Decision 08: Health Care Issues

Inside the Pepsi Center

2008-07-22T22:54:00Z

Prior to his Mideast trip, Barack Obama made news by announcing his plan to accept the Democratic nomination at an open-air event to be staged at Denver's INVESCO Field at Mile High. On Aug. 28, Obama will give his acceptance speech before a crowd expected to exceed 75,000.

(Historical note: In a similar manner, John F. Kennedy stood before an open-air audience at the Los Angeles Coliseum while delivering his "New Frontier" speech in acceptance of the 1960 Democratic presidential nomination.)

Primetime convention activities will take place Aug. 25-27 at Denver's Pepsi Center. Here's an update, courtesy of the Democratic National Convention Committee, on preparations inside the venue with roughly a month to go before the convention:

Approximately 5,000 seats have been removed from the arena to make room for the stage, podium and television camera stands.
3,300 miles of fiber, other cabling and supporting structures have been installed to support the technology infrastructure of the media and other convention operations.
The convention’s data center has been built. It will house 20 servers supporting nearly 1,000 phone lines and other communications operations for more than 1,500 people working in and around the Pepsi Center and the live, HD streaming of the convention on DemConvention.com.

Slight Edge to McCain on Health Care Policy

2008-07-14T15:51:00Z

The current opinion poll on the ADVANCE Web site's home page asks, Which of the two presumptive nominees for president has the best plan for using information technology to improve health care?

As of mid-day on July 14, John McCain (52 percent of the votes) leads Barack Obama (48 percent).

The poll will remain open until July 16.

You can cast you vote here.

Every Vote Counts

2008-06-27T19:10:00Z

Projecting the 2008 general election to be "one of the most consequential in U.S. history," George Stephanopoulos, chief Washington correspondent for ABC News, points out how slim the voting margin can be:

"The 2000 election was settled by the U.S. Supreme Court when the official count showed 537 votes in Florida separating Bush from Gore — a difference of less than one-tenth of one percent of the state’s electorate. Flip fewer than 60,000 votes in Ohio, and John Kerry is president in 2004. Nixon would have won in 1960 with 5,000 shifted votes in each of Illinois and South Carolina, and 12,000 in New Jersey," he writes in this weekend's edition of Parade magazine.

In the article, Stephanopoulos also suggests that voters use "The Godfather (or Godmother) Test" when deciding which candidate to favor:

"Pick a candidate as if your child’s life depended on it...The decisions made by the next president will help determine whether your children will have to fight in wars, how dependent they’ll be on foreign oil, and whether Medicare and Social Security will be there when they retire. Vote for the candidate who has the competence and character to guide your child — and the country."

Pollster Expects Close Race

2008-06-18T20:36:00Z

Results of a Reuters/Zogby poll released today give Democrat Barack Obama a 5-point edge over Republican John McCain in the general election for president.

The national survey of 1,113 likely voters, taken June 12-14, had a margin of error of 3 percentage points, according to Reuters, making Obama's lead tenuous.

"This race is starting out very close, and barring something dramatic is likely to stay close at least until near the end," pollster John Zogby told the news service.

At the same time, Obama leads McCain by 52 percent to 30 percent among independents and 51 percent to 36 percent among women, according to the survey results. Zogby noted that McCain will have to find a way to appeal more strongly to those groups of voters to remain competitive.

Clinton Pledges 'Full Support" for Obama

2008-06-10T22:15:00Z

In a speech in Washington June 7, Hillary Clinton announced the suspension of her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination and congratulated Barack Obama on his hard-fought victory.

"I endorse him, and throw my full support behind him," Clinton told a sea of supporters at the National Building Museum. "And I ask all of you to join me in working as hard for Barack Obama as you have for me."

Of Obama, Clinton said, "I have served in the Senate with him for four years. I have been in this campaign with him for 16 months. I have stood on the stage and gone toe-to-toe with him in 22 debates. I have had a front-row seat to his candidacy, and I have seen his strength and determination, his grace and his grit.

Clinton commented that she and Obama started on separate journeys, but said their paths have merged in the quest to win the general election in the fall. And she urged unity in the party's platform on the issues of the economy, health care, equality and foreign policy.

On the specifics of health care policy, Clinton emphaszied, "We all want a health care system that is universal, high quality, and affordable so that parents no longer have to choose between care for themselves or their children or be stuck in dead-end jobs simply to keep their insurance. This isn’t just an issue for me – it is a passion and a cause. And it is a fight I will continue until every single American is insured – no exceptions, no excuses."

Obama issued a statement following Clinton's address saying that he was "thrilled and honored" to have her support.

