THE REAL HILLARY CLINTON: Episode #25 - Nightmare on Pennsylvania Avenue (Healthcare)

NOTE: the survival of our Republic is threatened by two things -- fundamentalist Islamic terrorists and Hillary Rodham Clinton. President Bush is leading the fight against the terrorists. It is up to those of us who know the real Hillary Clinton to lead the fight against her. We must shine the light of truth on this dangerous woman so that all Americans may know the real Hillary.

When she was elected…..er, when her husband was elected in 1992 with about 42% of the vote, Hillary thought it was a mandate. The un-elected woman who held a great deal over her husband's head, was given a large role in domestic policy, particularly in healthcare. Had Hillary gotten her way, she would have controlled 1/7 of the nation's economy.

Not surprisingly, Hillary tried to pull off her healthcare coup in secret. For over three years she had claimed that all the members of her secret committee were full-time government employees. Why was that important? Because the so-called "Sunshine Law" would not apply. Hillary held meetings in secret, kept documents hidden from the public, and would not let us know all the members of the President's Task Force on Health Care Reform.

The National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC)joined the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, Inc. (AAPS) in a lawsuit that ended up in the courtroom of one of the only judges who had the moral clarity and intestinal fortitude to actually enforce the law. Judge Royce Lamberth took seriously the rule of law.

Hillary's task force was given a budget of $100,000. In secret, it spent almost $14 million.

Pointing a legal finger directly at the White House, the Department of Justice, and the ``highest levels of government,'' a federal judge imposed sanctions for misconduct on December 18, ordering the government to pay more than $285,000 to the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons (AAPS).

``We're elated that justice has finally been reached, but distressed that this shows a continuing course of misconduct by this Administration and the Department of Justice,'' said AAPS attorney Thomas Spencer.

The order issued by Judge Royce Lamberth of the District Court for the District of Columbia finally brings to a close litigation initiated in February 1993 (AAPS v. Hillary Rodham Clinton), contending that the President's Task Force on Health Care Reform operated illegally, relying on private advisors and meeting in secret.

For more than three years, the Administration and Department of Justice claimed that task force working groups consisted entirely of full-time government employees. Subsequent release of task force documents proved that claim to be false. Judge Lamberth found that the Executive Branch and its attorneys knew that claim to be false, but did nothing to correct the record, thereby prolonging litigation.

``It seems that some government officials never learn that the cover-up can be worse than the underlying conduct,'' writes Judge Lamberth. ``Most shocking to this court, and deeply disappointing, is that the Department of Justice would participate in such conduct...this type of conduct is reprehensible, and the government must be held accountable for it.''

Judge Lamberth squarely places the blame on the White House and its lawyers, including Vincent Foster: ``...It is clear that the decisions here were made at the highest levels of government, and the government itself is-and should be-accountable when its officials run amok. These were no rogue lawyers here misleading the court. The court agrees with plaintiffs that these were not reckless and inept errors taken by bewildered counsel. The Executive branch of the government, working in tandem, was dishonest with this court, and the government must now face the consequences of its misconduct.''

``This is a sad victory,'' said AAPS spokeswoman Kathryn Serkes. ``We're relieved and pleased to have our claims of an illegal cover-up corroborated. But it's a shame that the victory comes at a cost to the American people. If the White House and Department of Justice had told the truth from the beginning, this prolonged and expensive litigation could have been avoided.

``It's too bad that those guilty of this misconduct don't have to pay the bill-instead of the taxpayers. Perhaps now that they've finally been accountable for at least one of their scandals, they'll learn their lesson-a cover-up is a cover-up whether it is in the basement files of the White House or in a federal courtroom.'' ========================

Above all, NLPC wants to make sure that a major government initiative is never again developed in secret, illegal sessions.

It was NLPC that successfully sued in 1993 to open the secret meetings and records of the task force. As a result, hundreds of thousands of previously secret documents have been released to the public and media. NLPC’s co-plaintiffs in the case are the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and the American Council for Health Care Reform.

Most recently, Hillary Rodham Clinton’s top aide Ira Magaziner escaped criminal prosecution for perjury when the U.S. Attorney for D.C. Eric Holder, announced that he would not prosecute Magaziner despite overwhelming evidence that he had lied to NLPC.

On March 3, 1993, Magaziner swore under oath that all participants in Hillary’s task force were government officials.

At that very moment, dozens of lobbyists for corporations that would profit under Hillary’s plan were active participants in the task force.

It was not a small point. The whole lawsuit turned on that very question. NLPC filed suit under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA), which requires open meetings if lobbyists and other private individuals meet with government officials.

As long as Magaziner claimed there were no outsiders, he could argue the meetings could stay closed. The request for a criminal investigation was made by U.S. District Court Judge Royce Lamberth, who presided in the case against the task force. Holder's refusal to indict Magaziner came as no surprise to NLPC. In fact, NLPC had questioned whether Holder could conduct an impartial investigation because of a glaring conflict of interest. According to news reports, Holder was at the time under consideration by President Clinton for appointment as a judge to the U.S. Court of Appeals for D.C.

