican/Tea Party list.
Are you a first grade student or what???? No it will not be about the Bible you fool, it will be about people who need to live their own lives without the GOV. TELLING THEM what they can or can not do!!!!
@Richard -- "Spot" on (pun intended). LMAO
Spot, agreed!
Also, see Scarborough: Perry will do whatever to get elected (this is your own party speaking, Perry supporters)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3036789/vp/44338921#44338921
Repubs, get a serious candidate please...
haggisbingo-2225582
Compared to Obama anyone is a serious candidate for Obama has almost destroyed the US on his own!!!!
Richard, I know, I know. Even Hitler is preferable - at least he got stuff done....lmao
kkarl rove directed shill posters, ala carte..., obviously same-o, same-o, pukers.
Deceit, deception, distraction, lies, with particularly their attempts at sounding moderate.., but, alas...
Their give-way is..... well, obvious.
LUCIFER perry is the "chosen one"... a "I'm one of you" evangelical..., and, just a dumber version of the bush-idiot..., the lies and deceptions, however, are classic LUCIFER perry.
And, folks, this perry idiot, is the best the t-GOP has to offer up~~~
BuddyThis~
MoonRiverExpress
Your wife needs to back in the cave to cook lunch!!!!!!!
fried turnips for sure!!!!
In reality we don't have a health care problem (except when it comes to illegal aliens receiving health care which they can not pay for) what we have is a problem with health insurance coverage.
The real problem we have is how much does each person with insurance pay in premiums, co-pays etc. and what is covered by the insurance company. Part of the over all problem is how much is paid into the insurance companies by the insured, how much is paid out and how much is paid as administrative costs.
I fully understand the philosophical views on both sides of the argument but just imagine how much could be saved if there was a single payer system in place administered perhaps not by the government but by a private entity.
Look around and see how much the CEO of any insurance company to include the non-profits in wages and benefits. Those wages and benefits of not only the people at the top but also the people who sit behind a desk making decisions on what kind of treatment you are entitled to receive are all part of the administrative costs.
Any one who believes the cost of health insurance will be controlled by competition in the free enterprise system is sadly mistaken. We will pay more in premiums, co-pays, uncovered procedures etc while all the time the administrative costs will continue to go up and up and up..............and on and on and on............................
Or just think about how much could be saved if "lawyers hitting the lottery" costs were taken out of healthcare... tort reform could get malpractice and therefore payments/premiums down.. or if we could buy our insurance across state lines.... "single payer system" is just code for government controlled... if you think costs are high now.. let's just add a zillion public employees with outrageous pensions to the costs of healthcare....
Fed Up do you know how much the people in the insurance make and what their pensions are that is what I am referring to as the administrative costs in the private sector. You pay more to support the insurance companies and get less and less coverage.
Here is something else to think about:
1. Medicare
2. Medicaid
3. Veterans Insurance
4. Private Insurance
5. State Insurance Programs
There may be other insurance programs but each one takes a good chunk of money out of the system to administer each program therefor there is more unnecessary administrative costs than there should be.
You are right about the tort reform but just remember that would be more for the CEO to stick in their pocket and still deny you coverage.
It is a business like all the business's in the world to make money??????? What part of that do you not understand??????
Jon Exner
If you had a business and wanted to make money at it you would sell what you had at the highest price you could!!!!!!!!! So dont push this SH*T on ME!!!!!
Limiting medical malpractice liability is a red herring. Med-mal costs (both in terms of settlements and judgments) comprise about 1% of total annual health care spending. If you add in the amorphous concept of "defensive medicine" (i.e., ordering unnecessary tests and procedures) perhaps you add another percentage point. While I have my own reservations with Obamacare, slamming the courthouse door shut on patients injured by medical errors won't do much to control costs (since costs are ultimately a factor of supply and demand -- the supply of doctors compared to the demand for their services).
Also, virtually all med-mal cases are brought in state courts under state law. The states therefore have their own med-mal statutes and procedures in place. We really don't need to trample the concept of federalism by having the U.S. Congress tell the states how to run their med-mal courts, which they have been doing just fine all by themselves since 1776.
Richard, the rest of the world views health care much differently than you. To most other nations, health care is not a market to be served by the private sector anymore than police or fire services are.
If you wish to have any authority when speaking of the 'world' it would be helpful for you to have some knowledge of the world beyond the shores of America. Yesterday's news report that America ranks 41st in the world regarding infant mortality might provide you with a few doubts about our dependence on the private and so-called non-profit sectors to provide health care for Americans.
Bruce -848280
All Business's need to make money to stay in business, IS THAT NOT TRUE????????????
Bruce -848280
You are as dumb as they come!!!!!!
Richard if I own a business of course I would want to make a profit, any idiot and I guess you would fall into that category understands that.
What the real issue here is health insurance, how much does it cost the insured and what do we get for our money. Am I buying a health insurance plan that covers my medical necessities or am I just putting money into the pockets of the CEO so they can deny coverage and live an exorbitant life style at my expense.