"In deciding to suspend her campaign, Clinton kept some options open. She gets to retain her delegates to the nominating convention this summer and she can continue to raise money. It also means she could reopen her campaign if circumstances change before the Denver convention, but gave no indication that was her intention," the Washington Post reported.

Hill's Still in, But Bill's a Potential Problem

2008-06-04T16:52:00Z

With a win in yesterday's Montana primary and the more significant public endorsements of Democratic superdelegates, Barack Obama easily moved past the count of 2,118 delegates needed to clinch the party's presidential nomination. The Associated Press (AP) reported that Obama has secured at least 2,154 delegates.

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell, a longtime supporter of Hillary Clinton, Obama's challenger, told the AP, "I am the last of the Mohicans, but it is over."

Clinton told a New York crowd that she will consult with party leaders and supporters in the next several days, but did not indicate that she has ended her quest for the Democratic presidential nomination.

"This is a long campaign and I will be making no decisions tonight," Clinton said Tuesday night.

"She is still a candidate for president and is still making her case as to why she should be the nominee for president," spokesman Mo Elleithee said, according to a Reuters report. "She's going to be taking the next couple of days to make her case to delegates, to unpledged delegates and superdelegates and take stock after that."

"Now that the voting's over, she has the ability to go to these remaining delegates and say look at where we stand. Look at who closed stronger," Elleithee told Reuters.

Bloomberg reporters Catherine Dodge and Kim Chipman wrote that Clinton remains open to the idea of being Obama's running mate in the fall election -- but that plan may be problematic.

"If she were considered as vice president, her husband, former President Bill Clinton, might have to release all records of contributions to his foundation and presidential library and agree not to give paid speeches, according to a person close to the Obama campaign," the Bloomberg reporters noted.

"That could prove a major impediment to her being selected. Bill Clinton, who has made some $52 million from giving speeches over the past seven years, has said he won't disclose details on past contributions, only those going forward." the reporters added.

As Obama Closes In, Will Clinton Concede?

2008-06-03T18:34:00Z

According to an Associated Press (AP) tally, Barack Obama entered today's Montana and South Dakota primaries with 2,076 total delegates, 42 short of the number needed to secure the Democratic presidential nomination. Hillary Clinton has 1,917 delegates, the AP reported. The Montana and South Dakota contests mark the end of the primary season.

The two candidates are battling for a total of 31 pledged delegates in Montana and South Dakota. That means Obama will need the endorsement of additional superdelegates to put him over the "magic number" of 2,118 committed delegates needed to clinch the nomination.

American Research Group polls gave Obama a projected four-point edge in Montana, and Clinton a 16-point advantage in South Dakota.

The Washington Post noted that roughly 180 superdelegates have not yet endorsed either Obama or Clinton."[M]any were reportedly waiting for the end of the primaries today to announce which candidate they will support at the Democratic convention in Denver in late August," the Post stated.

An AP report published earlier today said Clinton would concede to Obama tonight during a speech in New York. Shortly thereafter, the Clinton campaign issued a denial, stating that the AP story was incorrect. "Senator Clinton will not concede the nomination this evening," the prepared statement declared.

In ADVANCE's most recent online Opinion Poll, 63 percent of respondents said Clinton should concede the nomination and pledge her support to Obama.

Humor at the Cabinet Level

2008-05-21T12:05:00Z

HHS Secretary Michael Leavitt prefaced his keynote address at the 2008 World Health Care Congress in Washington last month with an amusing anecdote. Click the video player below to watch him recap a “Centenarian Day” encounter during his governorship of Utah.

Edwards Endorses Obama

2008-05-15T12:44:00Z

Former rival John Edwards endorsed Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination last evening.

The annoucement came at an Obama campaign appearance in Grand Rapids, Mich. According to a Bloomberg.com report, Edwards said Obama is the candidate who can unite Democrats for the ``fight of our lives'' in the November election.

"Edwards is a prominent Democrat who speaks on behalf of lunch bucket-carrying, hard hat-wearing, Dunkin' Donut-eating Democrats,'' said Chris Lehane, a Democratic strategist who worked on Al Gore's 2000 presidential campaign. Lehane told Bloomberg.com that Edwards can help Obama "counter the story line on whether he can or cannot win those particular voters."

From a practical standpoint, the endorsement means that the 19 pledged delegates won by Edwards in primaries earlier this year will likely go to Obama.

Citing an Associated Press count, the report said Obama leads Hillary Clinton in pledged delegates 1,598 to 1,446. Among superdelegates, Obama has the support of 289, compared with 275 for Clinton, according to lists and announcements from both campaigns.

Bloomberg.com reported that Obama is within 150 delegates of securing the 2,026 needed to clinch the Democratic nomination.

