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I currently live in canada where we have universal healthcare "sort of"

It is a waste, anyone who needs real surgery just heads to the US anyway.

Dont be stupid, universal healthcare will never make it through congress....

[...] >>Read More  Posted in Democrats, Hillary Clinton | [...]

This situation along with people's reactions to it have demonstrated what I feel to be characteristic of American politics today.

Elections and politics isn't concerned so much with the absolute unvarnished truth, but rather the presentation and spin of that truth to serve a specific purpose. My impression is that the majority of American voters will not be basing their voting preferences on personal careful study of candidates' positions, or personal readings of candidates' published plans. How many among the people who have commented here are 1) willing to read through a 50 page policy proposal on healthcare reform, 2) if willing, able to understand and synthesize information contained to inform his/her personal opinion of the plan's efficacy? That is not to say that there aren't many voters who would do that, just not the majority in my opinion. In light of this, along with biased media coverage obssessed with the soundbyte, how can candidates seriously expect to explain the intricacies and subtleties of their positions to the majority of voters? It is impossible for them to have Q&A sessions with even a small fraction of voters, and therefore are forced to reach most through 10 second bytes in the news, 30 second commercials, and by way of print/internet median and the deluge of bloggers all of whom color the truth with their perspective.

Add to this the fact that the in the current political environment of the country, where in the past 8 years, ideological and political divisions have become so salient, people so firmly entrenched in their us versus them mentality that discussion and compromise seem to be impossible.

In this particular case of healthcare reform, why are people so antagonistic towards different points of view? The way I see it, one basic truth is that there are millions of uninsured or under-insured in this country, and even those who are insured, are sometimes victims of inefficiency and bureacracy. Another basic truth is that no system will be perfect, people inevitably get left out. The question we face is of 1) in what way can we change the system institutionally and 2) how much will it cost and finally 3) are we willing to pay that cost? If you were to ask people whether they supported making sure healthcare was available to everyone, I imagine most if not all would say yes. But if you asked them how much they were personally willing to pay or sacrifice, I imagine the answers would differ wildly. There are so many nuances in possible answers to those questions but the ability of candidates to explore them are constrained by the environment they are forced to operate under, when one sentence, one uttered suggestion, can spell instant condemnation. Unfortunately, the spin machine that runs political campaigns and the American voter's susceptibility to it make innovation impossible.

TERRY Drayton Valley Alberta :

I don't know why your paying 40% plus in taxes due to having Government Sponsored/Medicare Health Care?? I have relatives in Alberta who do not pay 40% plus! I live in PEI Canada and I sure do not pay 40% plus in taxes to have Medicare. In fact one stay in a US hospital would likely triple my yearly tax amount!

These are the facts with our PEI Medicare Coverage as I know them:
I only take the time to list this information because I feel it would
be regretable for Americans to pass up Government Subsidized Health Care
due to being ill informed. If the Plan your politicians are speaking about is
the same or similar as our Medicare Coverage you have much to gain and nothing to lose.

Dr. Visits, Surgeries, Blood tests, Pap tests, Mammograms, Cat Scans,
MRI Scans,Yearly Physicals, Transfussions, Hospital Stays and Care in regualar units, ICU or Progressive Care, Maternity Care and Delivery, Gynecologists appts,Bone Density X-Rays,General X-Rays,All Lab Work/Follow Ups/Treatments,Cancer Treatments/Chemo Therapy/Radiation,Out Patient Service and Emergency Services/Treatments, Referrals to Out of Province Specialists and treatments,
Night Clinic Services, Kidney Dialysis, Surgically Implanted Pace Makers, are covered under Medicare.
Physican Prescribed Dieticians for
Heart Healthy/Diabetic/Celiac/ Consultations and Menu Plans are also Covered.

Cost of drugs: Covered for Government Assisted Citizens. Senior Citizens have a Green Card Government Plan reducing prescription costs and eye exams. Middle Income Brackets can purchase Corporate Plans covering prescription costs, eye and dental care,Semi and Private Hospital Accomodations while still being elligible for the above Medicare coverage. I have purchased such a plan and my cost is not $400. per mo. I pay $135 per mo/for a family of two. If your work place has Employee Benefit Plan Packages you can enroll and still have the same services as above covered by Medicare.

Those stating that in Canada: waiting times are six months and longer – IS UNTRUE where I live. Critical and Life Threatening Surgeries are given priority. All other Surgeries have a two week to one month waiting period.

He turned down an oppurtunity to have a one on one with her? What a journalist. Any blogger would have been jumping at the chance.

Bottom line: He has his position on health care; she has hers. Neither can have their minds changed. He just wanted to take a shot at her.
He's obviously not a pro.

Hillary beats Obama hands down in terms of her experiences in:

a) Domestic and international politics – Obama would unilaterally invade Pakistan, and sit with foreign dictators, YECK!

b) Critical thinking skills while staning on own feet – This is clear in Hillary's last two NCNN debates.

c) Presidential & leadership quality – During the CNN debates, she praied other democratic candidtes in general and Biden and Richardson in particular, while other candidates are bashing others.

Accoridng to most recent polls. Hilliary is gaining support, while Obama is losing grounds. She is winnng, while the Obama supporters are whinning! To know her is to love her.

Granted, Hillary has flaws, but they are too few to mention. No one is perfect, and she has been around for decades that some people may feel jealous of her. Familiarity (to Hiliary) breeds contempt, and distance (to Obama) lends enchantment.

In my view, Hillary is the BEST of all presidential candidates of america, democrats or republicans.

She has my vote, my wife's votes, my daughters' votes, and a good role model for all my grand-daughters!

Hilary rocks. You go girl!

This Roland Martin is a OBama presidential "campaign worker", promoting Obama in his CNN TV shows & commentaries. CNN should not give this "journalist" a forum to promote his biased views in nick picking Hillary Clinton. In my view, in comparision with Hillary, Obama has much much more flaws that Roland Martin has failed to point them out.

I guess both blacks and from chicago helps.

Clinton's response perfect! Ashanti should really get educated. To suggest that "socialized healthcare" or whatever name you choose to call it, will hurt blacks more is absolute nonsense! Rather the converse is the truth. The very poor will benefit best (white or black), and the influence of personal wealth or privilege will be diluted. It is probably not the best system (as it will at least hurt the earnings of healthcare workers, since I belong to this league), but it is a system sure to guarantee coverage for every American. More Americans need to have access to the best healthcare system in the world that the United States possesses. Forget political rhetoric, people like Ashanti should stop misinforming people, enlighten themselves and provide us with unbiased information with Clinton's planned healthcare reform and its similarity or differences with other first world countries where this same system has worked or failed.

are people upset that Ms Clinton appears to be racist? If a white man from the republican party had said this there would be big accusations.

I have sent to all the candidates for president a rather lengthy discussion of what is wrong with the system and how to fix it. I clearly point out why single-payer healthcare will not work and invite them to discuss my points with me. I am an RN who works in a Pediatric ICU, so I know the workings of the system from inside. How many have answered my email? none, not one. Most, I just end up on their campaign mailing list asking for donations. Even requesting donations ON THE BASIS of the fact they promote single-payer healthcare. Basically, they have their ideas and are not open to true discussion and debate, period.

It's disgusting how many times Clinton gets slammed on her attempts at coming up with a solution for the uninsured problem in the United States. Uninsured people in this country pose a huge problem; not only for themselves when the bills come in, but also for the hospitals who have to carry the burden.

Do you think most people understand the importance of this issue? I don't. Not until they are in a hospital bed asking how they are going to pay the bill. Then it becomes important. Stop bashing Clinton for trying. It's more than anyone else has done or attempted to do. How simple minded to say "stop taxing the crap out of people...let them keep their money and make their own decisions." To think that is absolutely ridiculous. People generally don't make a decision to purchase health insurance..who are you trying to kid?

When I went through the reported tough exchange of words here, it made me feel that Sen. Hillary Clinton is no more a lady of freedom and fragrance but of high-dom and arrogance. Bulls and hills are inComments are moderated by CNN, in accordance with the CNN Comment Policy, and may not appear on this blog until they have been reviewed and deemed appropriate for posting. Also, due to the volume of comments we receive, not all comments will be posted.

Comments that do not include your name, city and state will not be posted.

the forefront.

Wow. Well, maybe she has had to do some hard thinking in the years since she proposed "Hillarycare." I've never seen her incensed like this - reminds me of her husband's interview on Fox with Chris Wallace. But she held her ground just as well.

Still, I agree it's annoying that she makes such an issue - as does everyone else - of the loaded term "socialized healthcare." It is what it is.

Also – a serious question; I'm underinformed: How does universal healthcare hurt the poor and minorities?

On a side note: I'm glad the majority of the people posting here articulated the need for more information. The American public would be much better served by clear, concise information rather than the he said/she said political rhetoric. The latter gets us nowhere but voting along party lines. Demand more information and vote for the person, not the party, you think will be a tremendous leader.

Health care in America is so profit driven that the vast majority of Americans are being deprived of equal access to good health care. And what do you "GOP fools" advocate – free market – if your rich you can get healthy! It seems like any other solution for the majority of Americans is "socialistic" – really?" Well majority rules in this country and "bs" aside the GOP has no solution other than "us rich folks deserve better". Left wing my behind, you rich folks are sick in the head – GOP = "Greedy Old People" It's time the majority took control of this country!

I don't get many Americans. But many Americans don't get politics as well.

We all can slam down Hillary Clinton, but isn't it true that America needs at least a more progressive Washington? More progressive politics? A more progressive-minded White House?

Here in Holland, we enjoy a magnificent infrastructure: cycling lanes, burried electrical wires and cables, excellent bridge structures, dikes and impressive Delta Works. Alas, the American government seems incapable of bringing good solutions to these problems. Here on Dutch news we see: collapsing bridges in America, exploding steam sewers in NYC and a city, called New Orleans, that isn't properly protected by dams and dikes.

The same goes with social health care system in Holland. The government subsidizes a lot........to good result. Everyone in Holland is compulsorily insured and will get a minimum wage from our government. Result: We don't get life-threatening situations in our hospitals when it comes down to people who are underinsured for social health care.

Alas that is not the case in the Unites States of America. Please give her a chance. During the days of his husband's reign, she tried to do something about it, but she met with great opposition from right-wing politics. Hillary Clinton wants to do something about it.........and being a president, together with democratic majorities in both Senate and House, she will get excellent instruments to finally solve these social health care problems

One thing is for sure: The more to the right you go into the political spectrum, the less people really want to solve these kind of health care problems. So don't get high hopes on Romney or Giuiliani for solving these problems.

Any system which requires the majority (taxpayers) to pay for benefits given to the minority IS socialized. That's the very definition of the word! It's no different than any of the other entitlement systems that are ruining this country. We already have socialized health care in this country, and it is dreadful. Medicare and Medicaid are a joke, and they are far too costly for far too little benefit. Requiring employers to provide insurance is also a mistake. It raises the price of health care, since hospitals know they can charge the maximum, and it forces employers to cut costs anywhere they can, shipping our jobs overseas. I think the only person I've seen who actually has a plan for health care that has a chance of working is Ron Paul. We need to decouple insurance and employment, allow people to decide for themselves, and drive down costs. Instead of forcing me to pay a tax, then using that tax to pay for my health care, give me that money back and let me make my own decision on how I want to be treated.

Now this is the type of response Americans and the world for that matter want to see from candidates. The passion in Hillary's voice on the subject as well as her response to the person's accusations displayed totally the leadership I expect to see in a presidential candidate.

Senator Clinton tried before to come up with sensible healthcare plan but she was shouted down by the insurance lobby. Guys like this clown Ashanti care more about a conservative ideology than they do people in need. Go get em, Hillary.

You think this thread would have almost 500 posts if it had been anyone other than Senator Clinton?

Why is it that if anyone questions Hillary and her motives, then they are automatically labeled "Republican" or "right-wing"? Why don't we all open our eyes and see our health-care system, Social Security, and Medicare for what it actually is – failed programs, begun mostly by Democrats, that need to be reformed? There are millions who don't have health-care by their own choosing, not because they can't afford it. Most people pay hundreds, even thousands of dollars a year, just for health insurance, while those who cannot "afford" it pay practically next to nothing for services they receive. Who pays for that? That's right – we do! Social Security may have been a good idea years ago, but will it be there when our generation gets older? Doubtful! We have too many politicians, on the left and the right, who can't seem to deal with it because we're in way over our heads. Wasn't it President Bush who proposed to reform S.S. several years ago, and was promptly scorned for supposedly making this a much bigger issue than what it is? And I will admit, Medicare has helped numerous people, but how many more "fellow Americans" are there out there that consistently abuse the system? Same goes for our welfare system! Whatever happened to the "Great Society," or the "New Deal," all programs originating from Democrats, that years ago were supposed to eliminate poverty, care for our ill,provide for our elderly, and wipe out social and racial injustice? Have these problems been solved? Nope! We still can't seem to get it right, so don't believe any politician, left or right-wing, who promises health care for everyone, and another "Great Society," because it just won't happen. There is too much politics in government, and not enough common sense. I, personally, do not want to depend on a government to govern my health choices and my retirement needs and tell me what is the best for me. If that's what you want, then vote for Hillary. She doesn't have my vote though. The less she is involved in my life, the better I say!

Ashanti and everybody should check out the movie "Sicko" it's really poignant. Yea it's Michael Moore and he has his momments but the examination of the health care system is really cool.

Perhaps Ms. Clinton thinks "her" health plan is NOT socialized medicine but when one examines its principles, it is actually more "socialized" than those in the UK or Canada. If one thinks they are so great, one need only to look at the statistics of how many come to the U.S. and particularly Cleveland Clinic for medical care. Ms. Clinton could not even keep her husband happy, how will she keep America right? We need strong leadership...Condi Rice should be our next President!

In Puerto Rico, today, social medicine or as a better description, government sponsored medical care is practiced. The set of people who qualify for this is targeted toward low-income families - the poor. I know a few families who have shared their horror stories regarding government sponsored health care and their stories would break anyone’s heart. The main idea is that a primary Dr. is responsible and gatekeeper of all medical advises and costs. Along with this the doctor is paid by the government a predetermined small fee to handle all the associated services. What doctors have been forced to do with these patients in order to survive is to reduce visiting time to less than 5 minutes regardless of the medical need. They also limit the number of test performed and limit or deny referrals, as these costs will reduce the doctor's payment balance. The standard advice from doctors are something like, "Your tumor is not critical. If you should be admitted to a hospital for surgery, or if something serious happens, then we will look deeper into it. For now I’ll prescribe some aspirins for the pain." A friend spent years in pain and finally experienced such severe pain that she had to be admitted into the emergency room for surgery. The surgery had to be performed because in case of an emergency, the hospital does not need permission from the primary doctor. Does a human being have to reach this level of pain in order to be properly cared for? Who looses? The poor! I believe this system is a disaster, as they do nothing to help the poor, except maybe allow the poor to die quicker. From this perspective, I believe the freelance writer Kiara Ashanti has a very valid question. Unfortunately, Senator Hilary Clinton appears to have another view of government sponsored medical care that she did not wish to educate neither Kiara nor the public.

Maybe what Kiara Ashanti wants is for the US to remain #37 in the world rankings in healthcare with close to 50 million people without insurance and at the same time having the most expensive healthcare system. He is either an idiot or is paid by a lobbyist to propagate an agenda. I am BLACK (and proud)I have experienced first hand what medical care is like in the US and abroad and I can tell you that a lot can be done to improve the current healthcare system. So for him to say that Hillary's healthcare plan will most negatively affect African American communities is preposterous.

You tell them, Hillary! This lady is no pushover– she's a tough cookie who can hold her own.
This "freelance journalist" was a shill who thought he could attack Hillary & get away with it... guess he found out differently. If he really had ANY real interest whatsoever in health care for the U.S., he would have jumped at the chance to meet with her staff. The fact that he didn't says volumes!

"If that is the evil of a "socialized" care, then we have a serious detachment from reality and if the evil view prevails, we'll soon have quite a border hop for medicine up here in the 'socialized' Canada.
Then again, we allready do."

Balderdash, my detached Canadian friend. People might buy generic drugs in Canada, but as far as medical care itself is concerned the flow is heading the other way, and how.

Do you want to know why Countries like Canada and in Europe have universal healthcare? It is because the US subsidized their Military spending during the Cold War.

These countries could then put more money towards their healthcare systems.

We as a people are going to have to decide how we want to pay for our healthcare. Do we want it taken out of our taxes, or do we want it out of our paychecks. One way or another, it will be you and I who will pay for this.

The fact is the Senator had an opportunity to provide a detailed response and elected instead to play the 'Right Wing Conspiracy' card. In 1994 she did propose creating a bureaucracy that would dictate the scope and nature of health care for the country. If she thought it was a great idea then, does she still believe it to be so today? What she and Ira did behind closed doors is no different from what this administration did on setting energy policy. So how was her sin then any less egregious than that of Dick Cheney now? Bottom line is still the economics of it, our population is aging and as Japan and Italy have shown, these entitlement programs cannot be sustained. What happened to individual responsiblity in this country? Have we grown so lazy that we need a nanny state to care for us?

If you think George W. Bush is stubborn, this country will learn what real "stubborn" is IF she is elected.

What a moron ! I can't believe a jounalist would be so ignorant. It's a disgrace to his profession. We have Medicare in Canada and it's wonderful for people of all ages that cannot afford the high cost of private healthcare such as in the USA. It's anything but socialist. It's progressive and the US is backwards for not having it. Senator Clinton was right on with her answer and I hope she gets in as President. We need someone who was gifted with intelligence instead of the joker you now have in the Oval Office !

As someone who has had personal experience with the horrors of HMO's and denial of benefits and endless bureaucracy, I say bravo to Hillary Clinton for telling this guy off. I am sick and tired of Republican conservatives using the stigma of "socialism" every time they don't like something, as if that means that it is somehow unAmerican. It is the essence of democracy and human decency for our government to see to it that all of its citizens have access to health care.

I saw Michael Moore's Sicko when it first came out and I was crying for the last half hour of the movie. When he showed the despicable practice of hospitals dumping indigent and mentally ill homeless people on the street, he asked the question, "Who are we?" Yes, that is the question. What about the man who stood up at the AFL-CIO debate with the Democratic candidates the other night to tearfully ask how he could have lost his pension and not be able to afford health insurance for himself and his wife? He was asking the same question, but in a slightly different, yet still powerful way. He asked what's wrong with a government that can allow this. That is the one truth in this entire discussion. Throwing words around like socialism to bring up the ghosts of our communist pinko days in the 1950's, does a disservice to the people of this country who just want decent health care. It is also dishonest, period.

I think we need to stop wasting time and words on people like this Republican ignoramus and vote for candidates who will implement some type of universal health care coverage for Americans.

If you like socialized medicare come to Canada and pay 40+% income tax! Free Hey!!

Can you imagine the White House allowing any journalist to challenge George Bush like that? I think not. The journalist would loose his/her White House Press clearance so fast that it would make your head spin and then we'd get two-days of spin from Tony Snow-job telling us what Bush really meant in his response.

If nothing else, Democrats seem to enjoy being challenged and the give-and-take that follows. I guess that they realize such dialogue lets them know what the people are thinking. When was the last time a Republican gave any audience that same feeling?

Tim Delfino said If you had universal health care, besides the waiting lines, you would be paying roughly $5000-$7000 more in income tax to pay for it (seeing how you pay about %24 now on your income as the current tax rate). Therefore, it ends up costing you more money to have universal health care! and he (Obama) refuses to go into details about how it will be funded, but the truth of it is, it will be a large income tax anywhere from 40-60% of income

Where did those numbers come from? Absurd.

I'm pretty conservative, but would fully support a single-payer, tax-base funded health care system. The paperwork is almost nothing – when I first visit a doctor I fill out a medical history form. Each time I go, I show my health coverage card as identification. THAT'S IT! No paperwork at all regarding payment. No approvals to seek. No grovelling before an HMO trying to get them to pay for something.

Is it perfect? Of course not. Is it free? Of course not.

But if I get seriously ill, I'll be worrying about the disease, not about how to pay for treatment or whether my family will ever get out of debt after I'm gone.

I am so gald Hillary stood up for herself!!

Dear Rachel, Linsey, Anon and all the rest...

If Health Care is to be a right not a privlege then will the millions of us that pay about 400 dollars a month for our family health care plan be able to stop those plans and partake in the free health care or is that only for the "so called" poor people. I can barely afford the plan we have and pray each week that our rates do not go up because we are a few paychecks away from disaster...so will this new plan she is proposing be available to ALL AMERICANS or just the ones that you seem to classify as NEEDY?

Maybe these people that want free health care need to stop adding to their Brood....then they could afford to take care of themselves FIRST.

Americans are brainwashed by the insurance and drug companies when it comes to our views of other countries' medical systems and their supposed shortcomings. I lived in Canada for a couple of years with my 3 children, and my daughter was referred by her doctor to a pediatric gastroenterologist for stomach issues. She was seen by the specialist less than two weeks after her doctor's referral. Since returning to the US, she has twice been referred to pediatric gastroenterologists. The first time, it tooks over 3 months to get an appointment, and the second time over 5 months. Not to mention all the hassling with the insurance company over whether they would cover the specialist, etc. And by every measure of health, countries whose governments provide health care come out far better than the US. Give me Canada's system any day!

Not any idiot who can string a few words together on a web site is a "journalist." Journalism requires skills and knowledge that this freelance ranter obviously lacked. It gives those of us who are true journalists a bad name.

Typical Clinton supporters. Worthless individuals who waste your childhood popping out babies instead of getting an education, expect taxpayers to support you, too lazy and stupid to get a job, cry because minimum wage is too low or the government doesn't give you enough.
What are you going to do when there are not enough taxpayers to support your sorry backsides. Hillary is just another socialist buying votes with tax dollars. The health care system is broken because the politicians are shoveling money hand-over-fist to anyone who will vote for them.

In all fairness, the comments to this article are misrepresentations of Kiara Ashanti's journalistic credentials. He is not some dumb blogger. He is a freelance writer. Have any of you commenters read Black Enterprise, for instance. It is a very credible business magazine. While his question was worded in a provocative way, the same question has been asked in less provocative ways by a lot of journalists. This democrat would like to see the details of her plan. Hillary, if you don't like being characterized as pushing "socialized medicine" then please explain the details to those of us who want to listen. I do understand what a single payer system is and how it differs from socialized medicine, but I would still like to hear you explain how you will implement it.

America should demand a lot from their leaders, and I think leadership, vision, and courage might be a good place to start. In her time as Senator, has Hillary taken a "true" leadership role in anything? We should demand more than just soundbite answers that deflect questions of the day. Leadership means more than just taking a stand behind poles. Vision means more than just seeing your audience, it means seeing solutions too. And, courage means having the will to put your own self aside to make that vision happen for your people. So far, I haven't seen any of those qualities from my Senator.

I appreciate her attempting to clarify her true position, something most politicians are reluctant to do.

By the way, whats wrong with a little socialism?

Tim Delfino: You're making a HUGE assumption there, one that isn't based on anything any of the candidates have said. Your assumption is that, if we went to universal health care, we would then also have to have the same level of taxes that they pay in whatever country pays 24% income tax. NONE of the candidates have suggested doing this, and they all address the issue of how to pay for it in ways other than outrageous tax increases for everyone. There's no basis whatsoever for suggesting that introducing a universal health care system in this country would cause income tax to jump to 24%. Your numbers aren't believable anyway. Why would it cost more to pay for the same amount of coverage? Would be nice if you at all sited your sources, if you have any, which you probably don't.

Way to go, Hillary!!!!!!

