Natline's Family to Join Edwards Today - Hillary's Comment Will Come Up

Family of Nataline Sarkisyan to Join Edwards Today on Campaign Trail
by TomP
Sun Jan 06, 2008 at 07:37:55 AM PST

In the debate last night, John Edwards reiterated that the battle against the enrenched interests is personal to him. He also spoke about Nataline Sarkisyan :

"What's happening now is insurance companies are running all over people. I mean, the case of Nataline Sarkisyan, which a lot of the audience would be familiar with -- 17 year old girl who lost her life a couple of weeks ago because her insurance company would not pay for a liver transplant operation. She had health insurance, but the insurance company wouldn't pay for it. They finally caved in a few hours before she died."
<snip>

"You know, we need a president who believes deeply in here, who believes deeply in this battle, and it is personal for me."

According to Ezra Klein, and Ben Smith the family of Nataline Sarkisyan will join Edwards today on the campaign trail. It's personal for them also. Very personal. Come around after the fold and let's talk about why it's personal.

::TomP's diary ::

During the debate last night, when asked what his greatest accomplishment in the Senate was, he said it was passing the Kennedy-McCain-Edwards Patient Bill of Rights, a bill vetoed by George Bush. He spoke of how insurance companies were running all over people. As an example, he spoke of the preventable tragedy of Natalie Sarkisyan, which showed why "we need a president who believes deeply in here, who believes deeply in this battle."

"Absolutely. I can tell you exactly one -- I'll give you one very specific example, a big example.
When the Democrats finally took over the United States Senate, the first issue that was brought to the table was the so-called "Patient's Bill of Rights", so that patients and families can make their own health care decisions. What's happening now is insurance companies are running all over people. I mean, the case of Nataline Sarkisyan, which a lot of the audience would be familiar with -- 17 year old girl who lost her life a couple of weeks ago because her insurance company would not pay for a liver transplant operation. She had health insurance, but the insurance company wouldn't pay for it. They finally caved in a few hours before she died."<snip>

John Edwards helped pass that bill, but like many good projects, Bush vetoed it.

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- The Senate overwhelmingly approved patients' rights legislation Friday that would give nearly 200 million Americans new health care protections and allow them new rights to sue their insurers.
The Senate approved the landmark bill 59-36, but moments after the vote the White House repeated a pledge to veto the bill passed by the Senate.cnn.com

In the debate, Hillary Clinton suggested that the failure to pass this bill caused Nataline Sarkisyan's death:
"You know, Senator Edwards did work and get the patient bill of rights through the Senate -- it never got through the House. One of the reasons that Nataline may well have died is because there isn't a patient's bill of rights. We don't have a patient's bill of rights."

An Edwards aide said Sarkisyan's mother will be in New Hampshire today, and that this might just come up.



http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/1/6/103755/8442/586/430632

"You know, Senator Edwards did work and get the patient bill of rights through the Senate -- it never got through the House. One of the reasons that Nataline may well have died is because there isn't a patient's bill of rights. We don't have a patient's bill of rights."

When he was asked to provide something he changed when he had the opportunity--he came up with nothing.

And remember: both he and Obama have blamed Clinton for the 1992 health care initiative failure. Turn about is fair play.

trying to paint it as if it was his fault.

HE co-sponsored it and got it through the Senate. Beyond that it was out of his control. John did what he could as Senator to get this bill passed. For Hillary to say the girl died because it didn't pass - and for her to say it as a response to John's story - indicates that she's trying to blame John Edwards for the bill not passing (and subsequently for the girl dying) - and to use that to say John isn't an agent of change.

Not good thinking there. Hillary may or may not have intended to blame Edwards for that but that's how it sounded - even to me as I listened to that.

AND it indicated to me that Edwards was the one trying to get things changed. That the bill failed is irrelevant. He tried. He didn't control the House and certainly not the Moron in Chief. Why hadn't Hillary co-sponsored such bills or tried to get things changed for people like Nataline? The whole SiCKO movie was about JUST those type of people and their insurance companies screwing (and sometimes killing) them.

JOHN EDWARDS tried - even BEFORE that film ever was produced - to GET SOMETHING DONE about this problem.

Did Hillary?

NOOOO.

he brought up an accomplishment from all his days as a senator, which never got enacted into law. Her point has been that an agent of change is actually successful in bringing about change and can list those changes on their resume...which she's also done.

Voting "yes" on the Kyle, Lieberman bill to give Bush and Cheney a reason to invad Iran? Was that for "change"?

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and outrageous comment. Very typical.

Maybe you should review the video yourself.

Look, she has to get tough to try and battle back to win, no question, but she demonstrated last night, that she is ready willing and able to go into the dirt and wallow in it to win.

Frankly, what she did in this exchange last night leaves no doubt in my mind that she sanctioned the slams against Obama for teen drug experimentation and the kindergarten snipe.

While the kindergarten allegations were merely juvenile, the attacks against Obama for his ADMITTED mistakes as a teenager and now, this overt and blatant insinuation that Edward's personal failure to pass reform resulted in a child's death just shows how truly power hungry and vindictive Clinton is. She, herself, has provided clear and convincing evidence, openly and for everyone watching that debate last night, which supports a conclusion that has been out there for years, that she is truly is the nasty, establishment, narcissistic person many have claimed her to be.

A shame.

what I saw was a shameful tag-teaming effort, that was aimed at denigrating a Democratic candidate who's worked for change throughout her life, beginning with the Watergate hearings. Calling someone who could potentially be the first woman president in this coutry's history, the status quo, was insulting. Sucking up to Obama was insulting. Not offering any specifics as to why they should be considered agents of change, was insulting.

Clinton was concise, listed the changes she's made, and called on them to do the same.

to her completely disgusting insinuation that Edwards personally failed to get that passed and caused this child's death. I hope it comes up. She has a very scary character problem and it became evident with this exchange.

for anyone wanting to look up the story.

so that this doesn't happen to someone else's child.

:hug:

can and WILL fight for them and fight for other children like their daughter. As a healthcare worker, I know I'd absolutely trust him to make the changes that need to be made to our horribly broken healthcare industry. The insurance companies do NOT want his message to be heard. Murder by spreadsheet will continue until someone takes them on.. and yes, it IS a fight. As a nurse, I am angry and tired of seeing tragedies like this every day.

With the family...

Chances are Edwards and others would have reacted the same way:
She attempted to get it passed but she failed.

So if she used Universal Health Care in the debates as being on of her major accomplishments,
she would probably end up being ridiculed or laughed at and it would be much worse than this.

John and Elizabeth standing beside them. "She is with us right now and that is what's giving us the power to speak with you right now", said Nataline's brother.

"We promised her that her story would be told, that everyone would know about her."

"Thank you, Senator Edwards, for what you are doing for America. This is not just about Nataline now, it's for America", said her father.

from denying care for Nataline. Bush vetoed the bill."

the failure to fight means that people die. And there's only one way to make that happen."

"I'm an involuntary soldier in the war against breast cancer. Who's going to take care of your children while you're getting chemotherapy? As First Lady, I will also advocate for military families and treat them with the decency and respect they deserve."

- Elizabeth Edwards

"I never cease to be amazed by the extraordinary strength of women. I watched Sandi Lakey went through the most difficult time of her daughter's life and worried about others; and I watched Elizabeth sit for hour after hour with the poison going through her arm, and she was worried about me, and the children. I've watched over and over the strength and resilience of women. Mrs. Sarkisyan is an example of this strength, here, only weeks after her daughter's death. We need to applaud them." (some paraphrased, couldn't type fast enough )

- John Edwards