Presidential candidates discuss proposals for health care, other issues at AARP convention

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) on Saturday appeared via satellite at an AARP convention in Washington, D.C., and spoke about health care and other issues that affect seniors, the Washington Post reports.

In his comments, Obama said that McCain would abandon seniors economically and tax their health benefits. He said, "Job shipped overseas? Tough luck. Pension disappeared? That's the breaks. No health care? The emergency room will fix it. You're on your own."

McCain in his comments cited his ability to work with congressional Democrats to address a number of issues, such as health care and Medicare. He said, "We have to sit down together, Republican and Democrat, and reach across the aisle, and I have that record," adding, "I ask you to do something and that is to say put aside your partisan rancor. My friends, I have that record and you can count on it" (Shear/Slevin, Washington Post, 9/7).

On Friday, Obama during a campaign event in Duryea, Pa., announced a proposal to fight cancer and promised to double federal funds for research and promote preventive care. Jill Biden, the wife of Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden (Del.), appeared with Obama at the event and helped explain the proposal. She said, "This is a plan that will help save lives" (Douglas, McClatchy/Miami Herald, 9/6).

Health Care, Other Economic Proposals Examined

The New York Times' "The Caucus" on Monday examined the Obama and McCain economic proposals, which include their health care plans. According to the Times' "Caucus," Obama has "far outbid his Republican adversary" on his economic proposals, which include subsidies to help U.S. residents purchase health insurance.

The "principle elements of Mr. McCain's economic agenda on taxes, trade, regulation and health care follow the philosophic outlines of a deeply unpopular Bush administration," with McCain's "most ambitious proposal" a plan to replace a tax break for employees who receive health insurance from employers with a refundable tax credit of as much as $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to purchase private coverage, according to the Times "Caucus." However, "for most workers, who already have employer-provided health insurance, the value of that credit would be offset by a new tax on those employer-provided policies," the Times' "Caucus" reports (Harwood, "The Caucus," New York Times, 9/8).

The AP/Tennessean on Monday also examined the Obama and McCain economic proposals, which included their plans for Medicare. According to the AP/Tennessean, "neither candidate is talking very much about tackling what all experts see as the biggest budgetary challenge facing the next president -- the explosion in the government's big benefit programs for Social Security and Medicare as the baby boomers retire." In addition, "neither campaign has put forward any proposals that experts say would make a meaningful dent in fixing Medicare, the far bigger entitlement problem because of soaring health care costs," the AP/Tennessean reports (Crutsinger, AP/Tennessean, 9/8).

In addition, the Tribune/Long Island Newsday on Sunday examined the Obama and McCain economic proposals, which include their health care plans. Obama "wants all Americans to have health coverage and would spend tax dollars to do it," and McCain "would reduce regulations to permit more choices for consumers by allowing health care companies to sell across state lines," according to the Tribune/Newsday (Leckey, Tribune/Long Island Newsday, 9/7).

Newsday on Monday compared proposals from Obama and McCain on health care and other issues (Jones, Long Island Newsday, 9/8).

Ability of McCain To Work With Democrats Examined

The Wall Street Journal on Saturday examined whether McCain as president would have the ability to work with congressional Democrats to pass legislation on health care and other issues.

According to the Journal, health care reform is an "issue on which Sen. McCain and Democrats sharply disagree." Republicans maintain that the McCain health care proposal "would prod consumers to demand the most cost-effective coverage and would therefore drive down costs," but Democrats "worry that it would continue to leave many millions of people without insurance and have defeated Bush administration efforts similar to what Sen. McCain is proposing."

Douglas Holtz-Eakin, senior policy adviser to McCain, said that McCain as president first would focus on areas of health care on which Republicans and Democrats agree -- such as efforts to increase use of health care information technology, allow prescription drug reimportation from Canada and expand use of generic medications. He said that health care reform would involve "steady work at doing better -- incrementalism" (Davis/Hitt, Wall Street Journal, 9/6).

Palin Promise, Record on Advocacy for Special-Needs Children Examined

Republican vice presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, whose five-month-old son Trig has Down syndrome, during her speech at the Republican National Convention last week advocated for special-needs children, but "activists wondered whether that promise would be undercut by the Republican ticket's pledge to reduce government spending," the Journal reports (Kronholz, Wall Street Journal, 9/8). Palin did not release details on how she plans to advocate for special-needs children. In an e-mail sent on Friday, Palin spokesperson Maria Comella wrote, "She is going to be an advocate in the White House on multiple levels because she understands the issue, what's needed and what works."

"To those in Alaska who work with children with special needs, Ms. Palin's pronouncement was surprising," as "the disabled have not been a centerpiece of Ms. Palin's 20 months in office or any of her campaigns for office," according to the New York Times. Palin "signed legislation that would increase financing for children in Alaska with special needs" but "she was not involved in its development," the Times reports (Steinhauer/Harmon, New York Times, 9/7).

Retiree Concerns

The AP/Akron Beacon Journal during the Republican National Convention last week interviewed several retiree delegates about their views on health care and other issues.

According to the AP/Beacon Journal, "health care is a primary concern among retirees nationwide, regardless of income level or political affiliation." However, not "all would put health care at the top of the list -- just as Republicans and Democrats disagree on how to address soaring medical costs," the AP/Beacon Journal reports.

AARP maintains that "access to affordable quality health care and lifetime economic security are by far the two most important issues for its members and for retirees," according to the AP/Beacon Journal (Carpenter, AP/Akron Beacon Journal, 9/8).

NPR's "Talk of the Nation" on Friday reported on a questionnaire that Research!America sent to the Obama and McCain campaigns that asked for details on their proposals for health care, stem cell research, the Medicare prescription drug benefit and funds for NIH, FDA and CDC. The segment includes comments from Research!America President Mary Woolley ("Talk of the Nation," NPR, 9/5).