Obama Calls for Universal Health Care

Associated Press ^ | 1/25/07 | NEDRA PICKLER

[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.

[isthisnickcool]

Health insurance for every planet! I need my front toof fixed!

[lucysmom]

I can't afford either of you, by the way. My taxes are high enough.

No problem, I never asked you to pay my way. For all either of us knows, I may be subsidizing YOU.

[ricks_place]

Obama Calls for Universal Muslim Health Care

[DustyMoment]

I may be subsidizing YOU.

Trust me when I tell you that isn't and (God willing) never will be the case.

[EagleUSA]

Turns out, according to an actual study, less than one tenth of one percent of Canadians come to the US for medical care.
-----
That is probably about the percentage of Canadians that can afford to pay for it ---

[Candor7]

I lived in canada for 35 years. The health care system there provide emergency services to all Canadians. However, if you want elective surgery, you have to wait for it, sometimes for years.

So if you have a car accident, your life will be saved. But if you want the leg fixed that was injured in the car accident, so you can walk on it again, you will have to join a waiting list. And you can wait for 2 or 3 years. Then all the relatives of doctors and surgeons, don't wait. They get inter provincial referrals to med school buddies , and the waiting list is circumvented by the privileged few. Thats how a socialist system works.

Universal Health Care is not universal, and anyone who thinks it can be is a flaming idiot.

Americans would never be able to live with such a system.

[massgopguy]

Toronto Globe and Mail said that a cardiac patient is ten times more likely to die waiting than on an operating table.
One of my best friends was skiing in Ottawa when he got stabbing pains in his lower abdomen. He went to the ER and was told he could either be operated there for an emergency appendectomy or wait until he got back to the states. He chose the latter. When in Vermont they opened him up to find a pink, healthy appendix. However, there was a strong smell of stool. The doctor, who was at the time the VP of the AMA treated the bowel perforation before peritonitis set in. He told my friend that if he had stayed in Canada they would have closed him up at finding the healthy appendix and sent him back for rediagnosis and most likely would have died waiting.

[wastedyears]

Who will pay for universal healthcare besides the taxpayers?

I pay for my own healt care, I don't need my taxes raised to pay for Rico's and Juan's because they're illegal.

[rfp1234]

How about UESS?

(Universal Ear-Straightening Surgery)

[Candor7]

I also have a few horror stories. But the fact is that Universal Health Care in the USA would not be acceptable to the people, and the Dems will try to sell it and sugar coat it.

Dems Lie. They have lied about the war in Iraq, and have convinced the public that what they say is true.

They will lie about health care.They will make promises not intended to be kept. We have a large problem.

[bill1952]

I've already planned to retire the year that such a thing comes to pass.

I will contribute absolutely nothing, and claim the free stuff that Hillary will be giving out.

It is free, right? No sarcasm intended.

[bill1952]

Average 48 visits per annum?

Geez, thats about a visit a WEEK, and thats an average? Think of the high side...

[Eric Blair 2084]

[jackv]

Hey obama...this makes you look weak... running after hillary and her grand healthcare ideas. Come on! You can do better than that failed idea!!! good grief!!!

[Panzerlied]

Is it just me, or do any others belive that every individual is responsible for his or her own health?

[neverhillorat]

National Government Sponsored Health Care is totally unfair to American Heroes like the Breck Girl, ex-Senator Edwards. How will he be able to keep his new 25,000 square foot home if he can`t sue Doctors and hospitals? It`s just not right.

[WLR]

I know this is unrelated of course. I just came across a new definition and I had never heard of it before. How about anyone else?


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stalking_horse

Stalking horse
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Look up Stalking horse in
Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

A stalking horse is someone or something whose role is to become the focal point for, or the initiator of, a debate or challenge. In reality, however, their leadership role may be an illusion, and the stalking horse is really working to promote a challenge or debate that will benefit a third party whose identity remains a secret.

The phenomenon occurs particularly in politics, where a junior politician acts as the stalking horse to promote the interests of a senior politician who remains unseen in case the actions would damage him or her but nevertheless wants to provoke a debate or challenge to a party colleague. In some cases stalking horses are not working for a particular individual but may wish to provoke a response that leads others to join in. In politics, the truth about the relationship between an individual stalking horse and a candidate may never be known, as both sides may claim that the (alleged) stalking horse acted without the agreement of anyone else.



W

[television is just wrong]

jumping in with everyone else. nothing to see here.

[ChiMark]

No one is ever turned away for health care. Illegals
get access for pete's sake!

It's about big government and the socialist state.

[Cinnamon]

Is he president yet? I just had an Obamagasm! LOL /sarc