Has anyone noticed that "Newt stopped HRC's healthcare reform" has become part of her mythology

[theboss]

I've seen this on numerous threads in recent days. The gist is, "There was no way Newt and the Republicans were going to pass her healthcare reform package.

Healthcare reform was dead as an issue before Newt took over. The bill was declared dead by George Mitchell in September 2004. Newt and the Republicans took Congress in November 2004.

Hillary's plan died because she could not sell it to a Democratic Congress. It was not defeated by Newt; it created Newt. It gave him the launching pad for the Contract for America.

[ananda]

1. Boy, that's a twisted inverted spin!

I think I'll start looking to buy a bridge
in Brooklyn too.

[theboss]

4. mine or theirs?

My story is how it happened.

[Vincardog]

2. Hillary's health proposals were dead when she refused to work with the elected Democratic

representatives. She thought she could bully it through like Darth Cheney does. She could not. Another reason she could not be an effective President.

[BOSSHOG]

3. Yes

Newt and the rest of the republicans in Washington were totally impotent in the 90's. They couldn't do anything, except shut down the government.

[theboss]

5. In 1995

Does everyone forget that Clinton had a Democratic Senate and House when he entered office?

[BOSSHOG]

8. Well aware

[Bread and Circus]

6. I've read the history of her health care failure in 1993. The failure was just as largely due to

her executive and negotiative inadequacies as it was lack of support from the right.

Furthermore, she shut out the left most elements from the planning process.

[theboss]

9. This is really her one example of executive leadership and it should be a bigger issue

Her failure on this subject led to the Gingrich Revolution and nearly crippled the Clinton Presidency.

It was only because of Bill's incredible talents as a politician and Newt's incredible failures as a politician that the Dems were able to recover any ground after this debacle.

[kentuck]

7. But the Democrats had good majority in the House and Senate.

Newt was not in charge at that time.

[theboss]

10. Precisely my point

I've been told on several occasions that Newt stopped healthcare reform so you can't blame her. Those who state this have forgotten the facts and created a mythology.

[DJ13]

11. Hillary's plan died because Bill wanted to focus on NAFTA instead

That sucked all the air out of the healthcare bill.

[jody]

14. George H.W. Bush signed NAFTA in December 1992. Clinton took office 23 Jan 93.

The following complements of Wikipedia.

After intense political debate and the negotiation of these side agreements, the U.S. House of Representatives passed NAFTA on November 17, 1993, by 234-200 vote (132 Republicans and 102 Democrats voting in favor; 43 Republicans, 156 Democrats, and 1 independent against),<6> and the U.S. Senate passed it on the last day of its 1993 session, November 20, 1993, by 61-38 vote (34 Republicans and 27 Democrats voting in favor; 10 Republicans and 28 Democrats against, with 1 Democrat opponent not voting.

[theboss]

15. Um, I think I disagree with your police work

Bush signed it in 1992? Yet, the House passed it in 1993?

'Splain, Lucy.

[jody]

17. Explanation simple, Bush 41 signed the treaty which then had to be ratified by congress. n/t

[jody]

12. Even a casual reading of the history of Clinton's attempt to improve health care will show Newt did

play a crucial role in killing the program.

Of course those who support candidates who have never done anything may interpret facts differently.

People who demonstrate their FAITH by chanting "HOPE, CHANGE, HOPE, CHANGE . . . . ." are not bothered by messy, pesky, little facts.

[theboss]

13. Of course, Newt played a role...he was minority whip

But Hillary ultimately lost because she had no Democratic support.

[jody]

16. Few politicians supported major health care reform that would have upper income voters and healthy

young workers pay most of the increased cost of health care.

I'm sorry but that may still be the major obstacle today regardless of who is elected president.

[jody]

18. Wikipedia has a summary of the “1993 Clinton health care plan”

1993 Clinton health care plan