Elizabeth Edwards Responds to McCain over Healthcare - Hope its not a dupe.

[Seabiscuit]

http://thinkprogress.org/wonkroom/2008/04/21/elizabeth-responds-cheap-shot/


You go Elizabeth!

John McCain accused me of taking a “cheap shot” on “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” yesterday for noting that people with preexisting conditions, such as he and I have, would not be able to get health care under his plan –- and that he perhaps was not as sensitive to this problem as he should be since he has been in government health care his whole life.

Sen. McCain noted that he was not receiving government health care for the six years he was in captivity. That is true. But it has nothing to do with my point — which is that the problem with Sen. McCain’s health care plan is not how it affects us –- but how it affects the tens of millions of Americans with preexisting conditions who, unlike Sen. McCain and myself, do not have the resources to pay for quality health care.

That is not a cheap shot, it is a potentially life and death question for tens of million of Americans. And it is a question Sen. McCain must address.

McCain’s health care plan is centered around the idea that we’d be better off if more Americans bought health coverage on their own, rather than receiving it through a job or government program. But maybe since he has never purchased insurance in the individual market, he does not know the challenge it presents for Americans with preexisting conditions.

A recent study showed that nearly nine out of every ten people seeking individual coverage on the private insurance market never got it. Insurers will disqualify you for just taking certain medicines because of the possibility of future costs, including common drugs as Lipitor, Zocor, Nexium, and Advair. People who have had cancer are denied coverage and those who get cancer run the risk of simply being dropped by their insurer for any excuse that can be found. And insurers make it a practice to deny coverage to individuals in high risk occupations, such as firefighting, lumber work, telecom installation, and pretty much anything more risky than working in an office.

McCain opposes universal health care because he claims it represents a “big government takeover and mandates.” But yesterday, he said he would help cover people with preexisting conditions by creating a “special Medicaid trust fund.”

A “special Medicaid trust fund”? Talk about a big government takeover. Tens of millions of Americans have preexisting conditions. If he is going to expand Medicaid to cover Americans with preexisting conditions, he is talking about a massive, massive increase in the Medicaid program. He says he opposes more government involvement in health care, but his idea really would be government-run health care.

My questions is: why is he doing this? If he is so concerned about expanding government’s role in health care, why doesn’t he just tell the insurance industry that they have to cover people with preexisting conditions? Why is he more concerned about protecting the insurance industry –- an industry which, by the way, his corporate tax cut plan gives a $1.9 billion tax cut to –- than the tens of millions Americans with preexisting conditions?

McCain’s advisors still can’t say how this special Medicare trust fund will work. I gather we will find that out when Senator McCain gives a speech on health care later this month. Rest assured, I will be paying attention.
:thumbsup:

[liberal N proud]

1. McCain’s health care plan is just talk

If anyone actually thinks that a fucking republicon who is in bed "literally" with the pharmaceutical lobby and the insurance companies is going to give health care to the common people of the US is delusional.

It is nothing more than campaign rhetoric because the Democrats are talking health care.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

10. Ewwwww!!!! I can NOT believe he went after her. THAT BASTARD!!!!

:grr:

He aims to target Elizabeth,...then, he has give permission to have his wife and their relationship targeted!!!! ASSHOLE!!!!

[annabanana]

2. I was really ticked off when I read McCain's response to Elizabeth's

question. It was a non-answer and a deflection. He did not address her concern AT ALL.. And yet he was allowed to get away with it.. Like he's allowed to get away with everything.

[Disturbed]

3. McSame has a lot of smart ass answwers to questions.

He has delusions of being a comic. He is an Asshole!

[alstephenson]

4. I saw McCain on Stephanolpoulos yesterday.....

I almost threw a shoe at the T.V. when he came up with that response. I wondered, as Elizabeth did, just how clueless McCain could be about the number of people with preexisting conditions. I would say at least 3 out of 5 people my age have preexisting conditions (I'm in my late fifties). What a crock, McCain. And what a smug asshole you are.

