White House Refuses to Challenge Claim That Obama Lied About Mother’s Health Care Coverage
- Posted on July 14, 2011 at 1:57pm by
Billy Hallowell
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Tuesday, The Blaze reported on President Barack Obama‘s alleged mischaracterization of his mother’s, Ann Dunham, arguments with her insurance company as she lay dying (Obama claimed the insurance company wanted to deny her coverage based on a pre-existing condition). Now, the White House is declining to challenge the charge that Obama fabricated the story in an effort to convince Americans to support his Democratic health care reform plan.
In his initial report on the story, The Blaze’s Christopher Santarelli wrote:
A new book by New York Times reporter Janny Scott sheds new light on the life of Barack Obama’s mother, Ann Dunham, including her final years. Scott found while assembling information for “A Singular Woman: The Untold Story of Barack Obama’s Mother,” that Dunham in fact did have health coverage for her ovarian cancer, based off Dunham’s own past correspondence.
If these allegations are true, Obama‘s statements about his mother’s care were based on outright lies, fabrications — or, at the least, incorrect memories regarding what had actually occurred. Throughout his 2008 presidential campaign and during the political battle over the contentious health care legislation, the president utilized his mother’s story to instill pathos in audiences. In 2010, he said:
“I do remember the last six months of her life, insurance companies threatening that they would not reimburse her for her costs.”
The New York Times explains that the president and the White House, at this juncture, are not refuting Scott’s conclusions:
The White House on Wednesday declined to challenge an account in a new book that suggests that President Obama, in his campaign to overhaul American health care, mischaracterized a central anecdote about his mother’s deathbed dispute with her insurance company.
On Wednesday, following the newspapers’ repeated attempts to illicit comments from the White House, the Times finally received a response. A spokesperson for the president neither debunked Scott‘s account nor admitted that Obama’s memory was incorrect. In his rebuttal to the Times, White House spokesman Nicholas Papas says:
“We have not reviewed the letters or other material on which the author bases her account. The president has told this story based on his recollection of events that took place more than 15 years ago.”
Then, after this dismissal, Papas claims that even if Scott is correct in her findings, the president’s previous comments do not constitute as a mischaracterization, because “…his mother needed her disability insurance payments to cover unreimbursed medical costs.”
That, even in its most meritorious form, seems to be a stretch, as Obama had been explicitly speaking about his mother’s health care insurance coverage:
The White House response goes on, using the opportunity to again drive home the need for limits on pre-existing conditions:
“As Ms. Scott’s account makes clear, the president’s mother incurred several hundred dollars in monthly uncovered medical expenses that she was relying on insurance to pay.
She first could not get a response from the insurance company, then was refused coverage. This personal history of the president’s speaks powerfully to the impact of pre-existing condition limits on insurance protection from health care costs.”
So far, this is the only response to emerge from the White House. Judging from the way this has been handled thus far and the political sensitivity that accompanies presidential campaigns, the administration will likely tread carefully in further addressing the matter further.
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Comments (201)
LB
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:24pmMy “recollection of events” is BO is a marxist, illegal, liar.
Report Post »SUPPLY_SIDE
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:29pmIs it a recollection, lie? What’s the difference. It depends on what your definition of “is” is.
Report Post »ConstitutionalPatriot
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:40pmSo let’s get this straight, he ‘recalls’ his mother being unable to afford her medical treatment, He swear’s his birth certificate is real, he knows he must have stopped in Connecticut to pick up his social security card on his way home from the Hawaii DQ to his house in Hawaii, (must have taken that left at Waikiki Bay again darn it). But he remembers his father, who he hadn’t seen since 1964?
WoW and we thought Bill‘s recollection of ’that girl…Monica’ was bad. Maybe it is the space between the words? Obama seems to be stuttering a lot lately.
Report Post »SavingtheRepublic.com
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:45pm^____^____^
Right on both accounts. Emp BHO has a grocery list of lies and based on what I have seen of him I do not doubt he would lie about his own mother for political gain in getting obamacare passed. He lied constantly about people having their feet cut off, tonsils removed etc etc.
He is again lying now about Social Security benefits not being paid out. He knows how to work the people and even admitted it to Cantor when he threatened to not have his bluff called “Im taking it to the American people”. He know he can lie and get away with it.. worst part about all of this there is NO ONE that can stop him as the truth nolonger matters with the zombie army!
Report Post »SavingtheRepublic.com
Steve
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 3:29pmLets not forget sitting in a “Racist” Black Liberation Theology Church” for almost 20 year. Getting married by a man who said the most hateful things, having your children baptized in the same church with the same pastor, The book store filled with Muslim and black liberation theology. But yet never heard him preach anything controversial nor subscribe to any of the reading material made available to him for close to 20 years
When his lips move…..He’s freakin lying!