NLPC cited this fact in a January 23, 1995 request of Attorney General Janet Reno that an independent counsel be appointed to investigate Magaziner. A majority of members of the House Judiciary Committee made the same demand. On May 10, Reno rejected the request.

NLPC Chairman Ken Boehm reacted sharply, “This is nothing short of a cover-up. It is obvious that Magaziner lied to us. One Clinton crony cannot be expected to investigate another.” Magaziner was represented during the criminal investigation by Charles Ruff, who himself was considered by Clinton for appointment as Attorney General before it came to light that he failed to pay taxes for a domestic helper.

Chronology of a Cover Up
Jan. 25, 1993
Hillary appointed head of Health Care Task Force
Feb. 11, 1993
NLPC demands White House open meetings
Feb. 16, 1993 White House Counsel Bernard Nussbaum refuses NLPC request to open secret meetings
Feb. 24, 1993
NLPC and two other groups file suit
Mar. 3, 1993
Task force director Ira Magaziner lies to NLPC under oath
Mar 10, 1993
Federal Judge Royce C. Lamberth orders Hillary to open meetings
May 31, 1993
Task Force allegedly disbands
June 14, 1993
Washington Times reports shredding of Task Force documents
June 15, 1993
Judge Lamberth orders White House to stop destroying documents.
Sept. 22, 1993
Administration presents health care plan to Congress
Dec. 21, 1994
Judge Lamberth accuses Magaziner of lying and asks U.S. Attorney Eric Holder for criminal investigation
Jan. 6, 1995
Washington Post reports that Holder is under consideration for appointment to federal judgeship
Jan. 23, 1995
NLPC requests that Attorney General Janet Reno appoint special prosecutor to investigate Magaziner perjury
Mar. 3, 1995
Reno announces she won’t appoint special prosecutor
Aug. 3, 1995
U.S. Attorney Holder announces he won’t prosecute Magaziner.
=======================

Just before the holidays, Judge Royce Lamberth of the U.S. District Court for D.C. issued a decision sanctioning the Clinton Administration for its “dishonesty” in fighting a lawsuit which opened up the meetings and records of Hillary’s health care task force. The successful suit was filed by NLPC and two other groups in February 1993. By making an issue of the secrecy, NLPC helped unravel Hillary’s plan for government run-and-rationed health care.

Lamberth minced no words in ruling that the government must pay legal bills of $285,864 incurred by the plaintiffs. He ruled that task force director Ira Magaziner lied to him, and the White House and Justice Department lawyers of “outrageous conduct” in covering up the lies.

At issue was a March 3, 1993 sworn deposition. Magaziner claimed that all participants in the health care task force were government employees. It was a falsehood, and it was not a small point. We had sued under the Federal Advisory Committee Act (FACA). It requires open meetings of any government task force when private individuals take part.

One week later on March 10, Judge Lamberth ruled that the task force had to open its meetings to the plaintiffs and the media. This setback for Hillary was front-page news. In reality, it was a split decision. Lamberth ruled that the “official” members of the task force, meaning the First Lady and the Cabinet Secretaries, could not meet in secret because Hillary was not a government employee. But Lamberth also ruled that the “worker bees” who were developing the plan could continue to work in secret, because FACA was never meant to apply to staff. Of course, Lamberth was relying on Magaziner’s false representation that all the staffers were government employees.

That evening on ABC’s “Nightline,” I debated White House aide George Stephanopoulos. I addressed the issue head on, “What a lot of Americans are worried about, Ted, is that we now have an American version of Imelda Marcos, wielding vast influence behind the scenes, with little accountability to the American people.” Leaving the “Nightline” set, I remember Koppel chiding me for the Imelda Marcos comparison as unduly harsh.

The White House appealed Lamberth’s ruling, arguing that Hillary functioned as a government official. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit agreed on June 22, 1993. If it was a victory for Hillary, it was a Pyhrric one. The Appeals Court opened the door for the discovery of Ira Magaziner’s lie by granting us access to task force documents after we presented evidence that private, special interests had taken part in the task force.

Eventually, 250 boxes containing 500,000 documents would be released. They confirmed that lobbyists and Clinton campaign donors, who stood to benefit financially from Hillary’s plan, illegally took part in the task force. While there were thousands of documents addressed to Hillary, there were virtually none from Hillary. There is no doubt such documents were withheld. Their release would have shed light on Hillary’s involvement in Magaziner’s falsehoods.

It is a dubious proposition that Magaziner could have lied without Hillary’s advance knowledge. Webster Hubbell states in his new book, “I think the beginning of Vince’s downturn was when the Health Care Task Force was sued.” Hubbel asserts that Hillary snapped at Foster, “Fix it, Vince.”

