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.
ANYONE who would be a firebrand and stand up to the Dims would get noticed. Our Republicans have no b*lls.
I don't think he's saying that everyone would use the same doctors. Or that you'd have to belong to this program. He avoided specifics, but certainly I could understand having certain doctors in the network for those with a government health insurance policy. The other policies could still be in place for those who can afford them.
These would be there for people whose jobs don't offer policies, and who can't afford them on their own. I'm not saying it's necessarily a good idea, but it should be considered if a case can be made. As someone who has to deal with insurance companies regularly, I can say that they are hardly above reproach either.
Yes, Mr. Obama, socialism is tiresome and wrong, among other things.
Personally, I'd prefer a new microwave oven.
She can't. That is Bill's spot.
I wish these con artists would stop solving a problem I don't have by creating vast new problems I don't need.
I'll say one thing for Obama
he's not trying to fool anybody like the Clintons did in their first campaign
he's come out as the socialist he actually is
The Devil's in the Details.
I thought that too. 15 billion is chump change compared to what it will cost to cover the illegal immigrants, er I mean the "uninsured".
The first thing any Universal health care bill should include is that Senators , Members of the House and the President of the United States all have to sit in the Clinic right along with the rest of us. Wait their turn and use the same Godawful Doctors.
At Yahoo! Answers, they have Hillary asking what should be done about health care (with a laughable disclaimer that they--Yahoo--are nonpartisan). Just from reading a sampling of the responses, it looks like socialized medicine is a hit with Y!A users. It's probably something that should be FReeped--this question comes directly from Hillary or her people.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AvjJQU30wge8vVNVOLjlvTnpy6IX?qid=20070124144113AAVmBL1
Of course, any freeping should be done carefully, because they do have a "report abuse/remove the message" feature.
Health insurance is the greatest Ponzi scheme of all.
When "health insurance" became popular in the mid-20th century, costs for services began to rise, thus insurance premiums rose, and so on...
If we think health care is expensive now, just wait til it's free.
You got that right!!
The first time they say they will get in line behind ME to wait for a doctor's appointment, I MIGHT listen...but that will never, ever happen.
Besides, NO ONE is denied health care in this country, if it is necessary.
After 13 years in Germany...I can write 30 pages on why socialized medicine isn't the glory job that it says. There are vast holes in the German system. And be aware...the Germans had to build two escape valves into the mess.
The first way to avoid social medicine...is to make more than $50k per year...then you can buy a private policy that covers all of the things you'd really like to cover. The social policy by the government...is a basic policy that leaves alot of stuff out.
The second way...is to be a government worker...a cop...a fireman...because they have their own policy...which gives them first-class care. They don't worry about holes in the national policy. They get the private room...while the real people get eight people to a huge ward area. The government guys get real drugs...while the national policy buys the generic stuff for you. Don't worry...if you are unhappy...just suck it up. You won't get another option unless you pay for it yourself...out of your own pocket.
After all the hoopla they raised over Tony Snow's use of the term "tar baby" I hestitate to employ it, but Obama's candidacy is just there to lure us into attacking him, and putting ourselves into a media uproar from which we'll never extricate ourselves. He's not going to win the nomination, so why bother criticizing him? Let his rivals do it---and call each other racist.
Anything said against him will be attributed to us racist nazi neanderthals. Hillary Clinton could take him out on her yacht---the S.S. FJB---and come back without him, and it would be our fault somehow.
That sums up the Democratic Party -- we have to cling to our beliefs, but have no opinion on how to achieve results.
There now. That looks better. ;o) I think every candidate has included universal health care in their platform. THAT'S how far down the slippery slope we've gone!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.