Clinton Camp's Letter to Obama Camp Asking He Take Down Health Care Ad

Dear David:

I am writing concerning a false advertisement you are currently airing, in which Sen. Obama claims that his health care plan would "cover everyone." Your advertisement not only contradicts the judgment of health care experts, but public statements by your campaign and your candidate. Senator Obama has pledged to put "honesty first" in this campaign. In that spirit I respectfully request that you stop running this ad which is misleading voters in New Hampshire.

In today's New York Times, noted Economist Paul Krugman wrote that Sen. Obama proposed "a relatively weak, incomplete health care plan. Although [Sen. Obama] declared, in his speech announcing the plan, that 'my plan begins by covering every American,' it didn't — and he shied away from doing what was necessary to make his claim true."

Health care author Jonathan Cohn looked at the data and concluded that, under the most optimistic scenario, Sen. Obama's plan would leave "15 million people who are uninsured." The Washington Post reached a similar conclusion, finding that Sen. Obama's plan would not cover "a third" of the 47 million Americans who are currently uninsured.

Additionally, a constellation of the nation's top health care experts – including MIT's Jonathan Gruber, the Kaiser Family Foundation's Diane Rowland and the Urban Institute's John Holland -- have concluded that plans like Sen. Obama's, which does not include a requirement for all Americans to have health care, would leave a substantial portion of the American public without coverage.

Even Sen. Obama himself has admitted that his plan would not cover everyone, calling the plan "virtually universal." Your top health care advisor, David Cutler, acknowledged that Sen. Obama's plan could leave "significant pockets" of people uninsured and said Sen. Obama would "deal with that when the time comes, possibly by mandating insurance."

On an issue of this magnitude Americans are looking for more than a nice ad or a good speech. It's not enough for Senator Obama to say he covers everyone, especially when that is inaccurate. The American people need a President who will take the action necessary and fight for healthcare for every single man woman and child. Until the time comes when Sen. Obama has a plan that will cover everyone, you should stop running this false advertisement. The American people deserve an honest debate about health care.

Sincerely,

Patti Solis Doyle
Campaign Manager
Hillary Clinton for President