Posted on 01/17/2008 7:56:25 PM PST by jdm
Judicial Watch has tried to gain access to the records from Hillary Clinton's task force on revamping the American health-care system, and has been met with considerable resistance. After seeing the first batch released by the Clinton library, one can certainly understand why. In a press release from Judicial Watch earlier this evening, they excerpted some explosive passages within the documents, passages which will create some uncomfortable questions for Hillary on the campaign trail.
First, an internal critique of Hillary's plan marveled at the unprecedented scope of government control over a private industry -- at least in peacetime:
A June 18, 1993 internal Memorandum entitled, A Critique of Our Plan, authored by someone with the initials P.S., makes the startling admission that critics of Hillarys health care reform plan were correct: I can think of parallels in wartime, but I have trouble coming up with a precedent in our peacetime history for such broad and centralized control over a sector of the economy Is the public really ready for this?... none of us knows whether we can make it work well or at all
The other two excerpts paint the effort in an entirely new and darker light. First, Senator Jay Rockefeller proposed that the federal government conduct smear campaigns against the opponents of the plan:
A Confidential May 26, 1993 Memorandum from Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) to Hillary Clinton entitled, Health Care Reform Communications, which criticizes the Task Force as a secret cabal of Washington policy wonks that has engaged in choking off information from the public regarding health care reform. The memorandum suggests that Hillary Clinton use classic opposition research to attack those who were excluded by the Clinton Administration from Task Force deliberations and to expose lifestyles, tactics and motives of lobbyists in order to deflect criticism.
Rockefeller had allies in mind for this effort:
Senator Rockefeller also suggested news organizations are anxious and willing to receive guidance [from the Clinton Administration] on how to time and shape their [news] coverage.
Wow. Media Matters should contact Rockefeller to disabuse him of the myth of the liberal-biased press!
Some might wonder about the notion of the White House digging up dirt on its critics in order to shut them up. Of course, this memo came from Rockefeller to Hillary, and no one can say whether she responded affirmatively or scolded Rockefeller for his dangerous suggestion. We can say that the suggestion came up earlier:
A February 5, 1993 Draft Memorandum from Alexis Herman and Mike Lux detailing the Office of Public Liaisons plan for the health care reform campaign. The memorandum notes the development of an interest group data base detailing whether or not organizations support(ed) us in the election. The database would also track personal information about interest group leaders, such as their home phone numbers, addresses, biographies, analysis of credibility in the media, and known relationships with Congresspeople.
Anyone remember Craig Livingstone and the 700 FBI raw-data files that the White House obtained illegally? The story broke in 1996, but the files got accessed in 1993 by the former director of the White House Office of Personnel Security. Judicial Watch sued over the case, attempting to uncover the reason the highly-confidential files were requested by the Clinton White House.
Even without that, the idea that the government should essentially spy on its critics as a means to extort their silence or to discredit them publicly is completely noxious. If nothing else, Rockefeller should have to answer for his proposal, and Hillary should produce her response to it. Voters should pay particularly close attention to this and remember how the Clintons worked and how they would undoubtedly work again if allowed back into the White House.
NOTE: Judicial Watch's website is down for some reason at the moment. I'll link to the specific documents when the site comes back up.
Bump
Bill Clinton operates as a ruler with cut-outs.
There was no way that Reno operated without Clinton’s approval. No way.
ROFL! Too was too funny.
Hi Didi!
I think it takes 5 claws just to get around the cankles...
ewwwwww! just caught a visual...
That post of your is going to be my quote of the week for most of this year. :’)
Senator Rockefeller also suggested news organizations are anxious and willing to receive guidance [from the Clinton Administration] on how to time and shape their [news] coverage.
***This same sentence could be inserted into a campaign memo from Hildebeast this week.
“is the public really ready for this?...”
the public loves this. they love when the democrats “fight” for them. (viva la revolucion)
“voters nationwide should ask themselves if they want to return the clintons to power...”
“voters” will vote into office what they want. a majority of them are intellectualizing socialists who “feel” that republicans are mean, that bill and hiilary are nice, and that someone should “fight” the mean people who have more than they do. hillary! will be president, by hook, crook or voting machine and she will certainly “fight”.
(is the good senator from michigan laughing at us?)
“hillary! is a national socialist.”
heil hillary! !!!!! (do not look into her eyes.)
.
“That post of your is going to be my quote of the week for most of this year. :)”
Sane people do not want to see Hilliarily become our president.
:’) Well, I can’t claim to be sane, but I’m definitely against it.
Uh huh.
Pauly Shore??
Post Script???
Political Suicide?
Why does his mouth gape open a lot??
Hard to breathe through nose?
GMTA!
Clinton,Inc. is a criminal enterprise.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.