Clinton Drops Disputed Story of Uninsured Pregnant Woman From Stump Speech
Hillary Clinton is honoring an Ohio hospital’s request that she stop retelling the tragic story of an uninsured pregnant woman who died after being denied care, after the hospital referenced in the story disputed the account.
Clinton noticeably dropped the story from her stump speech Saturday in Hillsboro, Ore. Since late February, she had weaved into her speeches the description of an uninsured pizza parlor employee who died after she couldn’t afford $100 to get treatment.
The New York Times reported Saturday that representatives from O’Bleness Memorial Hospital in Athens, Ohio, called on Clinton to stop telling the tale, since they say the woman — identified as Trina Bachtel — was never refused treatment.
She died in August after her baby was stillborn at the hospital, but hospital administrators told the Times Bachtel actually was insured and kept under the care of a practice affiliated with the hospital.
Clinton spokesman Mo Elleithee acknowledged that the campaign had tried but hadn’t been able to “fully vet” the story before she began repeating it on the campaign trail. Clinton said she learned of the woman from a deputy sheriff whose home she visited while campaigning in Ohio. She told the story as recently as late Friday, at a rally in Grand Forks, N.D.
Elleithee said they’d honor the hospital’s request.
“She tells the story as it was told to her by the deputy sheriff. She had no reason to doubt his word,” Elleithee said. “If the hospital claims it didn’t happen that way, we certainly respect that and she won’t repeat the story. She never mentions the hospital by name and isn’t trying to cast blame.”
Hospital spokeswoman Linda Weiss told the Times that even though Clinton did not mention the hospital by name in her speeches, they were implicitly accused since the baby died at the hospital.
Click here to read the story about the Ohio hospital in The New York Times.
FOX News’ Aaron Bruns and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
You have given the democratic candidates the fairest coverage. This is the only coverage that carries the Obama lies and negatives unlike MSNBC Obama live media department or CNN the step brother to his Media staff. There are maybe three people on both the other net works worth their salt the rest are in the tank for Obama. Hillary has tried to open her campaign to the public but all she gets is trashed by the other two stations. They are giving the election to Obama along with the DNC. Keep doing the Job that the other two stations don’t. Obama is a fraud and he does not deserve the job of president. He won his state office by getting the other candidates off the ballot by technicalities. That’s right no competition. The man who says that he did not hear what his pastor said than he heard something and not others. The man who is willing to surpress the vote of Americans because he is afraid that they will not favor him. Is this the type individual you want running our Democracy when he puts himself in front of our rights as American Citizens.
What, Hillary lying again? No surprise–desperate attempts by a desperate candidate. Just give it up Hillary. Furthermore, you continue to bring to the surface Obama’s pastor–when are you going to explain why you continue to be married to a man that betrayed you and your daughter, and chose to embaress your entire family in front of the nation?
Obama 08
What, Hillary lying again? No surprise–another desperate attempt by a desperate candidate. Just give it up Hillary, and stop making yourself look bad. You continue to bring to the surface Obama’s relationship with his pastor–when are you going to address your decision to stay in a marriage with the man who betrayed you and your daughter, and embaressed both of you in front of the nation? You received the ultimate disrespect from Mr. Clinton–how do you justify that relationship?
Obama 08
It’s amazing what politicians will say to make themselves look good! This is not the first time Senator Clinton has stooped to partial truths to embellish her own agenda. Each time she does it she loses more credibility. Ethical conduct, including telling the truth, and making sure approriate research verifies the credibility of comments or anecodotal information shows that the person is careful and has good attention to detail. Sen. Clinton does not seem to be able to do this.
Two questions:
When telling the story does she cite the deputy or does she make it sould as if she has first hand knowledge?
Has anyone actually talked to the deputy to determine if he/she actually told HRC the story?
Lies are lies, but lets not get so excited about health care. Who is ever turned away for a life threatening emergency????? If they were, we would hear it everyday. How much abuse and fraud do we have EVERYDAY with our present system of medicare and medicaid. Lets fix what we have before we go full blown into what we think sounds good but isn’t. Why doesn’t some news program tell us how many of our Northern neighbors cross into the United States every year for surgery and health care…….paying as they go because the Canadian system is so messed up and SLOW. Check your local hospital and see how many Canadian RNs are working here because of the conditions there. Check it out instead of listening to the lies of people who will say anything to anyone about anything just to get elected.
You are entitled to your own opinion, not your own facts. This is just another in a long list of Clinton lies.
You know what? We all have been lied to by President after President from decade to the next decade. So what if you think or know that Obama is lying, it is a breath of fresh air to me. Please do not stand in the middle of the cross roads because America is moving forward. For as the experience of the Clinton and the McCain, if they have of use it, then this country would not be facing the problems that we have with the economy, the health care, the jobs, the education, the housing, the failing banks, and the corporate fraud. Remember, they have been in the White House for decades and millionaires, and what have they really done for you? You are thinking too small and saying nothing. So, step aside by friend and let the progress, the healing, and the prosperity begin again in America for everybody and just not for the elected government.
Hillary did not bother to read the security report on Iraq before she voted on it. Hillary telling a lie from a cop which makes the story hearsay. Hillary can not do simple research on anything except play the poor defenseless woman.
If Hillary reminds me of Hillary on the show “Fresh Prince” a true airhead, duhhhhh.
Well, if Hillary was so much involved in Wal-Mart board how come Wal-Mart employees have the worst medical insurance in the world. A third world country has better health care than Wal-Mart employess.
Seems to me Hillary only wants to talk about the issues but not do a darn thing about the issues. This is not the “we can attitude.”
OBAMA 08 GET READY CAUSE ITS TIME.
Bill - how ridiculous is that statement - that we have to focus on the message about the broken health care. The story is not accurate - and further more, the health care system was not broken - the lady had insurance.
So, which is more accurate - Hillbillaries statement about this hospital not giving care to a pregnant women with no insurance - when they did and she did have insurance
Or, that our health care system is broken and we need to do what France, Britain, and Canada are doing. btw - I’m sure the medical facilities here in the US enjoy the patients that come here from those country to get good, fast quality healthcare.
What do you believe - her lies, or her lies. Or, maybe just her lies.