Edwards, Obama trade rare barbs

Posted: Saturday, December 15, 2007 5:29 PM by Domenico Montanaro
Filed Under: 2008, Edwards, 2008 Obama

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From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
Independence, Iowa -- Obama took a rare swipe at Edwards this morning in Independence, Iowa. When talking about how to pass universal health care, Obama said that Edwards' approach which involved just beating the drug and insurance companies is unrealistic.

"This is just a little comment, because Senator Edwards, he and I have similar plans and he's done some good work, but he argued that you know Barack, the problem is that he thinks you can negotiate with insurance companies and drug companies, and I just think that you gotta just beat them," Obama said referencing an attack Edwards had made on Obama's approach to health care.

Obama went on to say, "Well you know what the key to getting this done is to empower the American people, but you also have to have negotiataions, and you have to listen. Otherwise stuff is not going to happen. We want to reduce the power of drug companies and insurance companies and so forth, but the notion that they will have no say so at all in anything is just not realistic; it's just not true."

*** UPDATE *** Read about Elizabeth Edwards greeting Obama supporters.
[/excerpt]
From NBC/NJ's Aswini Anburajan
Independence, Iowa -- Obama took a rare swipe at Edwards this morning in Independence, Iowa. When talking about how to pass universal health care, Obama said that Edwards' approach which involved just beating the drug and insurance companies is unrealistic.

"This is just a little comment, because Senator Edwards, he and I have similar plans and he's done some good work, but he argued that you know Barack, the problem is that he thinks you can negotiate with insurance companies and drug companies, and I just think that you gotta just beat them," Obama said referencing an attack Edwards had made on Obama's approach to health care.

Obama went on to say, "Well you know what the key to getting this done is to empower the American people, but you also have to have negotiataions, and you have to listen. Otherwise stuff is not going to happen. We want to reduce the power of drug companies and insurance companies and so forth, but the notion that they will have no say so at all in anything is just not realistic; it's just not true."

Edwards responded to the attack at his own town hall later in the day, saying the way to get universal health care is to fight for it.

The two trading barbs may reflect the increasingly tightened race in Iowa and the scramble for votes. Obama's bus tour through Iowa, hitting Waterloo, Mason City and Charles City today is in the rural north central part of the state where Edwards' support is strong, but where Obama can possibly cull some support and be a viable second place choice in the caucuses. Tonight, both Obama and Edwards will campaign in Mason City.

*** UPDATE *** Elizabeth Edwards greets Obama supporters
From NBC/NJ's Tricia Miller
WATERLOO, Iowa -- It was supposed to be a routine stop at a field office to greet staff and make a few calls. Elizabeth Edwards arrived with Kevin Bacon at Edwards' Waterloo field office to find about six staff and volunteers inside calling caucus-goers. She made a few calls herself, urging Iowans to attend a Monday event in Des Moines and thanking faithful volunteers.

Then Edwards stepped outside the office, and as reporters stood poised to tape her walk back to the Main Street Express, the former senator's wife took a sharp right. A media crowd followed her to the front door of the Obama office next door. As mostly African-American Obama volunteers filed back into the office, they were surprised to shake the hand of none other than their rival's wife.

"It's great to see people working hard," she said. "Look me in the eye, and shake my hand. We're on the same team. Thank y'all. Appreciate y'all working so hard. I bet you look even more handsome smiling. You should try it."

A tall man toward the back of the line didn't recognize the woman shaking everyone's hand.

"Who are you, ma'am?" he asked.

"I'm Elizabeth Edwards, John's wife," she replied.

"Oh! Nice to meet you!" he replied, his eyes wide.

The candidate's wife shook a couple more hands and trudged back to the bus, a trail of staffers and still-surprised reporters trailing behind.

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