There was a diary posted recently, Clinton on the stump - mispeaking?, by a registered nurse who asked three relevant questions about a story that appeared in the Washington Post.
It almost always comes when the audience least expects it: the moment Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton brings a roaring crowd to a hush with a heart-rending anecdote.
"I remember listening to a story about a young woman in a small town along the Ohio River, in Meigs County, who worked in a pizza parlor," the Democratic presidential candidate said during a stop in Cleveland, beginning a particularly grim tale.
"She got pregnant, she started having problems. There's no hospital left in Meigs County, so she had to go to a neighboring county. She showed up, and the hospital said, 'You know, you've got to give us $100 before we can see you.' She didn't have $100," Clinton said.
"So the young woman went back home," she continued. "The next time she went back, she was in an ambulance. It turned out she lost the baby. She was airlifted to Columbus."
She paused before concluding: "And after heroic efforts at the medical center, she died." The audience, as always, gasped.
In Speeches, Clinton Often Veers to Dark Side, Thursday, April 3.
H/T to Jed Report for bringing us video of Hillary Clinton telling the story in Wyoming on March 8, 2008.
At the end of her diary, 45387, asked three questions:
I think the following deserve answers.
1. Who is the "we" who "wanted" a story like this besides a Meigs County Deputy sherrif?
2. Why did the deputy want it told?
3. In my entire career as a registered nurse in Ohio, I have never known a hospital to require payment before delivering medically necessary care. In fact, I have always understood that it is illegal for them to do so. Is that true?
Looks like The New York Times was listening:
The woman, Trina Bachtel, did die last August, two weeks after her baby boy was stillborn at O’Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens, Ohio. But hospital administrators said Friday that Ms. Bachtel was under the care of an obstetrics practice affiliated with the hospital, that she was never refused treatment and that she was, in fact, insured.
Ohio Hospital Contests a Story Clinton Tells, Saturday, April 5
Clinton did hear the story from a Deputy Sheriff:
The sheriff’s deputy, Bryan Holman, had played host to Mrs. Clinton in his home before the Ohio primary. Deputy Holman said in a telephone interview that a conversation about health care led him to relate the story of Ms. Bachtel. He never mentioned the name of the hospital that supposedly turned her away because he did not know it, he said.
Deputy Holman knew Ms. Bachtel’s story only secondhand, having learned it from close relatives of the woman. Ms. Bachtel’s relatives did not return phone calls Friday.
It seems to me, that if you are running for the position of president of this country, that one of the most important qualities you must portray is that you are honest. Nobody wants to vote for somebody who they perceive as having lied to them.
If you are going to stand before crowds and tell these chilling tales about the horrors of our health care system, one would hope that you won't rely on third-hand stories, but would take the time to find stories that are true. There are enough true stories out there, that it doesn't seem necessary to pass on rumors. And this is not enough:
A Clinton spokesman, Mo Elleithee, said candidates would frequently retell stories relayed to them, vetting them when possible. "In this case, we did try but were not able to fully vet it," Mr. Elleithee said. "If the hospital claims it did not happen that way, we respect that."
If you can't verify the story ... don't tell it! It's that simple. And, if a newspaper can dig up the truth behind the story, then your staff should be able to, as well.
Once again, Hillary Clinton finds herself in the position of having "misspoke." This is a situation that could have been completely avoided had she or her staff taken the time to verify the story before slandering a hospital. Just like the "Sniper Fire" story, there was no reason for this.
If Hillary Clinton wants to tell tales about the horrors of our healthcare system, then she should have her staff do some research and find some true stories to tell. It's getting to the point where every tale told by Clinton is being questioned and rebutted. Not a quality one is looking for in a president.
UPDATE: From comments in the diary, and particularly the suggestion of davidkc, I am highlighting this comment from the hospital in The New York Times article:
"We implore the Clinton campaign to immediately desist from repeating this story," said Rick Castrop, chief executive officer of the O’Bleness Health System.
Several comments have been made that this is no big deal, just another typical politician telling a story to prove a point. As I have commented below:
By telling a false story, instead of a true one, she has once again made her ability to tell the truth an issue. That only takes away from the main issue, which is health care in this country. Not knowing the name of the hospital because she didn't vet the story before telling it while campaigning all over the state of Ohio, she left the impression in the minds of people in Ohio that they have a hospital that will refuse to treat them if they can not pay.
(snip)
It bothers me that Hillary Clinton took the easy and expedient course of action and spread a rumor that she did not have vetted, instead of taking the time to assemble true stories about real people to make her point. If she had told true stories, and the press checked them out, we would be reading newspaper accounts of these true stories shining more light on the problems that need to be addressed, instead of newspaper accounts, once again, of Hillary not telling the truth.
Look at how much good nyceve has done rallying support for people who really have had these problems and actually made a difference by getting insurance companies to cave under calls and emails from people here. Heck, all the Clinton campaign had to do was read nyceve's diaries here to find some compelling stories to tell out on the campaign trail. The vetting has already been done. Would that have been so hard?
UPDATE 2: This story is being picked up the MSM ... ABC had a broadcast tonight and the video is up at their site: Oops! Clinton Did It Again: Clinton Drops Another Tale From Stump Speech Another Clinton Campaign Story Shot Down.
Fox News also has it up at their website with video of her telling the story last night in Grand Forks, North Dakota: More Trail Tale Troubles for Hillary.
UPDATE 3: Jed Report is on this story now making a pertinent observation. The New York Times article appeared online at 9:00 p.m. last night (April 4, 2008). Before publishing the article, The New York Times contacted the Clinton campaign for the comments that appeared in the article. And yet, Hillary Clinton told this story, yet again, last night in Grand Forks, North Dakota. So, Jed Report asks, Did Clinton camp know story was false before Hillary told it again?