Report Post »Bluebonnet
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 3:51pmThree little words: LIAR LIAR LIAR
Report Post »CatB
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 3:51pmExactly .. a lie is a lie is a lie .. IS OBAMA!
TEA!
Report Post »Mary M. Tebbe
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 4:09pmconstitutionalpatriot: I wrote a response to agree with you, and then some, but the censors of theblaze will not put my response on here.
Report Post »Pub1ius
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 4:30pmIt is unprecedented the transparency of this administration. In the words of Clinton, “I do not recall” the struggles of my mother.
Report Post »grandmaof5
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 4:44pmI guess if we buy the BS then he will plead it for the rest of the lies he has told. Right now he can’t keep them all straight which is what happens when you are a pathological liar – even his minions can’t keep up with all of his lies.
Report Post »MIBUGNU2
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 5:11pmThis must have been what you were talking about..Bama lying about his Mother, That’s Low !!!!
Report Post »But at this point, that’s to be expected, he is just a lying POS…
Bear
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 5:17pmIt was a safe lie for him,,,she is dead and wouldn’t go on TV and say her son was full of ShItZ! Who would of thought some one would dig up her correspondence that would tell a different story??? Man Mr. President you are one Stupid,Liberal,Hippie Moron!!!!!!!!!
Report Post »avenger
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 7:20pmobummer lies when he opens his mouth
Report Post »kentuckypatriot
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 11:10pmI don’t feel like reading all the comments and not sure if this point was brought up, BUT… does the article not say Obummers mommy died in the 90′s? If so, he was an adult in the 90′s. at least 30. Either his brain is so far gone, but I know I remember a lot when I was 30. My dad died then. Oh yea, must’ve been his coke whore days is why he cant remember exactly.
Report Post »silentwatcher
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 11:19pmGeez people….you all seem so surprised that Obama is a liar. WTF?
Report Post »MT_Headed
Posted on July 15, 2011 at 12:29amSo Stinky (BO) remembers like he so clearly remembered awarding that Medal of Honor to that soldier…
Sheepdog911
Posted on July 15, 2011 at 6:15amIt depends on what your definition of a liar “is”, is. It’s all pretty simple. If his lips are moving, …
Report Post »loriann12
Posted on July 15, 2011 at 6:26amSo, I guess if insurance companies don’t cover 100%, you’re fighting with them? I don’t know of anyone who gets out of deductibles and other uncovered expenses, like living expenses.
Report Post »jm
Posted on July 15, 2011 at 11:50pmObama is cracking up. He can’t deal with the complexity of the debt limit debate. He makes egregious errors daily. He doesn’t know his daughters’ ages, his positions in the debt negotiations are changing like jello, and he doesn’t seem to remember what he said yesterday. Most recently, he can’t even remember his own birthday is not next week. If you check out Google on the effects of recreational cocaine use, you will see that he will likely reveal an inability to focus for a long term. When he appears confused in the absence of a teleprompter, it is because he really is confused. The damage is significant. I suspect that Axlerod and Immanuel have been running the country for the last three years. Perhaps a discrete repetition of the evidence that he is brain damaged would drive him over the edge! Wouldn’t that be fun!
Let’s keep on noticing such gaffs and report them online and to our friends as evidence of brain damage — which is what they are.
Report Post »imontou
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:23pmHow can anyone still believe anything this guy says still? He lies better than he tells the truth.
Report Post »GlennBeck4President
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:34pmExactly, when has he told the truth?
Report Post »heavyduty
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:37pmBecause there are millions if not billions being spent to prop him up to those people. It’s like the old say that you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. When they hear the truth about Obama or any other Democrat they believe that it is a lie, and there is nothing short of Armageddon that will change their minds.
Report Post »Le Sellers
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 3:40pm“He lies better than he tells the truth.”
Of course. He’s had more practice.
Report Post »Miguelito
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 3:47pmHe lies more that he tells the truth, that’s the facts Jack!
Report Post »encinom
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 3:52pmimontou
Report Post »Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:23pm
How can anyone still believe anything this guy says still? He lies better than he tells the truth.
__________________________
I agree, yet Beckerheads still think Beck cares about the truth and the nation.
Patte34
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 4:22pmI truly believe that this man has no idea what truth is.
Report Post »lemmings4obama
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 5:26pm@Encinom, Geez, great comment. You can’t even defend Obama? What happened to “well the facts really doesn’t matter in parables.” You gave up on that argument already? Why? But it’s such a solid foundation for debate!?!
Report Post »lemmings4obama
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 5:28pm**correction.. don’t matter. Sorry Encinom, but I thought I would save you from using your incredible proof reading skills.
