Hillary Clinton is sniping from the sidelines, and her target list now includes Sen. Elizabeth Warren. The losing 2016 presidential candidate claimed this week that the Massachusetts senator’s “Medicare for all” plan is unrealistic.
“The smarter approach is to build on what we have,” Clinton said this week during the DealBook conference in New York. “A public option is something I’ve been in favor of for a very long time. I don’t believe we should be in the midst of a big disruption while we are trying to get to 100% coverage and deal with costs.”
“The Affordable Care Act took us to 90% of coverage — the highest we had ever gotten in our country after many, many efforts including one I was involved in more than 25 years ago,” Clinton said. “We have a 10% gap to fill, and we have a lot of learning to do about the best way not only to fill the gap, but then to drive down costs as much as it is possible without undermining quality advancements.”
Asked outright if she would support Warren’s plan, the former secretary of state would say only that she would be “very much in favor of whatever the debate was,” whatever the hell that means.
Clinton did give Warren this: Though it would never, ever, ever pass the Senate, “Medicare for all” nevertheless is the “right goal.” Hey, so at least there is that.
The Democratic Party must be thrilled to have the two-time failed presidential candidate hanging around, teasing a possible third run while also dumping on a top-tier primary candidate’s signature policy proposal.
At that same event, Clinton also teased the possibility that she may just jump into the 2020 Democratic primary and make a third go of it.
Earlier, at a separate book event on Monday in Denver, Clinton had a word of warning for the Democratic Party ahead of 2020.
“We have to hope that whoever ends up nominated can win the Electoral College,” she said. “I think several of our candidates could win the popular vote, but as I know … that’s not enough.”
That rules out Clinton 2020, I suppose.
