Howard Kurtz notes that the candidates are using a type of ad that looks very mellow but is designed to inoculate them against future attacks.
Here's the Hillary ad he mentions:
UPDATE, Sunday, November 25: "Using a man to talk about trust — is that an admission that she has a problem with men and that she has a problem with the trust factor?" Tim Russert asks on today's "Meet the Press."
November 23, 2007
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I love my Mac. I love Leopard. I love browsing with Safari. But I wish I could play YouTube videos from your weblog while using Safari.
I don't know what the problem is ...maybe something you load in your side bar. But there is nothing clickable on the YouTube image to make it play or go to the YouTube site. Maybe if you also added a direct link to the video for us poor Mac users....
Anytime somebody says, "Let me tell you a little story," they're getting ready to bust yo' haid with an ax handle.
So Hillary pressured the hospital to eat the cost of the transplant? Sounds kind of questionable. It sounds more like the dispute was with the insurance company. It would be nice to have more details.
Would it kill Howard Kurtz to include links to the videos he is talking about?
"How dare you question me!?" has been Hillary!s campaign plan from the beginning, trying to develop a cult of personality candidacy based on conflating the popularity of Bill with herself. Her campaigns official response to any hard question has been to shriek "Those aweful men are picking on me, because I'm a girrrl." What twaddle.
It isn't working so well these days.
I wonder how exactly a hospital "absorbs" the cost of a transplant?
According to Humana the average cost of an Allogeneic-Related Bone Marrow Transplant is $371,800 for 1 year following transplant surgery.
"Absorb" $371,800?
Is that the secret to national heath care under Hillary? We "absorb" all the costs we can't pay?
"How dare you question me!?"
HRC campaign slogan. Its for the common good.
December 6th 1941:
I was visiting Tokyo and my son became very ill. The doctors wouldn't treat him because he was a "foreign devil". I contacted the Prime Ministers office and the very next day my son was admitted to surgery and no cost.
Some say we can't trust Tojo, give me a break. I trusted Prime Minister Tojo with my son's Life.
Zoom in on a picture of a smiling Tojo.
Paid for by the Committee for Co-prosperity and Peace.
Did you notice there are 2 pictures of Hillary with people, She's smiling in both but no one else is.
Wonder why they selected those 2?
It shows that Hillary is in some ways an effective Senator.
But does it accomplish what it has to - showing Hillary's "warm" side?
"Is that the secret to national heath care under Hillary? We "absorb" all the costs we can't pay?"
We don't absorb them, Pogo. Somebody else does.
"Don't tax you, don't tax me. Tax that guy behind the tree."
Ann your title is absurd, as usual.
You can argue, as some of your free market types have already, that this story shows Hillary to be a dangerous threat to the income statements of major hospitals. And I don't think this story gets at the trustworthiness issue at all.
But it's not really a "How dare you" to critics as much as it is a response to them by saying "Hillary is a nice lady who will intercede on behalf of sick children."
Again, I'm not a Hillary supporter but don't see why you go to such lengths to make her every move out to be insidious.
But it's not really a "How dare you"
Well, that's how I interpreted it.
Again, I'm not a Hillary supporter
Until she wins the nomination. Then the knives will be out for anyone who dares criticize her in any way. :)
Hey pogo that reminded me of this classic bit.
Kramer: It's a write off for them.
Jerry: How is it a write off?
Kramer: They just write it off.
Jerry: Write it off what?
Kramer: Jerry, all these big companies, they write off everything.
Jerry: You don't even know what a write off is.
Kramer: Do you?
Jerry: No. I Don't.
Kramer: But they do. And they're the ones writing it off.
Jerry: I wish I could have the last 20 seconds of my life back.
Alan: I'm using a Mac with Safari and Leopard and it works for me. (Most of the time!) Can anyone explain what the problem is?
(Clicking or double clicking on the picture should get you to the YouTube page.)
As for my title — it's my paraphrase of what the man was saying and I think it's damned accurate.
