Clinton says he couldn’t attend health clinic because of Olbermann

By Raw Story
Saturday, November 21st, 2009 -- 10:40 pm
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billclinton20091110 Clinton says he couldnt attend health clinic because of OlbermannKeith Olbermann is ruining America.

Or so suggested ex-president Bill Clinton, who told a blogger this week that he couldn't attend a free medical clinic being paid for in part by supporters of the MSNBC television host because he had "politicized" the event.

Writes Firedoglake's David Dayen:

Bill Clinton told FDL’s Eve Gittelson that it would be problematic for him to attend a free medical clinic being held in Little Rock, Arkansas [held Saturday] because MSNBC’s Keith Olbermann had “politicized” the event.” He indicated that some were turning the event into a primary kickoff against Arkansas Sen. Blanche Lincoln.

Eve ran into Clinton Thursday in the gift shop of the Clinton Library. She’s in Arkansas covering the Keith Olbermann’s free clinic event, organized by the National Association of Free Clinics. The former President is in town for the 5th anniversary of the Clinton Library.

Story continues below...

One in five Arkansas citizens are without health insurance, according to one estimate.

Fifteen hundred showed up for the free clinic in Arkansas Saturday. Lincoln, Arkansas' Democratic senator, voted to support a Democratic motion to begin debate on healthcare overhaul legislation Saturday night, after rebukes from liberal critics.

The Arkansas Times interviewed those who showed up.

"Well I came to get health," one man said, according to a transcript by ThinkProgress. "I do have diabetes and I haven’t been able to get healthcare since I lost my last job. And I am a student so it’s been a little difficult to get a full time job where I can get benefits. [...] I haven’t seen a doctor probably in three or four years. ... I thank all of the volunteers."

"I got laid off in 2008 and since I haven’t had insurance," another woman said.

"I don’t make really enough money to pay bills and have healthcare also," said a third man. "This is a good opportunity for me. And I haven’t really had a check up or anything in more years than I’d like to admit."

Video of Olbermann's plea to help fund the Arkansas free clinic follows.

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Story comments are below...

  • jlynn33
    POLITICIZED it? Hell, Keith's campaign drew in the folks across the nation who sent in money to make the event POSSIBLE.

    How arrogant. How ill informed. }: /
  • shag11
    To hell with Bill, I am with Keith.
  • lousgirl84
    Me too. I donated some bucks for the cause. I'd rather help someone get some kind of care than none at all.

    Bill Clinton pisses me off. Talk about ill-informed.
  • jimb
    It's not "Keith Olbermann's event." He just promoted it and drew the contributions from all over the country that made it possible.

    What an enormous horse's ass Bill Clinton is. Let's put it in perspective. Clinton will go on Fox News, but he's afraid to go anywhere near something that might be associated with Keith Olbermann?
  • marxymcliberalson
    NEWS FUCKING FLASH BILL....

    Beepbeeepbeepbeeepbepeepbeeepbeeepbeeep

    THIS JUST IN:

    HEALTHCARE HAS BEEN POLITICIZED ASSHOLE!

    Death Panels? Kill Grandma? Forced Abortions?

    ANY of that ring a freakin bell Bill?
  • SUEC716
    Clinton is still sore because of Olbermann's comments during the presidential campaign--He needs to get over himself!
    I went to www.clintonfoundation.org and left comments--
    If it were not for Olbermann's generosity and urging yesterday would not have happened in Little Rock or last week's event in new Orleans.
    Poor Billy--still as thin-skinned as ever!
  • trippin
    No sense flying off the handle. We always knew what Clinton was made of. He and his sidekick Terry MacAuliffe invented the "Third Way," namely, call one's self a Democrat but govern like a bribe-taking -- er, I mean campaign donation soliciting Republican.

    Clinton did nothing but accelerate the deterioration of the economic infrastructure that supported the middle class, in spite of his manufactured reputation as a competent economic steward for riding the PC / Internet productivity wave to a robust economy. Mister Magoo could have done as well under the circumstances.

    History will show the legacy for which Clinton is personally accountable as NAFTA and the repeal of Glass- Steagall, both of which have led to the precipice on which working Americans now teeter. His cronies pollute the Obama administration to this day, from Rahm "toss in the towel to the insurers" Emanuel, to Tim "I am not a regulator" Geithner, to Larry "girls are dumb" Summers.

    So now, Clinton is defending the blight he inflicted on the Democratic Party when he signed on Republicans in the hope that the majority thus achieved would accrue benefit in legislation, another one of his hair-brained schemes gone awry. Now we reap the bitter harvest borne of the soil he poisoned as we realize that merely calling one's self a Democrat is meaningless, because, as we know so well, conservatives (now fashionably called "moderates" and "centrists" by the right wing media) have no compunction about lying, hypocrisy, and double-speak.

