Where do the presidential candidates stand on health care?
The first installment of an ongoing series about where candidates stand on the issues
By Maura Metz
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Obama’s plan would permit children to be covered under their parent’s health insurance until they are 25 years old.
You might know which presidential candidates are leading the race, but do you know what they plan to do when they take office? One issue that concerns many students as well as millions of uninsured Americans is health care.
The Republicans and Democrats differ greatly on health care. While Democrats would like to see major changes made to the current health care system, Republicans prefer smaller modifications.
Sen. Hillary Clinton is the only candidate proposing that health care is mandated for all citizens. Under her plan, Americans could opt to keep their current health care plan, select from the private insurance choices that Congress does, or use public insurance similar to Medicare.
She would also subsidize Americans with low incomes to make health care more affordable. Large businesses would be required to either offer health care to employees or assist them in paying for it.
Clinton’s plan would cost $110 billion annually, according to CNN.com, which would be paid for by repealing President Bush’s tax cuts for households that make more than $250,000 per year.
Sen. Barack Obama’s health care plan would mandate insurance for children but not adults. He would provide citizens who do not receive insurance through their employers the option of participating in a new public insurance program or buying private insurance moderated through his National Health Insurance Exchange program.
Obama’s plan would permit children to be covered under their parent’s health insurance until they are 25 years old. He would also subsidize low-income families.
Obama’s plan would cost anywhere from $50 to $60 billion a year, CNN estimates. He would fund his plan by having companies that don’t offer health care to contribute to the national insurance program and, like Clinton, would end the Bush tax cuts.
Unlike the Democrats, Sen. John McCain does not support universal health care. Although in 2007 he voted against increasing the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that grants health insurance to children of low-income families that don’t qualify for Medicaid, he has supported it in the past.
McCain supports generic versions of drugs to lower costs. He wants malpractice laws to be improved. He also wants more centers for community health. McCain would supply tax assistance for low-income Americans seeking insurance coverage.
Former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee also opposes universal health care but believes the current system is not working. He encourages states to be creative in order to ameliorate the problems with health care.
Huckabee favors lower health care costs through free market innovation. He would also give tax aid to low-income families to help make insurance affordable.
> Comments
Dyon on Feb 19, 2008 at 09:50 AM:
Obama's "Change"
He talks of change, but what kind of change?
A change back to the past, that will bring racism back in this country.
Just when we thought these times were behind us. His book "The Audacity of hope" was inspired by Jeremiah Wright. Jeremiah Wright is the pastor of Obama' s church. Jeremiah Wright is very close friends with Louis Farrakhan, a radical muslim.
If Obama were to come into power, then believe me the Hate trio of Louis Farrakhan, Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton will suddenly become Obama's advisors.
Obama is telling them to stay away just for now..... A scary thought, that America can be so naive, but they will be very sorry in the end. Obama does not have the slightest knowledge how to run this country, and he WILL NEED ADViCE, and the death trio will be there to give it to him! If you want to find out more about who Jeremiah Wright is or Louis Farrakhan, the links below will show you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Wright
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Farrakhan
Here is another one of Obama's connections:
http://www.themidnightsun.org/?p=1613
Just wait tll the real debates happen, and Obama's true intentions are revealed....hopefully Hillary will wake up the people before the Republicans do.
Dyon on Feb 19, 2008 at 09:50 AM:
Obama's "Change"
He talks of change, but what kind of change?
A change back to the past, that will bring racism back in this country.
Just when we thought these times were behind us. His book "The Audacity of hope" was inspired by Jeremiah Wright. Jeremiah Wright is the pastor of Obama' s church. Jeremiah Wright is very close friends with Louis Farrakhan, a radical muslim.
If Obama were to come into power, then believe me the Hate trio of Louis Farrakhan, Jesse Jackson, and Al Sharpton will suddenly become Obama's advisors.
Obama is telling them to stay away just for now..... A scary thought, that America can be so naive, but they will be very sorry in the end. Obama does not have the slightest knowledge how to run this country, and he WILL NEED ADViCE, and the death trio will be there to give it to him! If you want to find out more about who Jeremiah Wright is or Louis Farrakhan, the links below will show you:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeremiah_Wright
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louis_Farrakhan
Here is another one of Obama's connections:
http://www.themidnightsun.org/?p=1613
Just wait tll the real debates happen, and Obama's true intentions are revealed....hopefully Hillary will wake up the people before the Republicans do.