Go Hillary...
At least she has the guts to make health care part of the national agenda. As far as having to work and save for health care that is absolute B...S..., five year old kids, old people, mentally handicapped, under-employed can't afford proper health care. So why not make sure they get decent care.
We spend billions bombing Iraq back into the stone age but God forbid we should spend some money on health care.

People need to stop fearing the simple word "socialized"-all that means is that taxpayer money is pooled for a common provision for the people, administrated under some branch of the government. Medicare does indeed meet that definition. So do public schools, public libraries, public road construction crews. I doubt that many citizens think that only those with "education insurance" should send their kids to school. Socialized medicine would not be perfect–but anybody who thinks our health care system today isn't loaded with flaws and inconveniences has probably never been to a doctor and had to present an HMO card. It's time to get the private health insurance companies out of the way–we don't need a for-profit middleman getting rich before any health care needs can be paid for. Taxpayers and citizens are taking a real bath due to the costs of private health insurance companies, even as they deny care and cause more red tape hurdles than Medicare ever did.

I have been against nationalized health care in the past, due to the fact that I think there needs to be a cost for personal responsibility - a great deal of health care costs are due to lifestyle choices (smoking, meat-based diet, lack of exercise). But now I think a government-based single payer system will be much cheaper than the HMOs and PPOs–just add on a co-pay price tag for certain costs associated with health problems people create for themselves through ignorance and apathy.

Rhetorical indeed! If Ashanti really had information to "refute", why didn't he accept Clinton's invitation to meet after the debate to discuss it? I guess that would actually require objectivity from this "journalist", not just hiding behind a closed mind and right wing propaganda with no substance.

So many disturbing, knee-jerk reactions from people here... a lot of people love to act like they know what they're talking about, but from much of what I'm reading here, they really don't. Lots of latching onto catch-phrases like "socialism" and some pretty unfounded paranoia that Hilary's goals somehow involve "socializing" our entire country. This is where our terrible public education system has caught up with the U.S. over the years... we have a very uneducated, uninformed public... they are the ones suffering a "superiority complex." I'm scared for our future.

Wow! She takes 5 times the allotted time and still has to resort to talking down to her questioner – shows you a glance of the real Hillary Clinton. It's amazing so many posters feel the need to do CHB (Cover Hillary's Back) work when she so obviously shouldn't need it. I don't know if Ashanti is good or bad, but it's a fair question, and if anybody looked back when, her plan sure looked like a socialized medicine or health care scheme.

“Do you think Medicare is socialized medicine?” she challenged him. “To a degree it is,” Ashanti said. “Well, then you are in a small minority in America because Medicare has literally saved the lives and saved the resources of countless generations of seniors in our country.”

Duh. I wish Americans could see through this political bullchip but they will swallow it and gleefully smile just as they did in 1990 and 1994.

My employer provides my healthcare. I put off marriage and a family to put myself through school and work hard. Why should I pay higher taxes to cover those that didn't sacrifice like I did? When did we stop valuing hard work and getting ahead, and start believing that everyone is entitled to happiness? You have a right to the pursuit of happiness, but if you sit on your hands, I fail to see why I should foot the bill.

10% of Americans don't have health insurance? Well if we include lazy people and the financially stupid (flat screen TV or health premium, hmmm) I think 1 in 10 sounds just about right.

The government wastes enough money, no thanks.

Anyone that is against a universal health care system b/c they think it is socialized medicine-what do you think about our public libraries, public education, public police force and fire department??
I think all of those programs are absurdly poor compared to what is available privately. It's funny you name a list of public services most people think are underfunded or improperly run. Now you want to put your health in the same hands?

If you think healthcare is expensive and inefficient now, wait until the government runs it. We can't afford to fund the current initiatives we have on the plate. Once created, the cost will expand exponentially, just like other liberal social programs (one can't be named that has not expanded). It is not the government's role to provide people everything they need, it is the person's role. After all, a government large enough to give you everything you want is large enough to take everything you have. People need to stop living off the hard work of others.

If Mr. Ashanti can refute what he gains from Hannity or Bill O'Reilly, then why can't he set down with her and discuss the subject? He, like many other uninformed men and women in the country need to accept the fact that woman knows what she is talking about. There are many of us out here without proper insurance coverage and the entire country needs a wake up call.

You go girl!!!

Its so annoying and frustrated that Afrian Americans pull the "Im black so its going to effect me negatively" card all the time over EVERYTHING! I would love if we moved towards a so-called "socialized" healthcare system. My parents are self employed and have never been able to afford health insurance. Luckily neither have any health issues but they are nearing their 50's and im afraid to think what they may have to go through.

In addition, I work for a law firm and we have represented an elderly woman for nearly 20 years, pro bono. She has run out of trust money and can no longer afford to stay in assisted living. The state of Florida has not given more money to the programs which provide assisted living for seniors. They have run out of money themselves. Now we are in the position where we have to make the choice to place her in a nursing home when she is very independent. Otherwise, she goes on the streets.

THIS, is one of the MILLIONS of reasons why such a system would work. The wealthiest country in the world and yet we have the largest number of people without health insurance. WHY?

This "journalist" needs to get his facts straight. African americans need to lose the defeatist, everyone is disciminating attitude.

I think Hilary answered pretty directly. Sounds like Ashanti is the one who can't "deal with" the facts.

It is clear that the only one trying to make "politcal points" was Ashanti for his own career at the expencse of a candidate who is trying to save America from itself.

I support Hillary, and it's about time that she did set the record straight. How many cancer victims fight insurance companies every year because the insurance companies don't want to pay what they should, not to mention those that die every year because they don't have insurance to pay for treatment to keep them alive. (If you're clueless, watch the movie John Q to get an insight). Something has to be done to provide medical assitance to our citizens, and Hillary is the only one working to make changes. No, she doesn't want socialized medicine, and I'm sure she is just as tired of hearing that as I am. She simply wants to help and instead of getting credit for her goals, she is constatnly ran down by close-minded journalists who don't do the proper research. I hope she continues to fight back, all the way to the White House!

Typical Liberal rant "Entitlement,Entitlement,Entitlement..Keep feeding this Socialist, and your liberties will starve. I don't want the goverment running my healthcare, telling me what to do, when to go, how to go. What are you going to do when you let them take over all the other facets of your life? Ronald Reagan had a speech on livevideo.com from 1957 epitomizing this very scary thought. Socialized medicine is the way all communist goverments get their foot in the door, but your too blinded by the carrot to see any difference until it's too late. We have it so good hear but all you liberals continue to whine, your all the same people who ignor charity, breeze by the Salvation army pot, then go into that store and buy that "whatever" you don't really need without a second thought. Clinton is a carpet bagger who recieved a "Pity" position in congress because her Loser husband couldn't keep it in his pants. Her plan wouldn't work before, what makes you think it will now, Wake up you idiots....

I'd rather vote for Socks the Cat the Hillary, but in this case she's right.

Typical Clinton – abrasive and condecending. For lack of better word, let's call it socialized medicine (SM). SM is not the answer. I personally work with several physicians that have worked in countries with SM. It is wrong. People suffer – and die – waiting on procedures such as hip surgery or bypass. SM will break healthcare altogether. People will die.

"Tier 1. Basic heathcare should be free… period. Make doctors do "pro bono" work while they are "new/young doctors" to help offset the costs…"

Healthcare coverage is a priviledge, not a right. Just because you breathe and exist does not entitle you to a free ride. Period. And to "make" doctors do "pro bono" work? What a joke! Do all lawyers do "pro bono?" I think not. Over 50% of patients that I see that do not have insurance smoke cigarettes. How about some accountability? This is exactly where America is headed – everything should be free and the government should take care of me because I exist. God Help Us All!!

So sad she had to lash out. It obviously will hurt her imagine that she has been trying to change from being a hard nose well you get the point. It will be interesting to see how the press will handle this. Are they going to make this a story for the next week or is it going to go away.

Where the hell did Tim Delfino get his math from?

JSA – Well written!

I'm not quite sure why so many readers have a problem with the author of this ticker. Yes, Ashanti was rightfully called out and it seems to me that Clinton's response (or at least the tone) was appropriate. Some have found this particular piece to be biased and somehow in favor of Ashanti's view. However, I just don't see it. Just because Roland ends with Ashanti's thoughts doesn't really imply much. As far as I'm concerned, the author has simply written what was conveyed to him. The ending was actually quite refreshing, for it leaves ample space for interpretation and discourse. Just a thought.

I am surprised by how many people are supporting Clinton's perspective on health care. It's not an unfair representation to say that a national healthcare system is a form of socialism. What is socialism if not the distribution of goods and services through the goverment.

And, I think people misunderstand what a right is. Yes, we have a right to healtcare, but we don't have a right to free healthcare. We have a right to food, clothing and shelter, but not to free food, clothing and shelter. I only wish more people would grasp that concept.

The alleged journalist was a right wing plant and a disgrace to the African American community. Clinton never proposed government paid health care, but anyone who thinks that is a bigger threat to black kids than 44 million uninsured is a Rush Limbaugh brainwashed idiot.

I'm disappointed that none of our political candidates are interested in the REAL problem. Our medical costs are out of control because of the legal costs that wind up being paid by the insurance companies. Our OB/GYN's insurance policy tripled in one single year. The ease of bringing these unnecessary cases needs to be brought under control. I acknowledge that there are legitimate cases, but it's the frivolous cases that are costing ALL of us.

I have spoken to several Canadians during my business trips, and they all complain about their socialized medical system. The wait times is their biggest complaint. Many of them go to the U.S. for major procedures. So, Hillary doesn't know what she is talking about.

When the government sets prices it is Socialism, plain and simple. If they want to bring prices down they would work on making it so that only doctors who committed actual crimes of negligence got sued, not the guy who delivered a baby that had down syndrome.

This country has way too many lawyers trying to make a buck of anything they can cook up to look like negligence instead of it being possiblle that some bad things don't always have to be someones fault.

I am a physician and I have 2 questions:

Why is "socialized medicine" equal to bad medicine? The current system of privatized medicine is killing heathcare in the US due to skyrocketing costs which are driven up by many factors, but mainly by the insurance and drug industries. Medicine which is socially responsible and affords equal access to care to all participants should be a right of every American citizen. You can still keep private secot medicine available for elective procedures and for those who cannot bear to see the same doctars who are treating the poor.

2. Why would a "socialized medicine" system negatively affect African-Americans any more than any other group? I work in a hospital which serves the underserved/uninsured populations in Los Angeles; a high percentage of our patiets are black. We do what we can for everyone in our hospital, but if the health care dollars spent in this country were divided more equitibaly, we could certianly provide better care to every one. Our physicians are great, but our equipment is 10 years behind the times.

She did not insult this person's intelligence at any point during her response. When she said if he was interested in being "educated" she obviously meant educated on healthcare issues. He hurt himself by being unprepared for a blistering response from Clinton.

Why should health care be a right instead of a privledge? If you haven't worked hard enough and saved enough of your money to provide yourself with healthcare why should I pay for it. Why do you have a right to the health care money I have earned and saved? That doesn't make any sense at all.

From there, the two of them hammered it out, back and forth: “Do you think Medicare is socialized medicine?” she challenged him. “To a degree it is,” Ashanti said. “Well, then you are in a small minority in America because Medicare has literally saved the lives and saved the resources of countless generations of seniors in our country.”

Clinton went on to champion Medicare, but criticize the U.S. as the only “advanced country” to have “so many of its citizens without health care.” She punctuated her answer with a stinging, yet cordial invitation to Ashanti: “I don't know who you are. But you come introduce yourself to my staff and we will try to give you some information if you're interested in being educated instead of being rhetorical.”
This is all hearsay- again she dodges a bullet! All praise to Ashanti! The rest of you had better start your analysis of Billary's comments by getting a firm grasp on the definition of socialism!

I really think this shows sides of HC that have been buried during this campaign. Her towering anger and superiority complex.

Of course, we weren't supposed to see this, that's why BO was manufactured as a candidate, to take the spotlight and the attention away from HC so we wouldn't find these things out about her.

In the end, BO will subjigate his candidacy to HC as planned and HC will have avoided any scrutiny and spotlight.

Kudos to the indy journalist for asking a real question of HC which actually showed what sort of reaction she has when questioned seriously. Namely arrogance, anger, abusiveness, derisiveness and ultimately avoiding the question.

I don't want a president like that.

I can see why Ashanti is a free lance writer. A true jourlist would welcome the "education" if just to get the thinking of the canidage on such an important subject. From what I read this is a key concern for a strong majority of Americans. I'm sure it will be a major issue. Tell Ashanti to go see SICKO maybe he'll realize it is worth listening to other ideas and not feel you have all the answers yourself.

Mrs Bill Clinton is a Socialist. She is on record as saying something to the effect,,, 'we can pay the doctors less money, What else are they going to do? They will always take care of people.' If anybody thinks that government run or fiananced health care is going to fix the ills of the heatlh care system, Talk to doctors or patients about the VA system. It is not state of the art. Most Doctors would not want to be taken care of in a VA hospital or to have their spouse treated there. Talk to Native Canadian Indians in Canada. Everything is supposedly free for everybody in Canada yet the health of the Natives is much worse than the white people. Money spent for "free" care, is not guarentee you will have "health". The Canadian system works, because they have the USA as a safety valve, for the people who can afford to not wait and jump the lines and go to America. Australia has a two tier system, the public one which has long waiting lines for surgeries, and the private one for the people who don't want to wait. All people have health care in this country, what some of them lack is health care insurance, there is a huge difference. I have seen lots of people who would rather pay for cigarettes, junk food, cable TV, and cell phones rather than medication that would make them healthier. I've seen patients who have more jewelry and nicer cars than doctors, yet they claim to have no money to pay their medical bills. The problem is everybody wants everything, and nobody wants to pay. Take the insurance and middleman out of the loop. Promote More HSA accounts, and reform the tax code. If the US Governement was really serious about lessening the burden of health care for people, we would get a 100% deduction for our health care expenses on our taxes instead of theat stupid limit they currently have. Nobody expects their auto insurance to pay for their oil change, you have insurance for a major wreck.

Who uses government subsidized "socialized medicine"? W! He just has 11 physicians sign off on his health status, do you have 11 physicians? Do you have to wait in a revolting waiting room? Not W or the Veep.
Just give me their coverage, I'll be happy.

“She can't deal with the fact that I have the knowledge to refute everything that she's saying."

Ok buddy why did you refute it? Really interested in proving her wrong and when a correspondent for CNN shows up you don't give your p.o.v. or ask about possibly writing something even though you're a freelance journalist? You don't go to her staff and get "educated" so that you know exactly what she's bringing to the table? Please!!! You got burned on television and weren't man enough to take it or smart enough to jump on an opportunity, trust me I'm not a freelance journalist and if Senator Clinton had asked me to meet with her staff I'd have asked when and where!

Journalists are not supposed to have an agenda or bias, so that's the first issue here

There's always going to be idiots trying to discredit her. She answered great under the circumstances. I don't why he assumed Hillary is not doing or will not do good with African-Americans. Hillary and Bill live an hour away from Harlem (Majority Black). Both Hillary and Bill had done a number of great programs in the Heart of the African-American Community. You can't name another one ex-president and his family living and working closer with African-Americans than Hillary and Bill. And though, I like Junior Senator Obama, I feel he lacks experience and sometimes spews out problematic statements, (example- US should invade our ally Pakistan because they are not doing good enough with terrorists. Those kinds of statements build up Anti-America protests.) Remember, Bush named a number of Arab countries as Axis of Evil. We can't repeat that. Hillary has the experience, headstrong, steadfast, and intelligence to be President.

James, Dallas, TX

Hilary is not the candidate for this country.

She's riding the coat tails of her famous, largely black backed husband.

Nothing she says or does is convincing. Quite frankly, all the candidates suck.

For those outside of Hillary's adopted home of Westchester County, it maybe worthwhile to note that Westchester, NY has the highest county taxes of all the counties in the United States! And in her term as U.S. Senator from N.Y., I have not seen her take a "true" leadership position in any issue or legislation that delivered for her constituents, or for the country. She's been running for the presidential office for the past 6 years, and has been very successful to not do or say anything that might jeopordize her position –like taking a true lead on a issue e.g., health care. 911 workers are still waiting for assistance. She voted with all the others to invade Iraq for fear of policital reprisals if things went well, then calls for a withdrawal when polls dip the other way. No track record of leadership, no policitical will, nothing but sound bites to a public too hungry for real leadership. I'm glad someone had the nerve to press her and not accept the typical political response that never actually answers the question. For such a capable and driven person, you would have expected to see more from her than what we've gotten?

this freelance writer is so ignorant; that he probably hides his own easter eggs.

If Mis H wants to get elected she has to get that "Socialized Medicine" tail off her donky. In her husbands administration her effors to install "socialized" medicine were shot down in flames. Big flames. So big in fact that you can still smell the smoke when she walks by. Health care for all is not a "right" but may be a good idea. If Mis. H. can fund such a program without bankrupting the country she'll be a serious cantidate. Continue breathing. Perhaps Mis. H. would consider starting out smaller, National Healthcare Light. Something like free, health care for anyone under the age of 6 funded by increasing the sin tax.

Ashanti doesn't seem to be serious about this. It sounds like he's only interested in creating a stir (and possibly a name for himself). If he were serious, then he would have sought out Clinton afterward. Instead he says, "Oh yes, I can refute everything she says." I say, "put up or shut up". Go Girl!

I think she could have handled it more politely at the end...she only slammed the guy because she was already warned that the exchange would be cut off becuase it was not a debate. The reporter never had a chance to refute what she was saying and she knew that and took a cheap shot...it was all in the timing...Like her husband, the only thing Hillary is good at is working the media in her favor...every word is strategized...and after all, that is who elects officials in this country now...the media...not the people. Sad...either way, she wouldn't get my vote anyway...

Ashanti is absolutely right. Hillary is hidding behind these types of forums to get her "propaganda" out, which amounts to a misinformation campaign. I am a Democrat who will not vote democratic if Hillary is the nominee. She will destroy America, much the same way george Bush has done. Except, Bush did us bad on foreign policy, she is going to destroy us domestically. On the healthcare issue, it is obvious that hillary's plan will cost america more, will destroy the best healthcare system in the world, and will get us nowhere.

If you read Hillary's comments closely about how much she learned from her last episode with universal health care, she admits that she made political mistakes, but she *NEVER* admitted that the plan ITSELF had problems! She may try the same failed plan again, believing that she can force it through if she only has more political muscle.

I find it interesting that several of the comments listed condemn Hillary for stnading up and staing her point..she is afterall..not just speaking to the one man...she is trying to get her points and ideas across to everyone..she is passionate about what she has to say..I don't find that mean spirited or angry..just a candidate making a point...I doubt there would be much discussion about how mean her response was if she were a man..the woman knows her stuff..give credit where credit is due..Brava Hillary...you are strong..intelligent and passionate and I will be proud to cast a vote for you in the 2008 election and it is not because you are a woman...it is because you are the BEST candidate for the job and you will work for the PEOPLE of this country..all of us..not just a select few.

This whole exchange was dissapointing. Poorly asked questions that weren't answered.

I'll answer one...Clinton's plan is socialized medicine, you can look up the term in the dictionary. But so what. As many posters noted, it doesn't have to be a bad word.

I don't have the answer to the other question...why does the questioner believe Clinton's plan (call it what ever kind of medicine you want) would be bad for minorities? Also, can we pay for it (I know this wasn't asked)? These are the things I want to know.

I believe the generally thinking is: if we cut the profits of insurance companies, we can use that money to pay for healthcare for all. In theory this is great, but the government can be a tad econoimically inefficient...witness the pork lately. This is why peolple see the word "socialized" as a bad one. One key is limiting civil lawsuits which contribute greatly to the skyrocketing costs and sometimes poor care we have today. Doctors are fearful to make a mistake and pay huge malpractice premiums. I have seen this first hand. Another thing we need is doctor's offices open 7 days a week. ER care is so expensicve, but even if you have insurance you have to go to the ER with the uninsured if it is Saturday or Sunday (at least where I live). Just my 2 cents.

I watched the video and she makes it sound so simple. Great statistics about Medicaid and how economical it is, how beneficial and so on. We have 100 million people on Medicaid or other gov't underwritten program VA,military etc. (according to her statement), 45 million (her number) uninsured. So, roughly only half of the country provides for itself according to her numbers.

If the merits are so great, it's so affordable etc, etc. Why hasn't she done something about it in her 10 years in the Senate? And, if it's such a slam dunk, why couldn't she get it done in the 90's? A lack of skill to execute a plan or a poor plan?

Oh, yeah, the vast right wing conspiracy. If she can't defeat the 'vast right wing conspiracy, I don't want her to tangle with Osama bin Laden.

Freelance! Rriight! So how does he support his blog Web site? How do we know he isn't on the payroll of the RNC? It wouldn't be the first time they resorted to such "dirty tricks." Remember Jeff Gannon?

Typical calculating Hillary. This is exactly the way George Bush would have answered the question (pretend like you are better informed than whoever is questioning you and tell them that you would be happy to help them understand). It is another example of Hillary's whole "Oh don't worry little one I will show you. Trust me I know what is good for you." thing.

Hillary Clinton, has always pushed or socialized medicine in the United States. She will continue all efforts to that end. When former president Bill Clilnton appointed Hillary to look into socialized medicine it was clear they didnot know what was needed to be accomplished in to reform the medical field and still don not.

From experience there are things that could be done to currect problems. But no one is willing to listen.

United States does't need socialized medicine like England nor Canada.

When you have a problem....
1. Blame Bush
2. Blame Global Warming
3. Pay More Taxes so Government can "Fix" it.

= Lower Standared of Living

Hey Ashanti, if you're so heavily armed with the facts why didn't you grow a spine and take her up on her offer?!

Health Care should be treated as a right in an advanced civilized society such as ours. No one complains about the "socialized" security (Police) and socialized Fire Departments not to mention the other necessary servcices the government provides. I'm self employed, pay my taxes and uninisured.

Ashanti in Hindi means "That which is not calm". Ashanti did live up to his name!

I have to agree with: Anonymous from Canada.
My partner and I moved to Canada from the US last year and we were amazed at the basic coverage afforded to every citizen. I think what Americans need to understand is that in Canada, as with most true democracies, the idea that all men and women are created equal is truly evident in programs such as this. I hear a great deal about the amount that people in the US feel they would be taxed, but, if you consider the amount you currently pay through your employee sponsored program and add up all the co-pays, you really are much better off under a Universal Health Care program where, just as anonymous pointed out, you have the same coverage as the crackhead down the street or even your highest level politician, and I have yet to make a co-pay! After all, doesn't congress have their own version of "socialized" coverage? Full, complete covereage for every congress person for their entire life? Why should the American people have something different and why only those that can afford coverage? I agree again with anonymous, heath care should be a right, not a privilage for only those that can afford it. After all, Healthy individuals make for a Healthy society. I hope that by the time we move back to the United States, that the fear and stigma attached to Universal Coverage will have evaperated and that we will see a country where all citizens receive the same coverage that congress gives itself.

Im am so tired of the media knocking Hill when she defends herself! An old saying comes to mind " if she were a man, it would be different" well you know she has more "cahones" then the majority of the other canidates!!! So you GO GIRL! Keep it you Hill! Hill 08'

Uhhh, can just one of you folks show me anywhere in the Constitution of the United States of America where it says that Government is in charge of buying you health care?!?

Well! The irony of all this is that the only possible way to have universal coverage is to have socialized medicine with all it's failings and warts. Mrs Clinton does not have the courage to acknowledge this because she is afraid of the debate on this. Shame! I am not in favor of socialized medicine but I would love the debate because maybe, just maybe something better would come out.

