Dear frank,

Tonight, let the conversation begin. It's live and online at 7 p.m. EST:

http://www.hillaryclinton.com/conversation

Join me for the first in a series of conversations on the future of our country and the important issues like the Iraq war, health care, and energy independence. I'll answer your questions three nights in a row, beginning tonight.

Since announcing my exploratory committee to run for president just two days ago, the outpouring of support has been amazing -- tens of thousands of you have been wishing me well, signing up, and making contributions.

I believe we need new leadership to bring bold and practical changes to this country and to renew the promise of America. I believe in the idea that if you work hard and play by the rules, you and your family deserve a better life.

It all begins with a conversation about the right solutions to meet our challenges. It's a conversation I'm looking forward to having with all of you as I travel across the country. But tonight, it begins live, online.

To learn more and sign up, http://www.hillaryclinton.com/conversation

I also hope you'll take a moment to explore my new website at www.hillaryclinton.com, where you'll find other ways you can join the conversation. You can send me a message, or even write the very first guest post for our upcoming blog.

I'm in, and I'm in to win. And with your participation, I believe we can win this together and create a better future for all of us.

Sincerely,

Hillary Rodham Clinton

CLINTON'S PLAN FOR GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE

On September 22, 1993, Bill Clinton proposed the most sweeping Big Government program in fifty years-- a 1,342 page bill for socializing America's health care system. The plan was born after months of planning by no other than Hillary Clinton, Ira Magaziner, and a hand-picked task force they created. Americans were given many assurances by the Clintons, but when the public found out what was really in the bill and what it meant-- huge government spending increases, equally huge tax hikes, massive new government bureaucracies, loss of freedom, and loss of jobs-- they rejected it overwhelmingly.

MASSIVE NEW GOVERNMENT SPENDING:

According to the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, the Clinton Health Care Plan would have increased federal spending by $1.584 trillion over five years. (CBO Analysis, 2/94) Nearly all of this enormous cost would have been paid for with new taxes on working Americans.

GIGANTIC NEW TAXES:

The total new tax burden imposed under the Clinton Health Plan was a staggering $1.511 trillion over the first five years-- an economy-wrecking amount. (CBO Analysis 2/94) This gigantic tax increase consisted of two key amounts. The first, $1.384 trillion to pay for Clinton's mandatory health alliances, would have entailed a new payroll tax of between 14% and 17% on every working American. (Joint Economic Committee) In addition, the Clinton Plan would have imposed 17 other new taxes that would have cost $127 billion over 5 years, and $300 billion over ten years. Thus, the average American family would have faced a massive new tax bill of $3,056 per year to pay for Bill Clinton's plan.

BUDGET-BUSTING NEW ENTITLEMENTS:

The Clinton Health Plan would have created new federal entitlements that would have exploded the deficit. By 1998, just the second year in which Clinton's plan was to be in effect, the total cost of these government subsidies would have been larger than any federal program except Social Security and Medicare. (Senate Republican Policy Committee, 8/15/94) By the year 2000, and despite a tax increase of $1.511 trillion, Clinton's plan would have also added $74 billion to the deficit. (CBO Analysis, 2/94)

COLOSSAL NEW BUREAUCRACIES:

The Clinton plan would have created 200 new regional health cooperatives run by 50,000 new bureaucrats, 50 new government bureaucracies, 177 new state mandates, and nearly 1,000 new Federal powers and responsibilities. (Heritage Foundation analysis, 10/23/93) This Byzantine structure would have placed one-seventh of the US economy under the control of federal bureaucrats.

DESTRUCTION OF JOBS:

The Joint Economic Committee found that Clinton's Health Plan would have caused a potential job loss of between 600,000 to 3.8 million, with an average probable job loss of 1 million. (Senate Republican Policy Committee, 8/15/94) The National Federation of Independent Business estimated the Clinton Plan would have killed 400,000 to 1.5 million jobs in the first year alone.