Dyon on Feb 19, 2008 at 09:53 AM:
http://www.youtube.com/user/larrysinclair0926
http://obamatruth.org/
http://savagepolitics.com/
http://rezkowatch.blogspot.com/
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/03/us/politics/03exelon.html?_r=3&pagewanted=1&hp&oref=slogin
http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/08/09/pacsandlobbyistsaidedobamas_rise/
Obama is now accused of Plagarism, and is caught on tape! Apparently this has happened more than once. Click below to see the tape:
http://devonlohan.com/2008/02/barack-obama-will-steal-your-speech.html
Check out the people Barack Obama has running his campaign office in Houston Texas!
http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/archives/2008/02/obamacheguevaraflagscandal/
And then Obama paying those women to faint! Not just in one city, but in many!
http://www.radiovice.blogspot.com/2008/02/oh-obamaaaaaa-insert-fainting-now.html
Lena on Feb 19, 2008 at 09:55 AM:
WHAT CHANGE WILL SENATOR OBAMA BRING?
Senator Obama will offer voters whatever change they want that will get him elected. The reason he declines to be specific is because change means so many different things to people. If he is specific he will lose those who do not want what he's selling. So, he makes you think he's selling what you want.
Obama's goal is to hold up a mirror to your own desires. What ever you want, he'll give you it. He is whoever you want to believe he is.
He's a used BMW salesman. Smooth, polished, nice smile and disposition. His pitch is: "What am I going to have to do to get you into this car, today?" He is sincere in that he sincerely wants to be president.
Obama is essentially apolitical. He has no deeply-held political philosophy. That’s why he laid Ronald Reagan on us. It was a mistake, an obvious one, but he could not know that. He is politically tone deaf in that sense. Obama is an apparatchik with considerable oratorical skill. He talks a great game but in the end, he’s an empty vessel into which have flooded the desires and the hopes of the gullible. The man is a suit.
Open your eyes or learn how to play chess.
Dave on Feb 19, 2008 at 09:56 AM:
OBAMA AS ELMER GANTRY
Time after time, when the Obama faithful are pressed to justify WITH SPECIFICS their charges of racism, they crawl back into the woodwork. The few who do attempt an answer get lost, spin in circles and quickly disappear up the nearest open orifice.
Even when asked to detail Obama's policy of "change", the can't. Their explanations get very New Age and hand wavy.
The truth is they have no earthly clue what Obama stands for in concrete terms, or how he will, or even could, bring about this change They can’t define it because Obama never does.
They are, in all respects except name, Moonies. The are cult followers, and Obama is their guru and savior. This isn't a political campaign, it's the Unification Church on steroids.
Like any good faith, Obama worship has its mantras - "racist", "change", "The fierce urgency of now.", "The audacity of hope".
Savvy adults will immediately recognize that when used by Obama, the latter two chants are pure snake oil. They are meaningless out of any specific context. They are the currency of the con-artist. The coin of an Elmer Gantry.
We cannot let this man con us out of the presidency.
Joan on Feb 19, 2008 at 09:58 AM:
The Experience for Change.
Hillary has the THE EXPERIENCE THAT KNOWS HOW & WHAT TO CHANGE. Over 35 years of experience.
http://www.issues2000.org/Hillary_Clinton.htm Hillary is now serving her second term in the U. S. Senate. Obama only served one year in the U.S. Senate before he began his campaign. Think about real change with someone that can get the job done. Someone extremely intelligent... She will bring our troops out of Iraq, she will change the face of Healthcare and Education, and take us out of this recession. Obama...If not's about a race thing, then tell me what great thing Obama has accomplished. Try to convince me. I don't think it's time to experiment right now. Our Country is at war, our economy is a complete mess, we need help. We need a candidate with experience. not someone who wants to learn on the job. I say we should observe Obama over the next few years, and see what he does before we even consider electing him as President. I mean this is not a game we are playing, this is serious life, our lives.We still do not know exactly what he did that was so amazing as Senator for people to believe in his WORDS, and that's exactly what they are WORDS! If you listen to his speech pattern, this guy obviously studied MLK. Now we have Ted Kennedy, an alcoholic, murderer, and male chauvinist endorsing him, and we follow him like sheep. Come on People this guy is an opportunist, and does not have the best interest of this country at heart. Then there's Carolyn Kennedy, who after all these years appears like a mouse out of its hole, and we believe she can pick our president. To actually proclaim that Obama is like her father, is an insult of a great man, JFK is a war hero. It seems as though Caroline has never read "Profiles In Courage"... and Obama, well... how has he proven that he loves America? What has he done to come close to even being compared to JFK?
Here is a link where he does not even salute the flag: http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1662530_1446035,00.html The reason why people gravitated towards JFK was because he did things in his life and he believed in and gave up his life for this country, he was not all talk.
People used to believe in substance at one time, now it seems that it just needs to be shiny. Shame on these Kennedys! At least Bobby Kennedy Jr. is smart enough not to buy into this BS. He's voting for Hillary, and so is Cesar Chavez Jr. Too bad for Obama, since he is trying to get the hispanic vote, which insult.
And shame on any women that are not supporting Hillary! You should get your head examined. Here we have a woman who worked really hard to get where she's at, and she's a viable, experienced candidate, which can finally bring women up to the same respect that men have always had, in regards to jobs, salaries, opportunities, etc, and then we choose an inexperienced guy over her, that we know nothing about, and that just came out of nowhere. These women belong back in the kitchen, barefoot & pregnant.