This is the response I left on Mr. Ashanti's website:

After reading your question to Ms. Clinton, I felt compelled to seek out your site and read your version of events. I'm not impressed. I thought you'd include more substance in your description, but after reading it, I have to conclude that you were just looking to take a shot rather than actually advocate a position.

I'll address your bullet points first:
1 – The word "socialized" can have different meanings and programs can be "socialized" to varying degrees. So while Medicare is deemed by you to be a socialized program, it does not exclude it's participants from using non-participatory physicians. That said, the impact of the program has been entirely positive since it's inception to both the national economic well-being as well as individual economic well-being.

2 – The implication you're making is that if something can't be be self-sustaining forever, then it should never be implemented. Any program whose age is measured in decades is going to go through changes. The fact that, at some point down the line, hard decisions will have to be made to maintain the viability of Medicare is not a sound argument against its creation or further existance.

3 – You claim that because citizens of other countries come here for medical treatment, that is evidence that our medical system is the best in the world. The group of people coming here for various operations are almost entirely made up of upper-class citizens. And it's U.S. citizens of the same economic class that have access to the "best" medical treatment. However, to the millions of Americans living in poverty without access to basic healthcare, and to the millions living just above the poverty level who cannot afford healthcare, the system is hardly the "best in the world."

4 – You say that lower income people would be hurt by a lack of immediate attention. The first problem with this premise is that you're eliminatinating the possibility that we could design a system that is better than those found in other countries. The second problem is that you don't compare your supposition to what is presently available. A person who has to wait a few weeks to see a doctor is certainly better off than the person who has no access to a doctor at all.

And the last point is why I think your question was more about serving your own interests than in actually having a beneficial debate on the issue: you state "we all know that everybody needs healthcare," then you criticize Ms. Clinton's plan while offering no alternatives. If this was an issue that truly was important to you, you'd have written some opinion on an alternative way to guarantee healthcare to all citizens.

But you don't.

The 40 million or so people with no health coverage could care less whether they get medicine that is socialized, rationalized, maximized, minimized or pulverized.

I live in the UK now, and while the National Health Service certainly has its bureaucratic moments, I never have to worry about whether I have access.

Our private health care system is broken. A substantial portion of the population has no coverage, yet at the same time we as a nation pay a far higher percentage of GDP on health care (I think it is 20%) than other developed countries. And our infant mortality rate is higher.

Bill Clinton tried to fix it, but was beaten back by the insurance industry.

Maybe the time has finally come.

If political points are scored by insulting the intelligence of an African American, then she scored.

I wish you would read your comments – everyone here has an opinion – just as the reporter. If you want facts do as Ms. Clinton asked. Get educated instead of spreading rhetoric – I am.

HC has a sore spot for the “socialist” tag for a couple of reasons. One, she is one…ohh dear it takes a village to raise a child…and two, it’s a failed way to accomplish anything. The greatest innovations in medicine have come out of our healthcare system. She’s got a fix for that! Ask Feingold how much love he has for her.

We all know that Hillary Clinton botched her health care reform during her husband's Administration. She has learned from that and is VERY informed. She admirably admitted her mistake at the CNN/YouTube debate last month. It is because of her past mistake that makes her the most qualified candidate to bring major reform.

Excellent-
It's time to react to the "stupids".
Let 'em have it, Hill!

I'd like to see Roland Martin's credentials. With statements like, "I almost fell off my chair" and "the New York Senator took more than five times as long setting the record straight", it is obvious Mr. Martin also needs to "get educated" on writing an unbiased report. Or maybe he can just go ahead and resign from CNN and go continue his work for the Obama camp from there.

Wake up America, don't you know that these things are staged. They get a copy of all the questions before hand so they can curtail their answers to please the crowd. As for Ashanti meeting with her people (thugs), no way can anybody even get close. When I look into her eyes, all I see is hate. Hate for any American who opposes her and hate for the military.
As for socialized medicine, if we can get appointments when we need them and don't have to wait two or three weeks when I am sick now, if we can get free medicine handed out, but most of all keep those dirty politicians with their grubby hands away from the funds going to the program, I would gladly pay all the money I spend on medicines and health insurance and give it to taxes towards that plan. But guess who pays big bucks into the election campaign funds to prevent programs like socialized medicine? It's the lobbyist who represents the medical field! Duuuh! As long as they are paying out that money to the politicians, you will never see a better system then what we have now. They will mention socialized medicine in every campaign but they are lying through their teeth with that pocket full on money. We pay while the illegals get free medical care. What is wrong with that situation? You should see how long it takes in the Emergency waiting rooms in our area. It takes all day to be seen by a doctor. Free medical for poor and Illegal Aliens, isn't that socialized medicine? So we already have it but if you are one of the working stiffs, you don't qualify for it, but you pay for it anyway.
Michael Moore is a nut case and should be locked up & shot up with Thorazine. He will never show the good in anything and he has always been that way.

All these comments against Ashanti and you know what guys? She never gave a single reason to support her argument that her plan is not socialized medicine. That is precisely what you should call the government take-over of an industry. I am proud of him for taking her to task and ashamed that the front runner for one of our country's largest parties had the gall to talk down to a citizen who was making a good point at a nationally televised debate.

Don't you have any real stories to report?

Republicans have always use words like communism, socialism and terrorism to scare those without initiative to learn on their own. "Socialized Medicine" is no different. What is disspointing is that these tactics worked in the las two elections.

There will neither be a Woman or African American as President in 2008. The USA is not ready for it yet, I hate to burst your bubbles people. 2012 sounds more likely, and the USA may be ready by then. The INTERNET is the main reason people are becoming less racist/sexists, and less tolerant of racists/sexists, but it is going to need a few more years of bringing people together via the net, before we see a Woman or African American as President.

Humanity at it's worst (best). So, to sew the seeds of discord, a blantant one-sided republican blogger asks (jabs) a one-sided question at Clinton – and she boldly turns the dagger upon Ahanti.

Ahanti, you would be on world news tonight, with possibly the biggest story of the year (certainly your life), if only you had accepted her offer. Nope! You already had your 'refutes' bagged and ready to go, and obviously not open to discussion or a middle-grounds.

The evil that we do to others, only comes from what is already inside. (IE: Once a one-sided, fever-headen, pockets filled mouth for the Political Right.. ALWAYS a Rat -to sum it up)

Hey, did anyone else pick up on her brilliant "Medicare has literally saved the lives and saved the resources of countless generations of seniors in our country" quote? Wow – i didn't know that Medicare had been around so long! Countless generations?! HA HA HA! Someone needs to YouTube that one!

For those of you who think Medicare is great, look at what they actually pay for their services and the red tape they make providers go through just to get paid. For those of you who think "young/new" doctors should work pro bono, answer the question of who is going to pay back their $100,000 loans they got to go to college. I think clinton and others need to come up with a system that will help assist paying for health coverage but would aslo require employees to participate in health coverage if your employer offers it. I don't want my taxes to have to go up to pay for someone elses healthcare costs.

"I'm going to say that Mr. Ashanti is a typical freelance journalist, always thinking that they're better. If he knows so much then why is he so silent?"

Do you REALLY think Mr Ashanti is going to remain silent? Within days he will articulate his view in an article which will be carried by most newspapers.

Hillary by being confrontation actually grabbed a tiger by the tail. This will be fun to watch her squirm, twist, and dance around trying to "clarify".

I think she did a good job explaining the difference between socialist and mixed systems and good for her for not letting an obvious trouble maker get the best of the situation. I wonder if in addition to being Republican the questioner also works for a drug company?

It always makes me sad to know that a young man wastes his time listening to Rush Limbaugh. Even worse, he then goes out in public and plays ventriquilist doll for Rush.

Marx, we hardly knew ye!

Hillary's comeback was right on. The question was biased. She tried to take the conversation from unfounded emotionally charged junk into a look at the real issues. Then everything gets cut off, she doesn't get to continue her side of the story. The "journalist" never explains himself any more. So nothing really even gets discussed, but now everybody has an opinion who was right or wrong, based on what – maybe 2 and a half minutes? What kind of journalism is that?

I wish there were just one Clinton in this world who could answer a simple question.

Smokescreens are a Clinton specialty, and it appears that they're working perfectly. Did Hillary answer Ashanti's question? No. All she did was took the focus off his question, placed it squarely on his credibility, and left him in her dust (with the question still unanswered).

She is a politician's politician. How scary.

Two threads here:

Hillary – a typical politician?
Yes, and out to win the nomination but lose the election unless she wizens up. Get above the fray, be a statesperson, not another arrogant politician. We don't need more arrogancy in the White House.

Second thread – socialized medicine. Not a one-liner, Hillary or Ashanti. It's real life, and it's a mess. Not one-upmanship sound bites.

Read some of these posts.

For all you misinformed haters out there...You know what...Bill Clinton works in Harlem (90 percent black), the ONLY ex-president to work in the heart of a African-American community. No other ex-presidents would do that. And definitely not Bush. Both Hillary and Bill Clinton CARE about and did many great programs with minorities, especially Blacks. Let's not distort the facts. By the way, in 1920, the 19th amendment guarantees all American women the right to vote. Women have come a long way. Let's give a woman a chance. If there were no headstrong, and intelligent women like Hillary before 1920, then women would have struggled a lot harder today, no female CEO's, no Oprah, etc. So, I applaude Hillary for standing up to what she believes is fair and equal regardless of gender or race. So, yes, you can be a mother, a wife, a career-woman, and a U.S. President. I like Junior Senator Obama, but he lacks experience often says wrong things under fire, and will likely not get votes from the vast WHITE Majority. I'm sticking with Hillary, all the way.

James (Asian-American Male), Dallas, TX

Typical Hillary. Refusing to admit that she is socialist. Trying to appeal the center, yet having a left wing agenda. Medicare is a supplement just like social security. Is the health care industry bad absolutely, however in terms of care and expertise it is the best. Tell Hillary to give her and Bill's health care that has been paid for by the people. Bill and Hillary make millions of dollars...due they really care?

Hilary you go girl.

It's obvious. He was a Clinton "plant".

Of course, Hillary want socialised medicine. She's a socialist.

The word "socialist" has rightly earned its pejorative connotation, so of course she'll deny the association, bu truth of the matter is that anyone who advocates state control of society's resources is a socialist.

The problem with real socialists–as opposed to the "socialists" who think that pandering to the "poor" will help get them elected to office–is that they think they're smarter than everyone else and that all those dumb dweebs out their need their help to lives properly. ("Properly" being defined as "according to my brilliant preconceptions.") They also seem to think it right and proper to compel anyone who disagrees with them, particularly those nasty "rich" people, to cooperate.

Read a little history, people. Read what happened to to the economy of France when the socialists took over after the French Revolution. Socialism does not work! It assumes that people will willingly work hard for the benefit of total strangers, and that just doesn't happen. And when you force people to work for the benefit of total strangers, the incentive to work hard just dries up and goes away, productivity falls, the economy stagnates, and everyone becomes "poor".

Everyone's, that is, except the politicians who imposed the system in the first place...

Free market? This is no stinking free market!

We don't need a single PAYER in the US, but we sure do need a single SYSTEM. The current system is a mess.

Where will the money come from? Are you kidding? The mistakes, the mountains of paperwork. I am horrified and the amount of time my providers have to spend just to get paid. Medicare isn't even computerized – it all seems to be done manually.

If the free market system were really allowed to operate, I would FIRE MY INSURANCE PROVIDER FOR SHEAR INCOMPETENCE. But I cannot, because I don't get to choose – the company I work for gets to decide. I don't get to choose my hospital – once you choose the Dr. you are locked in on that one too. As for the pharmacy, I am in a plan where I pay a heft penalty if I don't use the pharmacy associated with the insurance company. Guess what? They are incompetent too – too many mistakes and there is simply nothing I can do about it.

There isn't anything free about the US system. That's a scam. It's a system where there is no accountabiliy.

If the credit card companies can track millions of transactions, worldwide, to the penny, every day, it seems that we could put a system in place to manage healthcare paperword. It would make it a lot easier to find fraud and waste.

"A woman that thinks she's a man and is 'black' enough to lead the country."

what does that mean, lol ... I would love to meet some of the people who have left comments on this article.

"But the New York Senator took more than five times as long ..."
Senator Clinton, per the rules, was allocated 30 seconds to answer the question. Instead, she took 5 times as long.

Again, she, like her husband, continue to demonstrate an inability to follow the rules. And worse, the blatant belief that the rules don't apply to them.

I am shocked CNN published this nonsense on its website. This article is extremely biased. It also fails to deliver facts and details to back up the main ideas. Where is this "knowledge to refute everything she's saying?" Sounds like he is just running his mouth because he was angry Senator Clinton put him in his place. Next time, CNN should do a better job reviewing what they are putting on their website, because I think if they actually read this article and what it was saying, none of us would have had the opportunity to read it.

I like that Clinton showed emotion and took the journalist to task.

I think that Clinton is a great public speaker and I think that she handles tough questions extremely well!

I don't think the journalist knew enough about the subject he was asking about and his only real intention was to provoke.

A previous comment mentioned that Clinton was "cocky". What is wrong with that? I would rather have a President who was cocky as opposed to submissive.

Mainly addressed to MDiatta, Bethesda, MD

Why is this becoming a African-American issue? I believe that as an American we should work together to help ALL citizens.

The topic is her healthplan. Call it wantever you want... but all it is, is a plan.

VAST RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY

The red states pride themselves as being Republican and Conservative. Wouldn’t a TRUE CONSERVATIVE actually protect the US CONSTITUTION and CIVIL LIBERTIES instead of radically changing them?

They think that they are Christian and promote killing, lying, greed and fear. What happened to faith, hope, and charity?

Does anyone think that the Republican Party doesn’t caucus, discuss and develop political strategies? A “conspiracy” is just that; getting together to discuss, develop and implement strategies.

The question is “Why does the Republican Party put Corporate profits above America and Americans?”

Do you think that these stockholders are exclusively American? More likely these prime corporations are heavily owned by OIL BARONS. Our worst enemies, including the “axis of evil” are freely able to own large blocks of stock in “American” corporations and they do!

VAST RIGHT WING CONSPIRACY

Do you think that these stockholders are exclusively American? More likely these prime corporations are heavily owned by OIL BARONS. Our worst enemies, including the “axis of evil” are freely able to own large blocks of stock in “American” corporations and they do!

why should we vote on white, black, hispanic, woman, man emotion. this should be an election of voting in the best person that will get our country out of the hole. emotions do run high because of our egos. that journalist was wrong in just throwing out something without really going out and investigating everything about her health program. all he spewed was that it would hurt black people. enough guys, do your own research and vote for the best person. stop this hatred that is consuming our country. may the best human win!

I, for one, do not put trust in ANY politician. They have had too much power for too long in this country. I think they should all be given clubs and sent to some remote island to duke it out and let us live peacefully. Governments don't live together... people do.

Also, I am tired of hearing all these different groups gripe and complain about their people being hurt by this legislation and by that one. Go visit one of our reservations sometime and see how OUR people are "still" being treated and little health care we have. This government still does not care about the needs of our people...only their own agendas.

I don't understand what is this big deal about "socialized medicine"? "And how its going to affect african americans?" All the leading western industrialized nations in Europe, Japan, Canada in a way implement socializm in their health care system. And it works! Their system doesn't leave 42 million uninsured like in this country. The problem with some these "wise" people that they can't stand a woman like Hillary Clinton taking a strong position and thats the reason they try to crticize her with this bombastic language. And bash her if she tries to explain her position. Shame on you guys! Some illiterate people in 3rd world countries are better than you who respect women and choose her their leader if she really desrves!

The question from Mr. Ashanti was ridiculous. Kudos to Senator Clinton for calling him on it.

Is it me or does Kiara Ashanti come off as sounding like an idiot? Claiming to "have the knowledge to refute everything that [Clinton]’s saying" is not an actual argument. I don't see how this article accomplishes anything except approval of Clinton and ridicule of a lowly freelance reporter. What's the point of such a story? Where are Clinton's arguments? A cat fight is not a debate, and I'm positive a debate took place. Nice "reporting," Roland Martin.

I've been tracking all of the presidential candidates policies on Healthcare – not one of them is advocating for the government take-over of doctors, hospitals, etc. Hillary has advocated covering more people (low-income kids) who do not currently have healthcare insurance. That is government-sponsored INSURANCE – not socialized medicine. For all those people who just want to strike at her and put down her ideas – screaming "Socialized Medicine" is an effective sound-bite. For anyone who listens to that garbage without doing their homework – you deserve the crappy healthcare you get. Although Europe has socialized healthcare – they pay a fraction of what we in America pay for healthcare. And they are a healthier population than America is. Hey – maybe it's because they pay 1/3 the price for medications imported FROM the America than Americans pay!

How in the world could socialized medicine be harmful the black community? Let's face it, if the U.S. was not funding healthcare for illegal immigrants we would probably be in much better shape. This reporter obviously has his eye on Obama and we just won't go there in this post as it will really open a can of worms. This is one election that will be terribly, terribly skewed and for all the WRONG reasons.

Although, there are many seem adverse to having a "social healthcare" system, I believe that there are very few who really understand what they are against. We, the American taxpayer, pays for social medicine for others, such as the poor, the retired, the military, and other organizations which we call "non-profit" in one way or another (taxes, donations, etc.). Then, without the benefit of a tax break for such a necesary comodity, we purchase insurance, at an inflated rate, we are given coverage only of non-pre-existant conditions, procedures which are recommended by medical professionals are deemed "not covered" by the administrators of the insurance, costs of the procedures go up, those approved to receive them go down, so really you only qualify for certain procedures if you have the cash. Based upon these truths, only the wealthy can afford healthcare, yet, we are concerned about waiting on a list for procedures.... What about organ donations... What about elective surgery that is done instead of necessary surgery simply because the patient requiring necessary surgery is not covered and not able to pay.... At least with a socialized system, there would be a level playing field that all could afford, and it would be up to the government to regulate the pricing to insure that all the procedures were attainable, and that the system was sustainable... We would actually see a return, our taxes would be seen to be doing something other than providing pay raises for the congress elected to serve us....

In this world of guerilla tactics, how many people responding to this article work for some of the candidates? Just wondering.........

I'm a Canadian. Mandatory healthcare for all is great idea – problem is – it doesnt work very well all the time and comes at a steep cost to everyone. You need surgery? get in line – and if the wait is too long (how about 6 months for a cataract surgery in Torono for my mother in law?) you can always go down south to the USA. And the cost – how about 15% sales tax and no deduction for mortgage interest and a 33% tax bracket for a $40k a year job. NOTHING IS FREE.

When will the right wing of this country stop with the whole "Socialized Medicine" tag?? It is so mis-leading and inaccurate. Good for Hillary for putting the reporter in his place. It is about time the left shows a little backbone and stands up to these misleading "two-word" culture tags.

Hillary Clinton is the best candidate
for this country. Reporters like this
one are looking for anything to hang
her...who does he vote for Obama the
Muslime? Mrs. Clinton is a woman who
knows what every other woman knows,
you have to stop and think...she does!

What about socialized auto insurance. We don't need private body shops. Let's fix have the government fix our cars. If you think that Idea is crazy then you should thing government health care is crazy too.

All the Government is going to do for health care is make it worse than it already is.

How did people get by without the Nanny State 200 years ago... People are being fooled into think the government needs to take care of them. Nobody will take better care of you than yourself!

"...Id like to know how socialised medicine hurts miniorties anyways.Stupid argument.
Posted By Dave : August 10, 2007 11:29 am"

Seriously?! Minorities and the poor should run from this the fastest! Those groups always get the scraps left over. Where do you think all the out-of-date equipment and questionable medical professional will go?! Hey, it's free care, but it may very likely kill you.
I challenge anyone, DEMOCRAT or REPUBLICAN or other, to actually step up here and say they honestly believe that a government bureaucracy is an efficient manager of resources. Anyone? Putting my/your health in the fumbling hands of the government is a huge mistake! A few years ago a pilot program called TennCare, which closely resembles Hillary-Care, was begun here in Tennessee. Guess what happened....it went broke and fell apart in only a few years. Now multiply that by the entire nation.
Lastly, I have read about 30 comments on here about how people can't afford their health insurance. What happens when an additional 20-30% of your paycheck is taken away in more taxes to fund "Universal Health Care"? What are those people going to do when they can't afford to live, not just health insurance. You don't want to be required to pay for any medical problems I might have, and vice versa. Wake up America! It sounds good but it will not work in a real-world environment!

What everyone needs to keep in mind, regardless of whether you call it "socialized" medicine, or some other term, is that it will not be free. The government gets the money for its programs from us. Just like countries with socialized medicine, the burden for government controlled health care will come in the form of taxes. I am not saying this is a bad thing (although I know of few programs run by the Government that run as effective as private companies), but you need to keep in mind that it wil NOT be free. It will also place the decision on certain elective surgeries in the hands of the the Government.

That Hilary-ous!

To Kurt in Drumheller,

You said it well. Why do so many Americans always speak in superlatives: the "greatest" this and the "greatest" this...your status is slipping in almost all categories from your economy, educational system and certainly your divisive, ineffectual political system.

I wouldn't trade one aspect of any of our systems or our form of democracy for yours.

Most Americans want universal health care in the form of socialized medicine. They have been taught to be scared of the words "socialized medicine," but favor the actual policies.

What Clinton would do, if she wanted to represent her constituents, would be to advocate for socialized medicine.

If she had any real courage, she would not vent her rage on one black journalist, but on Bill Clinton and George Bush, the two most recent Presidents who have made sure Americans do not have adequate health care.

Ummm.....Isn't medicare on the verge of going bankrupt?

Hardly what I call a shining example of success.

I'm with Schratboy, I'm amazed at the fact that there is an association of black journalists...Is there an association of white journalists?

A 'personal' attack? Since when did a politician ACTUALLY showing spunk and passion in defending a view point become a personal attack? I guess what you'd like to see is a spineless, stoic candidate who can read a teleprompter sans identifying with the words! That, my friend, is apathy and it has no place in our American political system!

I am all for a female President of our great nation, but Hillary Clinton is NOT the female I want it to be. I hope and pray she does not get the Democratic nomination.

Dear Dave from Boston. Regarding socialism and public services: A public bridge just collapsed, our roads are in ridiculous shape, and the public school system is in shambles. what's your point? Look at military hospitals and the care our wounded soldiers and veterans are receiving!!! What's your point?! Is that the care you would choose?

What we have now in the current system is the worst health care delivery system compared to the other developed Nations.

What we have now is an “Insurance for profit industry” that puts doctors and hospitals out of business while failing miserably in patient outcomes.

Even some third world countries have better health care systems and patient outcomes than USA!

SOCIALIZED MEDICINE is just a name, a just a label used to scare or terrorize YOU into sticking with a bad system that is failing and near collapse.

YOUR LIFE DEPENDS UPON a more cost-effective system.

Any cash drain that doesn’t go for health care doesn’t save lives.

Even the rich and powerful need a functional health care system more than they need stockholder profits exploiting physician, nurses and hospitals.

One of the main problems here in this debate about healthcare as in all politically tinged debates is that both sides skew the rhetoric to support their case. For example, Democrats keep harping on the 40 some million people with-out health care insurance as the main statistic to support their efforts. What does this mean? On the surface, it would appear that all of these people have no access to health care to improve their lives. A closer look reflects the fact that any emergency medical situations will be handled at an emergency room regardless of ability to pay or not. On the other end of the extremes, simple preventative medications and check-ups are available to children through schools and well-baby programs.