Like Goatwacker, I'd like to hear the details of how she pressured the hospital to give this man special treatment and why this man got help that is obviously not available to everyone on an equal basis. And I don't want to hear a bunch of obfuscation about why we need national health care.
"... how she pressured the hospital..."
I believe a horse's head was involved.
"Ann your title is absurd, as usual."
Ann's title is exactly what's going on here.
I'm still using the pre-Leopard OS. A few weeks ago, I started noticing that embedded YouTube videos were getting troublesome. It's not a problem when I use Firefox.
---------------
On topic, I am not at all impressed by this ad. What's the point? Free bone marrow transplants for everyone? I'm not buying it.
Did he really trust Clinton to save his child's life? That set off my hyperbole alert. At best, he trusted her office to help him cut through some red tape or to get around some insurance functionary's decision.
As for what actually happened -- the hospital "absorbing" the cost -- that doesn't strike me as fair. Isn't the enemy in the Clinton narrative supposed to be the insurance company? Make them "absorb" the cost. The idea of hospitals "absorbing" costs like these is not a sustainable model.
And another thing: This whole ad can be upturned by one person putting up a YouTube video about how the Clinton office was not able to help cut through the red tape to help some other dying kid.
Maybe she told Schumer to get on the horn to the hospital and take care of it. Schumer's the one you call to fix the potholes anyway.
I'd like to hear the details of how she pressured the hospital to give this man special treatment and why this man got help that is obviously not available to everyone on an equal basis.
Isn't it obvious that he got help so he could be used in an election video?
I agree with b -- this -- and the Woodstock Museum thing (if it actually got funded...did it?) -- show that she is an effective Senator.
Non-crazy version of Ann's title:
"How dare you question her! To question her is to overlook the fact that she helped save my son's life."
But again, this is really a positive spot, not a negative one.
And yes, Rev, I can be counted on to become much more reliably pro-Hillary should she win the nomination and become the only alternative to another Republican president (barring the late entry of Mayor Mike, I suppose). But we're not there yet.
There's an awful eyebrow twitch of sincerity at -0:20 on ``we'' that is certain to produce a wave of revulsion among the still living.
Let's interpret bone marrow to see what the disaster is really about.
The sun doth shine,
The world is mine,
My bones are full of marrow;
O for a wench
That has a trench
Where I may push my barrow
-- A.D.Hope
There's the hidden message to the men from Hillary, countering her weakness in that demographic.
I think some ads are fair in that they show one of the candidates strengths - like Romney having an All-American family. And it is helpful because it shows some religious right-wingers that Mormon households look at lot like theirs - or what they wish they coukd be. It's one of Romney's great strengths - he lives by values he preaches - so he should go with it. Curiously, Giuliani's "I'm not perfect" is a concession to his not matching Romney's domestic success. And the only down side to Romney is if he comes across as too Norman Rockwell, too perfect, too much licking the boots of values voters - the very same people will get a little alienated. None of them likely grew up worshipping "little Miss Perfect" at school, but on some level resenting her.
John McCain? Maybe he goes to the Vietnam well too much - "my plane got shot down in an old war before half of you were born - and you should vote for poor me because I suffered"....Certainly John Kerry went to the Vietnam well too often, and got pounded by the public learning his peer officers generally detested him and thought him devious and lacking honor about some of his medals..
HIllary's ad is classic pandering. Pick one Joe Schmoe, champion that "victim" - use your power to get your way in championing - then run ads on how the grateful Schmoe thinks you walk on water.
"Ah was broke 'an my dog was sick 'an I had gots no money for utilities. Gov Richardson saved my life, and my dogs life, by geting utilities to eat the bills and pass them along to others. Even got us free pet food. That is why Richardson should be President...."
Maybe if Edwards had only got a Court to order Superman's doctors to make him walk, he'd be President today.
It's been happening a long time - find a shill - use them as a prop in your ads and as grateful lap dogs you trot out and spotlight at speeches to show you care and also to personalize the issue you are pushing.
