Evading Substance
In February, former Senator John Edwards transformed the whole health care debate with a plan that offers a politically and fiscally plausible path to universal health insurance.
He deserves a lot of the credit by forcing a debate to a level of substance among Democrats. Furthermore, Edwards has offered a detailed, sensible plan for tax reform, and serious antipoverty initiatives.
Four months after Edwards’ health care plan was announced, Senator Barack Obama followed with a similar, but less comprehensive plan. Obama has also announced a serious plan to fight poverty.
Senator Hillary Clinton has remained evasive. She communicates the impression that there’s not much difference between her policy positions and those of the other candidates, but she’s offered few specifics. Unlike Edwards and Obama, Hillary Clinton hasn’t announced a specific universal care plan, or explicitly committed herself to paying for health reform by letting some of the Bush tax cuts expire.
The lack of specifics on a plan for universal health care is disturbing. In February’s Democratic debate Senator Clinton suggested a lack of urgency, by stating: “Well, I want to have universal health care coverage by the end of my second term.”
At the Yearly Kos Convention in Chicago, she sounded more forceful by stating: “Universal health care will be my highest domestic priority as president.” Nevertheless, Clinton has said nothing about how she would cover the uninsured.
Senator Clinton insists that her positions could never be influenced by lobbyists’ money. However, we should be concerned about the large contributions she has received from the health insurance and drug industries, because they may be backing the Democratic candidate least likely to hurt their profits.
Senator Clinton is showing an almost Republican aversion to articulating a specific position on universal health care and talking about substance.
He deserves a lot of the credit by forcing a debate to a level of substance among Democrats. Furthermore, Edwards has offered a detailed, sensible plan for tax reform, and serious antipoverty initiatives.
Four months after Edwards’ health care plan was announced, Senator Barack Obama followed with a similar, but less comprehensive plan. Obama has also announced a serious plan to fight poverty.
Senator Hillary Clinton has remained evasive. She communicates the impression that there’s not much difference between her policy positions and those of the other candidates, but she’s offered few specifics. Unlike Edwards and Obama, Hillary Clinton hasn’t announced a specific universal care plan, or explicitly committed herself to paying for health reform by letting some of the Bush tax cuts expire.
The lack of specifics on a plan for universal health care is disturbing. In February’s Democratic debate Senator Clinton suggested a lack of urgency, by stating: “Well, I want to have universal health care coverage by the end of my second term.”
At the Yearly Kos Convention in Chicago, she sounded more forceful by stating: “Universal health care will be my highest domestic priority as president.” Nevertheless, Clinton has said nothing about how she would cover the uninsured.
Senator Clinton insists that her positions could never be influenced by lobbyists’ money. However, we should be concerned about the large contributions she has received from the health insurance and drug industries, because they may be backing the Democratic candidate least likely to hurt their profits.
Senator Clinton is showing an almost Republican aversion to articulating a specific position on universal health care and talking about substance.
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