The real issues for debate should be what level of health care should be considered the minimum right for any US citizen, and who should bear the costs for that minimum level to increase? Right now the minimum level is emergency care and well-baby check-ups for children. If we want to change that level of minimum care, it may be tough to define what is appropriate. For example, should we all have to pay for the extra medical costs of someone who chooses to put themselves at risk through life-style choices such as thrill-sports, smoking or drinking ? When we talk about the elderly, I don't think any of you should have to pay for me to have extraordinary life-saving measures to keep me going up to any pre-determined age or no-resuscitation point. Once we settle these issues, we can settle on a solution. The current debate appears to lean toward an opportunity to throw more money at a problem without a well-dfined or efficient solution.

Something I don't get – if Hillary champions a government-run health care system, how can that be any better than VA care, which I know for a fact STINKS? The government can't even provide decent health care for veterans, who can believe that they would do better for the general population?

So many of the politicians say we have the worst medical program in the western world. How many people really go to France or Germany from the USA for medical help. When those who can choose need medical help they come to America and the Cleveland Clinic or the such. Are you willing for the IRS or something like that administer your health care? That is the question.

You can call it socialize, socialist, commie, potatoes or carrots, but if this Health Plan is going to save my life or my relatives, Zillion times welcome. If Brits used to call Margaret Thatcher as "the iron woman", we have in America "the steel woman": Hillary Clinton.

So what is this knowledge that you claim to have again?

Gee, I wish I had knowledge. Then I'd know stuff.

Holy cow. How is everything related to race. I am so sick of this. I just wish I were black so I can get preferential treatment. I wish I were black so that I never have to justify anything, so I never have to work hard, all I have to do is pull the race card and I am home free. Sick of it

For those who don't know how good Europe and Canada has it, watch "Sicko." As an immigrant who spent a lot of time in these countries, I can tell you with confidence "FOR GOD SAKE GET OUT OF THE AMERICAn BOX OF (CNN, NBC CRAP) AND LISTEN TO NATIONAL PUBLIC RADIO AND LEARN AND GET EDUCATED." Your local news and every thing is not telling you the truth. It is sad to see that some of the people in a such an advance country living in a vacum and not seeing the truth about medicare and any other topic. Sad indeed.

Suppose you were an idiot.
And suppose you were a member of Congress....
But then I repeat myself.
-Mark Twain

Why should I have to pay for the medical bills of those who smoke, eat fatty fat foods all their lives, and drink their bodies into failure? If heart disease is one of the major killers in today's society than its rather obvious that people's lifestyles are affecting their overall health.

Why ought Peter pay for Paul's mistakes? Should not Peter be rewarding for making good decisions?

Universal Health Care will be a huge tax:

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into
prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and
trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-Winston Churchill

The writer did not offer any facts about the Clinton plan or the questioner's objections. If the writer can't bother with the facts then he shouldn't write the piece.

"Black journalism" makes no sense to me. While there may be black issues or gay issues, pandering to these minorities by candidates trivializes the real issues of transcendent importance to Americans general.

I'm going to say that Mr. Ashanti is a typical freelance journalist, always thinking that they're better. If he knows so much then why is he so silent?

Socialism is where the government is in charge of the means of production. If the government is in charge of providing health care, then yes, it is socialized medicine.

How many Americans go to Canada or England for surgery?
Canadians come to the us to get such surgeries as hip replacements because they are in pain and the government forces them to wait months for the procedure. Wait times for specialists and surgeries in countries with national health care is ridiculous.

Instead of turning over health care to the same government that spends billions on pork, corporate welfare, farm welfare, and has never met a spending bill too big, we should find ways to reduce the costs of health care.

I have one question for anyone who thinks the government should provide health care: Should the government also take over all farms and grocery stores and ration out food too? That's what you want them to do for medicine, so what is the difference?

If we want to, we can use loaded and politically charged words like "socialism" to also describe public schools, mass transit, municipal airports, and any other service that we rely on the state for instead of private enterprise. It would be just as accurate, and you'll always get a reaction from those who fly into a panic at the mere mention of the word.

Wow...I loved it! Future president Clinton told just like it is. finally a president who has the guts to stare down the media and slap them in the face when they get out of line with misinformation and rhetorical statements. She challenged him and he coward because he had no substance and no stance. Refreshing! I now am convinced who's geting my vote for president.

Hillary Clinton is a political opportunist through and through. She just wants her name in the history books as the first woman President of the US. That's it, period. I have not and will never vote for someone purely based on the fact of who they physically are, whether it be race, sex, or physical condition. It is what is inside their heart and mind that is important.During the last election I kept hearing how the Dems were going to make things better, but they didn't elaborate on what the details were going to be to make this happen. They still don't seem to have a course of action planned. During the last Presidential election, anytime Kerry was asked a question that required a real answer, he just referred to some document on his website.Will a real leader, not some kook, extremeist, or current big party member, please come to the forefront and respresent this great nation. Someone who really cares about it and will put the nation's interests ahead of his or her own.

If only we could keep it simple...why try and reinvent the wheel in our healthcare program because 47 million don't have healthcare coverage? To revamp our total healthcare system for only 47 million people is insane and next to impossible. And to those who are falling in love with the phrase, "free healthcare", don't hold your breath because one way or another, we will be paying for it! Why not fix it for the 47 million that don't have coverage? It is more doable, more cost effective, and the majority of those who are satisfied with their healthcare programs can continue paying into them and receiving services.

Not a fan of Hillary (I think she's unelectable, and could ruin a golden opportunity to sweep the Bush ilk out of Washington for good) but I have NO problem with her getting confrontational with a "citizen", as one of you put it - this guy wasn't there as a citizen, he was there as a JORUNALIST. If Bush shouted down a blogger from San Francisco like this you'd all be high-fiving. And to those of you who crticized her for change the subject and just saying the same thing louder and more frequently....hello....look at the stoodge we have in the White House now and HIS spin machine!

I also want a President who can unite rather than divide, because trust me, we're divided enough. I don't see a Democrat I like, but my God, this current crop of Republicans have RAISED my taxes, lied to us about the facts in Iraq and got us mired down hopelessly in an unwinnable war, destroyed our economic standing and shifted focus away from things that really matter onto frivolous garbage like gay marriage.
What amazes me is how their spin machine manages to convince average Americans to vote against their economic best interests.

I'd end this by saying we need to take our country back and ride the Republicans out of DC on a rail, but....first things first....someone PLEASE step up and unite us....

Brooklyn from Bartlesville:

you're not a fan of any healthplan, mainly because it doesn’t help you? How amazingly short sighted.

I live in Canada and it doesn't matter what your income is – healthcare is free. How can you not be a fan of that? I have had 14 surgeries and see my doctor (the one of my choice) every three months. That would have cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in the US.

your comments just show how much misinformation is out there and how damaging it can be.

So, challenging a candidate is now "Heckling?" Mr. Ashanti should have followed up more aggressively, but it amazes me how few people think that the person who hopes to be President of the United States shouldn't have been more assertive in her response instead of relying on the already-Clinton-friendly audience to prop her up. And If not enough people believe that it (Medicare) is socialized medicine, then it isn't? This logic is what makes the Left scarier than the rightwing and Moral Majority ever were.

Hillary is a globalist Washington insider. The left right battle is a farce. The Clintons have connections to the Bushes that are documented (CFR). The poles are rigged all the media attention is on the candidate the establishment wants to win. Why are there only two parties? Ron Paul has the most inter net hits and the most friends on Myspace and he is a GOP against the war. Why is he being marginalized while Hillary has said on TV that we will be in IRAQ for many more years. Look it up........The GOP candidates are going through motions just like skull and bones John Kerry wake up people. We are in a dictator ship. The Electoral College picks the president…and the current president has expanded the powers past the checks that the congress has. Its hard to over ride a veto when you have a pay to play congress. Look it up……

Every day in America someone without insurance goes to the emergency room, receives care and does not pay the bill. America doesn't have socialized medicine? ha ha ha Your making me laugh. We have it, we don't call it that and it isn't for everyone.

I seem to recall our right to criticize "this and any future administration" and this was our "god given right to do so." So I see Hillary relies on the mob now to rid her opponents abroad, not just her secret service detail.

While it was unsettling to see that there was hardly two paragraphs dedicated to the information on the heckler, it was worse to see that, when Mr. Ashanti was given the chance to explain his views more, he only said, "I have the knowledge to refute everything she's saying."

That's great. Would you mind telling us some of that knowledge? Although I'm already a staunch Democrat at 15, I would have liked to hear if there were ways that Senator Clinton was indeed wrong. It not only would have made Mr. Ashanti's points stronger, but it would have helped more of the public make an educated decision about who they will vote for in '08.

CNN also needs to perk up. 30 seconds to answer a question? In today's world of instant gratification, you seem to value keeping your short attention-spanned viewers happy than actually giving time to the candidates to answer a question sufficiently. I'd like to see at least a 1 minute time period to answer the question.

And last, to one of the posters who said, "Who cares? she'll never be president...."

It REALLY scares me that you are a voter.

"Black Enterprise", if he was telling the truth as to his origins, is affiliated with ClearChannel, a Republican-allied media mega-conglomorate

There is a difference between “socialized medicine” and a single-payer system. Socialized medicine is a system where the government controls all aspects of the healthcare delivery system. The government runs the hospitals, clinics, etc. and the doctors, nurses, and other caregivers are on the government payroll. As far as I know Senator Clinton has never advocated such a system. Actually I don’t know of anyone in U.S. politics who does.

A “single-payer” system is where a (non-profit) government agency is the sole medical “insurance company”. Hospitals and clinics are still owned and run by the private sector and doctors and caregivers work for those hospitals and clinics. The advantage here would be that caregivers would only have to deal with one “insurance company” instead of dozens and 31% of our healthcare dollars would not go to administrative overhead and profit. (20% admin and profit for insurance companies and 11% additional admin by hospitals and doctors who have to negotiate the labyrinth of paperwork for multiple insurance companies and also deal with “denial management” by those same companies. In contrast, Medicare currently spends about 3% on administration.)

Ms Clinton does indeed engage in some rhetorical sleight-of-hand with her exchange. She asks if the questioner considers Medicare to be socialized medicine (it is, of course – nothing bad about it) and she pounces on him, as if thinking Medicare were socialized medicine meant the questioner thought it was bad. The questioner's answer was rigorously correct, but by acting offended, she made his answer seem extreme rather than nuanced.

To those who act as if a government-run healthcare system works perfectly, I suggest you ask a Canadian what he thinks of the wait times for critical surgeries. Or better yet, go to an American hospital and ask her yourself. In a fully socialized system (as opposed to our partially socialized system) you may have the right to a procedure, just not right now. Rationing by timing. In some cases, this can be as deadly as our country's rationing by means.

I have no problem, BTW, with discussing this system. But it would be nice if those proposing it would take off their rose-colored glasses and actually educate _themselves_ about what such a system actually is like in practice in those countries that have implemented it. _Enough propaganda, everybody_.

My opionions are my own and do not reflect those of anyone else.

Insurance will eventually be too expensive for a lot of us to afford. Rather than fighting about the issue, something should be done. Insurance is making way too much money, and doctors make a lot as well. Unfortunately, if we remove the profit we may not get as many people interested in the profession. Maybe that will spark truely passionate people who care, and that will be their drive to help not-so-fortuate people (something people should care about anyways).
I think Hillary did just fine. She has had a great deal of experience, but this issue has been on the table longer than I have been alive. Until we do something about it, future generations will see greater hardships than the ones we are dealing with currently. Meawhile, Insurance along with doctors, will thrive in their pocket books, and receive optimal benefits. I think changing the system will at least show us if this is a good move, and until you try something, you don't really know if its going to work. All great people have failed over and over, but we still recognize many of them for their greastest achievements! I'm for universal healthcare.

We need to define terms. Not every system of universal coverage is socialized medicine.

Socialized medicine means the government is the provider. Very few countries actually do this. The government owns the hospitals and the docs are employees. That is socialized medicine. The VA health system is socialized medicine.

Single payer is more common. Single payer is when the government creates a giant entity, like an insurance company, to handle paying for medical care, but the providers are still private. Medicare is single payer.

What Hilary proposed in the 1990s was managed competition. Under managed competition, the providers and insurers both remain private, but the government manages the marketplace, like a giant buyers' group. Our state employee system in Wisconsin is managed competition. It is the most conservative form of universal coverage and has nothing whatsoever in common with "socialized medicine."

That Ashanti guy is not just ignorant, he appears to be a liar.

Most people are not interested in the truth about any issue. It clearly shows in the questions asked by the reporters. They are rehashed rhetorical soundbites that don't address the issues. Fact is, a lot of folks don't have health insurance and those that do don't care until it happens to them. When people don't have adequate health insurance they turn to socialized medicine in the form of county run emergency rooms, state facilities, Medicaid/Medicare or what have you. Even Republicans but they will never admit it.

All I can say is since Hillary as nothing to offer but more of Bill, I would expect her to give anyone the run around who had serious questions about her stand on various issues.

I think Clinton is a fraud and no matter what she says, nothing will change, especially on an issue that our country is so divided about. Sure there are pluses and minus to all types of medicine, socialzed or not. But Clinton is more worried about her polls than about the real american public.

The central problem with any plan seems o be 'how do we pay for it'. We've been hearing for 20 years about how healthe costs costs are sky rocketing. Has any one asked 'what is driving up the cost"? Is it salaries? medicine? insurace? I recently had a false tooth replaced. three years ago the cost was $200.00. This year it was $1,400.00! The two dentral plates are identical! What drove up the cost? I think thes3we are the kind of questions we need to answer before anu health care plan can be effective.

I work for a multinational corporation and my employees are in various countries around the world. I have seen first hand the differences in the health benefits offered. Clinton is right, this gentleman is wrong. No debate. Sounds to me like he is trying to sell his stories.

Unfortunatly, most people who are commenting here are Clinton's attack dogs. People who will never look at facts, analise it and make a good informed judgement on it. All of you want Mr Ashanti to take up a challenge from Mrs Clinton and meet her staff, thats very amusing. I and a lot of my friends have taking up that challenge a thousand times, but no one has ever taking notice of it. It's not a question of taking up a challenge, it's a matter of it ever being heard since most of you are blind followers. Would you ever read anything meaningful coming from someone who do not agree with your opinion? Even in Mrs Clintons website there can never be any desent. I wouldn't know why so many Americans are lazy and so blinded by foolishness. It's very very funny to think that because someone is not running for an elected office therefore he know nothing. This is the same kind of thinking of Bush/Cheney lite sort of people. People who lack commonsensical thinking. All these noise being made about Mrs Clinton's experience really do amuse me. I'm yet to see anyone who will explain to me in details what makes Mrs Clinton expereinced, what she has achieved as a US Senator for the past 7yrs, any bill she has ever authored in United State Senate. I would wonder what Mrs Clinton would have become if not for Bill Clinton! I hope that many Americans will learn how to read, write and make good informed judgements in their lives. Also, I hope that those in CNN will stop cheerleading for Mrs Clinton and present to us a balanced news that most of us will appreciate. Those who work for CNN who wish to support any candidate of their choice may do so, but please let them separate their subjective views as individuals from their work as journalists. It's very important.

You naive people. You think Bush is bad (so do I), but Hillary is not the answer. Free medical care is not free. You pay for it with less quality., decreased government spending in other areas such as student loans and higher taxes. The rich won't care. When you make millions paying an extra 10K is nothing. They will continue to pay for high quality medical care and you will line up and wait for your care like you currently do for poor service at government offices. Look at military retirement health care. They keep decreasing our benefits, making us pay more, and don't pay the doctors enough to see us. Its getting tougher to find a doctor who will take the rates the government will pay. KEEP YOUR EYES OPEN and don't believe all the propaganda. Has no one learned their lesson. I can't find truth anywhere in the definition of Democrat or Republican. You are Naive.

When are people going to realize that, although America's health care has its problems, it is still the best health care system?

Hillary is doing what most liberals do, advocating programs that she knows will win her votes.....

The question that was asked of her was not heckling. It was right on the money. All of the Democratic candidates are pushing for nationalized health care, which, in my opinion, would be a terrible mistake. Does anyone really want to wait 4-6 weeks for a MRI, as is the case in other countries that offer nationalized health care. Also, how is this going to be paid for? I've heard of raising corporate taxes to pay for some of these outrageous programs. Well, guess what, corporate taxes are simply passed down to consumers to make up for the additional cost to corporations.

I find it interesting anyone believes Clinton has any morals or principle. She is garnishing votes, nothing more. If elected, this country will pay dearly.

There is a lot of misinformation about universal health care fed by the media. As a public health doctoral student, I commend Clinton for trying to set the facts straight. Ashanti needs to read some peer-reviewed health and economic journals on the facts and not be so quick to believe propaganda.

I laugh when I hear people call Hillary an angry woman. I would much rather have an angry woman than this bumbling idiot Bush or the other bumbling Idiot Guiliani in office.

As to Mr. Ashanti, he is just looking for more hits on his website.

Socialized medicine is simply where the government intervenes to provide where the public cannot. Although many will benefit from some advanced form of socialized medicine we as a nation need to understand how other countries have made mistakes causing the care within the system to wain, especially how the R & D involoved slowed because of a lack of benefit to those involved. When Hillary says that NAFTA was a mistake, then I will take here seriously. It was the worst thing a Democrat could have voted for. Big businesses will get off the hook with socialized medicine as they did with NAFTA.

If this nation of obese, hypertensive, diabetic, heart failure, chronic kidney disease, chronic lung disease individuals get health care that I pay for then they will have to assume some responsibility for their lifestyle choices. If medicare is on the verge of going under (according to its critics) then expanding coverage to everyone would break the bank.

Whatever... The Clintons are bad people.

They don't care about people, they care about buying votes. These people love to subsidize the poor and uneducated, including the immigrants so that come voting time, those who are paid off, will vote to keep the payoff coming. If they cared, they would stop sending our hard earned money to 3rd world countries where the population growth far exceeds any amount of money and hope for that country, and would start working on keeping our own vital, healthy and educated.

@marc atkinson

fast-forward to a republican lead future:

deepening healthcare crisis (even fewer people with adequate healthcare, declining avg life span, etc), a hyper-jingoistic domestic and foreign policy complete with massive fences along our borders to keep out the very people that do a majority of the heavy labor in our country (and at reduced wages which keeps the cost to the consumer down), and a continuing social security crisis (republicans ain't gonna fix it...unless of course by "fix" you mean get rid of it)

Typical.

Right Wing Conspiracy time yet again.

Medicare IS socialized medicine. Any national health care plan IS socialized medicine.

Let Hillary point to one thing the Government has been able to remove from the private sector and improve. The government and the taxpayers can't afford assuming healthcare for everyone.

It's called, get a job and pay for itself.

Wow, I didn't know that taking a career politician to task was a BAD thing!

I thought we were supposed to question our leaders... or in this case our possible future leaders. We do it all the time with Dubya and the Republicans, what makes the Democrats so immune to scrutiny?

I think it was Thomas Paine who said, "That government that governs least governs best." Wise words, and very relevant to the heart of this discussion.

Hillary Clinton stands for the exact opposite of Mr. Paine's affirmation (shared by others such as Thomas Jefferson). She is a very bright and apt politician. She is also the greatest cinic in American politics today–we should all be very concerned indeed.

If you think the government can administer a health care system better than the private sector, try visiting the UK or Italy. Better still, try visiting with some of our brave combat veterans and asking them how the Veterans Administration manages their healthcare needs right here in the good old USA.

Hillary Clinton is a politician. Politicians love obtaining and wielding power, largely for its own sake.

She is not going to make the healthcare system better. The government is not going to make it better.

You and I will have to make it better.

If we all can recall, Clinton's original plan was not for socialized medicine. It was more in line with socialized medical insurance. I'm not certain which one would be worse. Nevertheless, there is much to be done regarding the high cost of medical coverage and the fact that there are many who cannot obtain coverage. Is the answer some sort of extention of medicare? Some sort of legislation to suuppliment the cost of insurance for the uninsured and unemployed. Maybe some sort of employee/employer-contributed program for the uninsure might be worth discussing.

At any rate, now is the time for the electorate to demand new thinking and listen closely to the ideas that come forward from candidates. Challenging candidates about old ideas is less important then demanding new ideas.

In response to Ashanti's last comment, one could contend that he can't deal with the fact that Clinton has the knowledge to refute everything HE's saying. He's just being cynical and righteous.

If the leagalized marijuana, health care would be the least of our problems. America is ADDICTED to perscription medications becuase no one wants to take the blame for being fat, for not being able to partake in sexual activity cause their heart is shot from 20 years of mcdonalds, their child belongs in the regular class, its not my fault blah blah blah. Clinton has thusfar been a perfect example of this kind of behavior, side stepping and dodging. If I hear one straight answer outta this woman the entire election process, i will be completely shocked.

I think if you dig a little further, you'll find that this "freelance journalist" and blogger is actually on the payroll of Karl Rove. The dirty tricks campaign for 2008 has already begun, and these so-called "hecklers" are part of the overall plan. Kudos to Clinton for not getting put off by it and keeping her cool. But then again, she's had a lot of practice.

"Socialized medicine is better than nothing but is not better than what we have in the U.S. Despite Clinton & Moore rhetoric, there continues a steady influx of immigrants/foreignors seeking medical treatments in the U.S. Other than Moore’s propoganda, where do you see U.S. Citizens flocking to Cuba, Canada or Europe to find better medical treatment?"
First of all it seems that people using the term "socialized medicine" have no idea what real medicine in socialist country is. I lived half of my life with it, and let me tell you: it has nothing in common with the way Medicare works (why anybody will call Medicare "socialized" is beyond me). In real world "socialized" medicine means you have no choice of doctor, hospital, can't get second opinion, have no privacy of medical records, etc. So it's about time somebody explain the difference and stop scaring people with the word "socialized".
As to the statement, nobody goes to Cuba or England to treatment – are you so sure about it? I know for sure about the travel agency that arranges the special "tours" for people to other countries where they can stay in a rented appartment instead of the hotel to save money and have their medical treatments for far less the it costs in the USA. My son have the dental work done for 3,000 which in USA would cost us over 20,000 at least, his freind went to other country for surgery which she could not afford here.
And finally, the only difference I see in the universal system similar to Medicaid for everybody is that health providers will be paid from one source, it will eliminate huge cost of all the processors of claims, insurance underwriting, etc... and probably leave much less room for any froud or scams as private insurance.

I can't believe that I just wasted my time by reading this article.

please, please, please...we're still dragging around the cold war baggage of the "s" word (socialized)...we have socialized farming called subsidies, for example, and though some may oppose it, no one is hiding under the bed because of it...so some socialized medicine shouldn't scare grownups.

Common everyone, the issue isn't the question he asked, nor how he handled her reply. It is that Hillary is still trying to get socialized medicine, but in the classic Clinton way, she's attempting to change the name of the program to see how many suckers she can get to buy off on it. If you can't see that, then I really pity you!!

Anyways Hilary has given a good answer, the details of which may be open to a debate.Compare that with an answer Mr Bush would have given. And by the by where was this Health care question by Asanti for the past 8 yrs Mr B was ruling the U.S? Does it affect African American communities only once in 8 yrs? Understand this, left ,right or center we in the U.S are far behind in getting the right treatment to the all too deserving seniors.We should not confuse capitalism and health care. Some sort of "socialistic approach" like universal health care or Case by case Health care is needed if we need to see us suriving 20 -30 years from now.

These comments are interesting. Senator Clinton being intelligent and assertive enough to have that conversation in public with someone challenging her stance is being perceived as "losing her temper". One comment even accused her of trying to "act like a man". It's 2007! This is what an educated, assertive, experienced & (in my opinion) greatly matured person looks like. She's not acting like a man. She's acting like a skilled politician who has a passion for her work.