...she is an effective senator.
Is she? And if so, is this the measure of an effective senator.
Sure, she's elected by the citizens of New York, but those of us here in Tennessee help to pay her salary, too. If my senator won't get me off the hook for a bone marrow transplant, would she? Of course not.
Bottom line: The measure of an effective senator is not how well one leans on hospitals (or insurance companies, for that matter). Take a look at her voting record. How many votes has she missed. Add that up, then come back and tell me how effective she is.
Joe,
Schumer is not the one for potholes either. That was Al D'Amato. Funny that a republican senator from New York was able to get more funding from a democratic congress and democratic senator that the combo of Hillary and Schumer combined. Both are too involved in grabbing the microphones to pay real attention to their constituents until it is time for the next election. Remember that when the firemen and policement who worked the wonders at 9/11 came to DC to testify, Hillary was the only member of the NY delegation who could not make time to see them. She was too busy working on her book. That should tell you just how involved she is with her constituents. 9/11, she is front and center; a month later, who are the firemen and policement and why should I meet with them. Hillary in a nutshell.
Ann,
Just a housekeeping comment.
with regards to George and his problems with Mac/Leopard/Safari/YouTube, just suggest to them that they download Mozilla for the Mac. It is free and takes just a couple of minutes and you are surfing.
I use it and have no problems with You Tube and more specifically with the video you have posted on the site today.
Thanks
TPrewitt
Alan, supra:
I love my Mac. I love Leopard. I love browsing with Safari. But I wish I could play YouTube videos from your weblog while using Safari.
Alan, I'm on a Leopard-powered Mac (Intel, Duo Core) browsing with Safari, and I never have any problem watching a YouTube video here or elsewhere.
Assuming you have a Leopard installation disk, delete Safari from your applications folder and then reinstall it from disk. That might do the trick. If you need procedural guidance, call Apple.
I agree that Firefox can often play videos when Safari is unresponsive, but Safari is just so much better looking. I used to keep both programs open at the same time.
...she is an effective senator.
Then perhaps she should stay in the Senate.
This whole ad can be upturned by one person putting up a YouTube video about how the Clinton office was not able to help cut through the red tape to help some other dying kid.
Peter hoh, you're right, but it shows what a terrible state of affairs that we're in when something like this will probably end up happening and then we'll talk amongst ourselves about it and wait for the counter-counter-ad.
It's not so much "How dare you question her!" as "I dare you to question my support of her."
As already stated, it's great she helped, but one incident doesn't prove much. What's the chance of socialized medicine covering this?
I think the hospital probably got the "pick, freeze, personalize, polarize" treatment. Probably quite happy to "absorb" whatever it had to, under the circumstances. How much can it absorb? How much can any enterprise absorb? Who knows? Only the shadow do.
Alan:
I look at Ann Althouse's blog on Safari and I can play the YouTube videos to which she links. I wonder what would cause the problem you identify? Just thought I'd let you know that it is possible to do this.
Mark Daniels
Senator Clinton will extort a hospital on your behalf.
You can bet this will be the most ethical administration since her husband was in office.
Just like we have the most ethical Congress ever. Just ask Cong. Murtha.
My Senator is really effective. He steals more from the rest of the States than they steal from us.
Elect me - I'm the best crook there is.
“America is a nation without a distinct criminal class...with the possible exception of Congress." - Mark Twain
m. simon, only because we keep sending money to DC.
A transplant in every pot.
Or the converse...
There ain't no such thing as a free transplant.
Lumen Superhuman.
My light is Hillary who brings haughty hospital administrators & health insurers to their knees.
She can even arrange for a brain transplant in some voters & testicle removal for some opponents.
Hillary! Glorious bestower of boons and rewards! I am praying that she will give my village a good crop and make the women bear many sons! If we vote for her, perhaps she will visit our village with many boons and rewards. May the vengeance of Cthulhu descend on those who oppose her! Ooga ooga!
