With Rock Star Fanfare, Clinton Talks Health Care On The Campaign Trail
Speaking to what the New York Times described as a sellout crowd in Florida, former President Bill Clinton reprised many of his convention speech themes regarding how the health law is strengthening Medicare and providing benefits to millions of Americans. The Obama campaign is expected to continue to rely on Clinton as a surrogate in battleground states.
The New York Times: Embracing Role As Surrogate, Clinton Hits Campaign Trail
Speaking to a sellout crowd of 2,300 at Florida International University, Mr. Clinton reprised much of the detail-laden defense of Mr. Obama's first term that he delivered in Charlotte, N.C. He lavished special attention on two particularly resonant issues in a state with many students and older voters: education loans and health care. Repealing Mr. Obama's health care law, as Mitt Romney has pledged to do, would "weaken Medicare; it's going to run out of money quicker," Mr. Clinton said. The Republicans, he said, would cut off the access of students to low-interest federal loans, which could put college out of reach for many middle-income people (Landler, 9/11).
Los Angeles Times: Bill Clinton Focuses On Medicare In Speech For Obama In Florida
Launching a two-day campaign swing in senior-heavy Florida, former President Clinton pushed back Tuesday against what he described as Republican scare tactics over healthcare programs for older Americans — then provided his own frightening predictions about what would happen to seniors if Mitt Romney became president. Clinton said the Republican nominee was misleading voters by arguing that President Obama's healthcare overhaul "robbed Medicare of $716 billion," noting that the money would mainly be cut from future payments to hospitals and insurance companies, not beneficiaries. The issue has particular resonance in this state, which has the largest proportion of over-65 voters in the country (West, 9/11).
The Washington Post: In Election's Last Weeks, Obama Campaign Deploys Bill Clinton To Battleground States
For 41 statistic-filled, wonky minutes, former president Bill Clinton held forth to an adoring crowd at Florida International University about the economy, health care, taxes and the national debt, reprising remarks he made on behalf of President Obama at last week's Democratic National Convention. An appreciative Obama borrowed a Twitter joke and gave Clinton the new "secretary" nickname. … Obama campaign officials believe that the former president's popularity is near universal and that he can be successfully deployed in all the major battlegrounds of the nation. In addition to Florida, they indicated that he will campaign in Ohio, Wisconsin, Iowa, Nevada and New Hampshire and will headline fundraisers on both coasts (Helderman, 9/11).
