Elizabeth Edwards Prefers Hillary's Health Care Plan to Obama's (update)

[Maribelle]

Elizabeth Edwards has joined Center for American Progress, (home to the excellent Think Progress blog) as a Senior Fellow on health care issues. She'll also be blogging as part of their rapid response team at the Wonk Room.

While she's not endorsing either candidate, she tells Good Morning America tomorrow she prefers Hillary Clinton's health plan to Obama's:

In an interview with "Good Morning America's" Robin Roberts, airing Wednesday, Edwards — who recently began work as a senior fellow at the liberal think tank, the Center for American Progress — said she believed Clinton's health care plan was more inclusive than that of the Illinois senator.

"You need that universality in order to get the cost savings ... I just have more confidence in Sen. Clinton's policy than Sen. Obama's on this particular issue," she said.

Welcome, Elizabeth


http://www.talkleft.com/story/2008/4/8/23221/72691

[napi21]

1. So do I. However, Barack's plan is very similar, and the final decision

will be made in Congress anyway!

[jsamuel]

2. only similar compared to McCain

and you can't get what you don't ask for in congress

[napi21]

4. As I understand them, the biggest difference is that Hill's would be

mandatory. THAT'S actually what I like about it. I think the comparrison to "how successful do you think SS would have been if it wasn't mandatory" is a great example of why I like that.

[rodeodance]

6. AS Eliz you need ALL in the pool to keep the cost's down.

[cascadiance]

10. Ultimately, BOTH plans would need to be reformed to make them single payer

... and take the insurance companies out of the loop. Probably can't say that now in election season, but in my book, that's the only way to REALLY solve the cost problems. Get rid of the institutionalized corporate welfare to those companies. And of course that might likely have to come after we put in place something like public campaign financing, which would take a while, ESPECIALLY under Hillary with many people like Murdoch whispering strongly "NO!" into her ears...

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

15. Eggs-actly !! n/t

[Texas Hill Country]

27. Barack's relys on the old GOP classics of "the market" and "personal responsibility"

[rodeodance]

3. Good on Elizabeth. Her health must be doing OK-

[rodeodance]

5. She was scheduled to be on GMAmerica today-but I missed it.

[Beaverhausen]

20. video is up in the video forum

[rodeodance]

25. thanks i will look for it

[rodeodance]

7. REC

[olkaz]

8. "While she's not endorsing either candidate"

Clinton took her plan from Edwards.

It would be completely stupid to not endorse their OWN FREAKING PLAN.

[Maribelle]

9. The significant difference between Hillary's plan and Edwards' is ...

Edwards' locks whole segments out of the planning process, which Hillary learned from the mistakes of 1993 not to do.

The major reason Hillary's plan was defeated in 1993 was because of those she did not include in the planning - - the very ones that rose to vehemently fight her.

[Tom Rinaldo]

12. If the Edwards plan was better

a case could be made that it was stupid of Obama not to use it himself.

[olkaz]

14. I'd agree with that, it is the best plan.

I don't know if it was stupid, but as far as I care, I want each of the candidates to do the best John Edwards impersonation as they can.

The fact that we're having to choose between these two while he sits out really brings me down.

[dchill]

17. Gotta be SOME WAY to use...

STUPID and OBAMA in there somewhere. Which plan do we have now?

[Tom Rinaldo]

18. You put those words closer together than I did

It wasn't my goal to make that association :)

Obama's a smart guy, of that I have no doubt.

[dchill]

21. How is AND closer than OF?

Count much?

[Tom Rinaldo]

23. I was blinded by your CAPS. An optical illusion...

it made your small case "and" almost disappear.

[dchill]

24. Chuckle...

OK. :)

[Occam Bandage]

11. Welcome? Kind of presumptuous, since she refused to give an endorsement either way.

[Vinca]

13. It's not the "universality" that will get cost savings,

it's the lopping off of obscene, insurance company profits. That can't be accomplished by either the Clinton or Obama plans. If Mrs. Edwards sincerely wants to pursue this issue, I suggest she call Dennis Kucinich.

[ellacott]

22. Very true, this is the 800 lb Gorilla that no one's talking about

Dennis' plan was the only true Universal plan. Nothing is mentioned by either candidate about insurance reform. Just because everyone may have coverage there is nothing mentioned about stopping insurance companies from denying claims.

Insurance companies are the one's with power and none of the candidates are going to say this on the campaign trail.

[dchill]

16. Nobody's "Health Care Plan" is anybody's...

"Health Care Plan" - yet.

[mkultra]

19. Thats awsome, i voted for her in the primary

[Mezzo]

26. It's a right wing talking point to dis universal healthcare under the guise of "forced healthcare".

I hope either candidate would adopt John Edwards' health care plan. He's right about it.

[Raffi Ella]

28. She was great on KeithO.

She ever so politely slammed the media - KeithO - for their bias and for not focusing on issues but rather personalities instead. She said she looks at issues when deciding on a Presidential Candidate...

She said that Clintons healthcare plan was more inclusive overall and a much better plan than Barack Obama's.

I'm surprised Keith had her on at all.

[AllentownJake]

29. You watched Keith

But O'Reilley is on and he might have been talking about the Pastor or Rezko!!!!

[Raffi Ella]

30. I see you have no comment of any substance...

I'm not surprised there are no " I love Keith" posts tonight - Elizabeth made him look like the biased Kool Aid drinking shill that he is for Obama. :)

[AllentownJake]

32. I loved Keith

Before this became close and I would have loved him still even if he had supported the other side because I know he'd be speaking up for whoever the nominee is in November.

[Raffi Ella]

33. riiight. lol. Give me a break.

And how the hell can he speak up for Our Nominee when he has raked her through the coals on a daily basis??

He's basically said she is a worthless piece of shit "awash in filth" - took smears and made them into reality, used them as fact for his man O in a special comment! What? He's gonna do a complete turn around when she is nominated!? That'll be real believable - make him look like more of a left wing irrelevant shill than he already does - much like BillO is for the right.

KeithO. jumped the shark a long time ago. I watched him only because I respect and admire Elizabeth Edwards. It was worth every second just to see her make him look like the fool he is. SHE is real. She cares. She made Keith look pathetic! End of story.

[AllentownJake]

34. Right...

He spends most of his show bashing Bush and the war and every so often he calls Clinton out on something. In one special comment he says something about her campaign and not her personally and he's a terrible women hater nevermind the years worth he did against the war and Bush.

Well I'm looking forward to the coverage of the pot banging rally on Friday. Do you have your pot and spoon ready?

[ecstatic]

31. I think she might be the real voice behind Edwards

It's too bad she didn't get the chance to run for president.