I have posted many times that Insurance companies sell health insurance plans not health coverage and as you aptly put it they are in the business of making money not providing me with health care.
You are correct all businesses need to make money to stay in business, but there are other stories on this cite today that describe CEO that are making the 2 figure the millions dollars in compensation packages. Just how much does one person need to make to secure their future. Most of the times these over paid CEO are not the one who truly make the companies successful it is the worker at the bottom of the heap that make companies successful and usually they are low paid in order to pay the CEO and other top management these exorbitant compensation packages.
Just how long do you think some of these companies would last if the people at the bottom just decided not to show up to work one day? You ever notice it doesn't take long to replace a CEO when they leave a company with all their million dollar compensation package.
So tell me richard what insurance company do you work for.
My, my... the Liberal media slinging mud... what a surprise... trying to slam Perry's intelligence... today dragging up 20 yr old issues... obviously this guys scares the crap out of them.... and they're grasping at any negativity they can to try to besmirch him.... while the Left-owned MSM is still Obozo's biggest fan and protector.... now there's a guy who needs investigating... where are his transcripts?... anything he wrote as the Editor of the Harvard Law review?... any legislation he wrote as a state or US Senator?... zip, zip, and zippity zip... if you put HIS brain on the edge of a razar blade it would look like a BB on a four-lane highway....
It is so funny that Obama and his LIBS need to go back 20 years??? What about Obama just 5 or 10 years ago, what a jump for us all.LMFAO
Both Rick Perry, and Hillary Clinton are Bildergergers. Their goal is one and the same. In fact no one can get on the presidential ballot unless first approved by the Bildergergers. You think you get to choose your president and that you can vote these bad apples out. You have no choice. Our elections are and have been for some time under the control of globalists. Why do you think nothing ever gets better? Left and Right are nothing but distractions, their goals are still one and the same.
Are what? Who? ROFLMAO!!!!!!
I think not... never has there been a bigger distinction between left and right... mostly because the left finally decided to openly display their marxist "gov't controls everything" agenda.... and the people who pay taxes are finally seeing the endgame... outright wealth confiscation and redistribution.... just look at the latest examples... Obozo steals $6 Billion from GM secured bondholders and give it to the UAW... Obozo giving his allies Obozocare waivers whle the rest of us see our premiums rise... the difference between the productive and the parasites has never been clearer
See, Perry isn't stupid, but he does play the part of an idiot on the campaign trail..
Let me ask all of you a question?? What did Obama promise when he was running for President??? I will not post all the promises. But their were several... How many people??? All of the promises he stated he has not fullfilled any of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Go look and see for yourself.... He did pass Obama care but that was a ruse!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I for one remember: lowering deficits; cutting spending; cutting pork; line item vetoes; debates on Cspan; closing Gitmo first year; out of the Middle East sooner -- just to name a few.
Too bad we can't elect a dictator instead of a President who has to get approval of just about everything from those idiots in Congress!
Ben-636050
And he did none of those!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is no form of government, that in some way or another that does not have and effect on everyday life. So it you want a government not telling you what to do, find me one. The only way I can foresee that is "no governments at all", and religion definitely interferes with everyday people's lives also. You people looking for utopia without rules and regulations are day dreaming, there is no such thing. Thus no candidate from any party can insure you that government will not be in your lives some way or another.
In my opinion, those on the Left are generally more inclined to look at things more objectively than our counterparts on the Right. Ultimately, I think it's a strength rather than a weakness. That said, in all fairness I see noting wrong with Rick Perry looking out for the interests of his constituency. The funny part is that it looks like he's going to have to pay a political price for this ancient moment of lucidity.
I am far more concerned about Perry wanting to push back the retirement age for young people in order to make social security more solvent for retiring baby boomers. Perry says social security is an "illegal ponzi scheme" (his words), yet he wants my generation to work until we're seventy to pay for it.
I also am very reluctant to vote for any ignoramus who is a devotee of Creationism and skeptical of Global Warming. We don't want a dumb-dumb as Commander in Chief.
Although a Ponzi scheme is illegal by its very nature, Perry never used the word illegal. Perry's description is accurate however. You better wise up young man so you can see that the entitlement programs are going bankrupt if changes/modifications don't occur. I know it is not a good place to be in but your options are this: We can amputate your leg now or shoot you in the head later.
Also, there are tens of thousands of scientists who will argue against global warming, and I don't think believing in a Supreme Being as the creator of the heavens and Earth is a bad place to be. Don't worry though, wisdom will come with age.
Ben - TY for the reply... He used the word illegal, to describe social security, in his book "Fed Up." I am not trying to begrudge anyone their beliefs, but there are millions of us who can resolve a devout belief in a Supreme Being with the Theory of Evolution. This fallacy that you either believe in the Bible or in science is endlessly frustrating to me. As for Global Warming... I just put that in there to identify respondents as imbeciles or not.
Rick Perry is a huckster deluxe, why is it that he matters? Why the media attention to his run but not the attention to him? Why no word his association with the New Apostolic Reformation? Everyone look into what that is about and tell me, do we really need a D+ college student who is a member of the New Apostolic Reformation running the show?