Hillary is a typical politician. I love how she used a shift in logic to "win" her argument. "Do you believe medicare is socialized medicine...medicare has saved millions of americans" Hillary, whether or not medicare has helped americans is not the point. If it is a government run medical system then technically it is a bit socialistic. But definitions and reality don't matter nearly as much as spin and rhetoric. Especially to Hillary.

Dear Professor Clinton,
Here is the anatomy of your arguement:

1. I have never advocated socialized medicine.
2. Everyone should recognize that Medicare is an example that refutes any attack on socialized medicine.
3. Medicare is good.

Check your logic Brainiac.

Clinton dodged the question and CNN's bias reporting attacked the "critic" for asking a valid question.

Is Medicare and Medicaid socialized medicine?? Yes it is!! Follow the money, it comes out of all our paychecks seperately. Everyone pays that tax. And if Hillary had her way.., the amount of that seperate tax would increase dramatically. Its not the federal tax that we get back at the end of the year. Thus it will hurt the poor the most.

Healthcare is not the problem, healthcare insurance is...

as usual most Americans do not realize what socialized medicine really is in Canada you choose your own doctor and you are not sent to any doctor unless you disable UK between 30 and $50 a month for health insurance and seniors get free insurance for prescription drugs the reality is the medical insurance that is universal is really paid for sales tax and other taxes there are private hospitals for those who do not want to wait for non-life-threatening surgery but things like dialysis are always available on life in the USA where person who develops a condition like this like kidney failure or cancer often will find their medical insurance premiums going out of sight where they cannot afford them for having cut off because the reality is medical insurance and HMOs do not want patients that will cost them more than the monthly premiums that date yet how many people died because they were too well off to be able to get Medicare and too poor to be able to afford $500 a month for medical insurance premiums and it's interesting that the ones who are against universal health care are most often the ones who can afford $$500 a month for medical insurance premiums I know this one well I am originally from Canada and when I had a stroke a Christian hospital stay for three days in St. Louis and I was put out on the street after that because I would stabilized as a Canadian marriaged to an American and a legal resident alien I had no choice but to go back to Canada for the needed rehabilitation in order to be able to walk okay the same thing happened when I started to go blind I did not have the thousands of dollars the doctors here wanted to be paid in order to save my eyesight fortunately and that did not care how long I have lived in the USA as doctors and the medical system were more concerned with saving what they could of my eyesight I did lose one eye but they saved the other if I did not have this option I wouldn't totally blind in talking the home health care nurses what might happen in since passed away she had had patients cancer that can be treated but because they did not have thousands of dollars and their health insurance had cut them offwhen they can no longer work and pay the premiums through their employer they were sentenced to an early death

To Richard, Jupiter, FL

Other than Moore’s propoganda, where do you see U.S. Citizens flocking to Cuba, Canada or Europe to find better medical treatment?

Your seniors sure do like our "socialized" medicine.

The U.S. system needs improvement (call if fixing if you like) but it is still the best in the world.

Have you experienced healthcare in other countries? Sounds like chest-beating, "America number one" rhetoric to me.

The myth about better and free medical treatments blows up when you consider the state of the economies in socialized countries.

First, it isn't free. Our taxes pay for the service. Second, Canada's economy is growing slightly faster than that of the Americans. Our housing market is stronger. We're running a huge trade surplus with the United States. Our dollar is almost on par. Seems to me that our economy is doing better than your own right now, Richard.

Everyone takes this guy to task for 'not going and getting educated. Remember, this happened yesterday. Hardly enough time to get 'educated' on such a complex issue.

For all that seem to want the government to run the health care industry (in essence your well being), give me shining examples of their success in other areas that would make you want them to operate this one.

Is it their incredible maintenance of roads and bridges? Not letting you take toothpaste on an airplane? Detaining one year olds because they show up on terrorist watch lists? Or maybe we want ALL of our medical facilities to look like Walter Reed.

The exchange between Mr. Ashanti and Mrs. Clinton illustrates several points:
1) Names/labels matter. Universal health care evokes different emotional responses than "socialized" medicine, though both may describe the same idea.
2) The U.S. healthcare system is in trouble, regardless of your opinions of Mr. Moore's recent movie. Health care costs escalate faster than inflation. While the US may lead in medical technology and pharmaceutical research, this does NOT mean we lead in health care quality. The RAND institute reported that the average care meets only 60-70% of accepted quality indices. This is surprisingly consistent despite racial, income, and geographic differences.
3) The US, in general, is reluctant to put a price on life (cost effective analysis). How much is too much? Some 90% of health care costs are incurred during the last year of life. Should we spend as much on the 100 year-old bed bound patient as the 30 year-old mother? These are ethical questions that we, as a nation, must answer.
4) Other countries with universal/socialized health care are experiencing problems (e.g. Canada, France). Wait times for elective procedures are longer than in the US. Health care costs are also rising in these countries.
5) Our current system is not efficient. It is cobbles together private payers with universal insurance (Medicare/aid) and managed care. Private pay is expensive. The burden of Medicare/aid is placed on the middle-aged, which can be a problem as the US population ages (and requires more care). Managed care focuses on cost control, sometimes at the expense of care. The administrative budgets of HMOs averages around 30% of their total budgets.
6) If Mr. Ashanti is opposed to universal health care, what is his proposed solution?

Clinton: "Medicare has literally saved the lives and saved the resources of countless generations of seniors in our country."
What Clinton is saying is either that the confiscated resources of some people have saved the not-confiscated resources of other people, or that somehow these 'resources' grow on trees and are ultimately free goods.
Even if one views the equation as a social question, society gets the amount of medical care that it PAYS for... the peoples 'resources' are just taken by a different method than by payment on receipt of service.
Again, WHO IS BEING RHETORICAL HERE?

Thank you, Mr. Ashanti. Finally! I come from a medical background, and everyone I know in the medical field runs as far and as fast from socialized medicine as they can. Let's call a spade, a spade, and "universal health care" is nothing more than socialized medicine with a pretty bow wrapped around it. I have my own concerns about Mrs. Clinton's health care plan, but they African-American community will be hammered by it. Mr. Ashanti is correct in saying that it will hurt the Black community more than other ethnic/social groups. Universal Health Care makes for a great sound byte, but it will prove a nightmare if instituted.

Has it occured to anybody that this man may have been a "plant" to give Ms. Clinton a chance to show off her "balls"?

I find it amusing that candidates spend their time on bickering over terminology and will not address or even mention the real problem as outlined by David Walker, Comptroller General of the United States. This is our inability to even pay for the Social Security and Medicare benefits we have already promised. All of this information is available on the GAO website. Instead of talking about new beenfits, it appears they should realistically be talking about how we are going to have to raise taxes and/or cut existing benefits in order to remain solvent! Why doesn't the press hold them accountable on this issue which makes all others secondary?

The title of this article screams controvercy when there is none. CNN should learn to edit their content for CONTENT. Anyone can be, and is, a blogger and I don't understand how this obviously unprofessional heckler got into a press meeting. He is not a member of the press and should not be allowed to act as such. Senator Clinton gave him the can of whoop ass that he deserved.

Secondly, such inane comments as "she's not looking at the real facts" and "I have the knowledge to refute everything that she's saying" have no place in any arguement or conversation. These types of arguements are used by adolecents who have not yet learned to back up their opinions with facts.

Thirdly, and most importantly, our health care system is broken. Americans still have a fear of all things socialized. The Cold War is over. Scandinavia has had socialized health care for decades and it does wonders for their ageing population. The mother of a friend of mine needed hip replacement surgery. She got on a list and was given her new hip within 2 months AND had excellent follow up care. Once it was done – SHE HAD NO BILLS. She didn't have to take out a loan or sell her home to pay for a new hip. It was just given to her because it was her right as a tax paying citizen. Private health care is only good for one level of society: the rich. In Brazil they have both private and social medicine so that if you feel you simply can't wait a month or two for that hip, you have every right to go into debt and get it right away. I don't know if Senator Clinton does indeed believe in socialized medicine, because she's never come even close to claiming such a belief. But I do wish that she would because it is a conversation that needs to be had without the Cold War taint of socialism.
Finally, I want to know why he thinks that socialized medicine will “hurt African American communities more than anyone else?” Socialized medicine works for the poor and inconveniences the rich. It won't HURT anybody. And is he assuming that all African Americans are poor by this statement? Yes, there are poor black people, and poor white people. I don't care if you are green with sparkels on you; socialized medicine will help you lead a healthier and probably longer life.

If he really could refute everything Hillary says, he should have taken her up on her offer. Now he just looks stupid.

Not everything is about race. Playing the "race card" does nothing but stir up anger and resentment. We are all Americans, period.

Wikipedia: "Socialized medicine or state medicine is a term used principally in the United States for forms of medical care by means of government regulation and subsidies derived from taxation. [1] Socialized medicine can refer to any system of medical care controlled and financed by the government."
Clinton: “Number one, I have never advocated socialized medicine."

WHO AGAIN IS SUPPOSED TO BE THE UNEDUCATED ONE HERE?
This is the typical illuminati response to anything but their vision for the world... "Disagreement = ignorance." Anyone that wants to run their own life or utilize their own conscience is either 'selfish' or 'stupid'. Anyone who objects to State totalitarianism is unenlightened. "Us smart people have to act as paternalists for all you dullards."

As a single mother, I do feel the pain of not only rising healthcare costs but of everything rising in price. I am fortunate to have a decent job that covers the majority of my health care however, the portion of the premiums that I have to pay each month are still astronomical, and the kicker is that with every year comes a rise in cost and another years pay raise that doesn't cover the difference. At the rate most Americans are going we'll all be filing for bankruptcy because we cant afford the inflation. Its sad. The next president needs to be one that will fix the economical state of the nation, not just healthcare. Our hard earned money needs to go farther in todays day and age. Right now we practically can't afford to get to work, can't afford a home, or food, or any necessities at all. Who wants to help the people? Thats who we need to elect. I'm a white 30 yr old single mother who just makes over the maximum in order to get social services help with my bills, food, you name it, I can't get help, yet I am suffering and my child is suffering because we can't make ends meet. Where is the help for people like us? This is the state a lot of American Families are in, we need help, so who is going to be the one to step in and face the trouble the economy is in and help our American Families?

"The U.S. system needs improvement (call if fixing if you like) but it is still the best in the world." When you hear this, with the empirical data in the world today, you know what you're dealing with... People who simply buy the rhetoric that pleases them and hangs on to it like grim death. We, as American citizens have been programmed for years to think we have the best of everything, and if there's one thing clearer than any other, it's that our health care system is sub par. Not because we lack the talent, education, or technology, but because of the legalistic moral bankruptcy of the corporations in their drive for profit. Combined with the insurance companies whose primary obligations are to their shareholders and not to the health of their clients and their overblown stock options, and we end up with a bloated, overpriced system that should have been overhauled when it was brought up the FIRST time. People in the know these days really do travel to foreign countries for costly medical care, that is NOT in Michael Moore's head. It's called Medical Tourism, and its been gaining popularity for two or three decades.

I would like to know if any of those commenting have a relative or even personally know someone that must rely on the Medicare system for their healthcare. My grandmother is on Medicare and let me assure you that while it is better than nothing it is not the most reliable nor helpful solution. She has to wait weeks to see her doctor no matter if it an emergency or not, and medication is far from affordable even with all the supplemental prescription medicine plans. Before you start touting Hillary as the most knowledgeable on the necessary health care reforms you should do some fact finding in low-income neighborhoods in your area not just by looking at statistics.

The arguement that medicare is socialized medicine has some limited merit but what isn't brought out is the the countries where socialized medicine approaches successful have a much higher income tax rate that that in the US. Many of the countries with 'successful' socialized medicine programs have citizens travelling to the US for care because they cannot get it in a timely fashion in their home country. Canada & Great Britain come to mind.

The appropriate response from this reporter would have been to take the time (outside of the forum) to speak with her and view her evidence & plans in detail – then report on that. That would be truly useful discourse on Hillary's plans.

Maybe I am the only one who is glad Ashanti questioned Clinton. Did anyone notice that Clinton never really gave an answer? What is her plan for health care? I don't believe she has an answer. People who think that socialized health care is not socialism is a fool. And why do African Americans gravitate towards the Democratic party? Don't they realize that the party does nothing more for them than the Republican party?

Ashanti the Republican Blogger and Martin got owned just by the comments under this pile of manure called a Commentary.

Id like to know how socialised medicine hurts miniorties anyways.Stupid argument.

She answered the question just right. It was a loaded question and she took the time needed to explain her position.

The CNN title for this article is ridiculous. Ticker: Did Clinton go too far at forum?
It's the classic "question title" obviously inferring that Mrs. Clinton DID go too far. Please try to be more responsible in your "reporting". Adopting Fox tactics is not the way to go for CNN.

As previously stated here, the US has the best health care in the world! Sure its not perfect, but show me something that is. Universal Health Care, Socialized Medicine, or Hillary Care, whatever you want to call it, is not the answer. It would take decades to install a system like that, and the quality of US health care would drop radically, not to mention the economic impacts it will have. We need innovative solutions to the existing problems that will continue to promote high quality medicine and care. And for those that think a universal health care system will provide "Affordable" medical care, think again. Today the per capita expenditure on health care in the US is about $6000 USD compared to about $2500 in the UK and accounts for over 15% of GDP in the US compared to 8% in the UK. It doesnt take a rocket scientist to figure out that YOU will pay for it, the question is whether you pay in "Quality" or "US Dollars".

This is one of the worst columns I have ever read on CNN.com

CNN should be ashamed that this was posted.

As far as Mrs. Clinton, I do not feel that she answered the question posed to her. If she is really interested in reforming healthcare, and interested in what the people have to say, she should give time for Mr. Ashanti to respond.

The Healthcare system in this country needs to be fixed, but it is not and will not take overnight to do it. One way or another it will come out of our pockets.

Good for Clinton, who I usually see as a too-polarizing figure. But she's right in this case. Americans are ridiculously uneducated (or over-propogandized) about "socialized" medicine. I moved my family to England for a year while I studied in a postgraduate program at Exeter University, and we received outstanding, full-coverage health care for literally just a few dollars. My young son and I both came down with a vicious virus - no problem, we got to see a doctor right away and they took care of us. There were also free house calls to check up on our young children, and free dental and eye care. Of course, nothing's free; they just spend their tax dollars fare more wisely than we do. It's a matter of national priorites - and not being afraid of the big bad "S" word (Socialism), and the British and other Europeans (and Canadians, etc.) are rightly proud of their health care system, as they should be.
It's amazing how our combination of national arrogance and ignorance hurts us. Americans constantly complain, with good reason, about how messed up so many of our basic institutions and services are. But in the same breath it is we - or is it corporate America, a different entity than the mass of Americans? - who also insist that we shouldn't try to fix anything and that we're also the greatest country in the history of the universe. But do we really want to build the same exact society in Iraq, and elsewhere, that we have here? It would be good for all Americans to have to live in another country for a while, to see that some systems operate better and more efficiently than ours, which would also help us to gain some needed perspective about some of our other shortcomings. But I suppose my mentioning these things just makes me an "American Basher" to the fuzzy right-wing in this country.

We already have socialized medicene. It is run poorly by insurance companies rather than the government. The health care business we have cost about 15% of our GDP which is much higher than those systems run by governments and does a much poorer job in providing for the whole nations health.
People who keep harping about how bad socialized medicene would be are rather silly and hardly aware of the fact of the matter. The insurance premiums we pay would probably not be any less than the increased taxes to pay for one universal system.
One other point, the health care business is already highly subsidized. If you don't like socialized medicine, lets try doing away with insurance except for catastrophic matters. That would forse the health care business to live in the world as it is and not the unreal one insurance companies have created for them.

Roland, nice fluffy story, but why didn't you act as a reporter and be tenacious enough to get more information about this self serving blog master. I thought it was the job of our "free" press to get in and dig. Why does Ashanti feel that he has all of the knowledge, what is his background, who is he paid by.....all unanswered questions. Shame!

I work two part-time jobs with no health insurance. I have chronic pain from kidney stones which I can’t afford to have removed. Even if I get coverage I won’t get help because I have a “pre-existing condition”.

I don’t care if you label it socialism or big government or the Easter bunny, I’d just like to share some of the benefits of living in the richest country in the world.

There are 40 million of us hard-working uninsured Americans out here.

Hopefully we will see through the insurance industry’s pathetic red scare and demand the same kind of single-payer system that works in every other industrialized nation.

"Other than Moore’s propoganda, where do you see U.S. Citizens flocking to Cuba, Canada or Europe to find better medical treatment?"

Actually, according to an article I read recently, Americans are "flocking" to India for affordable medical treatments. The article cited a woman who required hip surgery. Cost in the U.S.: $100,000.
Round trip ticket to India, 2 week stay in a 5 star hotel and surgery performed by a doctor who received training in the U.S. anyway: $30,000.

America can brag all it wants to about having the "best" healthcare system in the world but it makes no difference whatsoever if you cant get to it. And to all you smug know-it-alls that want to debate this issue endlessly: walk a mile in my shoes.

In what way did Hillary "win" this exchange? Certainly not on the basis of logical argumentation.

She didn't answer Mr. Ashanti's question as far as I can tell. In addition she was condescending and dismissive; i.e. "I don't know who you are...but if you want to educated...". This is simply another way of saying "you're a nobody and dumb if you don't agree with me".

I find Mrs. Clinton's objection to the term 'socialized medicine' to be laughable on it's face. "Universal Health Coverage" = "Socialized Medicine" which in turn equals socialism. It's a wealth redistribution scheme which at its heart IS socialism. If is looks like a duck, and it quacks like a duck... I'm also at a loss to understand how the assertion that Medicare has saved lives is exculpatory to the charge that it is socialized medicine. Mrs. Clinton may be of the opinion that Medicare is a fine program, but that does not alter the source of Medicare's funding which is the basis of the charge.

The fact that she was playing to a mostly sympathetic audience who support the type of social programs that she is offering explains "the win".

I hate to admit, but Hillary is correct. I'd sooner have our Canadian "socialized" medical care system than your "private" system anyday. If our government tried to take away what we have there would be riots in the street. Does that tell you anything? How about that the USA has the highest cost for medical care in the world? Does that tell you anything. I don't care for the Clinton's or that ball-capped blimp and his crockumentaries, but in this case they are in the right.

Maybe I'm missing something....when and where did Ashanti "refute" everything Clinton was saying. Ashanti needs to learn that its one thing to be argumentative and another to actually sustain a substantiated argument.

I am neither a Clinton supporter nor a Democrat, however I am in favor of a so called "socialized" or a free public healthcare system. We live in a country where healthcare is the most expensive and where the overall the quality of care does not commensurate with the cost.

Our country considers pregnancy a pre-existing condition and 13% of expecting mothers are either refused, or cannot afford to cover pre-natal cost or the delivery of our child. This has resulted in high infant mortality rates, nearly as high in what is considered “third world” countries. Compared to other countries mothers are forced to go back to work sooner. Despite paying the same health insurance premiums, there are disparities in the quality of care that relate to class and location. This is just some of the gaping holes and shortcomings of our healthcare system.

I think it’s an atrocity that the government can waste trillions of dollars contracting war but let American’s health suffer and go into debt. A big part of our Nation debt is from people in debt from medical bills.

I’d be interested in seeing Clinton’s healthcare initiative.

Jamilah Brown

Everytime some one questions the Clintons on anything it is a vast right wing attack or conspiracy. She is and will always be a champion at deflecting the quetsion to the right wing conspiracy theory instead of giving a straight answer.

It scares me that people hoenestly belive Hillary knows about healthcare and what is best. Where did she go to med school? Does any one remember Hillary care...oops I mean HMO. I am not opposed to socialized healthcare but the fact is that its not that simple. There are many factors to consider about socialized healthcare that I think canidates on both sides of the ticket miss completely. The fact is people in this country do not understand politics and sway to one political party instead of listening to both. The idiots of this country vote for party favorites instead of listening to both sides. In the end we all loose because no one listens to each other.

If there were as much useful content as emotion in this discussion, it would be an interesting read. Here's what's up. 1) If we nationalize health care, all/most will have healthcare. Known. 2) What happens to the quality of that care? Unkown. 3) If we nationalize healthcare, taxes (or debt) will increase. This will harm the economy. Known. (When you live n a market-based economy and try to mix in socialist ideals, this happens. Rarely can one have the best of hoth worlds). So nationalizing healthcare will have the benefit of improved health for some, and the cost associated with harming the economy (Possibly add to this cost associated with lower quality healthcare for all). Do the benefits outweigh the cost? Unknown. This is not to mention the fact that such a policy redistributes income to the poor. Whether or not that is good or bad depends up your political affiliation. So if you are for nationalizaton, talk about the benefits. If you are against it, talk about the costs. If you have a brain, consider both.

Why does the right wing bemoan "socialized" medicine? Do they have a problem with a socialized defense department, highway system, food and drug administration and socialized farming via subsidies. How about the socialized police and fire systems and the public school system ? These are all services that a civilized country provides to its citizens. I'll tell you one thing – I lived in Australia for 2 years and the health care is INCREDIBLE – this use of the word "socialized" is just a right wing tactic, similiar to when Nixon was out there red-baiting. It will appeal to stupid people and always has.

Stupid, Stupid, Stupid man. You may have "knowledge" but apparently not many facts.

Traci, Dallas, TX

Shame on you, Traci. As a fellow woman I am disappointed with your critisism. If a male candidate defended himself against an opposing party heckler, he'd be seen as strong. No one would use words like "emotional" to describe the rebut either. Why don't you just say what you really mean–you won't vote for Hillary or ANY Democratic candidate.

Brooklyn from Bartlesville says:
"I am not a fan of any healthplan, mainly because it doesn’t help me."

God bless America!!! Your selflessness and compassion are infinitely commendable. If only everyone thought the same, our world would be a better place.

Way to go Ashanti! I wish there were more journalists like you out there. This woman needs to be challenged because most of her views are simply flat wrong for our communities. I am frankly offended that the "so called" leadership of the African-American community (Clyburn-Sharpton, etc, etc.) is pandering to the "clintons". What exactly have they done for us (African-Americans) or our communities? Absolutely nothing but talk, talk, talk and more hot air.Our high school drop out rates are higher, our cities are unsafe, we can't afford to dream big anymore because lenders will pray on us and sign us up for loans with terms that are made just for minorities(higher rates and fees),our elders can't afford their medications and basic human needs, our athletes are being called "nappy headed...you know what" on national television, on and on and on.Now, to be fair and clear, Bill and Hillary are not responsible for all this. However,here we are decades after Martin Luther King Jr spoke of judgement based on "content of character", the African-American community is being presented with a false choice between a "couple" (the Clintons) with amazingly undesirable records and personal traits and the true product,Barack Obama, of the imagination of dreamers like King, the Kennedys (Bobby and Jack) and so many others. Here's a perfect opportunity to move forward the "dream" and we should not allow Hillary Clinton to overtake what is ours. The African-american community should support Obama. Even if the choice turns out to be wrong, so much more will change as a result of the historic choice. I think the impact of that choice will be more far reaching in the African-american community than that of going for someone whose only achievement was falling flat on her face with Healthcare in the 90s and blaming it all on a "vast right wing conspiracy". I am usually not this outspoken with these things, I am just fed up with the lack of foresight we (african-americans) have shown with this issue. Why pretend now?

The questioner pointedly tossed an undefined and undefinable hot-button phrase into his question and left the candidate open to pounce on it like a rabid weasel on a lame mouse.

