Cherie Black of the Seattle P-I took the opportunity to inform readers of a liberal cancer patient's political stunt: putting out a personals ad looking for a Canadian man to marry, for health care, of course.
But while Black breezed past Canadian angst over American Jeanne Sather's hopes of cashing in on love and free health care, the P-I reporter failed to mention a prominent Canadian pol who recently went to the United States for cancer care.
As Susan Delacourt noted in the September 14 Toronto Star:
OTTAWA–Belinda Stronach, the MP for Newmarket-Aurora and former cabinet minister, travelled outside Canada's health-care system to California for some of her breast cancer treatment earlier this year.
Stronach, diagnosed in the spring with a type of breast cancer that required a mastectomy and breast reconstruction, went to California in June at her Toronto doctor's suggestion, a spokesperson confirmed.
Delacourt noted that it's "unusual for a federal politician to travel outside Canada for private medical treatment" but cited a Stronach aide who said that Stronach's doctor advised her on getting treatment in California:
Speed was not the issue, MacEachern said – it was more to do with the type of surgery she and her doctor agreed was best for her, and where it was best performed. The type of cancer Stronach had is called DCIS, ductal carcinoma in situ, one of the more treatable forms.
Hmm. One of the more treatable forms of breast cancer found in a politically-connected Canadian from a wealthy family, and she still went to America to pay out-of-pocket for the surgery. Sounds like Michael Moore's "SiCKO" in reverse!
Stronach is hardly a back-bencher no-name in Canada. She previously served on former Liberal Prime Minister Paul Martin's cabinet after defecting from the Conservative Party and was rumored in 2005 to have had romantic dalliances with former President Bill Clinton.
Despite Stronach's B-list political celebrity and friendship with Clinton, her travel stateside for cancer treatment went unnoticed by the Post-Intelligencer's reporter. Indeed, Black made just one brief reference to a lengthy queue for cancer treatment in Canada:
She immediately received a lot of attention -- some of it critical. Many Canadians chastised her for wanting a part of their system, for which they pay high taxes and often have long waits to receive care.
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
Might be quicker and easier
Mon, 10/01/2007 - 11:41 ET by drillanwrMight be quicker and easier and better and just as "free" healthcare if she got an illegal alien of the Mexican persuasion right here in the States to marry her ...
Democrat's plan for
Mon, 10/01/2007 - 11:49 ET by TruthMongerDemocrat's plan for American health care:
IF IT AIN'T BROKE WE MUST FIX IT:)!
stories like this are what
Mon, 10/01/2007 - 12:34 ET by pmohbuckstories like this are what keep the US labeled "the great satan" and why islamo-fascists are hell bent on keeping women in burkhas ... what an example this woman sets.
Equal opportunity, Ken. For the commoners, as well.
Mon, 10/01/2007 - 12:50 ET by Gary HallEqual opportunity, Ken. For the commoners, as well.
Recently Scott Whitlock offered up this -- ABC Story Ignores Reason That Canadian Mother Fled Country to Give Birth. And there was my little catch of the obvious errors which developed in the story, as the media attempted to make it look like an inept Canadian system, which could not care for it's socially insured folk, instead was going the extra mile. Here: Flown or drove? The media, "Isn't it wonderful how the Canadian health care system took care of it's own?" No, they could not.
Truly, these stories of the connected and the ordinary folks belong in Michael Moore's sequel,? "How Many Times Did I Lie to You?"
PS - We have a close friend who has an administrator position with a local well known hospital. The job? Connecting foreigners with US provided health care.
Hmmm
Mon, 10/01/2007 - 13:51 ET by allanfI think Jeanne Sather should go to Canada. Good riddance. Try to persuade your doctors to vary from an approved protocol. Try getting some of the experimental treatements available at Sloan Kettering, MD Anderson, or Dan Farber.
By all means Jeaane -- Go.
MD Anderson vs. Canada
Mon, 10/01/2007 - 14:20 ET by UnsaneDid you know that MD Anderson ALONE spends more on medical research than ALL of Canada?
What does that tell you?
Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.
unless something is under
Mon, 10/01/2007 - 14:17 ET by MrSnugglesunless something is under government control, and "free" to the masses (ie. an excuse to raise taxes to an oppressive level), then its broken in liberal lala land. the fact that our doctors and the actual services and care that they provide is the best in the world is ignored and disreguarded.
unless something is under
Mon, 10/01/2007 - 14:17 ET by MrSnugglesunless something is under government control, and "free" to the masses (ie. an excuse to raise taxes to an oppressive level), then its broken in liberal lala land. the fact that our doctors and the actual services and care that they provide is the best in the world is ignored and disreguarded.
It's not in the P-I
Mon, 10/01/2007 - 14:18 ET by UnsaneSo, Belinda Stronach, MP AND owner of a major manufacturer, went to CA to get treated for cancer?
I guess it's NOT in the P-I...
Res tantum valet quantum vendi potest.
Let her marry a Canadian.
Mon, 10/01/2007 - 16:29 ET by Dave RBy the time she gets to see a doctor or get any treatment in that unfortunate country, she will be dead, anyway.
When I'm president, privatization is off the table because it's not the answer to anything.-Hillary Rodham, September 3, 2007 AARP Legislative Conference.
While in Cleveland Ohio
Mon, 10/01/2007 - 20:43 ET by RebelWe meet some people from Canada he needed a Double Lung Transplant and he felt that he would get better care in U.S.A. than in Canada.
The Stronach family are good
Thu, 10/04/2007 - 12:33 ET by 4arrowThe Stronach family are good people. Mind your own business!