Report Post »lemmings4obama
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 5:30pm*correction, don’t matter. There Encinom, I saved you from having to use your incredible proof reading skills. Lol
Report Post »thegrassroots
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 7:36pm@glennbeck4pres
BHO told the truth when he told Cantor that he was bluffing! Probably the only time in his life. If BHO would have had his teleprompter, he wouldn’t have made that “mistake.”
Report Post »mrzmac
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 11:37pmThe only truth I have heard from him was when he said our electricity costs would skyrocket when he became president!
Report Post »Kerri g
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:21pmYou know what makes me sick. He used his own mother to lie and get what he wanted. His own mother.And then lied about the lie!
Report Post »LadyLibertykicksASS
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 4:09pmShe was a liar too……Apples don’t fall far from the Tree
Report Post »HKS
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 4:41pmDitto that, this guy has an unbelievable pedigree, I almost feel sorry for him, he had no chance to be an honorable person.
Report Post »cheezwhiz
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:20pmOh c’mon , we all remember how Obama cleared up this matter when he had debates about
Report Post »Obama-scare on C-SPAN ?
Oh wait….
shellshock
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:19pmGrammar alert! “…repeated attempt sto ILLICIT comments…“ ”Illicit“ is an adjective meaning ”unlawful”. The correct verb here would be “elicit”.
Report Post »UlyssesP
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:26pmThese people need an editor that knows English.
Report Post »Chuck Stein
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:30pmThanks. We need more grammar alerts. These posts do not have a spell check feature, so I understand when mistakes get by, but I am so tired of “then” being used for “than” and “your” instead of “you’re,” etc.
Report Post »PrfctlyFrank
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 3:20pmMein has a spelchekr.. Why don’t ures..
Report Post »Gonzo
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 4:03pmChuck Stein
Report Post »Spell check has hurt our spelling skills as badly as the calculator hurt our math skills. No to mention our ability to remember phone numbers since the cell phone came out.
Gonzo
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:18pm“The president has told this story based on his recollection of events” He does that a lot, doesn’t he?
Report Post »Blackhawk1
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 4:55pmYeah, which just means he has no accurate recollection of events.
Report Post »inexiletill2012
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:16pmno challenge equates to truth
Report Post »Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:21pmIndeed, it appears that if he were to open his mouth, just one more set of falsehoods will erupt into the sky and across the airwaves for all to hear. http://artinphoenix.com/gallery/grimm
Report Post »ThomasUSA
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:15pmRegan had more accuracy of recall when he had ALZHEIMERS than this clown does.. Maybe it is all that cocain use has fried too many brain cells?
Report Post »LiberalMarine
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:14pmSo we are all just going to forget the recent historical gaffes by GOP candidates and the fact that the woman Reagan called the “Welfare Queen” didn’t actually exist?
Report Post »Eric_The_Red_State
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:17pmPlank – Eye
Figure it out
Report Post »brownjug
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:17pmLiberalmarine has the most expensive brains in the world……extremely rare and microscopic
Report Post »republapig
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:19pmLiberal Marine? Isn’t that an oxymoron?
Report Post »Eric_The_Red_State
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:20pmDUDE
You forgot to call everyone a RACIST.
Report Post »(Liberal Playbook – page 3 – second paragraph)
republapig
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:21pmI got it Eric. As opposed to a mote.
Report Post »Comm Marine
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:24pmLiberal Marine, she sure did exist. Interesting you bring up Pres. Reagan, ya pig.
Report Post »imontou
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:27pmReally? So if a GOP guy lied then Obama’s lies are ok? Yeah, that makes sense.
Report Post »LiberalMarine
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:32pmActually, it seems like your playbook to assume I think you are all racists. That’s not the case. Do I think that some of the arguments against the President are rqacially charged? A little, but it’s not the whole reason he is hated.
Report Post »LiberalMarine
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:35pmIt’s not okay for either one, but when someone only gets mad at one party when they are both doing something is wrong and hypocritical.
Report Post »PrfctlyFrank
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 3:19pmListen kid.. A gaffe = gaffes plural
An unintentional act or remark causing embarrassment to its originator; a blunder
an unforgivable social gaffe
A lie = lies plural
An intentionally false statement
Report Post »Mungo felt a pang of shame at telling Alice a lie
the whole thing is a pack of lies
Used with reference to a situation involving deception or founded on a mistaken impression
all their married life she had been living a lie
There.. Should be easy enough to figure out..
streetrodder
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:12pmIf he‘s not going to say anything so that means he won’t be BSing anybody.
Report Post »JohnBirch
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 4:30pmStreetrodder…… you from Pittsburg?
Report Post »Nolan Ryan-s Fastball
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:10pmUndoubtedly, the White House is banking on the MSM to pretend this story does not exist, just like Project Gunrunner, etc.