Not a smart guy, not enough game for that stage and not much of a "journalist," I suspect.

What? Is he auditioning for Juan Williams's FOX gig?

He'll likely have to climb over Roland Martin's dessicated carcass first.

The idea that our healthcare system is "still the best in the world" (from a comment below) is just wishful thinking.

Our system has some great aspects but it's known all over the world for its harshness. The weakest members of our society are not adequately protected, and even middle class families are in danger of bankruptcy when a diagnosis like cancer or Alzheimer's comes along. And health insurance in this country is a complete scam.

Anyone interested in this topic should see the film "SICKO." You don't have to take it hook, line, and sinker but it will give you food for thought.

OK. What knowledge does he have? Typical!

What HRC is advocating IS socialized medicine whether she calls it universal or public health care. Let me tell you about England's socialized medicine. A distant cousin was the President of a Horticultural College and had a stroke. He needed an MRI. Because of England's socialized medicine, the MRI machine was not available in his town. He had to get on a waiting list at a hospital in another town. He was number 19 on that list. He died before number 9 on that list got his MRI. In the United States (as we know it now), he could have called 911, been taken to the nearest hospital and given an MRI within a short time after his stroke. This is what HRC is advocating as universal health care for the US. SURE, the Health Care is Universal, but not everyone will receive Health Care because there will be a quota and a waiting list for various procedures. Socialized Medicine is NOT the answer. ASK HRC what kind of Health Care she'll have when WE have her Universal Health Care. Read up on HRC's mentor Saul Alinski if you dare to understand her politics.

I'm sorry, but once again, you have a man of color only interested in the black cause. A President of the United States cannot do that. They have to come up with solutions to issues that serve the entire population.

If this gentleman truly had "the facts" as he had stated, he would have taken Mrs. Clinton up on his offer and gone to discuss the situation and listend to her argument as well as present his. Alas, this gentleman is just another Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson who finds fault with anyone who isn't the same color as he is.

The fact that most other countries have a universal health care system in place and the United States doesn't speaks volums about where our priorities are. It's pathetic that we will do whatever we can to help other countries when they are down, but we won't mirror their successes. Can anyone imagine what $10 Billion/month (amount we are spending on the war)could do as far as universal health care and educational benefits for our own people? Think about it.

Are you people for real? How can you not think that what is being proposed is socialized medicine? The government has done such a horrible job with Medicare over the last 50 years. It's run so poorly. Every year gets worse and worse. Medicare should be privatized.

...And will we find out the Mr. Ashanti is on the payroll of some shadowy and nefarious PAC of Clinton haters?....

Ashanti's press credentials should be revoked. One who says, for the record,
"...I have the knowledge to refute everything that she;s saying." has an addenda that does not include reporting.

Media: raise the bar.

This is a commentator commenting on a commentator. I'd expect a reporter to challenge Ashanti more on why he didn't talk to the Clinton people and ask him for more details on his claim of being able to refute what Clinton says. As it is, this is just a "he said, she said" commentary that is not helpful. I generally like your stuff. Not this one.

I don't understand why the headline asks whether Clinton went too far: she continues to use the same sort of rhetoric. What boggles my mind is that people accept it. Yes, Republicans have used the political tool of accusing her of advocating socialized medicine for years. The problem for Clinton is that the accusation is true. Yes, Medicaire and Medicaid have helped millions. They have also failed to help millions. But that is irrelevant - they ARE, in fact, socialized medicine programs, complete with all the plusses (e.g. care for the poor where they would get none) and minuses (e.g. lower quality care, discouraging medical advances). Republican opponents might be grandstanding - but they are, in this case, correct.

Anyone that is against a universal health care system b/c they think it is socialized medicine-what do you think about our public libraries, public education, public police force and fire department?? Are those socialized as well b/c they are paid for by the government and everyone has access to them? What if those went away and we had to then each pay for our own service and there were different levels of programs-would you be uncomfortable if your next door neightbor decided not to have fire protection-so if their place caught fire they would not have the fire department to come? Whay is it not the same for health care-that everyone has preventative care and coverage-with outbreaks that have happened and contagious diseases-do we not all have the right to get care?

I would like to ask every American who actually works for their check; How much more can you afford to pay in taxes to even more government run programs. I am shocked and amazed at how many people are willing (and ready) to let their government raise their children, pay their bills, select their housing, and now control their medical care. To me that is substandard living, and not at all what America was based upon. What happened to "be all you can be"? I guess their are so many idiots living in the village now, they've succumbed to the whims of their leaders! Go little sheep go!

It wouldn't surprise me if this was a Clinton operative sent in to ask an obviously overt question to make Hillary look like the winner. I'm sure she's learned a lot from Bill over the years.

What a waste of a column. The story should have been about whether this heckler-come-journalist could really substantiate his claims. It would have been interesting to read why he thought single-payer health care would harm African-Americans, not just learning that he that held such beliefs. Ultimate, Rowland delivers another mundane amalgomation of words that delivers nothing new, or newsworthy, for our consideration.

Maybe I've misunderstood, but I thought the purpose of 'socialized medicine', or 'universal healthcare' was to provide health coverage to the poor at the expense of the middle and upper classes? By his question, is he referring to 'African American' communities as being the ones to shoulder the burden to provide this free healthcare?
This just makes no sense to me, maybe I've been misled by the media on the entire issue.

Socialized medicine and socialism goes against everything that has made this country great. Hillary wants a nanny government to take care of everyone. However, this nanny government is going to cost everyone except for the people who ABUSE, I mean utilize it. Sorry if I don't want to give up more of my income to support the "less fortunate." She needs to take an economics course on tax increases versus economic response. I fear for our economy after the democrats start making the poor richer and the rich poorer.

This is ridiculous! The United States government provides funding for the majority of the roadways and transportation systems but nobody screams, "Socialized transportation!" The government also funds most of our educational system but nobody screams, "Socialized education!" And in the most direct analogy, the government insures the bulk of all American mortgages, but is anyone screaming, "Socialized housing!" This whole argument about "socialized healthcare" is a truly pathetic testimony to the ignorance of American voters.

Ashanti is just another typical example of someone "transmitting when they should be receiving". I'd be willing to be he couldn't take on Hillary in a debate about a bubble gum wrapper, let alone an issue of any importance or substance.
I rather like Hillary's response to him. It's about time somebody stood up and challenged the fairy tales we've been told for the last six and a half years.
Hillary – Get 'em girl!

She's showing now in the primaries that she's ready to take on the Republican party in the general election. And, she's proving herself successful in being able to do so by fighting back against her Democratic contenders. Her negatives are dropping and her positives improving. Stay strong, Hillary.

Jack: You obviously know nothing about how the site works. Each page has a limited number of characters. The rest roll onto a "next page".
Also, where is the critical part?

I would invite anyone who has a health problem and wants the British, Canadian, or French healthcare format here, to go live there for a while and then tell me how their wait for care was... Hillary's on the right track, though not quite there yet.... Mr Martin and Mr. Ahsanti should stop impersonating impartial journalists.

I don't support any candidate yet, but I think everyone missed the point. Where are these "facts" that Mr. Ashanti alluded to?

Traci,

I don't see anything in Hillary's comments deserving of the phrase "cheap shot". She responded to this Ahanti fellow in kind and gave him a chance to follow up and refute her comments. He declined; perhaps wisely.

You seem to be confusing someone who is not afraid to be direct, with an "emotional, angry woman". Isn't it time we elect a straight-shooter instead of someone who evades the question with politely-vague answers?

If the Howard Dean example is any indication, it seems the country just isn't ready for honest, direct answers. Howard would make a historically-fine president, but he never even came close to getting the nomination. Instead, we have the likes of John Edwards... a man who can barely muster a straight answer to the most basic question.

Ummm, Medicare is socialized medicine. Anytime society picks up the bill instead of you, it's a social system. We live in a socialized society, like it or not, and it grew out of necessity back during the depression thanks to FDR.
If Clinton advocates for universal healthcare, then she advocates for socialized medicine, as society would be picking up the bill. It really made me cringe when I heard her vehemently deny being in favor of socialized healthcare, then tout Medicare and the health care systems of countries with socialized medicine, aka universal healthcare.

I spent a month in France last summer and had to use healthcare over there several times. I'm not part of their system, but I did receive quality healthcare for a very low price. Here in the U.S. I have no health coverage and cannot afford to go to the doctor unless it is an emergency.

I think it is really easy for people to say that universal or public health care is bad for us when those people actually have coverage. Most of us that don't have coverage would be happy just to be able to go to the doctor!

It's a typical feeling we seem to have in this country where once we get what we want – ie enough money, healthcare, a good job – we no longer care about those that don't have it so good. I do think, however, that there are also a lot of us that do care enough to make a change. Let's stop the greed and put people before profit.

I've worked in understanding healthcare systems around the world - including the US, EU and developing countries. While I'm not trying to judge one system over another (US versus EU), it's important to note that universal (aka socialized) health care doesn't mean everyone gets access to medicine, tests, procedures, etc.,at all or in a timely fashion. Not negating some of the things it offers - just recognize what it offers today and to whom. That perhaps would have been an interesting discussion (i.e., not a debate).

The reason we can't afford to help out with health care is because we are paying for a war with borrowed money from China. When will U.S. citizens come first?

Ms know it all strikes again. Was she not supposed to fix health care when Bill was in office? Seems to me she could not get it done then. What makes anyone think she can do it now?

What's wrong with "socialized" medicine anyway? We have socialized education, and would anyone argue that it is "bad"? The system may not be perfect but it gives everyone the opportunity to a decent education. Why does anyone feel differently about health care? Why such objection for everyone to pay a little into a system that would provide a basic level of care for everyone? It may be a socialist idea, but not every system thrives on a capitalist foundation. Think what our education system would look like, what our very society would look like, if there were no public schools, no public universities.

“She can’t deal with the fact that I have the knowledge to refute everything that she’s saying.”

Really, huh? And perhaps YOU, Mr. Ashanti, can't deal with the possibility that Ms. Clinton is more educated on the subject than you are?? Hmmm?? Did you take her up on her offer to meet with her staff and get some education? I doubt it. Typical repub... loud-mouthed windbag, not the tiniest bit interested in trying to see another point of view. Sound like anyone we know? Hint: he lives in the White House right now (UNfortunately).

The very use of the code term "socialized medicine" by the questioner is prima facie evidence of somewhat who is not interested in a substantive discussion but who is engaging in confrontational theater for his own personal agenda. Another Karl Rove sock puppet without an orginal thought.

I think she may actually be more pathological than her husband, and that is SHOCKING!

Funny how every CNN story on Hillary seems to make her come out just right. Whether it's a direct contradiction on the issue of the use of nuclear weapons or the fact that her earlier healthcare plan failed miserably, the stories written by CNN just always seem to manage to paint the situation in a positive light.

Funny how that happens, huh?

Hillary Clinton is a Communist. Vote Fred Thompson in 08' and get a job so you can get your own health care. Stop begging the government for everything just because you are unemployable.

Socialized medicine helps people! why does "socialized medicine " bother anyone? instead of the "greed medicine"that exists for the lucky or wealthy.Your anything for a buck idealisim,has bankrupted the country, and what is worse only a small percentage of you got the spoils,you sold out your children on so many levels,why not sell out their ability to access medical care.

Mr. Ashanti is correct.

Medicare is absolutely socialized medicine. That doesn't necessarily make it 'bad', but the number of lives it has saved was not the question.

Mrs. Clinton's offer to 'educate' this journalist reflects the typical arrogant, liberal, paternalistic philosophy, which argues that anyone who disagrees with them must be an ignorant fool.

How can anyone claim that universal health care is going to hurt the African American community? When will people wake up and help the American people get the health care they deserve? Watch the movie 'Sicko' if you haven't already, and see what you think of universal health care then.

After all these years, Hillary is still relying on her "vast rightwing conspiracy" facade...I am more then willing to listen to her positions on the issues, but all she ever delivers is rhetorical pap. I don't know who I will be voting for in the next election, but I have had enough of the political dynasties of Clinton/Bush and I will be voting ABH (Anyone but Hillary).

She is just like Bill, denial and all knowing and everyone else is wrong and un-knowing and just think some people want her to be President. No way.

Will your review of my previous comment include censorship, or can we open up the reverse racism discussion? It is there...whether we choose to ignore it or not.

Ashanti says, She can’t deal with the fact that I have the knowledge to refute everything that she’s saying.”
Sounds like to me that he was just to intimidated to track her down and see if that were true or not.

Black people think everyone is racist against them, when in actuality, the opposite is true. Time for them to stop their whining, take their blinders off and join the human race. Also, do any african americans ever give thanks to the 1000's of white people who actually gave their lives and died, so that they could be free? I doubt it.

Here is an obviously negatively slanted article, by a commentator who has come across as an Obama supporter, using the journalistic trick of only getting ONE side of the story; But it isn't near negative enough for the anti-Clintonites.
She KILLED! The crowd roared it's approval, "The masses, largely, clamored around Clinton.", writes a reluctant Martin.

Despite that fact, Jack Madison Wi. somehow feel that, "...the part of the article really critical of Hillary is hidden in this article." HUH?
Martin is going out of his way to make what was a crowd-pleasing moment for Senator Clinton, into something else, and it still isn't negative enough for Jack.

I am in agreement with Clinton. Stop trying to call is socialized and scare people. Without Medicare my father would be dying from lack of health care just like his father and mother did. I personally have terminal cancer. I continue to work as long as possible for the group health insurance that ends when I get too sick to work. Even with coverage I'm getting payment denied for basic cancer treatments.
Get real, this is about getting the insurance company profits out of what should go to the doctor for good patient care. I come from the insurance industry, it's HUGE profits. It makes zero sense to give our money to the insurance companies that deny us when we most need it. I worked my entire life to get care. Now when I need it you feel it's better that I just go die without care so the rest of you can feel better that at least I didn't have socialize medicine? We ALL deserve health care. Period.

Here in Canada, "socialized" medicine has proven to be equitable AND more cost efficient than the U.S. The American government spends more per capita on health care than the Canadian government. Isn't it time for people like Ashanti to face the fact that decent health care should be available to everyone regardless of their income?

I am becoming very disheartened as a proud Democrat. Hillary being our candidate would be the biggest dream of the Republicans. She's unelectable and unlikable.

I live near Orlando and this is the first I have heard of Kiara Ashanti. I checked Google and at most there are just a handful of entries that come up for him. If he is a writer and has a blog, it sure doesn't show up. I think he must be a legend in his own mind! If he thinks that this forum with limited time that just allows quick responses, then why didn't he go talk to her or her staff after? Because he doesn't want to know anything beyond his own agenda.

Traci
Angry? Say What? Come on!!!
You seem to be the angry one.....

This is only the second time that I have read your column and I am not sure that I will go out of my way to read it again. The first column that I read was your attack on Pope Benedict for his comments about other churches. As a Catholic, I agree with him. If I did not believe that the Catholic Church was the true church, I would not be Catholic. But, I understand that other Christians do not believe it and that is fine. I respect their right to believe what they chose and I would never interfere with that right. Rather than attack a religious leader that differs with you on the role of the papacy and the legitimacy of other churches, why aren't you attacking religious leaders that advocate strapping bombs on their followers and killing innocent people? Apparently, the Pope is a much safer target. You could hanlde the Swiss Guards if you had to.

You have a political column and I expect you to express an opinion. The current column is a poorly disguised attempt to discredit Mrs. Clinton because Mr. Obama has been putting his foreign policy foot in his own mouth so often lately. What exactly did this column accomplish? You gave column time to apparently the only person in America that has the answers to our health care problems. The only person with the facts and figures to make it so clear to all of us. Did you follow up and get "the" answer? We know that you didn't. You just wanted to discredit Mrs. Clinton.
This type of commentary actually makes Fox News look fair and balanced.
I am sure that I have already been labeled a Clinton lover or maybe even someone that works for the Clintons. My choice of candidates is Bill Richardson and I would not work for the Clintons for any amount of money.

I find it interesting that any part of this article could be treated as critical. Also, where's the critical information reported in other articles on this exchange: namely, that the questioner is a Republican whose sole purpose was to try and embarras Sen. Clinton–which obviously failed?

Brilliant!!!

so... was he wrong? was he capable of refuting it? basically, after the jump, all you did was give his point of view and a brief bio.

"The man claimed,'I have a ray gun from a space alien," so I had to chase him down. I did, his name is Max, and he maintained that he indeed had a ray guy from space." great story.

So, Did you, as a journalist, possibly ask hime to PROVIDE some of his proof?
Hmmm?...
Are you a journalist or a stenographer?

I find it interesting that the part of the article really critical of Hillary is hidden in this article.

Again, why the fluffing of a candidate s obviously connected to corporate money?

Oh yeah....

God help us if this emotional, angry woman gets to run this country. She's proven time and again she can't control her anger and is not above taking every cheap shot she can. It scares the mess out of me.

LMAO.. That he got owned and was a made an example. His only defensed after Hillary smacked him with knowledge was "I know more than she does". Feel Bad for BET.

Sounds like another lame attack against Hillary. If Ashanti has the knowledge to refute everything she stated, then he should have been happy to discuss it further with Hillary's staff.

I'm not a big fan of Hillary, but if this guy can refute everything that she is saying, then why didn't he take her up on her invitation and then refute every one of the points that she "educated" him on? The fact that he wasn't willing to do that makes me think that his claims are all talk and no substace.

Clinton's willingness to respond harshly to swiftboat'esque rhetoric will serve her well. I'll take her strong, direct response over the wishy-washy equivocations of other Democrats any day.

Regarding Ashanti: If he really has the "...knowledge to refute everything that she's saying", he did a particularly poor job of demonstrating it.

Who cares? She'll never be president...

And would Ashanti be so kind as to enlighten us with details from his wealth of knowledge concerning Hillary Clinton's proposals? Or is he only interested making news for himself by making vague and unsubstantiated attacks?

Mr. Martin writes: "“Do you think Medicare is socialized medicine?” she [Sen. Clinton] challenged him [Mr. Ashanti]. “To a degree it is,” Ashanti said. “Well, then you are in a small minority in America because Medicare has literally saved the lives and saved the resources of countless generations of seniors in our country.”"Mr. Ashanti is correct: Medicare is a form of socialized medicine, and frankly that's ok. And Sen. Clinton is also correct in suggesting that Medicare has saved lives and resources for Americans.But, Sen. Clinton does not respond to the crucial issue of Mr. Ashanti's challenge: Sen. Clinton is advocating an expansion of socialized medicine, just as she did with her healthcare initiatives early in Pres. Clinton's first term.
Will socialized medicine be beneficial to the Black population in America? Will socialized medicine be beneficial to any population in American?I don't know, but it is clear that all voters need to know a great deal more about the proposed policies of all candidates - and they must tell us what they are thinking, Sen. Clinton's counsel to the contrary.

I think the contributor needs to get the facts and not hide behind CNN and if he is as smart and knowledgeable as he thinks maybe he should run for president and use his vast knowledge to help this country get back on the right direction.

It's interesting that the so called freelance writer/blogger who attended the Black Jouralists forum (where it's not clear who this person was resporting for) and the author of this article failed to make a caae for their criticisms of Clinton or medicare itself. I don't see any real journalistic value in the story reported but merely another lame jouralistic intent to inflame its readers. You wonder why there is no respect for the press any more and this is a perfect example.

I notice you failed to mention that Ashanti is a Republican freelance writer and blogger.

Then he added, “She can’t deal with the fact that I have the knowledge to refute everything that she’s saying.”

well, Mr. Ashanti:

Please illustrate us with your knowledge......

Mr Ashanti's reply to Mr Martin sounds as rhetorical as the original question to Ms Clinton. With the publications listed it seems he could meet with Ms Clinton's staff, and find a suitable outlet for his rebuttals. Did I miss something?

“She can’t deal with the fact that I have the knowledge to refute everything that she’s saying.”

I doubt he could, in fact I know he couldn't. People like that should just shut up and listen instead of thinking they know everything when they know very little in the reality.

I'm a health care policy analyst and I would have to agree with Senator Clinton, what she proposed was not socialized medicine and Medicare certainly isn't. I would also suggest he do more research on single payer health systems and the current challenges individuals that are uninsured or on Medicaid face trying to access care.

That's just plain mean to go into a forum with a loaded question that you know can not get fully answered in the allowed time, then not go to her staff to discuss it, and then speak down on her because his questions weren't answered... The last line really points to him having a personal agenda not one to help the masses.

that's my girl!!! called like it is...

go Hillary!!!

Clinton was absolutely correct! I wish more Democrats would follow a similar path when enduring these ridiculous characterizations about their intent. This whole "Socialized Medicine" semantics crap is just that. It's perfectly appropriate to disagree with the merits of a politician's or political party's platform, but people like this Ashanti clown aren't interested in debating things maturely and fairly. He accuses her of "trying to score politcal points?" Talk about projection!

Mr. Martin,

Your title, "Clinton: Get educated, drop the rhetoric" is yet again, very one-sided and pro democrat (not neutral as the media claims to be). Since your article has a second side from a credible source, perhaps you could show your unbias and rename the article to something like this: "Clinton has trouble dealing with the facts." Put less emphasis on siding with politicians and more emphasis on siding with the American people, who have the real truth within themselves.

“She can’t deal with the fact that I have the knowledge to refute everything that she’s saying.”

And did you ask him to backup that statement? Or did you just let the conversation end there?

That's right Ashanti! All for political points! Boy does that women scare me!

It sounds more like Ashanti couldn't handle it.

My question to Mr. Ashanti is, why did you not take Clinton up on her offer to introduce yourself?

It appears Mr. Ashanti was, in his own words, not looking at the real facts. He wanted to do something that gained him political/popularity points...attention, if you will.

Mrs Clinton may have known what she was talking about, and truly believed what she said, but do we really want someone THAT confrontational with a citizen? Is she trying to assert her strong stance because she's afraid people wont take her seriously, or is she generally that confrontational. Personally, I think there are better ways to handle a situtation. Rather then accusing someone of speaking in rhetoric and embarrassing them, perhaps a kind word and a gesture of good faith with the correct information would go farther. That's what I'd want from a President. I'm tired of having one that just divides people instead of bringing them together.

It seems that this gentleman has an axe to grind with Mrs. Clinton, he is not trying to listen to what she has to say objectively.
I love his ending words "she can't deal with the fact I have the knowledge to refute everything she says", he sounds arrogant.

I think Ashanti should go see Clinton! What will it hurt. Clinton is in a position to know things he might not know.

Does anyone care for the facts? When will we get news coverage that presents new knowledge? He says he has "the knowledge," and she says she can "educate." Well, I'm waiting!

If he has the information to refute her then why didn't he?

So Ashanti had a golden opportunity to actually 'get educated' from Clinton's point of view and chose rhetoric and schoolboy smirky comments like 'typical . . . I have the knowledge to refute everything she's saying', etc? A silly comment from an adult seeking credibility and a chance to be relevant, down the drain. What's the point of this article?

Touche, Hil.

Instead of taking Clinton up on the challenge of coming and talking directly to her and her staff, Ashanti appears to have just decided he'd rather have a pout-fest. what really bugs me is the fact that he immediately decides to pull the race card and say socialized medicine will hurt African Americans disproportionately. I would have more respect for the man, if he'd offered to have provided you the facts and data that he gathered, and then offered to have let you provide them to the public, so we could have something to chew on. Instead he just decides to throw a pity party.

Sounds like a sore loser to me.