LESS CHOICE, RATIONING OF CARE:

At the center of the Clinton Plan was a government-defined "core benefits package," a bureaucratic attempt to put the health needs of all Americans into one egg carton. Under the Clinton Health Plan, a new bureaucracy, the National Health Board, would have had extraordinary powers to determine the type and amount of health care that every American would receive. This government control, and the mandatory structure of the Plan, would have led inevitably to rationing of care, and would have threatened the ability of Americans to choose their own doctor or form of health care.

COERCIVE NEW FINES ON US CITIZENS:

Individual citizens who failed to pay their share to the new system would have been subject to fines of $5,000 or three times the amount owed, whichever was greater. (G. Arnett, "Cops and Doctors," Washington Post, 12/19/93)

FINES AND JAIL TERMS FOR PHYSICIANS:

What is today considered normal patient advocacy would have become a federal crime under the Clinton Plan. For example, if a doctor tried to get an early date for surgery for a sick patient in his health plan, and took "anything of value," he would have been subject to stiff fines and a 15-year jail term. (G. Arnett, Washington Post, 12/19/93)

FEDERAL CONTROL OF MEDICAL EDUCATION:

Under the Clinton Plan, the government would have taken over the power to determine the "correct" number of physicians trained in specialties. No longer would the free market determine the demand for obstetricians, surgeons, or other specialists. This feature of Clinton's Plan would have led to rationing of specialty care.

HILLARY CLINTON'S HEALTH CARE TASK FORCE

- In January 1993, Bill Clinton established the President's Task Force on Health Care Reform chaired by Hillary Clinton. The Task Force members, hand-picked by Mrs. Clinton and a liberal planner, Ira Magaziner, proceeded to draft a health care bill in secrecy without regard to federal open meetings and open records laws.

- Following a lawsuit, and after vigorous and protracted opposition by the Clinton White House, a federal judge ruled that Mrs. Clinton violated federal open meetings laws, and ordered that records of the secret sessions be made public.

- The Clinton Health Plan was characterized by broad assurances from the Clintons and Ira Magaziner about the key issues of cost, taxes, bureaucracy, and consumer choice. Congress and the public soon learned that most of these assurances were contradicted by the plain language of the Clinton legislation.

- The Clinton Health Task Force vastly over-spent its budget of $100,000, eventually wasting $13.8 million of the taxpayers' money-- surely a metaphor for the entire Clinton Health Plan. (GAO Report)

STILL COMMITTED TO A GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER OF HEALTH CARE

Three years ago Bill Clinton tried a government takeover of the greatest health care system in the world. Don't be surprised if he tries this again!

- On May 6, 1996 Ira Magaziner, the liberal architect of President Clinton's failed government-run health care plan, stated, "Certainly his views haven't changed...President Clinton remains committed to the idea. Indeed, the President will try again if a more receptive Congress is ever elected." (Providence Journal, 5/7/96)

- In early July 1996, Hillary Clinton told reporters she still believes there is a need for more "sensible government regulation" of the US health care system and that it will eventually happen. Referring to the Clinton health care bill, she said, "I think the basic model is still the right model." (White House Bulletin, 7/9/96)

- Consistent with the statements by Hillary Clinton and Ira Magaziner, President Clinton has already begun efforts to revive his government-run health care plan. In fact, a new plan is being drafted by those who developed the original Clinton plan that includes health insurance purchasing cooperatives, government- defined benefit packages, and premium subsidies, all key structures of the original Clinton Plan. (G. Arnett and R. Moffit, Heritage Foundation)

GUESS THEY HAVEN'T HEARD THAT THE ERA OF BIG GOVERNMENT IS OVER...
...OR DOES IT START AGAIN AFTER THE ELECTION?

Sen. Ted Kennedy, the chief Congressional proponent of socialized medicine, said earlier this year, "We're going to get this done, and we're going to keep coming back at it. If we have a big sweep for Democrats in the House and Senate, we'll get single-payer [health care]." (Reuters, 6/17/96)