Magaziner conveniently claims that his March 3, 1993 sworn declaration was prepared by Vince Foster, a dead man, and Hubbell, a convicted felon. The lawsuit was being defended by Justice Department lawyers who filed Magaziner’s declaration. At the very least, they would have read it. White House Counsel Bernard Nussbaum was also aware of the contents. The notion that Magaziner could have lied without the advance knowledge of anyone else is simply not credible.

Hillary, Nussbaum and the Justice Department team handling the case were all lawyers. As members of the Bar and Officers of the Court, they had a responsibility to bring an instance of perjury to the attention of the Court if they became aware of it. None of them did even though they were undoubtedly aware of it long before Judge Lamberth or anyone else outside the Administration.

Hillary’s passivity in the face of Magaziner’s lies is easy to prove. But the circumstances suggest a far deeper involvement. It is unlikely that a score of prominent lawyers in two different executive departments would have acquiesced to Magaziner marching into federal court to make false statements. There had to be a greater force within the Administration that they feared even more than putting their careers on the line.

The U.S. attorney in 1995 declined to prosecute Magaziner for perjury for stating that all members of the task force were government employees.

The judge said the Justice Department "succumbed to pressure from White House attorneys and others" to provide the court with "strained interpretations" about the task force.

He rebuked the Justice Department for failing to correct the inaccuracies in Magaziner's statement. "It is clear that the decisions here were made at the highest levels of government and the government itself is -- and should be -- accountable when its officials run amok. There were no rogue lawyers here misleading this court," Lamberth wrote in the 19-page ruling.

The lawsuit became irrelevant when the Justice Department in 1994 decided to make public all of the task force documents. The health care initiative was led by first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton, but her proposals were abandoned in the face of opposition in Congress.

How would someone like Hillary Clinton handle the power given to the president under the Patriot Act? That is pretty scary. She has already proven very clearly what she is capable of doing.

Judge Lamberth squarely places the blame on the White House and its lawyers, including Vincent Foster: "...It is clear that the decisions here were made at the highest levels of government, and the government itself is-and should be-accountable when its officials run amok. These were no rogue lawyers here misleading the court. The court agrees with plaintiffs that these were not reckless and inept errors taken by bewildered counsel. The Executive branch of the government, working in tandem, was dishonest with this court, and the government must now face the consequences of its misconduct".

OUCH!!! I honestly had never read that part of Lamberths decision before.What a great post. Upon further reflection, this certainly opens up the flood gates of questions. Vince, as thee right hand of "The Beast",(and certainly not as rough/tough as her and her beliefs, he was a softy) a pretty straight up and honest human, probably thought his respectable world was shattered having been publicly denounced (though not in name specifically) but in general.Doing what you love and being scorned in public, and believing your boss Shrillary when she probably guaranteed that she'll take care of him.That seems more than enough to drive him to depression,I'll bet.Conned into thinking "Hillary will protect me, no matter what, she brought me here". Oh, and I think it would be interesting to note the date of his death to the end of your timeline, it may give it even more perspective. Keep up the great work!

AGREED

I'M UNDERWHELMED with the responses. You are putting out a ton of work. And it won't be wasted.

But I'm eager to see 100's of thousands more uses of your work. . . and that multiplied many times over.

The fact that she got on the Senate Armed Services Committee is such an evil event to me--and obviously planned by puppet masters somewhere. . . to me.

The woman must be stopped. She's an attack on all that's good. She stands for the worst of mankind and only the best of hell--i.e. the worst hell has to offer = hell's best. She would sleep with the devil himself if he promised her even a flash in the pan's worth of world power. The thought of her being in that committee position 2 more years is hideous. Would be more frightful except that I believe God is still behind everything and under everything got everything in control and WILL WORK HIS WILL REGARDLESS.

But we are still responsible for our choices and dare not walk on by on the otherside of the road while she attacks and robs the poor man who is our grand land yet again. IMHO.

She has already proven very clearly what she is capable of doing.

doug, the woman would rule by a junta if she could.

If she could, she would disband the legislative and judicial branches of govt... much like Hitler did when he became Chancellor.

I think it's a done deal that she is the VP in 2004... Kerry/Clinton.

Billy was a traitor/rapist... HILLARY! is a true marxist!

Orangedog:

A long time ago you posted a quote from hitlary...

To: doug from upland
Always remember what Hitlery said in congressional questioning regarding the many small businesses which would have been bankrupted by her health care scheme:
I can't be held responsible for every under-capitalized business in the country."

I was listening to the radio while driving one night when I heard that clip from that hearing and I almost ran off of the road.

7 posted on 01/14/2003 8:57:12 PM PST by Orangedog (Accept No Substitutes)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies

I'm having an argument with someone on this. I heard her say it in Florida, at a town meeting or something. I cannot, for the life of me, find a link to it anywhere. Can you help me with that?

Thanks,
Papasmurf

:O)

P

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