It's a shame that instead of explaining exactly why we need socialized medicine, Hillary Clinton simply ran from the term. We need universal health care in this country, without a profit-motivated industry (insurance) standing between patients and treatment. France, England, Canada, and many others have this and it works. In spite of the p.r. campaign started during the Nixon era to scare us away from socialized medicine, it works. (I can't wait to read the replies citing the scary "facts" that this p.r. campaign has driven into our heads!)

She did Perfect go girl go Make history Hillary. Ashanti is a Republican .

Not suprised. She acts like a version of Bush, just another dictator who gets mad when the public questions them and has facts to back up the questions. They always get the last word and pride themselves on getting approval from an audience filled with their own people.

Not one single fact is offered by Ashanti or Martin herein, after accusing Clinton of having no facts. I am not a fan of Clinton, but Martin hardly offers "food for thought".

Perfect, she put this guy Ashanti it is place, I will be applying for medicare very soon, and must of the under privilege get constanly short change, Ashanti is a Republican, Go Hillary go GIRL. LET WRITE HISTORY
joe Calo

Clinton's claim that "Medicare has saved lives" is just another canard, in her arsenal of distractions and obfuscations regarding her efforts at implementing a true socialized system, (that she would never use herself). Of course medicare saves lives. So does aspirin. that isn't the question.

But fast-forward to a future Democrat vision: Health care for all, no immigration policy or border enforcement, and the looming Social Security crisis.

When it all collapses, the Democrats will point their fingers at Republicans.

Thid is the kind of "rhetoric" that keeps race relations in our country a hot point. How in the hell can socialized medicine hurt the African-American community?! If anything it's going to help. What community of race probably has less health care than anyone else? Simple answer: the non-white community. How something as obvious as socialized medicine or just expanded health care for those who can't afford it, is a positive. To call Medicare socialized medicine and hurting the African-American community is just more of the extreme rhetoric that keeps things that are more positive for one race or culture off the table, and feed the right wing agenda. This story is much ado about nothing. If Mr. Ashanti had a point to make how socialized health care and medicine DOES hurt the African-American community he should of said so and let Clinton answer the specifics, rather the general rhetoric that it hurts a specific community, usually associated with need or poverty. I'm not Hillary fan, but she scored big time thanks to Mr. Ashanti.

So this guy had the opportunity to have a second opportunity to discuss his ideas with a presidential candidate and her staff, and chose to ignore it rather than admit he is wrong?

Tell him to get a life and get the facts and grow up.

Way to go Ashanti. I want to thank you for standing up and asking the tough questions no one else will. She doesn't even acknowledge the fact we can't even pay for the current system of Medicare, according to David Walker, US Comptroller of the non-partisan Government Accountability Office. Good article Martin, thanks for bearing light on a very important issue of our time.

It astounds me when someone can ask a hard question, but then not follow up on it. He said the forum worked well for her because there wasn't time to refute her, but really he has all the time in the world. He could go meet with her team and then write his piece based on his own agenda. And isn't that what this was about? An agenda. If it were true reporting then Mr. Ashanti would have followed up and gone from there.
Why did you even write this piece really? While it highlights biased "reporting" from Mr. Ashanti, I don't understand your angle for putting it out there, Mr. Martin. Can you illuminate your point?

Who is this know it all Ashanti...go to hell. "He can refute anything she says", shut the hell up, PLEASE.

As far as I can tell, at least from this article, Kiara Ashanti doesn't have anything to say worth hearing.

What I would like to know is; What precisely, is wrong with socialized medicine?
Why all this hatred for a system of healthcare that has served several countries of the EU so well for so long?
Is it somekind of "propagandistic" coldwar world view that somehow socialism is the same as communism?

I would like Mr. Ashanti how "socialized medicine" would "hurt African American communities more than anyone else."?

Socialized medicine is better than nothing but is not better than what we have in the U.S. Despite Clinton & Moore rhetoric, there continues a steady influx of immigrants/foreignors seeking medical treatments in the U.S. Other than Moore's propoganda, where do you see U.S. Citizens flocking to Cuba, Canada or Europe to find better medical treatment? The U.S. system needs improvement (call if fixing if you like) but it is still the best in the world. The myth about better and free medical treatments blows up when you consider the state of the economies in socialized countries. There is simply "no free lunch" and never was. Quite dreaming, Billery!!!

I had not heard the argument that socialized medicine "will hurt African American communities more than anyone else"

Can someone expain that to me?

Well that exchange was very well done in my opinion. Now remember that in almost every audience is going to be one or two people that are sent there from either another political campaign even from the GOP with the simple purpose of asking a question in such a way as to embarass or slander the candidate. It wasn't that the person asked a simply pointed question. It's that he already phrased the answer when he asked it. He didn't ask if it was "socialized medicine", he said it was. He said it was "failed" in other countries, although that is very debatable. So where is the question in his supposed question? No matter how you try to answer such a question it makes you look the bad guy. These questions need to be better managed by the people putting on the question/answer session. It's not a free speech issue, more of a "fair" speech question in my opinion.

Telling it as I see it,
Wynter

Oh come on! You said you were going to find out about the questioner, but there's really nothing there. Is that all he would say?

You can try and make Clinton look bad about her beliefs on her health care agenda and her resistance in this situation to the media in regards to it.
However, she knows what she is talking about and I applaud her tanacity of setting the record straight. She has been exploring the best options for modifying the health industry for years and knows exactly what needs to be changed. Is it so terrible for her to demonstrate her leadership skills? As far as I am concerned she only earned points with me in this situation.

Ashanti seems to be confusing "socialized medicine" (also known in more civilized countries as public or universal health care) with the political movement of socialism.

It ls likely he understands the difference between public health care and socialism, but he is just one of many conservative shills trying to blur the lines between the two in the minds of an American public who might not immediately understand the difference.

Those of us who know better aren't listening to this false comparison, however, even those of us who vote Democrat but don't support Clinton.

Wouldn't it be refreshing if she took her own advice? Drop the rhetoric and get educated Hillary. And then this:
“Do you think Medicare is socialized medicine?” she challenged him. “To a degree it is,” Ashanti said. “Well, then you are in a small minority in America because Medicare has literally saved the lives and saved the resources of countless generations of seniors in our country.”

What a non-sequitir, that's exactly what we need in the White House. A woman that thinks she's a man and is 'black' enough to lead the country. One that can say 'nukes are off the table' as a Senator, because of the timing...(she wasn't a presidential candidate at the time). Does that make her core values different? Ans, as "merely a Senator", should she have been discussing that anyway? Why are so many people infatuated with her becoming president?

If he has the knowledge to refute Senator Clinton then why didn't he impart that knowledge to us? Perhaps the whole thing was a self serving attempt of Mr. Ashanti to promote himself and his blog.

Very odd title to this story, and an odd final few lines as well. Wasn't this really about Clinton dealing with a heckler? And who was the heckler and what in the world did he mean by his conclusory, self serving statement at the end? What does he know? What is his background? If he has something of substance to add to the debate, why not let us hear it? Sounds to me like he was looking to stir things up and was basing his comments on things he's heard, not anything he knows. Either way, since when were journalists trained to let the reader do their homework - isn't it supposed to be the other way around? C'mon, Roland - ask some questions!

I watch CNN everyday morning and evening, Mr. Martin is very unfair person when he talk about 2008 election. I could figure out whose side he is, so please don't put him too often on CNN because CNN is the most trustworthy Network. I would appreciate.

I watched the clip of that mini-debate and I must say, Clinton was not backing down and seemed to very knowledgeable about the question that was thrown at her. It appeared to me that she handled the potentially embarrassing situation with a flat footed stance. I can respect that. Too bad the freelance writer didn't not take her up on her offer to communicate. My thinking is this: if you have "the knowledge to refute everything she is saying" ... why not take a crack at it. The writer was bold enough to challenge Clinton, but not gutsy enough to take the challenge to go to the next level.

That's funny, here is a man who refuses to say that he may have been wrong. I am not a fan of any healthplan, mainly because it doesn't help me, it only helped me when my son was born extremely premature and clinically dead. When I have to talked to friends and colleagues, the only people I have found benefitting from healthcare, have been the minority groups. I am glad because alot of my friends belong to these groups, and they need it. However, we have children without healthcare because we missed the income bracket bu a small margin, yet we still have trouble buying milk, much less health insurance. The real kicker here? We are white. Which proves that skin color is not a defining factor, and should never be a defining factor in the way we look at people or situations.

Well, I guess socialized medical care is far better than no medical care at all! Far too many of our citizens, especially the elderly, are without any care and simply cannot afford the high cost of medicines. It is a sad commentary when folks have to choose between paying for medical care and/or medicines and food for the table.

My commentary is simple, Ashanti has attempted to "beat" a seasoned and accomplished scholar at her own game...and lost miserably. Clinton will do more for this nation's health care, diplomatic standing and overall morale then any president has ever HAD to do.

If this gentleman claims to have more knowledge, he should probably know then that engaging in a discussion with a candidate is not a propper way to adddress an issue. He could mention the subject to know the candidate point of view, and then present his opinion on his blog. Mentioning that he does blogs shows that he is really just looking for his fifteen minutes of fame.

Let me guess...you both are rooting for Obama?

This man obviously has no idea what he's talking about. There are no if, ands or buts about it: America is the only advanced country in the world that allows so many of it's citizens, in raw numbers and in percentages to go without healthcare.

And if he had been trying to get a serious answer, rather than trying to trap her, he could have dropped his own inane description of her health program. I'm glad he got slammed.

I don't understand how a government-funded universal healthcare system would hurt any "minority". I would actually think that given the fact that minorities overall earn less, the system would be mainly funded by the people who pay more taxes. And it should certainly help them raise their quality of life. Someone else know why?

As a physician who has trained and worked in 2 European countries and in Taiwan and currently works in the US as a kidney doctor, I can palpate the anger that Clinton must feel at this question. In my own area, systems with universal health care work much better than the system that we have in the US. For instance the death rate on dialysis in the USA is about 25%/year, but only 12.5% in Germany, 8% in Singapore and 6.8% in Japan ! Life expectancy is better in these countries as well. They do have what corporate insurers have cleverly called "sozialised" medicine. Medicare indeed works by far more efficiently with the available resources than the "private" corporate giants, that spend huge amounts of money fighting and paying lobbyists (4 per congressman alone in Washington) in order to hold on to their undeserved profits and smear medicare while depriving their patients of health insurance when they need it.
As a primer, I recommend anyone who has any interest in the matter to see Michael Moore's "Sicko", which cleans up with quite a few of the misconceptions about "socialized" medicine.

What a great article. We don't get to hear an in-depth explanation of EITHER side let alone both. Any chance we could hear how he would've refuted what she said? Any chance we could hear what her actual plans for health care are? I can't really tell what the point of this commentary is.

The essence of totalitarianism is that the self-designated leader knows better what is good for you than that which you may wish to choose for yourself.
Hilly knows best.

Can someone explain to me why universal single-payer health care would hurt African American communities?

I'd glad she stood her ground. This guy was obviously trying to bait her playing a different version of the same old tired "race card". As hard as Mr. Ashanti may find this to believe, not everything in this world should be measured only by the impact it has on African Americans. Maybe he would benefit from moving his professional affiliations outside the black community occasionally.

If he has everything to refute her point of view where is it?
I myself am tired of paying excessive medical cost due to our capitalist medical system. I love capitalism but our medical needs should not have a dollar amount attached to it.

Even if Medicare *is* "socialized
medicine", that does NOT mean, as
Mr.Kiara(?)Ashanti claimed, that it
will "hurt African-American communities
more than anyone else". Socialism by
definition works BETTER for POORER
people. What does Ashanti think about
our "socialized" public education
system? Does he really think that
black Americans are rich enough to
be able to afford to educate all their
own children privately? That he chose
to respond to your reporter by claiming
that he had "the knowledge to refute
everything she says" is just
outrageous. He's ignorant, period.
And he enabled her to score "political
points".

I have always found the term "socialized medicine" to be a laughable bogey-man. There are two losers in the European medical landscape: the terminally ill; and health care companies. My experiences with the medical quality of the UK's National Health Service have been every bit as good as my experiences in the US. Like Michael Moore in "Sicko," I tried to find a check-out counter where I paid at least something after a six-day stay with a fractured jaw. If Hillary Clinton can introduce something comparable in the US, people with an agenda like Mr Ashanti's can stick it with whatever inflammatory label they want. Meanwhile, if I do become terminally ill, I'll go ultra-conservative and try prayer.

I can't understand why so many Americans are against Medicare?
We have had Medicare in Canada for decades and I don't know of one Canadian that would want to loose it.

We can still buy into other private and corporate Health Plans if we want additional coverage to what Medicare provides. Many do so who want the added options of a Semi Private Hospital room vs. a ward, eye and dental coverage which the Medicare does not provide. Our Government provides such emergency care for those receiving Social Assistance.

I would have to work three jobs if I had to pay for all of my visits to my Doctor, for surgeries, X-Rays, Scans, Tests, etc. These are all covered on our Medicare and those who can't afford other Health Care don't have to worry that they will be turned away when they need Health Care.

Our mothers do not pay for the right to have families. Their maternity hospital care and gynecologists are paid for by Medicare.

I don't know what Americans pay in taxes but I know I'd gladly pay more if needed rather than do without our Medicare. One hospital visit I'm sure would be at least half of what I pay in taxes here. Canadians vacationing in the US ensure they get extra coverage before leaving Canada as we are aware of the astronomical costs of Hospital and Health Care in the US.

I realize the nature of this piece is supposed to be about healthcare, yet every time I see a piece written by a black person, there has to be a racial spin of some sort ...

Pathetic, continued use of the race card. Many black activist state, "blacks just want to merge into mainstream society ...etc".

If this is true, why do so many blacks force this separation?

The question about socialized health care was a loaded bullet. In which way will socialized health care hurt the African community? Oh where in the USA does this African community resides? It would have been better to express concerns about the USA population that sits below the poverty level. Clearly it's just not the African community that is a concern. I am surprise CNN, you should know better.

So why does this article not explain to more of us what ther refuting points are? All I get out of it is that Ashanti disagrees with her but not why. That would be more informative for this article

Clinton's plan IS socialized medicine. The Dems say they want to emulate the socialized models in other nations, BUT they say ours would work where theirs doesn't. Snicker.

We can get passport offices to send out passports, there are huge lines to renew drivers licenses, bridges are crumbling, politicians are on the take, and Clinton wants the government to get put in charge of another thing because (she feels) government can do a good job on that TOO? Snicker

First off, I am not a Clinton fan and will not be voting for her but Ashanti had the opportunity to expose her for the fake that she is and he chickened out. Maybe he's one of those that's only brave when hiding behind his rhetoric and his pen...

...he has the knowledge to refute everything that she is saying? That sounds like the "typical" response of someone who doesn't know much at all. Just my two cents.

Hillary Clinton's health care plan will bankrupt this country. It is easy for people to say "Healthcare is a right and should be available to anyone" but as an Emergency Room RN, I disagree. I have encountered many people who engage in very unhealthy lifestyle behaviors, such as smoking, who have no desire to take better care of themselves, regardless of the availability of education or preventive medicine resources. Many of these people believe it is their right to have "free" medical care. When the average American will end up with significantly higher taxes (like England's almost 40% income tax), waiting for weeks or months for a routine medical appointment, or having age and time limits imposed on treatment options like they have in England and Canada, I do not believe people will be so eager to provide health care to those people who choose not to take care of themselves. This is another case of people becoming educated using a 30 second TV ad or internet posting rather than putting in the time and energy and investigating the issue themselves.

I can not criticize what Hillary Clinton had to say. I can say that the author of this story let the freelance writer have the last word, and still did not present any of his facts for us to judge for ourselves.

On the need for universal health care: We need some type of system in place. labels are an easy way for people to deny what is right for our country, and the growing population who don't have health care insurance.

Just because "everyone else is doing it" is no reason for us to introduced government funded/operated (aka "socialist") healthcare here in the United States. We've seen how people become dependent upon government services in the past, and how inefficient those systems tend to become, let alone the fact that there is no incentive for the public to break away from those programs in the future. What our nation needs is legislation that will free up smaller insurance companies to work across the various state borders, allow small companies or independent contractors to pool themselves together under a single plan to reap the benefits large companies do, and so on. The government does not need to be our nanny and wipe our noses each time it runs.

America needs good health care system.It has the worst one in western countries !!
The candidate that wants to win this election must give the American people a strait answer.
Lets take care of our people first.
Forget about helping and saving the world.
Spend the money at home for EDUCATION,EDUCATION,EDUCATION !

Sincerely ,
A voter that loves USA to much

How can universal health care NOT be socialized medicine? If all medical personnel work for the government, and the hospitals and medical equipment are owned by the government, and our taxes are used to pay for everything, then that has to be a great definition of socialized medicine. If it looks like a duck, smells like a duck, and walks like a duck, then it must be ...

Have Ashanti share that 'knowledge' he posses with evryone.

Yeah, HE sounds like the one with the problem. Medicare has it's problems, for sure, but I wouldn't go so far to label it socialized medicine. I'm with her in that he needs to be schooled!

Typical. Another blow-hard journalist who doesn't have the stones to step up to the plate. If he "has the knowledge", then why doesn't he accept Clinton's challenge and discuss the issues face-to-face? I'm no Clinton fan, but she owned this little weasel.

Is this the kind of attacks the right wing is going to put up against Hillary??

Black people, or any other segment of society, will not benefit form programs like medicare, medicaid, wic or the VA?!?!?!?

Why is this news, because Hillary gave the dude a whooping?? If the question of your article is if she went to far? the answer is NO WAY. That impostor "journalist" with his own right wing blog should have gotten much more for promoting right wing policies that hurt his people.

My respect for Hilary just went up a notch. Some of our right-wing friends have a ridiculous habit of throwing around the word "socialism" when it is apparent that they either don't know or don't care what it means. Ashanti is a perfect case in point. I especially like the fact that she asked him whether he considered Medicare to be socialism- revealingly, he said yes. Ha!

Gutsy move on Senator Clinton's part – I think it was a good, honest reaction (something rarely seen in politics). I agree with her, to the extent that I understand the very confusing health care system (which is not much). I think it would have the free-lance writer’s comments and point of view would carry much more weight if he had taken Senator Clinton up on her offer to meet and talk, instead he steps away and continues with bashing the Senator. At least if he had met with her there would have been the impression that he some found basis for the bashing – at the very least it would have given him some hits on his blog. As it stands, we already know what his blog says...

Am I missing something here, or did Ashanti still not say anything? Nice text-bite Martin.

She will never be honest with her audience re the truths about socialized medicine: YOU'RE going to pay for it, and it can take months and YEARS to schedule surgery.
She prefers to treat you as if you're stupid. That's FACT and not rhetoric.

Roland Martin is biased towards Hillary Clinton, while favoring Obama. On one interview clip with Paula Zahn, he said he was thrilled to see a black man (like himself) to run as a presidential candidate.

He is a CNN contributor, and at times, achoring CNN for Paula Zhan, and others. As a journalist, he should not take sides supporting one particular candidate (Obama) during the broadcasts. I have not seen him picking flaws of Obama during his broadcasts.

My response is if he has all the information to refute what Hillary Clinton says then he should take her up on her offer and then write a column and let the public know if he can refute what he had found out. Since he did not say he would take here up on her offer, I am guessing he is trying to spur his own political agenda for future use. I am in the health care field and see the good and bad side of medicare.

Thanks,
Sharon Evans

If he had knowledge that would refute her position, why didn't he say what the information was? He is doing the same thing that he accuses her of doing. I think many people have a problem with the fact that she is a strong woman. That just doesn't play well. That, plus the fact the Obama is in the game, erodes her chances. I think Obama would make a fine president after he gets a little more international experience. We can't let the white, male voting block divide the voters. This is our chance to prove to the world that the U.S. is not run by old, white men.

No way did Clinton go too far. The USA needs to bring its public health insurance system up to the level of the rest of the world. Clinton is not advocating socialised medicine, just coverage for people who can't afford the health care for their kids.

Great, way to go Clinton...if you can't handle a reporter without attacking him, then how can you handle the presidency?
YOUR JOB is to get attacked and then defend yourself, which you did admirably, up until the point when you made a personal attack on a questioner in the audience.
I question, and always will, your conniving and backhanded ways. Your "behind-the-scenes" politics is worse than Bush, Cheney, and Rove. Someone should write a blog post on this blog about that–Hillary Clinton, we have no place for you in American politics.

For all the media coverage and talk of inclusiveness, bigotry and race, I'm absolutely dumbstruck over the idea that there's an association of black journalists. It just strikes me as highly ironic.

The reporter's question:

In a time when Britian and Canada are moving away from (big right-wing scare word ) SOCIALIZED MEDICINE becuase they HURT THE LOWER ECONOMIC PART OF THE SPECTRUM...

Excuse me?

The beauty of right-wingers is they can throw a question out there like this, a stink bomb, a lapdog servicing the for-profit healthcare industry, and there's no need for evidence or support of any kind. What a string of absurd, outrageous claims!!!!

Maybe this guy needs to write an article explaining why free healthcare is worse for people with no money than giant co-pays. And why the richest man in my state is THE HEAD OF AN HMO!!!

Oh, and Mr. Martin, I'm not that impressed by:

"Ashanti said he was a freelance writer from Orlando, Florida, with his own political blog, and who has written for Black Enterprise, BET.com, and the Active Trader."

You know, Ann Coulter's been in USA Today. That doesn't make her any less of a right-wing hack.

My question to Mr. Ashanti would be, why do you hate America? And why are you a corporate nazi? How's that for loaded, you hack? I'm so sorry no one will listen to you defend your oh-so-salient points. And I'm sure you've got convincing proof that global warming is a hoax.

It's just a tough media climate for right-wing shills, ins't it? Maybe America's finally waking up to how screwed up we are thanks to 20+ years of conservative madness.

Good for her. Loaded questions ("Would you liberals prefer to burn the flag or urinate on it?") deserve to be torn to shreds, and I'd say she did it here.

How about some real reporting, Roland?

Clinton says Ashanti doesn't have enough info; Ashanti says he can refute everything she says about health care.

We need more than 'she said; he said'. We need details and facts, so we can decide for ourselves.

Maybe the ticker isn't the place for it; but perhaps links to supporting info (on both sides) would make sense.

I sympathize very the very bright questioner. Clinton's answer is consistent, with her smug, I know how to live your life better than you do liberalism. She is truly a stulefying maternal politician who engages in the crudest banalities.

Clinton did a great job I watched the debate this guy roland s. smartin, Is a big obama supporter and would never say anything positive about anyone else even tho obama has least of all the candidates to offer. He is race struck

Funny how bloggers know more than the people with access to some of the best minds and information that government has to offer. Or are they just opinionated? Remember the old comparison about everyone having an opinion ... seems to apply.

I don't understand either why this writer is so against socialized medicine, or why Hillary Clinton is against it! It is the only fair way to make sure everyone in this country has health care. How in the world would it hurt the African-American community. It would provide millions of uninsured Americans with the care they need to quit living their lives in fear. Our current health care system is the equivalent of saying that if you can't afford it, the fire department and the police department won't respond to your calls. Fire and police protection are rights of every American. Why shouldn't health care? Why should someone be tied to a miserable job, just to have health care? Why should someone lose everything they've saved their entire life, just because they encounter a major illness? Why should people have to file for bankruptcy to pay the doctors, the hospitals, and the pharmacies?

The idea that socialized medicine doesn't work in the UK, France, Canada or other countries is simply a myth perpetrated by the insurance, pharmaceutical, and hospital corporations. Why do people buy into this nonsense?

Why is Hillary Clinton being given a free pass by the media, not much of what she says is challenged. So it is refreshing when an African American journalist makes a statement.

