Edwards joins the spat over health care

Bee — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:06:55 GMT

More government bureaucracy is bad for America. I ain't buying it. Medicaid is already a disaster and why would i want to sign up for government disaster.

Edwards joins the spat over health care

Ron, TX — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:09:51 GMT

“Barack Obama’s plan leaves out 15 million people. The truth is that some people will choose not to buy insurance even though it’s affordable, knowing that the rest of us will pay for their emergency room visits," -- Edwards

Aside from the FACT that the hospital will not send the government a bill, but rather, send the person who went to the emergency room a bill...

How are you going to FORCE these people to pay for their health care? That's the all important, obvious question if your contention is that you will FORCE them to get health care coverage. You will force them. Ok, how will you force them?

It's pretty easy to answer, Hill and John should already have that built into their plan. You know, enforcement mechanisms are generally considered a pretty big part of legislation.

John and Hill both miss the MOST IMPORTANT and functional part of "universal health care". It's not just a matter of FORCING everyone to BUY health care on their own. We HAVE to make it AFFORDABLE. Forcing everyone to buy overpriced health care with bad coverage is FAR from a health care solution...

Edwards joins the spat over health care

Dee of VA — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:18:32 GMT

"Aside from the FACT that the hospital will not send the government a bill, but rather, send the person who went to the emergency room a bill..."

Agreed, Ron!

Edward's statement is more insulting to uninsured Americans than it is to Senator Obama. He's clearly suggesting that they are too stupid or negligent to sign-up for health care they need.

Edwards joins the spat over health care

Marbw — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:29:29 GMT

Who was successful at passing important legislation:

"As a state legislator, Obama worked with both Democrats and Republicans in drafting successful legislation on ethics and health care reform. He sponsored a law enhancing tax credits for low-income workers, negotiated welfare reform, and promoted increased subsidies for child care. Obama also led the passage of legislation mandating videotaping of homicide interrogations, and a law to monitor racial profiling by requiring police to record the race of drivers they stopped. During his 2004 general election campaign for U.S. Senate, Obama won the endorsement of the Illinois Fraternal Order of Police, whose president credited him with having been "immensely helpful in working with police organizations" on death penalty reform."

Edwards joins the spat over health care

Shadow, Hamden, CT — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:36:44 GMT

So that works fine as long as everyone in the country files their income taxes. Great.

Obama's the only one who's right on this. You CAN'T force all adults in a free society to get health care. You can only make it easier for them to do so. Clinton and Edwards pushing mandates on adults plays into the GOP stereotype of nanny statism, in a year where Democrats otherwise appear better poised to appeal to Americans with libertarian sensibilities than most of the Republicans running.

Edwards joins the spat over health care

Luke M, Columbia, SC — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 23:54:40 GMT

He is just echoing what Hillary said, without explaining how these people would be left out. Obama expands health care and makes it affordable. He gives good coverage and does not force everyone into it. Since when did universal become the same thing as forced? Like my brother says, if you force it it becomes universal. Sounds like a raw deal.

Edwards joins the spat over health care

HMT-MI — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:00:43 GMT

Let the govornment pay for our healthcare----it works in Norway,Sweden,France,Germany and Canada---also japan.The people that run our country have the best money can buy,also the rich.Are the rest of us just condemned to die?That is what it looks like

Edwards joins the spat over health care

diane — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:04:06 GMT

Here is a fact checker on both obama and Hillary's plan. it is from the Obama campaign but, they are citing the Washington Post fact checker which i find to be pretty good.
http://thepage.time.com/from-obama-spokesman-bill-burton/

Edwards joins the spat over health care

Tina Behensky — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:24:27 GMT

Ron, Edwards stated long ago that those who were unemployed or "underemployed" would receive help from the government with the cost of their health care. *No one* will be forced to buy health care to the exclusion of rent or food.

http://johnedwards.com/issues/health-care/

Edwards joins the spat over health care

Bob Gilmore, Spokane, Washington — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 00:39:12 GMT

It must be interesting to be John Edwards right now. As the "inevitability" arguement regarding Hilary begins to fade Edwards' last great hope is the between him and Obama that he is the "electable" one and has a real shot. There has to be a reason that he keeps running!

Edwards joins the spat over health care

Marbw — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 01:03:26 GMT

Barack Obama's campaign response: click here

http://thepage.time.com/from-obama-spokesman-bill-burton/

Edwards joins the spat over health care

Maynard NY — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 01:03:43 GMT

Why should we expect that the same government that screwed up Social Security, Medicare, education, and energy development can get health care right?

Edwards joins the spat over health care

s_vitreus, St. Cloud, Minnesota — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 01:22:12 GMT

Remember, Medicaid is a state run program, not part of the federal bureaucracy it is only as messed up as each individual state can make it.

As for Medicare it has the lowest administrative and staffing costs of all of the medical industries under 3%. If Kaiser, Humana, BC/CS, Cygnia, or any health insurance company could do that we wouldn't have the health insurance problem we have in America.

The truth is, small business is hurt by not having something available that is cost effective for its employees and big business has it made because it is a bargaining chip to keep unhappy employees content at their jobs.

If we can afford a war budget that costs us nearly 150 billion a year with on oversight I think we can afford 100 billion for universal healthcare which will create jobs with benefits in this country.

Now before anyone cries about the insurance industry losing jobs over the move to a universal healthcare option. Ask yourself who stood up for all the manufacturing workers who lost jobs when NAFTA was passed. Evidently no one cared about these blue collared workers, so anyone affected by shifts in the insurance company are just going to have to adapt to the market place like those in other industries that fell before them. Just be grateful that the newly created bureaucracy will at least be jobs at home and not out source to another country based on a weighted trade agreement.

By the way how is the Canadian Economy doing with their heavy burden on the business climate, the people, and the government? They must be doing all right, because Jim Cramer gave any tradable Canadian Industry a "BUY" on the TODAY SHOW this morning. Let us not forget the "LOONIE" is now worth more than the US Dollar these days, but what foreign currency isn't.

Universal Health-Care is nothing to be scared of !!!!!

Edwards joins the spat over health care

Jess Peil, Midland Michigan — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 05:50:31 GMT

Although I am an Edwards supporter, Kucinich is the only one who has it right on health care. Americans need Health Care not Health Insurance. It is the Health Insurance that is the problem.