    The good news is that these holdouts are who they thought they were: prostitutes. Now that we know they're for sale, all we need to do is agree on the price.
  • farang
    Another perspective is that when Clinton was Arkansas Governor, but before he showed his aspiration for being a presidential candidate, was how very many Republicans praised his style of governing. Read many an msm article so stating.

    And "lo and behold", he gets to run against unpopular Bush1, promoted by the media whores, and elected. Then proceeds to carrying Bush's NAFTA to fruition, and push through the repeal of Depression era regulations limiting bank gambling (as you so stated) the Reagan Republicans craved. Had them (the majority in congress then) voting FOR his balanced budgets ("balanced" by raiding S.S. Trust Funds.)

    I tell ya, it's "almost like" they secretly enjoyed his election, while publicly acting like they loathed him. Btw: aren't Poppy and Big Dog BFF's? Hmmmm....interesting....just like how he wouldn't campaign for Gore.
  • Elim
    All that health care reform when Bubba was president was nothing but a distraction, to keep us pacified while we thought he was doing something great. He did nothing great. He gave us NAFTA.
  • MacCawber
    Raw Story, you write: "Keith Olbermann is ruining America. Or so suggested ex-president Bill Clinton . . ."
    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

    Gee, could you make this side issue more incendiary (and misleading) than it already was? Maybe that was supposed to be funny (a tribute to that "telephone" game we all played in kindergarten), but don't forget, some people don't know the background and will take what you say in your opening sentence literally. Your blog is a blog about what another blogger says Bill Clinton said to yet another blogger. Internet stories are the most byzantine things in the world to understand, after the legislative process.

    Which is what Olbermann was all about, by the way -- not the next election. The free clinics were supposed to enlighten Lincoln and Landrieu and shame them into voting to allow the debate on health care reform to go ahead, as you pointed out. Everything else, even Clinton's comment (whatever it actually was) is beside the point.
  • Elim
    What the fuck, Raw Story? This site is usually friendly to Olbermann, and now he's ruining the world, according to Bubba? Who cares what Bill thinks? Olbermann is doing a good thing, and there's no reason why Clinton should be wary of being associated with it.
  • lorn
    Close Elim, so close.

    This site is friendly to the Democratic party, full top.
    When others do or say things to help the fortunes of the Democratic party, they are treated well, but if anyone dares to slam the almighty and glorious Democratic party, they will be carved up without mercy or regard for truth or progressive values.

    The myth of a two party democracy is the greatest problem for America. As long as people subscribe to the idea that Democrats are somehow different from Repukes, then the looting of our nation can go on. Until we realize that the two parties work together to divide and rule us, we are screwed. This site and many like it exist in order to perpetuate that myth which is killing America.
  • Elim
    I realized that long ago. That's why I re-registered from a Democrat to an Independent. I won't waste my vote on a Dem ever again. I've never voted for a Republican. I knew that was a waste way before I figured out the Dems were really the same party.
  • zogtheobvious
    The article does not contend that Olbermann is not doing a good thing. I think the article was designed to draw attention to the DLCers who have chosen sides- and that the side they have chosen is the WRONG one. One need only read the entire article to understand that.

    As you say, "Olbermann is doing a good thing, and there's no reason why Clinton should be wary of being associated with it."

    And yet he is wary. THAT is what the article is designed to point out.
  • Elim
    I wonder how many people realize that Bill is lying about the reason he won't go? The clever politician in him must have worn off quite a lot if he's deluded himself into believing that most people won't see that.
  • lorn
    I think the article was designed to deflect attention from President Obama and direct it towards Clinton.

    The fake man of peace, Bush3 is in charge. He is leading this fake health care debate and denying all of us real health care reform. He is bailing out our corrupt giant insurance companies. But that is NOT a topic that they want out in the open, so they offer up this useless Clinton spat instead.
    THAT is what this article is trying to accomplish.
  • Showdown0_0
    The purpose of thse event are to show the bluedogs the people who are not getting healthcare because insurance is just to damn expensive. They don't seem to cover whatever it is you got. Bill's been hangin too much with the bushies
  • roland99
    I guess ol' Blue Dog Bill still doesn't get it.

    Go suck on your NAFTA, bill. And have a shot of Gramm-Leach-Bliley while you're at it.
  • paullohan66
    the way these right-wing ass holes are acting we should not rub their stinking noses in it? Fuck bill!
  • jimbo92107
    How can this not be "politicized" when it's politicians that are responsible for our lack of decent health care? Tell you what, Bill: If congress will institute a government run universal health care system, then it can stop being "political."
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