I thought her response was brilliant. she is smart, knows the subject and refused to be pigeon-holed by a broad, uninformed statement/question.

From this article, Mr. Ashanti doesn't seem to have the knowledge to refute, just the ability to question. I'm curious to see why he feels a national health plan would hurt the black community so much. Having lived in a country where national healthcare was avaialble FOR ALL, his comments truly seem misguided at best.

Hikkary was correct in her response to Ashanti in my opinion. Rhetoric is in large part the reason we have all this incivility going on throughout our country.

This was a real cheap shot by Clinton. She never seems to handle tough questions very well, and folks think McCain has a short fuse... If this was a republican white male who said "get educated" to a black reporter this would have made headlines. For all she knows he may very well be highly educated and have done plenty of research beyond sound bites when it comes to health care.

Of course the fact the reporter is black AND is obvioius in his support of Barack Obama has nothing to do with the slant in this story, right? Sure.

More slanted "reporting" from CNN, every bit as bias as Fox News.

Score one for the good guys...er woman! Get thee educated! Too many people keep regurgitating Faux Noise talking points after having those falsehoods shoved down their throats for so long. And as studies have shown, fewer people are able to relay facts instead of opinions after watching that crap. I'm not voting for her, but that was an entirely appropos response. So take her up on it. The time is long overdue that we break the Roveian (sic) frame of issues and looked at them head on. So kudos to Clinton, well done.

Democrats will say anything to their core to get elected. They know that thr average democrat voter (the Six-pack crowd) votes with their heart and not their minds or getting educated on the facts.

It's very easy to criticize and offer no better solutions or alternatives as Ashanti had attempted to do. I'm glad Clinton showed him to be the uneducated ignoramous he apparently is....

Clinton isolating a black journalist.... Nice.

She cannot afford to lose any black votes in this primary.

Senator Clinton finally shows some emotion and I think that's great. And it's true what she is saying. Glad to see that she is backing health care for all Americans and won't let the issue be negated by someone just trying to gain attention. BRAVO Senator Clinton!

Sounds like a setup question from a right wing agent to me.Maybe you should dig a little deeper into the questioners background.

And??? That is it? Nothing about the guy's knowledge to refute everything?

Great column ... she really put that guy in his place.

I was very surprised at Sen. Clinton's response. Not only did she not even answer the question, but she blasted the questioner practically calling them stupid and insulting their intelligence. She seemed cocky and rude, and is that what you want out of a candidate? Not me. Also, why did she say that the questioner should talk to her staff? Why not talk to them directly? Come on Hillary! Why not "have a conversation" with them? She has been cocky and rude for the past few weeks, not to mention her huge flip-flop on nukes in Pakistan. She may be the frontrunner in the polls, but she's got to get her act together, before it's too late. I hope others see this and really make sure they know the candidate they're voting for. Sen. Clinton, has lost mine.

Whilst I am all for national health care, having experienced its financial and social benefits whilst living in the UK, I also feel the need to point out that Ashanti is right: Clinton did not answer his question.

Just because a system like Medicare has 'literally saved the lives and saved the resources of countless generations of seniors in our country' doesn't negate the fact that it is socialized medicine

If Clinton wants to promote national healthcare, then she should stop dodging the 'S' word, and start talking openly about what national health care means to Americans in both practical and symbolic terms.

Did Clinton go too far with what, exactly? As near as I can tell, the only thing she did was go over the time limit - hardly the first politician to do that. How was her invitation to the journalist to speak to her staff "stinging"? It seem to me your piece is hostile, prejudicial, and biased against Clinton without offering any rational critique, yet written so as to imply we all know what she did was wrong. Very strange.

You end your "piece" with the implication that this self described politcal blogger(?) can refute Clinton assertions-You think this passes as journalism? Validate or refute his overstated allegations-get Clinton's response to your findings then you would have a story, Right now all you have is "playground gossip."

All journalists have a golden opportunity now to do fine exciting work which would be appreciated by the rest of us. But this story and God knows thousands of other meeaningless words strung together; which in the end only make noise, not journalism; is what we are stuck with.

Questions like the one he asked sound like something right from Fox News...

"government-run health care" "socialized medicine" = buzzwords! I hate how people attach negative context to words that describe a hope for a plan that would create a better future for Americans.

Fear not the government, but abhor those who create the elaborate systems to which we are forced to give our time, money and resources into the pockets of such organizations who buy out our leaders in government to further their own interests!

And then... did he REFUTE what she said? And if he did, why didn't you report it? If he did not, why didn't you report THAT? No disrespect intended, but this is so typical of the media these days, to let someone make an accusation and then not press them to back it up.

Roland, you end your commentary by quoting Kiara Ashanti as saying, "She can’t deal with the fact that I have the knowledge to refute everything that she’s saying.” But then you don't follow through with any evidence that he has that knowledge, so we're left hanging. If he does have that objective knowledge, we need to know that. Otherwise, we have no reason to question Sen. Clinton's response to his question.

I think we can safely assume that Kiara Ashanti and Roland S. Martin are Obama supporters upon reading this biased account and hearing a biased question asked. A true reporter would not ask a biased question as Ashanti did, nor, would a true reporter WRITE AN ARTICLE WHICH OBVIOUSLY SHOWS SUPPORT FOR ANOTHER REPORTER"S VIEWS! Perhaps both Ashanti and Martin need to find another job....a good choice might be with Obama's campaign!

Without commenting on the Mr. Ashanti’s naivety, I will gladly say that at least the semblance of a real issue has gotten covered from Mrs. Clinton’s visit to the NABJ forum.
I will say that I am a bit disappointed that either, no really tough questions were asked or that if they did, they did not get covered.

I find that Ashanti seems to be a little full of himself. The last quote perfectly displays this:

Then he added, “She can’t deal with the fact that I have the knowledge to refute everything that she’s saying.”

A little cocky? I think so.

Personally, I could care less what happens at these forums as they are a waste of time. The candidates always answer in vague ways and never address the issues at hand.

They will say "I have a plan to fix health care and it will work!" Then, when people ask, "what is the plan, how will it be funded?" We don't get any answers. Just look at Obama and his universal health care plan, he refuses to go into details about how it will be funded, but the truth of it is, it will be a large income tax anywhere from 40-60% of income.

Currently, if you are making $30,000 a year now at your current job and paying $50-$150 a paycheck for your health care, so $1300-$3900 a year based on bi-weekly pay. If you had universal health care, besides the waiting lines, you would be paying roughly $5000-$7000 more in income tax to pay for it (seeing how you pay about %24 now on your income as the current tax rate). Therefore, it ends up costing you more money to have universal health care!

If you make more then $30,000 a year, then it just gets worse! Do the math people, don't waste your money and dont allow the government to have this power!

I would usually agree about not listing the blog address, but if he does have the points to refute her and he has them on his blog, then I actually DO want to know where his site is so I can see for myself.

Personally I am in full favor of socialized medicine... We need a 2 tier system...

Tier 1. Basic heathcare should be free... period. Make doctors do "pro bono" work while they are "new/young doctors" to help offset the costs...

Tier 2. If you want bells and whistles beyond free coverage (i.e. better docs,less waiting lines, etc. etc... then you can pay for it via Insurance)

There is no reason on earth that the "leaders of the free world" cant take care of a sick kid, unwell elderly person, or the general middle class cant get a basic free checkup and basic healthcare.

Yes, it's "socialized medicine." And that's a good idea, it works. Using the buzz words of the far right as though they meant something is just insulting to the intelligence of us all. Yes, Medicare is a step toward "socialized medicine." We NEED socialized medicine in this country. The current system of enriching the insurance companies in the hope that they will let us use some of that bounty to actually obtain medical care is not working.

I think Clinton actually handled this pretty well. The questioner was clearly trying to get her goat and she stood her ground. She wasn't personal towards him, and she had every reason to want to defend her positions. This is sort of a preview of how she's going to handle it when the right wing machine attacks her with the same kinds of ideas, and I'm glad she's prepared to defend herself reasonably and take them on without getting personal. Maybe she got a little testy towards the end, but that came across (to me) as strength rather than anger. The moderator was also very rude in saying they weren't there to have a debate. What kind of nonsense was that? What's the point of having a Q & A session at all if that's the rule?

bad headline for your story.

I think Mr. Ashanti is the one who needs to get educated and drop the rhetoric. There was nothing he said that refuted anything or added anything intelligent to the discussion. he just used the typical buzzword, "socialized medicine" that freaks out many Americans.

“Do you think Medicare is socialized medicine?” she challenged him. “To a degree it is,” Ashanti said. “Well, then you are in a small minority in America because Medicare has literally saved the lives and saved the resources of countless generations of seniors in our country.”
So her argument was that it wasn't "socialized" because it has saved lives? It sounds like she wants a change in terminology, and is trying to make that happen simply by skirting the question.

Hillary Clinton comes off to me as a know it all. Very abrasive and condenscending. This will catch up with her as this race goes on. She didn't even have the decency to ask the man for his name and stabbed at his education. She needs to be careful. You never know who your talking to.

So if you want to know everything Mr. Ashanti knows about refuting everything Sen. Clinton has to say please visit him at any one of his media outlets, namely "his own political blog".

C'mon, sure everyone has something to say (and has every right to) but it seems like a shill to me. A man looking to make a statement is one thing, but a freelance writer looking to make a name for himself is another. I guess it's good that someone is standing up and questioning our countries politicians. However, I think those questions are better served for the people, not just one man.

Ashanti is a dodo! He obviously lacks knowledge and is only interested in listening to his own voice.

Then he added, “She can’t deal with the fact that I have the knowledge to refute everything that she’s saying.”

Don't feel along Ashanti...! It is just typical Clinton....peirod!

It seems to me that people like to mischaracterize the single payer model of health care financing as "socialized medicine." The news outlets need to get it right: socialized medicine is when GOVERNMENT owns the medical facilities and employs the health care workers (like in the VA). Compare that to single payer financing, where private companies and individuals own and run medical facilities and doctors work in private practice, but the health care is financed through a government insurance system (like Medicare). Clinton's proposed model in the 1990s is a single payer model, NOT socialized medicine.

Clinton did go too far though as she once showed how she can pander to a particular crowd by raising her voice and talking down to the gentleman like she was right and he was wrong without any debate. She should've asked him why he doesn't like "socialized" medicine and taht would've brought his beliefs into more perspective for everybody.

I'm curious as to what the alternative to "socialized" medicine is.

If people can't afford insurance or afford to buy medicine or have surgeries that can save their lives, then how is the medical care going to happen?

I don't really think its humane to say "Every man or woman for himself or herself".

And it shouldn't be our purpose as civilized folk to keep people with little or no money from getting adequate healthcare.

This guy is dumb and he knows it.Hillary killed him on national television. I love the fact that she knows how to defend herself.

I don't think it is any coincidence that Mr. Ashanti is a Republican blogger. Call her plan what you will but kudos to Clinton for calling Ashanti out on playing the "name game." No one, African-American or otherwise, would suffer from health insurance. You gotta love "freelance journalists." For the record, I am a freelance journalist. So is anyone that posts a comment on this website.

Ahanti's response is what's typical, not Clinton's. Clinton's response, an invitation to come talk to her staff about the subject of health care, is anything but typical... For any journalist worth their salt, and not your 'wolf in sheep's clothing' variety of "journalist" who asks questions as a way of expressing opinion, it would be the opportunity for the scoop of their career. This guy passed on that, and I think that says alot about him and his motivations. And his response, that he had the information to refute Clinton, was what was typical – because though he claimed to have it, he didn't bother to say what it was. A stuffed shirt wearing a press pass, if you ask me...

She's there speaking to you, Give her some credit. All of her answers can't be right ALL THE TIME or the perfect answer just for you, that will NEVER HAPPEN. Just say thank you and move forward.

I'm still somewhat lukewarm towards Clinton, but good for her! Wonderful, wonderful answer - were it not for "socialized" Medicare, my mother would be unable to obtain the drugs she needs. Certainly "market forces" haven't produced them at prices she can afford. As for Ashanti, he'd have some credibility with me if he had gone and met with Clinton's staff. She challenged him – he failed to respond other than with empty rhetoric.

What's typical is people using the term "socialized" to attach a stigma to the proposed system changes.

Health care should be a right, not a priviliege. And while yes that is an assumption, I believe it is a valid one. When a great number of US citizens do not have access to the same medical care as the wealthy then you know you have a serious problem on your hands. Especially when even with supposed coverage the incentives are to provide as basic as possible care, if even.

It is a quite literaly a crime against humanity to draw such lines of division when lives are literaly at stake.

I have been fortunate. I am not a US citizen, and while I may dish out a higher dollar percentage in taxes, I am secure in the knowledge that if I should ever need medical attention, I, like the PM and the crackhead down the street will receive the same quality and quantity care.

If that is the evil of a "socialized" care, then we have a serious detachment from reality and if the evil view prevails, we'll soon have quite a border hop for medicine up here in the "socialized" Canada.

Then again, we allready do.

It's obvious that Ashanti knows very little about healthcare and probably has little factual knowledge to refute anything about it.

“She can’t deal with the fact that I have the knowledge to refute everything that she’s saying.”, was the statement CNN reported Ashanti saying to explain his reaction to Clinton's remarks. I didn't realize that freelance writers who are able to rant on their own political blogs were able to get press passes. It's not that Hillary 'can't deal with the fact' that Ashanti could have argued back, I think it's more relevant to note that she doesn't in fact need to debate every self-proclaimed muckraking journalist.

Go Hill!! She's such a great person, and will do great things for this country when she becomes president.

Clinton hit the nail on the head. The republicans know that "socialized" anything will kill it in the public. So, that is how they label any plan they don't like. Perhaps they should come to the table with an idea besides "health savings accounts?"

So far, all I know from this is that a blogger didn't take Clinton's answer as gospel, but you didn't provide enough information to check out the blog to find out what possible angle the questioner had going. Felt like you ran out of word count before you got to the heart of the story.

Why doesn't he go talk to her staff
and see what they tell him. If he has the knowledge as he calims, it wpould
validate his position even more.

Based on what I get out of thie report it seems Mrs. Clinton was ambused by this questioner. This is a real danger for anyone standing in front of people and trying to be prepared for anything. I think Mr. Ashanti should take Mrs. Clinton up on her offer.

I am NOT a Hillary Clinton supporter, but her health care system may be just what America needs.
So what if it's socialized medicine?
If it works then that's all that counts.
In the US socialism is alwys equated with communism. Well, it's not the same at all. I was born in the Netherlands, which is one of the most democratic countries in the world. They have a social democratic form of government.It's about time people in the USA became a little bit more socially aware. If everybody pays a little more in taxes then everybody can be covered with health care. I'll be glad to pay a little bit more in taxes so everybody can be covered with health care.

Sounds like to me, Ashanti is bitter that he got owned and that Hillary was ready for him instead of being flustered by the question. If he had the knowledge to refute everything, why not offer up that info rather than giving a vague response. He could have posted his supposed facts on his blog.

Roland,

It would help if you would list two or three of the facts that Ashanti knows that refute _everything_ Hillary is saying. All I can tell from this article is that Ashanti apparently considers Ashanti well informed.

Some particulars next time. Ok?

Is anyone going to call out Hillary Clinton here? Socialized medicine means medicine that is subsidized by the government through coercive taxation. It's not a matter of opinion whether most of America thinks it's good or whether it has paid for people's medical bills or not. Medicare is by definition socialized medicine. Ashanti's point was that socialism does not work; it has 'blowback' and it does more harm than good. I wish the media would stop coddling the establishment candidates and call them out on their sophomoric rhetoric.

I would say that is typical of the black community, they use our hospitals in the inner cities more then anyone, I would expect they would want everything free, anyone who listens to Roland Martin on CNN knows he always feels the african americans are to be felt sorry for, and everyone is to blame for there being behind in the worldly world.

This blurb comes across as a hit job on Clinton, even though the teeny bit hidden after the fold (so to speak) suggests that Ashanti had little interest himself in following through, even though Clinton and her staff invited him to.

Sorry, but Ashanti comes across as the jerk in this exchange, not Clinton.

Ashanti is lacking in facts and does not understand socialized medicine and/or Medicare. I do not see how he concludes that socialized will exclude black Americans. Medicare was the best thing for black seniors. He is out there just with words, including the remark that he has the knowledge to refute everything Clinton says. I have been a Registered Nurse since Medicare began. He should not be published in mainstream media by someone like Roland Martin because he is distributing misinformation at the expense not of Senator Clinton but of millions of Americans of all colors.

Not a Clinton fan, but not impressed with Kiara Ashanti.

How will socialized healthcare hurt african american communities? It will help them if anything. I am from Canada and our system is very efficient. I see my doctor on demand and within that day or the next and I never see a bill. I had an MRI in week. When are Americans going to wake up and realize what is best instead of calling everybody who tries to improve the system a communist. This issue displays typical American ignorance and does not display much intelligence.

Oh my goodness. I just watched the clip, and I especially didn't like her TONE and "authority" in the response at the end, "...if you're interested in being educated instead of being rhetorical".

Here, the "white man" – ok fine, white PRIVILEDGED woman... comes and now educates the minorities.

Ridiculous. Boo to Hillary on this one. Two thumbs down.

Is it about the label, "socialized" or the service provided?
USA is the only developed nation without universial health care!
I don't care what we call it, but it has to be fixed.

I fail to see how this is reportable news. It seems to me more of an opportunity to swipe at Clinton. So the freelancer is the new "authority" on healthcare? Let's have some real campaign news.

Calling it "socialized medicine" is a misnomer. All the proposed health care plans still provide choice, so it's incorrect to term it "socialized", however, that's almost an issue in semantics. With the exchange, I don't see anything wrong with Clinton lashing back with the tough rhetoric; that's what Ashanti did when he tried to pose the egregious statement that black communities will be hurt by UHC. That's a ridiculous claim, just like Conservatives who claim that UHC will create waits where people die waiting for care. If someone made a baseless claim in a snarling tone (which I'm assuming) instead of one of a naive person, I can see myself being snarky back. I'm not in the 46% of Dems who favor Hillary, too, right now in full disclosure.

oh SNAP!

if ONLY people would actually get educated on the issues instead of resorting to talking points.

The democrats are taking this country towards communism. If you read the 10 planks of the communist manifesto, you will know what I mean. It is a list of 10 things that must exist for a country to be considered communist and we are 60% there. The Republicans are taking this country towards Fascism. Mussolini defines fascism as the marriage between government and corporation. Boy are we ever there, especially with the Federal Reserve. Hillary wants a socialist society. She doesn't want the America of the Founding Fathers.

I'm not even a Clinton fan, but her answer was exactly correct. It's uneducated fools like this Ashanti character who use the scary terms perpetuated by the forces who benefit from our screwed up health care system (i.e. the insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, etc.) who have forced us to endure this nonsense for decades.

i enjoyed that. good work! ashanti does have a point!

So somebody who has media access to her – go track her down and follow up!

Clinton was 100% right again! J Why would anybody want to be ripped-off by Capitalistic Insurance Companies that collect everyone’s money in advance and pay someone else’s medical bills late if ever. L By putting the burden of health care on employers puts American business at a competitive disadvantage compared to foreign businesses where health care is a universal public benefit. L Bottom line: every penny that goes for Insurance company stockholders’ profits is drives up the cost of health care and puts big hole to drain on our national economy.

Who are these stockholders that exploit your illness?
Wouldn’t you want your healthcare dollars to actually pay for your health care?
Isn’t it better that the money you invest in health care actually went to health care instead of profits for capitalistic insurance companies?

1)I thought "socialized" medicine requires health care workers to be employed by the government?
WHERE in Hillary's plan, in 1993, and NOW does it require that? NO WHERE. "Health Alliances" are NOT health care workers being forced on Americans.

2)I looked up Mr. "Kiara Ashanti's" previous writings, and yes, he is a Republican. How a Republican gets away with having a name more girly than Beyonce, I have no idea.

If he could really refute all of her arguments, he would have tried to use this interview to make his point. As it stands, his comments are completely vacuous.

The more I hear of Clinton, the more I realize what an intelligent, strong woman she is. She would be a formidable leader for this country.

Ashanti obviously has not heard the healthcare horror stories that Clinton has. Sure medicare is good but it is also bad. It is not (a either/ or) good or bad situation. If Clinton can get rid of the bad–more power to her!

Unfortunately, there is not enough information in this blog to make a decision. Yes Clinton's plan and medicare are socialistic in nature, but shouldn't we have health care for all americans especially in light of our prosperity. I would like some real answers from someone and not just political b.s. for vote talling purposes. The only problem is the mass public does not really care.

Senator Clinton is correct that the US has one of the weakest health care systems of all 'advanced countries' in the world. It is interesting to hear that a 'freelance writer', who happens to have his very own political blog, has all of the knowledge on the subject. Let's hear some ideas on how to make things better, rather than grand-standing. At least the Senator has been trying to correct this terrible wrong for more than a decade. Every American deserves quality health care, regardless of income.

If Ashanti has the "knowledge to refute everything that she's saying," then give him the space to do so here... or at least provide his blog address. Otherwise, this is just another example of non-news "news" slanted to make Clinton appear more "presidential."

This item ended to soon! Well, I want to hear those refutations from Mr. Ashanti. He is doing exactly what he accuses Clinton of doing. I also want to know his political affiliation. Seems like he was there more to make trouble than to educate.

So Mr. Ashanti considers himself a journalist, yet he can't be bothered to review the material Sen. Clinton has in support of her position.

Unfortunately, I'm not surprised.

There was a time when a journalist considered it his/her job to provide the population with independently verified facts and figures from both sides of the debate, then let people decide for themselves what they believe. Now, the Mr. Ashantis of the world - of which there are far too many - seem to decide FIRST what they believe, then pick and choose the facts that seem to support their position, ignore everything else, tell us what to believe, and call it news.

Hillary has no policies and no intention of doing any health care.
I don't know why the msm is so obsessed by her because she would not give this country the change it needs. Only more of the same failed policies of the past 20 years.
why the american people actually believe the spin they are given on the msm news and don't bother to find out the real story for themselves but, as long as this theater continues we will be stuck with another in a long line of bad presidents.

Interesting. CNN's headline read "Clinton: Get educated, drop the rhetoric".

The CNN article gave virtually no effort to covering the journalist's view. He was proposing that a presidential candidate was not providing full details on a campaign "promise" – Imagine that!

instead, the CNN article seemed to validate everything she said.

Impartial reporting? I think not. CNN and Fox continue to demonstrate that viewers/readers must interpret their broadcasts/sites.

I teach my 11-year-old daughter that freedom of speech is a delicate right. Our press is no longer free – it is purchased by the appropriate party or highest bidder.

Pity.

hillary: yuck! she sounded snitty and arrogant to me.

Oh no...save us from people with "the knowledge."

When we talk about government providing health care (whether universal or socialized or Medicare or whatever) we have to be clear: we are talking about the use of force. People are forced to be a part of the system and pay for it. (even in Republican schemes like Romney care). This is is how it works everywhere else that any similar type of scheme has been set up.

In the 21st century, aren't we a little more civilized now? Can't we come up with voluntary solutions? Here's a radical thought: stop taxing the crap out of people, let them keep their money and make their own decisions.

i love how she says its not socialized healthcare. i can't think of any other term to describe it. but everyone makes out the word socialized to be a bad thing, because its not "democratic." socialized healthcare works. period. call it what you want, but it is still socialized healthcare. kudos to Kiara Ashanti for having the gonads to ask this question of hilary.

"Socialized medicine can refer to any system of medical care controlled and financed by the government." – wikipedia.org

Maybe Senator Clinton needs to become educated...