It's finally getting out... people are no longer ashamed of the fact that they vote not according to who will do the better job keeping things working, but for whoever gets them the most perks and the most pork. As a people, we no longer create, nor even maintain what we have created, but rip apart as much of what others have created as we can, and hide away the spoils of our destruction to keep anyone from using it to build anything.
Who knows, these campaign ads may well be effective. You certainly can't fault their honesty. "I got mine, so who gives a flip who had to pay the price for it?"
Sayeth she to the cowering salarymen, "We Are Not Amused".
I'm rather grossed out by this. Hillary! used her elite power to force the hospital to "absorb" the costs? I know the message is supposed to be "Hillary! Cares!" but to me it comes across as "Hillary! Strongarms!"
Too Hugo Chavez-like for me (the benevolent powerful sometimes deign to help the peasants, when it suits their purposes to do so).
The "absorbed" costs of hospitals are passed on to people like me who pay for health insurance and any non-covered expenses out of or own slim pockets.
Hillary! is attempting to make herself look good on the backs of the real heroes - namely me and people like me who are burdened with funding her capricious and self-serving largesse.
I don't buy it and I don't appreciate it one bit. Yuck.
I agree with b -- this -- and the Woodstock Museum thing (if it actually got funded...did it?) -- show that she is an effective Senator.
It shows that she is an effective politician.
I am curious as to why the insurance company would not cover the treatment. There are many possible reasons, but one might be that the particular treatment has not been proven effective.
I recall some years ago when insurance companies were denying bone marrow transplants to treat breast cancer because it was an experimental treatment. The managed care companies received terrible PR. Now we know that the bone marrow transplants actually shrotened the lives of most who received them. So the position of the insurance companies was actually correct.
I have no idea whether this is what was going on here. I agree with the comments that argue much more information is needed to evaluate the claims made.
My goodness. Even bone marrow will now be distributed by political means.
I wonder if this will be like free government cheese.
Actually, this is a wonderful lead in to Hillary's theme song.
The whole episode is wrong in so many ways, and it says so much about the candidate. Many here have pointed out obvious flaws in Mrs. Clinton's tactics. A major point is, I believe, that one is not supposed to think about it. Thinking is not something sheep are qualified for. It's attempted emotional manipulation of the crudest sort, with numerous subliminal messages included ("I will take care of you. The system is evil. It's about the children...").
Here we have a clear example of a socialist politician who will abuse her position and attempt to personally benefit from her misbehavior through crass manipulation of the media and the public. But then we already knew that about her. Perhaps it's good to be reminded.
"Like Goatwacker, I'd like to hear the details of how she pressured the hospital to give this man special treatment..."
Hillary: Nice 'ospital you got here. To bad if anything were to 'appen to it.
Alan,
On Safari go to preferences, then security and make sure that enable plug-ins is checked. You tube video's should then work.
As for Hillary, I am a physician and way back in 1992 or 1993, she told me and all the docs at Grady Hospital in Atlanta that we were the most privileged people in America.
I think that she was well off the mark as the most privileged people in America are lawyers and politicians, who make up all the rules.
I'd never vote for her.
Policy issue aside, and with an admitted bias, I thought it was a bad video.
I didn't interpret it as "question my health care policy or you wish death upon the ill" but more as a critique on nonsensical attacks on character. Here's a very common one, but not the only one:
"How could you trust Hillary Clinton, she is so fake.. I mean, one day she decided to wear pink and show cleavage, that's not the Hillary we know, what a fraud!"
Or if you subscribe to Human Events e-mails, you often get the message header, "the EXTREME makeover of Hillary Clinton," even when the message has absolutely nothing to do with Hillary Clinton. The video basically says to me, "don't trust people who say you can't trust. Let me show you what I, Hillary Clinton, can and will do for YOU, the voter."
Finally, I have to say, the title was brilliant. I'm not sure if it was intended, but the first thing I thought when I saw the header was "Oh, wow.. Ann wrote a piece about Hillary Clinton and War, this should be interesting!"