So shine your ALL Clad, make your 30 minute meals, and listen to what Oprah tells you to do. This just proves that you do not really want Change. It's the same old thing, just another guy, with another skin color.
Let's talk about viable black candidates. Obviously MLK and even Colin Powell would have been guys to hang your hat on, but not Obama.
Most of all, these are folks that really proved they loved America. The black people that are voting for Obama, because of the color of his skin, shame on you too! Do you really want to take a chance on a guy with no experience, and a shady background. The stakes are way too high, to have the first black president fail. Black people have worked way too hard, and have come way too far, to have someone like Obama, represent what you stand for. Come on let's get real here.
Ray on Feb 19, 2008 at 10:00 AM:
If we think about it, there is another person that was able to deliver great speeches, and inspire many to believe in him....Hitler. BAHHHHH, BAHHHHHH
Carl on Feb 19, 2008 at 10:02 AM:
You will never go broke betting on the stupidity of the American people.
In 2000, we chose a guy that everyone recognized as having, at best, average intelligence. But, we said, it sure would be cool to have a beer with him. So, we elected George Bush for President.
Bush promised to get Osama bin Laden, the person responsible for the deaths of 3000 Americans, but couldn't figure our how. He talked us into invading Iraq for nonexistent WMD and got us stuck in a civil war that killed 3000 soldiers. The American people rewarded this "success" by reelecting him in 2004.
Since then, Bush has destroyed the economy, spent trillions on an endless war, mismanaged everything from Katrina to the budget, and conspired with his oil friends to quadruple the price of oil.
Did we learn? Of course not. We are now excited about a liberal black man with just two years of experience at the federal level. He has no management or executive experience. No real record of accomplishing anything. Why? Because he sure talks pretty.
God help this country.
Barry on Feb 19, 2008 at 10:03 AM:
Obama keeps talking about decisions that were made in 2002 - the decision about whether to give Bush authorization to use the threat of war as leverage to get the inspectors back in to finish their job of looking for MWD.
But, if people recall, Bush had said publicly while he was campaigning for the presidency, "I am not into nation building."
But then, in private, he was saying he wanted to invade 8 countries, beginning with Iraq and ending up with Syria and Iran.
Everyone knows the fear that gripped this nation after 9/11. Bush had his way with all of us - I didn't fall for it because I never did trush Bush, the same way I don't now trust Obama.
But it was fear that caused the votes for that resolution, and Bush and Cheney misrepresented our national intelligence and even sent Powell to the UN to lie about the cartridges that were found in Iraq.
Obama needs to move on - he needs to talk about issues that are confronting our nation today.
Obama also needs to give us more information when he was a "community organizer."
We all know, now, that Obama had a seventeen year relationship/friendship with Tony Rezko, the back room shady deals maker who is now arrested by the FBI and is incarcerated pending his trial to begin on Feb. 25th.
http://i.abcnews.com/Blotter/wireStory?id=4171763
Obama lied, lied, lied, in the debate not long ago when he said he only "did about five hours worth of work for Rezko" knowing full well that there 100 articles written in Chicago newspapers outlining his close financial ties to Rezko.
Rezko is from Syria, and it is now being learned that Rezko has been receiving huge amounts of money from some man who just recently left Iraq, or Iran. The details are coming out in very small pieces right now.
What has come out already, is the fact that Obama used his state senate letterhead to write letters to city and state officials on behalf of Rezko and Rezko netted more than fourteen million dollars ($14,000,000) in taxpayers monies.
Obama also sat in on Rezko business dealings to help influence potential investors in his schemes.
Obama also ended up with a 1.6 million dollar mansion, purchased the same day that Rezko's wife purchased an empty lot next door for $625,000. Obama got his mansion for $300,000 below asking price.
The empty lot Rezko's wife paid $625,000 for had no access to it from the street. It was either in front of or behind Obama'shouse - Obama bought that empty lot for $110,000 from Rezko's wife. And he bought that lot after Rezko was indicted on influence peddling and other crimes.
Obama now can't forgive Hillary for buying into Bush's false representation of things after 9/11, but so did most every body else.
But Obama needs to explain why Rezko gave fund raisers at his (Rezko's) mansion and Obama ended up with $200,000 in donations.
Also, I think a lot of the contributions for Obama are suspect and should be looked into. Are these real donors, or are they employees of firms that Obama rails about.
I remember one day he said such and such drug company didn't contribute money, it was all of the drug company employees that contributed $2300 each.
Obama needs to be thoroughly vetted, and since the biased media won't do it - they swoon over the guy and let him have free passes for all of his mistakes and poor choices - if the media won't do it, then, we, the people, will have to, or we will end up with a crook in the White House and a "victim" as he makes himself out to be everytime somebody brings up his negative past.