[CTyankee]

19. You have to understand that his answer to her was formulated by his campaign staff.

They want to always deflect the question and get into his POW situation. We cannot take the bait and talk about his POW experience. We will lose every encounter because he will walk away with the aura of the "hero."

E.E. is doing us a great service. she has now given me a perfect talking point about his "Medicaid trust" idiocy. She has thought this thing through for us.

How I wish we could have a debate between E.E. and McLame!

[Beaverhausen]

5. She rocks!

god, we really missed a chance when John dropped out - she would have been the best first lady ever.

[spooky3]

6. Very direct, clear, and persuasive. No wonder McLame tries to deflect and distract.

Thank you, Elizabeth.

[Triana]

7. Obama / Edwards (Elizabeth)....

...that's the ticket I want.

[cornermouse]

8. I'd like to think Elizabeth is smarter than that.

In fact, I'm pretty sure she is.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

9. McCain should've taken a shot at someone who doesn't give a shit,...like him, these days.

Leave Elizabeth, alone, you whore!!!

She and her husband have been true to their principles,...while you married away yours!

Go straight to hell, McCain! Go to the place you sold your soul, you former "Maverick".

But, leave that lovely woman, alone! :grr:

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

11. McCain just gave permission to target his wife,...the privileged addict still doing pills princess!

That's what you did, John, attacking Elizabeth as you did.

Now, it's your problematic wife's turn. Oh, yes she is lovely and possibly a sweet human being. But, in this ZERO-TOLERANCE NATION you have adopted, you better be ready to be the victim of the policies your masters have imposed.

Don't whine, you bastard! YOU BROUGHT IT ON you pathetic bush-sucker.

[KitSileya]

12. Ms. Edwards has too much class to point out

that were McCain forced to try to find health care coverage on his own tomorrow (should he, by some miracle, lose his Congressional coverage,) he would not find one. Too many preexisting conditions. He'd have to rely on the VA.

That might actually be a great eye opener - apply for health care coverage for a fictitious person with McCain's vitals and see how much he'd have to pay. He has to release the results of his latest physical as a candidate, right? See how much he'd have to pay for a civilian coverage, and then how much he'd have to pay, and wait, for VA treatment. It would be a sort of a sequel to the California nurses' rightful claim that Cheney would be dead.

[Digit]

13. Then try to find insurance without having been a veteran

Impossible

[KitSileya]

18. Yes, exactly. So they should use this in the GE

Show how out of touch McCain is. Show how little veterans actually get, and how being a civilian is even worse in terms of health care. Show voters that McCain would have been dead, or best-case scenario, have lost his house because of his cancer surgeries if he'd not voted himself ample coverage.

[spooky3]

21. or--that people with his wife's wealth self-insure

They don't buy insurance from companies because they can afford to cover any costs they incur, no matter how catastrophic.

This sometimes causes wealthy people to have no idea of how awful it is to be without insurance.

[KitSileya]

22. Yeah. So it should be pointed out that were he not insulated

by a wealthy wife, and the health insurance members of Congress so generously vote themselves, he'd have heck of a lot of trouble getting medical treatment. Now I understand that while he's been reluctant to publish his medical records this go-around (probably because the cancer is more serious than what's been reported, because it's reoccurred) he did publish an extensive look-see into his health in 2000. Use that public knowledge, add the stage IIa melanoma with multiple repeats, and see if you can get medical insurance for a man his age, his pre-existing conditions etc. He obviously wants to cut VA, so no support from them.

[EFerrari]

14. Take names, Elizabeth.

I wish I could have voted for you. :toast:

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

15. Bravo Elizabeth! I bet that McCain didn't expect her to come back at him! He doesn't know

Elizabeth!!!!!!

:applause: :applause: :applause:

[onehandle]

16. Thank You, Elizabeth Edwards! nt

[Vinca]

17. I wish Elizabeth would work for universal, single payer as proposed

by Kucinich. Anything else is rewarding insurance companies by giving them 47 million new suckers to screw.

[Supersedeas]

20. labeling it a cheap shot is a cowardly attempt at avoiding the issue, but the MSM

insist on labeling him a straight shooter on the express to media free-rides