Since September 11th, one of the big issues I've had with the GOP is the (rude) use of rhetoric that exploits God and country. I'm a Christian, over a dozen family members have served in every war since World War II. I've questioned the President ever since he pushed the U.S. into Iraq before capturing or at least making an honest effort at seeking out Osama Bin Laden. I, personally, feel no vindication from our post-9/11 strategy and maybe I'm not supposed to. However, every time I tune to a "Republican" blog or watch some Fox News, I'm bombarded with subtle implications that I don't support the troops, I hate my country and don't love God.
If anything, it is this rhetoric that has completely turned me against government, politicians and the Iraq War. I'd probably be a lot more passive and accepting if I was included in the conversation rather than marginalized by propaganda. Now that Democrats have an edge, I imagine the politicos will reverse roles in the 'woe-is-me' vs. 'you're un-American' department.
Gotta love the pendulum of political intrigue.
"How dare you question her! To question her is to wish my son had died!"
Well then, for the greater good of America, the kid needs to die.
No politician should go unquestioned.
Good polarization, greg. Next, a slogan. How about, "Live to a Hundred for Free--or Fight!" ?
Fred: Since September 11th, one of the big issues I've had with the GOP is the (rude) use of rhetoric that exploits God and country.
I don't see that...
I've questioned the President ever since he pushed the U.S. into Iraq before capturing or at least making an honest effort at seeking out Osama Bin Laden. I, personally, feel no vindication from our post-9/11 strategy and maybe I'm not supposed to. However, every time I tune to a "Republican" blog or watch some Fox News, I'm bombarded with subtle implications that I don't support the troops, I hate my country and don't love God.
...perhaps you're a tad sensitive re the topic. Those barbs are aimed at Leftists who want us to lose in the ME so Bush and the GOP will be damaged. They would sell their own mother to gain political traction and power. Are you one of them?
If anything, it is this rhetoric that has completely turned me against government, politicians and the Iraq War. I'd probably be a lot more passive and accepting if I was included in the conversation rather than marginalized by propaganda
If you hadn't swallowed propaganda [see emph added as example] you would be included. You've marginalized yourself.
Fine, you can think I'm being disingenuous on the Afghanistan / Osama Bin Laden issue, but I've yet to hear a valid reason why we did not chase Osama Bin laden down first.
FOCUS, President Bush, FOCUS.
If we had hunted that piece of shit down prior to chasing Al Qaida monsters in Iraq, I'd not be AS pissed off as I am now.
Oh well, I guess I'll have to settle for being marginally more credible than a typical "MOONBAT". I love propaganda smut used against political arguments, I feed on it the way a fat man does dough nuts.
Fine, you can think I'm being disingenuous on the Afghanistan / Osama Bin Laden issue, but I've yet to hear a valid reason why we did not chase Osama Bin laden down first.
You need to first back up your unfounded assertion that we did not make "an honest effort" at capturing OBL.
Maybe you could present your assumptions to a few of the Spec Ops gents who were slogging through Afganistan at the time. That would surely be "interesting"
This ad is almost a nonsequiteur. It seems to be a defensive move against a nonspecific trust attack. As such, it is a defacto admission that Sen. Clinton has trust issues without requiring anyone to actually make the accusation. Can we expect her next add to address the nonspecific lesbian accusation?
As for being an "effective" senator, could anyone please remind me of the last Republican candidate to continue sucking at the public teat, ignoring their job and responsibilities while trying to convince me to give them another job with even greater responsibilities? As poor of a candidate as he was, at least Sen. Dole was decent enough to job hunt (i.e. campaign) on his own time.
I have problems with the videos using a Windows Machine.
I click on the play button and 98% of the time I get "We're sorry, this video is no longer available."
If you click on the menu button in the lower right hand side, it reduces the size of the video and gives you two options, the embed HTML code and the URL for the video. If you copy the URL manually, or use the copy to clipboard button just below the URL, and copy it to a new browser window, the videos play without issue.
This is only site where I see this problem.
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