Woman Falsely Credits President Obama For Health Coverage at Campaign Event

This is an example of what we’re up against in 2012. A woman who was introducing First Lady Michelle Obama at a campaign rally in Iowa falsely gave credit to President Barack Obama for making it possible for her to obtain health insurance. From The Des Moines Register:

CeCe Ibson was chosen to share her personal story as an introduction to a Michelle Obama speech in Windsor Heights. Ibson talked about losing her health-insurance coverage when she lost her job as a lawyer two years ago. She bought private coverage for her two children, she said, but could not find it for herself. “No one would insure me because of my pre-existing conditions. No one. Until President Obama stood up for me and millions of Americans like me across Iowa and across the country,” she said to cheers from the crowd of campaign volunteers.

Oh really? Yeah, not so much:

In fact, Ibson’s current coverage is provided by HIP Iowa, a state insurance program for people whose health problems make them ineligible for most commercial insurance. HIP Iowa was created in 1987, when Republican Terry Branstad was governor.

Now, this might not be that big a deal if she was confused about how all this stuff worked or was called out at random and made these remarks all by herself. But that’s not the case:

Ibson acknowledged today that her coverage was not provided by the new federal health-reform program. She said she makes that point more clearly when she gives a 15 minute presentation on the issue. She said some of the specifics were trimmed out when she shortened her talk to about three minutes, with the help of campaign staff members.

Overall, she said, the Obama campaign wanted her to speak as a person who has struggled to find coverage. “I never thought they tried to make me the face of someone giving credit to the president for doing something he hadn’t done,” she said.

See that? She knew Obama had nothing to do with her finding health care coverage before she made those remarks to introduce the First Lady. Not only that, her remarks were ‘shortened’ with the help of campaign staff members.  As if that weren’t bad enough, she then tries to spin what she did by saying she never thought the campaign tried to make her the face of someone of giving the president credit for some he didn’t do? What? Is she serious?

One more time, this is what she said while introducing the First Lady:

“No one would insure me because of my pre-existing conditions. No one. Until President Obama stood up for me and millions of Americans like me across Iowa and across the country,” she said to cheers from the crowd of campaign volunteers.” 

On what planet does that not equal giving President Obama credit for her finding health coverage?

Let’s recap.

1. The Obama Campaign specifically chose this woman to introduce Michelle Obama at a campaign stop.

2. She knew President Obama had nothing to do with her finding health coverage prior to speaking, yet she still lied and gave him credit.

3. The Obama Campaign helped her shorten her remarks. (They wrote them).

4. She then tried to deny she gave him credit for something he had no part in even though her remarks undeniably did that very thing.

In short, the Obama Campaign selected a specific individual to speak at a campaign event who, under their direction, knowingly lied about how she found health coverage using remarks they helped write, who then lied about what she did to a reporter.

This is what we’re up against in 2012.  This administration will do anything to stay in power. Don’t let them get away with it.