Republican Presidential Debate Includes No Questions On Health Care

Main Category: Public Health
Article Date: 30 Nov 2007 - 5:00 PDT

email to a friend   printer friendly   view / write opinions   rate article

Eight Republican presidential candidates on Wednesday participated in a debate in St. Petersburg, Fla., sponsored by CNN and YouTube that "passed without any questions about health care," the San Francisco Chronicle reports (Garofoli, San Francisco Chronicle, 11/29).

During the debate, moderated by CNN anchor Anderson Cooper, the candidates answered some of the almost 5,000 questions submitted through YouTube (Reinhard/Klas, Miami Herald, 11/29). An analysis of the first 3,000 questions submitted found that 15% focused on health care (Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, 11/28).

According to the New York Times, "there was no discussion of health care proposals" during the debate, but the candidates "managed to illuminate some of their differences" on the issue during a discussion on immigration (Cooper/Santora, New York Times, 11/29). Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney criticized former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani for his efforts to challenge a federal law that requires employees to report undocumented immigrants who seek emergency health care and other services (Miami Herald, 11/29).

Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, Rep. Duncan Hunter (Calif.), Sen. John McCain (Ariz.), Rep. Ron Paul (Texas), Rep. Tom Tancredo (Colo.) and former Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) also participated in the debate (Milligan/Helman, Boston Globe, 11/29).

Clinton, Obama Continue Health Care Proposal Criticism
In other election news, presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday during an appearance at Des Moines Area Community College in Iowa said that presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) is "betraying the Democratic Party's principles" because his health care proposal would not expand health insurance to all U.S. residents, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports (O'Toole, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 11/29).

Clinton said, "If anything, Democrats should believe in universal health care," adding, "We should fight for it." Under her health care proposal, U.S. residents would have to obtain health insurance. Obama's plan provides access to insurance for everyone along with subsidies for lower-income residents, but does not include a requirement to obtain coverage except for children. According to Clinton, the Obama proposal "does not and cannot cover all Americans."

In a conference call with reporters, Obama said, "Until she clarifies what exactly she intends to do to enforce this mandate ... this is more of a political point that she's trying to make than a real point" (Mehta, Los Angeles Times, 11/29). "Demonizing anyone who doesn't share her exact plans on health care is exactly why Hillary Clinton flunked the opportunity she had to pass universal health care in 1993," Bill Burton, an Obama spokesperson, said.

Presidential candidate Former Sen. John Edwards on Wednesday described how the individual requirement to obtain insurance under his plan would be enforced, including requiring proof of insurance when filing income taxes and when obtaining health care services, as well as garnishing wages of and using collection agencies for people who don't pay their premiums (McAuliff, New York Daily News, 11/29).

Broadcast Coverage
CNN video and expanded coverage of the debate are available online. A transcript of the complete debate also is available online (CNN, 11/28).

Fox News Channel's "Special Report with Brit Hume" on Wednesday reported on criticism from Clinton about the Obama health care proposal. The segment includes comments from Clinton, Obama, presidential candidate and former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) (Garrett, "Special Report with Brit Hume," Fox News Channel, 11/28). Video of the segment is available online.

PBS' "Charlie Rose" on Tuesday included a discussion with McCain that included comments on health care (Rose, "Charlie Rose," PBS, 11/27). Video of the segment is available online.

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.kaisernetwork.org. You can view the entire Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery at http://www.kaisernetwork.org/dailyreports/healthpolicy. The Kaiser Daily Health Policy Report is published for kaisernetwork.org, a free service of The Henry J. Kaiser Family Foundation© 2005 Advisory Board Company and Kaiser Family Foundation. All rights reserved.