Health Care BS

Since last weekend, when Hillary Clinton descended on Des Moines to dish up a few platitudes about health care, a variety of sycophants masquerading as journalists have extolled her virtues as the savior of American health care. Other candidates had things to say on the subject, but they were no match for “the smartest woman in the world” in the eyes of people like Taylor Marsh, who gushed as follows:

The clear winner today was Hillary Clinton. Period. No one came close to her passion, energy and details, as well as the humor and, yes, humility she brought to the subject at hand: health care. After the health care defeat she suffered during her husband’s tenure it’s clear she has come to terms with the issue as well as cultivated a sense of humor about her mistakes.

Such obsequious blather would be nauseating enough if the Senator had some sort of comprehensive reform plan on the table. But she doesn’t have a plan. Here’s how the AP phrased it:

While Clinton said the issue continues to be a high priority for her, she has not offered up a specific plan. One questioner at the town hall meeting held up a copy of … John Edwards’ plan for universal health care, asking Clinton if she will also offer specifics. The reason she hasn’t “set out a plan and said here’s exactly what I will do,” Clinton said, is that she wants to hear from voters what kind of plan they would favor.

That’s right. Fourteen years after her first foray into the issue, she still hasn’t figured out what she wants to do. But that hasn’t stopped the groupies from singing her praises. Hillary may be an empty pants suit, but she’s their empty pants suit.