BWAHAHAHAHAHA



http://www.buffalonews.com/editorial/20 ... 035162.asp

A lingering stomach virus caused Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton to faint Monday during an address in the Saturn Club, where she was treated briefly before resuming her regular schedule.

Although a little pale and subdued, the senator recovered enough to deliver her planned speech before a packed audience at Canisius College on - appropriately - health care.

"It wasn't as dramatic as it sounds," Clinton said in the college's Montante Cultural Center slightly more than an hour after fainting. "I came up with a 24-hour virus in the last 24 hours, and I will be fine. What better place to come to talk about healing the sick?"

But Clinton's bout with a virus caused Secret Service agents to rush to her aid and a doctor to minister to her. She had been discussing health care at a meeting of the Women's TAP Fund, a political action committee, in the private club on Delaware Avenue.

Aides said she did not collapse, nor was she treated at a hospital, as was originally reported. But several witnesses said she told her audience at the start of her address that she was not feeling well, and the warm conditions in the room combined with her illness caused her to sit down and lose consciousness momentarily.

"She mentioned she felt a little weak and then sat down," said a member of her party. "She briefly fainted; got back up, sat down and drank some fluids."

Clinton arrived at the Saturn Club at about noon after a meeting with editors and reporters at The Buffalo News. There she appeared subdued but carried on a wide-ranging discussion about Democratic politics and a number of Buffalo economic development plans.

But upon arrival at the Saturn Club, she told several people who greeted her, including Leonard R. Lenihan, chairman of the Erie County Democratic Party, that she wasn't feeling well.

Lenihan said he canceled some prespeech meetings with supporters because of her health. Clinton then told the crowd of about 125 people at the beginning of her remarks that she was feeling queasy because she was battling the flu, Lenihan said.

"She clearly did not look herself. She was speaking in a lower tone," he said.

After speaking for about five minutes, Clinton said she needed to sit down. Lenihan then said she continued to talk briefly before saying she needed to take a break and take off her jacket.

Clinton left the room, then returned and was standing at the podium preparing to resume her remarks when she fainted, Lenihan said. Two staffers caught her and lowered her gently to the floor.

"There were a couple of gasps when she started to faint," Lenihan said. "Everybody was concerned about her."


Audience called alarmed

Colleen DiPirro, president of the Amherst Chamber of Commerce and a luncheon attendee, said the senator seemed in distress upon arriving.

"She sat down and continued to speak (about health care) while she was sitting," DiPirro said. "After a few minutes, she announced she couldn't go any further and stood up. She was standing and talking with about three or four people when she collapsed. I yelled, "She's going down,' and she slumped to the floor."

DiPirro said the former first lady was "very gracious," but the audience viewed the episode with alarm.

"It was terrible," she said.

After 15 or 20 minutes, Lenihan said, Clinton insisted on resuming the rest of a schedule that had proved controversial because it included an invitation to speak at a Catholic college despite her pro-choice views.

After fainting at the event of the Women's TAP Fund, which, in backing candidates, supports only women who are pro-choice, the senator insisted on proceeding to Canisius for a major speech on the need for government involvement in providing universal health care. Her speech began 21 minutes later than scheduled.

"She insisted on contravening her doctor's advice and come here and talk because she felt so committed to this issue," said former Rep. John J. LaFalce, D-Town of Tonawanda, a Canisius professor and host of continuing events that examine the Catholic concept of works of mercy.


Problem labeled critical

Indeed, Clinton made an impassioned case for some type of government involvement in a health care system that she said needs to be extended to more Americans. She cited the demise of such major Buffalo-area employers as Bethlehem Steel that had extended health benefits to its employees and retirees, worsening an already critical problem.

"I see this work as a moral responsibility," she said. "Yes, for individuals, for people of faith and for organizations, but also for our government."

While government has established systems governing education, transportation and commerce, it has failed to establish a system of health care for all, she said.

"This is not a pie-in-the-sky daydream; we know it can be done," she said. "We just need unique American ingenuity to design how it should be done there."

Clinton left the Montante Center at 2:30 p.m. through a side entrance on Eastwood Place. As several dozen protesters and reporters waited behind police tape, the senator gripped a railing and walked down the stone steps.

Someone shouted, "Hillary, how're you feeling?" She replied, "Fine, thanks," smiled and waved her hand before stepping into a Chevy Suburban and leaving in her motorcade.

She was to head back to Washington after leaving Buffalo.

About 50 protesters demonstrated outside the Montante Center early Monday afternoon, most objecting to Clinton's speech at Canisius.

That was sooo yesterday...

The look on her face makes me hungover.

Bless her ugly heart....

That was a nasty picture!

I saw a clip of Bush Sr.'s vomiting episode on the Japanese diplomat the other day rerun on one of the cable channels.

And when Dole fell off of that stage on the campaign in 1996, hilarious!

Politics is a great breeding ground for slapstick comedy.

Everybody has our bad days....

She still looked pretty shitty tonight at the address. I'm sure the media will take full advantage of her illness by pasting photos of her everywhere.

They do that to EVERYONE!

I still remember OJ's mug shot being plastered everywhere.

And what about Nick Noltes?

Very true, everyone gets that treatment. Just recently Boxer on the Fox News site after questioning Bush Administration nominee's.

Right you are. It doesn't matter what you do for a living, what side of the political spectrum you belong to....if someting bad happens to you, that is the way it goes.

I was never arguing otherwise, just making a statement.

I know, I'm just screwing around with it!

i feel bad for the guy, but that picture is some funny shit