Posted on 01/25/2007 8:38:25 AM PST by Sybeck1
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Every American should have health care coverage within six years, Democratic Sen. Barack Obama said Thursday as he set an ambitious goal soon after jumping into the 2008 presidential race. "The time has come for universal health care in America," Obama said at a conference of Families USA, a health care advocacy group.
"I am absolutely determined that by the end of the first term of the next president, we should have universal health care in this country," the Illinois senator said.
Obama was previewing what is shaping up to be a theme of the 2008 Democratic primary. One of his rivals, 2004 vice presidential nominee John Edwards, also said as he announced his candidacy last month that he will offer a proposal for universal health care.
Obama said while plans are offered in every campaign season with "much fanfare and promise," they collapse under the weight of Washington politics, leaving citizens to struggle with the skyrocketing costs.
He said it's wrong that 46 million in this country are uninsured when the country spends more than any one else on health care. He said Americans pay $15 billion in taxes to help care for the uninsured.
"We can't afford another disappointing charade in 2008, 2009 and Obama said. "It's not only tiresome, it's wrong."
Obama's call was an echo of a speech he made last April when he said Democrats "need to cling to the core values that make us Democrats, the belief in universal health care, the belief in universal education, and then we should be agnostic in terms of how to achieve those values."
His argument Thursday not only will be considered through the prism of the presidential campaign, but weighed against rival Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's ill-fated plan to overhaul the health care insurance system when she was first lady.
Another candidate, Ohio Rep. Dennis Kucinich, also backs universal health care.
Let the bidding begin!
Whatever my opponent offers the sheeple, I will offer them DOUBLE!
If he says universal health care, I say DOUBLE universal health care, and free hospital cafeteria food to boot!
If he says universal welfare, I say DOUBLE universal welfare, and a free pair of Nike's for every man, woman and child in these United States!
One of the clearest signs our Republic is spiraling down the toilet -- is the MAJORITY control of Congress has fallen to the least accomplished, most dependent, least productive and most inept among us.....
Then throw in the Democrat Plantation blacks, the illegal immigrant lobby, the Abortion, Pervert and Pedophile lobby, the VERY substantial Muslim oil money finding its way into Democrat campaigns -- and you have the recipe for decline into Turd World status...
Judging from the stupidity of the "modern electorate", I'm nearly convinced they deserve the future they're demanding....
Fair warning......It will be bloody, and there will be NO ONE to appeal to...
Semper Fi
Early death is looking like the best option!
The trial lawyers will never go for it. Too difficult to sue the gub'mint when someone dies from lack of proper/timely care.
Like Welfare? Then you'll love Universal Health Care.Where the same courteous, efficient, and helpful people who run the DMV are in charge of your healthcare.
And paying out of pocket for medical care is put on a moral equivalence to paying for sex. Hillarycare didn't want to see a two tier system for those who could pay and those who couldn't. Paying for medical care was to be outlawed.
One of my sisters has lived in England for the past 30 years. She says there are 2 health care systems, the public one and the private one for people with money. Both are worth what you pay for them.
If he's going to pay for it himself, this would be fine with me.
What happens if you don't want it?
Obama wants to bring back the old welfare system, and then wants to offer services to illegal immigrants (Who would get amnesty and citizenship under his plan)
The Lambo will be cheaper.
The free market system rations health care according to the amount of money that one is committed to spending on it. Those who are willing, and able, to spend more money get treated by more expensive and presumably more able doctors.
Socialized medicine rations health care according to the political reliability of the patient. Pure cronyism.
Can certainly understand what the appeal is to party hacks like Mr. Obama, more favors to pass out to his friends and a new way to punish those who aren't toeing the party line.
Obama also stated that it's also wrong that 60% of the nation isn't on welfare
I call for UNIVERSAL AUTO CARE! ... I need a new fuel pump transplant urgently!
yeah.. that's the ticket! Obama , who walks on water, is for universal health care. someone hand him the crown!
Turns out, according to an actual study, less than one tenth of one percent of Canadians come to the US for medical care.
My platform would be, "Everyone gets a free 42 inch plasma TV"!!
Now, those who have health insurance pay 25% of their premiums to support an insurance bureaucracy. They load your doctor up with forms so that he has to hire employees to fill them out, who do you think pays for that? Bet he passes the cost for interfacing with the insurance bureaucracy on to you, who passes it on to the insurance company who in turn passes it back to you in higher premiums and/or co-pays.
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