Certainly technology has come far enough that we could bring Stalin or Hitler back... those two at their worst would be better than Perry at his best.
Really.
There is that old saying"Blinded by the light" or should we say " Blinded by the speech" There are some is this world who we picture as a "Flim Flam Man" as in Obama, he speaks with such authority that most think he is telling the truth.....But as we have seen with his promises from pre-election that was all lies.. Obama speaks with a split tongue that makes alot of people think he is grand but as the smart people see he is telling a lie to better himself.
I ask all of you to stop and look at what he promised and what he has truly done to help the average person!!!!!
Perry is obviously a Democratic mole planted over a decade ago to undermine the Republican's stab at the Presidency. You just can't dream all this stuff up!
The skeletons are coming out of the closet, Fairy, ahem Perry will slither his way out of this with "conservative" talk show hosts, Rush Limburger and Glen Fleck to name a few. But they might not get that many audience if a Fairy wins, because they have nothing to talk about, so they might be in the unemployment lines when their millions of secretly stash money in the mattress is gone on another vacation home, or to another republican politician.
My assessment of the situation is that most politicians talk out of both sides of theri mouth at once. Tell you again they will say anything they think you want to hear.
Talking out of both sides of their mouths has long been defined as a level headed investor.
I think they should rename the White House dog" Leadership", it's the only way we are going to get any out of the place.
And exactly how many votes does the White House dog have? My guess is about as many as a president has. Presidents can propose any policy he or she chooses, but only Congress can enact policy. I still can't believe Boehner actually said 'We need leadership from the White House'. What an admission of impotence on Boehner's part.
Bruce -848280
He spoke the truth!!! What has Obama put forward for vote, NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bruce -848280
You are a poor excuse for a LIB, and I see you have NO feelings for the average person!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think you need to take a Civics class.
Congress has the power to enact legislation.
The President of the United States then enacts it as policy or law.
Bruce
Obama is the de facto head of the Dem party. If he exercised some leadership and told Harry Reid that he, Obama, was backing a plan to balance the budget or enact a balanced budget amendment, and that he expects Harry Reid and the Senate Dems to go along with it, it would get done. If Reid balked, all Obama would have to do is go on TV and give a speech to the public telling them to call their Senators and urge them to vote for it. That's leadership. Fact of the matter is Obama is not interested in achieving a balanced budget, even if he could get Repubs to agree to some tax reforms/increases in exchange for doing so. The only thing he is interested in is increasing the size and scope of the Federal Government and raising taxes to do it, while continuing deficit spending and debt creation. His rate of deficit spending and debt creation has far eclipsed that of the Bush era, yet he blames Bush for deficit spending and debt creation. Can you say "hypocrite"?.
There are other areas where he doesn't even need Congress to go along with him to get things done. Foreign policy for example. What foreign policy moves has he even contemplated making to stop China from stealing our economy, manufacturing base and jobs? NONE. Again, lack of leadership
The president is not just some impotent figure head as you would have every one believe. He has a vital leadership role to play and on that score Obama has been an utter failure.
AT KingK
Couldn't have said it better. Myself, I don't know enough about Perry yet to say I would support him. I can say that if the choices in 2012 look like they did in 08 it will be depressing. We already know Obama isn't what he was made out to be. Surely the Republicans can do better than McCain/Palin.
Agree, Obama is a failure and anything would be better but I have nit decided on who I would vote for but I know it would not be OBAMA!!!!
All these Evangelical politicians opposed to health care for the poor? Very Christian of them, knowing that once the Republican Supreme Court kills "ObamaCare" the healthcare issue will not resurface again in our lifetime.
But most scarey is that total disconnect of Evangelicals from reality.
The earth was created 6,00 years ago - no evolution. The scientists are all faking the evidence.
There is no global warming despite 99% of scientific community is in full agreement that much of global warming is man made and likely the greatest threat to our survival on this planet.
Like the Vietnam "joke" about destroying the village to save it.
We put these right wingers totally disconnected from reality in charge in Washington and expect some kind of miracle by prayer.
There was a time when we believed that God gave us a brain and expected us to use it. Now we just read the bible, pray and hope for the best. A lot easier than trying to work these things out with the tools God gave us.
kkkarl rover paid swift-boater-style shills "playing moderates" are out playing the end game again.
Easily singled out... and their new directive -- be deceitful... refine the Judas Goat act..., hide or tone down the religious right agendas, delay of game engagement... lie, lie, lie...
poor poor kkkarl, you are not fooling anyone.. but, you damn sure have picked a bunch of fools, LUCIFER perry inclusive...
The wall-street owned and elitist managed t-GOP is not a political party and has not been one now for 2-3 decades. What the present day t-GOP is, is well, more and more obvious with each passing day...
The t-GOP is a wall-street owned and elitist managed CRIMINAL ENTERPRISE!!
BuddyThis~~`
SO what,s NEW they are ALL two FACE and crooks some get caught some don,t till years later .
The mental midgets who thrive on CBS propaganda and worship their socialist deity are out in force today.