Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on Thursday at the Democratic National Convention in Denver accepted the presidential nomination and discussed his proposals for health care and other issues, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.
In comments about his health care proposal, Obama said, "If you have health care, my plan will lower your premiums," adding, "If you don't, you'll be able to get the same kind of coverage that members of Congress give themselves." He added, "Now is the time to help families with paid sick days and better family leave."
Obama also criticized presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and President Bush for their record on health care and other issues. He said that "it's time for them to own their failure" and "for us to change America" (Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle, 8/29).
Health Care Forum
The Service Employees International Union and Families USA on Wednesday hosted a forum in Denver as part of "their lobbying efforts to get health care reform passed in the next administration's first 100 days," Roll Call reports. During the forum, former Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) said, "Health care is not just an issue for me, but a passion ... (a) cause of my life." She also cited the need to "move any legislation in the very beginning of a new president's term," adding, "We cannot wait."
Other speakers at the forum included former Sen. Tom Daschle (D-S.D.), House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair John Dingell (D-Mich.), Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick (D), Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell (D), Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius (D), Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) and Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland (D). According to Roll Call, all of the speakers expressed support for Obama to sign health care legislation as president and criticized Bush for his vetoes of two bills that would have expanded SCHIP. "Many of the speakers ... blasted 'special interests' as the cause of inaction on reforms" on health care, Roll Call reports.
Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, said, "We are all here to promote health care reform as the top and earliest priority for the next president and Congress" (Ackley, Roll Call, 8/28). He added, "The time is right for real health care reform, but to win, that reform must be the top and earliest domestic priority for the next president and Congress" (Kansas Health Institute News, 8/27). SEIU President Andy Stern added that, in the "first 100 days of an Obama administration, we're going to finally solve this health care problem" (Roll Call, 8/28).
Difficult Campaign for Health Insurers?
CongressDaily on Thursday examined how, regardless of "how the Democrats' presidential standard-bearer eventually frames the health care debate, one thing is clear: This might be a long fall campaign for insurance companies." Under his health care proposal, Obama would establish a "National Health Insurance Exchange" that would evaluate plans.
According to CongressDaily, Health Care for America Now -- a coalition of community groups, think tanks, labor unions and women's groups -- "is just fine with Obama's approach to insurance firms" and "stands by Obama's plan to keep a keen eye on insurance companies." The coalition, which plans to spend $25 million on advertising by Election Day and have 100 organizers in 45 states, seeks to frame the health debate as a decision on whether U.S. residents support a "guarantee of quality affordable health care for all" or "leaving us on our own to buy private health insurance."
Heather Booth -- health care campaign director for AFL-CIO, a member of the coalition -- said, "We think there has to be a real watchdog on what insurance companies can do ... that the costs that the insurers add on need to be monitored" (Edney, CongressDaily, 8/28).
Editorial, Opinion Pieces
Summaries of an editorial and two opinion pieces that addressed health care issues in the presidential election appear below.