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:16pmHe doesn’t need to contest it now, the HC bill has been passed already. Everyone, except the left, already knows how much of a liar he is. They either don’t get it, agree with his lies, or are too stupid to know he is lying.
Report Post »fatjack
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 3:01pmAnonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:16pm
He doesn’t need to contest it now, the HC bill has been passed already. Everyone, except the left, already knows how much of a liar he is. They either don’t get it, agree with his lies, or are too stupid to know he is lying.
Report Post »———————————————————————————————————————
Hahaha that’s funny………………you are saying is was only a half lie.
Blackhawk1
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 4:59pmThey either don’t get it, agree with his lies, or are too stupid to know he is lying.
I will go with all of the above.
Report Post »Eric_The_Red_State
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:10pmSome people will go so far as to lie about anything in order to push their agenda.
Report Post »It’s too bad that the lame-street media won’t call their darling on this.
If it were a Republican – they would be down his/her throat with a blow-torch
Godfather.1
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 3:49pmActually, if you read the allegations from the book and compare it to Obama’s comments, they don’t match up. He said that she had struggles with her insurance covering her healthcare costs, which is very different from saying that they didn’t cover her costs, which the book suggests.
It is quite funny that you Beck fans are in support of this book considering it was written a New York Times reporter. Isn’t everyone who writes for the NY Times a liar?
Lying is never proper, and if Obama truly did lie about this he was wrong to do so. However, nothing so far has actually proven any lie.
But, because lying is wrong, it is quite odd that all you Blazers don‘t seem to have a problem with all of Michelle Bachmann’s lies. She claims that John Quincy Adams was a founding father, that is false. She claimed the swine flu only breaks out under democrats, that is also false. She asserted the Obama’s trip to India cost $200 million a day, also a false statement.
Report Post »EqualJustice
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:09pmLiar Liar – pants on fire!
Report Post »M-O-O-N Spells Moon
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:09pmWhile this may reveal further evidence of Mr. Obama’s willingness to bend facts to evoke emotional support for his ideas, this is a trivial matter compared to other issues at play right now. Let’s please stay focused.
Report Post »Marci
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:09pmYea…well, his recollection of events is only fuzzy when it is convenient. Liar in Chief.
Report Post »godlovinmom
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:19pmwhen the lies fit his agenda, he’s good, but when they don’t, then memories become fuzzy..hmmmm
Report Post »Anonymous T. Irrelevant
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:08pmI can recall events that happened 15 years ago with great accuracy.
Report Post »knockered
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:08pmImpeach the bastard now and get it over with already. The man is a total liar on just about everything he has to say. He ran on being a person of change but the only real change is that he is black instead of white, he is just like the rest of them a liar and a cheat….
Report Post »brownjug
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:14pmCalling him the worst president to ever hold the office is a compliment. This man is evil.
Report Post »let us prey
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:14pmThe only thing I would add is:
Report Post »that he is a racist
dawngaye
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 4:20pmRegarding this ridiculousness of bringing race into every BO discussion, I’m curious to see how Lefties handle this one – I absolutely abhor, despise, and spit on everything the Illegal Usurper POTUS says and does. He’s half white, and half black, and I hate the white part of him too. I want him run out of DC in handcuffs.
Report Post »However, my dream team for 2012 (if we last that long as a country) is Cain/West… or West/Cain.
I respect those two men and will work tirelessly if one or both is nominated for a position. I would be so honored to have one or both as my President/Vice President.
I would like to hear a reasonable and intelligent argument from the Left as to how I could possibly be a racist.
Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:07pmOkay Mr Obama has lied, distorted and twisted history and so many other things that honestly, why is this a shock to anyone anymore?
Report Post »NOBALONEY
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:32pmIt’s the normalcy bias. Your right! We should expect nothing but lies.
Report Post »ProudTeaPartyMember
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:07pmHe’s a liar. He could point up and with a straight face tell you he’s pointing down.
Report Post »ENTITLEMENTSBLOW
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:06pmObama a liar? Now thats just unbelievable!
Report Post »republapig
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:05pmFunny, she doesn’t look like a woman that would raise an arrogant liar.
Report Post »Blackhawk1
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 5:04pmOh Please…..She was a liberal, of course she would raise an arrogant liar. All the liberals do.
Report Post »mickrussom
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:05pmThis man Obama is a piece of human garbage, a liar and a phony construct. He should be in prison, not the POTUS.
Report Post »brntout
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:05pmNo his teleprompter made him say it,and it is never accused of misspeak.
Report Post »calebgs83
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:05pmThe only time Obama is not outright lying is when he is making his epic gaffes.
Report Post »Ducky 1
Posted on July 14, 2011 at 2:05pmDid we really expect any thing different ?????
Report Post »