Obama on Clinton, health care
Posted: Saturday, November 24, 2007 10:54 PM by Domenico Montanaro
From NBC/NJ’s Aswini Anburajan
OBAMA WEEKEND CAMPAIGN NOTEBOOK
DUNLAP, IA -- At an event here today, Obama said that Hillary Clinton "didn't have enough confidence in the American people" when she was trying to pass health care in 1993.
Obama frequently criticizes Clinton for trying to pass health care behind closed doors in 1993. To demonstrate a contrast with her, he often says he'll put the entire process on C-SPAN. This is the first time, though, he has used the word "confidence" to describe Clinton's effort in 1993. He also placed as much blame on Clinton for failure in passing health care reform as he did the health industry.
In Council Bluffs, Obama joked about Thanksgiving in his opening remarks. "Happy Thanksgiving!” he said. “I ate too much!"
Obama appeared in high spirits talking to a crowd of a few hundred at Thomas Jefferson High School. His campaign had the podium labeled with a placard that read: "Affordable Health Care for All," but little was said that was new or deviated from Obama's stump speech. He stressed the importance of Iowa, saying that they had more of an opportunity than anyone else “on this planet” to choose the leader of the free world.
Obama also returned to the issue of drivers’ licenses for illegal immigrants, after a voter asked him about his support for a bill that provided licenses to illegal immigrants in Illinois. Obama turned the issue into one of public safety, saying that he supported the issue because he wanted to protect American citizens.
"When I was in Illinois,” he told the man who asked the question, “I voted for a provision that would require them to get drivers licenses because they were running around without insurance, without paperwork… So if they hit you there was no recourse, so I want to protect you.”
He stressed that he knew that he and voter probably disagreed on the issue, and disputed the notion raised by the man that illegal immigrants were comparable to terrorists.
"First of all, let me tell you we disagree sometimes,” Obama said. “I don't agree that illegal immigrants are like terrorists I don't agree with that. They're breaking the law. Keep in mind terrorists kill us, these people are working packing plants.”
Obama also emphasized his Midwestern roots in approaching the problem. Saying that immigration is turning into "a wedge issue" similar to the way gay marriage was used in the last election, he said that it was important to remember it should be handled in the "common sense way" that Midwesterners like him and the crowd assembled were known for.
"There have been some folks who have said it's not possible to have universal health care coverage unless there is a mandate…,” Obama said. “What I Have said repeatedly is that the reason people don't have health insurance is not because they don't want it, it's because they can't afford it."
That was a veiled reference to the disagreement with Clinton which began at last week’s debate. Obama also stressed the theme that he hit Clinton on last week, after the Clinton campaign attacked Obama on his foreign policy credentials.
"This election is about the judgment and the character of the next president," Obama told the crowd, adding, "We have a bunch of folks like that in Washington, who don't tell the America people what they really believe.”
Obama also switched a word from his stump speech. "I will initiate a new era of "presidential" diplomacy," Obama said. He usually uses the world "personal." The shift might appear small, but it could be argued that it provides more gravitas to his view that the president of the U.S. should speak directly with foreign dictators. This is one of the Obama's favorite issues on the stump and a topic on which he is unabashed in openly voicing his disagreements with Clinton.
Obama also took questions on Israel, the economy and lowering the cost of prescription drugs. He made fun of drug company commercials, saying, "people are running through the fields and you're saying what are these drugs for?" He added, smiling. “There is one drug you know what it does… You know the side effects, it gives you diarrhea."
And in a distinctly PG moment, he added, "You do know what one drug is for... Middle class couples all smiling at each other, looking happy."
Obama also said jokingly as he took questions, "These questions have not been pre-screened or pre-recorded.”