John Edwards' endorsement does not include the endorsement of his wife, Elizabeth, who has said she prefers Clinton's health care proposals over Obama's.

McCain Plan Deemed 'Most Feasible'

2008-05-09T19:32:00Z

According to those who responded to ADVANCE's most recent Opinion Poll, posted April 28 through May 9, John McCain's health plan presents the most feasible solution among the proposals espoused by three main candidates for president.

As of this posting, McCain had received 55 percent of the votes.

Barack Obama trailed McCain with 30 percent of the votes.

Hillary Clinton received 15 percent of the votes.

Do you think McCain made a positive impression with his campaign's recent emphasis on explaining his health care policy in detail?

Video Clips from Each Camp

2008-05-07T23:30:00Z

Advisors to the Obama, McCain and Clinton campaigns participated in a panel discussion titled "The Presidential Health Care Agenda" at the World Health Care Congress April 21 in Washington.

ADVANCE attended the session and captured video highlights from each of the candidates' representatives: Jim Cooper for Obama, Thomas Miller for McCain, and Chris Jennings for Clinton. Former U.S. Secretary of State George Schultz and Kaiser Foundation CEO George Halvorson provided analysis.

Click here to access the video feature.

McCain's Running Mate

2008-04-30T01:18:00Z

The ADVANCE Online Poll that appeared on our Web site's main page from April 14-28 asked readers who John McCain would select as his running mate on the Republican ticket.

Respondents could choose among the following frequently mentioned possibilities (in alphabetical order):

Charlie Crist

Mike Huckabee

John Huntsman Jr.

Tim Pawlenty

Rob Portman

Condoleezza Rice

Tom Ridge

Mitt Romney

Mark Sanford

The results:

Rice topped the poll with 29 percent of the vote.

Huckabee placed second with 26 percent.

Romney gathered 23 percent.

Ridge received 13 percent of the vote.

All others received less than 10 percent.

A Workable Plan

2008-04-25T00:03:00Z

Attendees at this week's World Health Care Congress in Washington voiced their collective opinion on presidential politics through an instant poll. During a keynote session titled "The Presidential Health Care Agenda," attendees were asked the following:

Do you think a candidate can win the presidency if he or she proposed a workable [health care] plan -- that is, a plan that controls costs?

58 percent of respondents said "yes."

'Elevator Pitches' to Superdelegates

2008-04-18T00:31:00Z

At the conclusion of last night's debate between Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama in Philadelphia, moderator Charlie Gibson of ABC News posed the following question:

"It is hard to see how either one of you win this nomination on the basis of pledged delegates in primaries. And it could well come down to superdelegates. And I know you've been talking to them all along. But let's say you're at the convention in Denver, and you're talking to a group of 20 undecided superdelegates. How are you going to make the case to them why you're the better candidate and more electable in November?

Gibson gave each candidate 90 seconds to respond. By virtue of winning a coin flip, Clinton went first. Here's what she had to say (unedited quotes sourced from the New York Times via the Federal News Service):

SENATOR CLINTON: Well, I say to them what I've said to voters across America -- that we need a fighter back in the White House. We need someone who's going to take on the special interests.

And I have a plan to take away $55 billion of the giveaways and the subsidies that the president and Congress have lavished on the drug companies and the oil companies and the insurance companies and Wall Street. And I have a plan to give that money back -- give it back in tax cuts to the middle class -- people who deserve it, who have been struggling under this president, who feel invisible, who feel like, you know, they're not even seen anymore.

And we're going to make everybody feel like they're part of the American family again. And we're going to tackle the problems that have been waiting for a champion back in the White House.

Now, obviously, I can't do this alone. I can only do it if I get people who believe in me and support me and who look at my track record and know that, you know, I've spent a lifetime trying to empower people, trying to fight for them.

And I think it's going to be challenging, but it is absolutely what we must do in order to keep faith with our country and to give our children the future that they deserve.

So I will tell everyone who listens that I'm ready to be the commander in chief. I've 35 generals and admirals, including two former chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Wesley Clark and others, who believe that I am the person to lead us out of Iraq, to take on al Qaeda, to rebuild our military.

And I will turn this economy around. We will get back to shared prosperity and we will see once again that we can do this the right way so it's not just a government of the few, by the few and for the few. And I need your help. I need the help of the voters here in Pennsylvania, first and foremost, in order to be able to get to those conversations.

And I hope that I have demonstrated not just over the last weeks or even over the last hour and half but over a lifetime that you can count on me. You know where I stand. You know that I will fight for you and that together we're going to take back our country.

Here's what Obama had to say:

SENATOR OBAMA: Well, when we started this campaign 15 months ago, it was based on a couple of simple principles: number one, that we were in a defining moment in our history. Our nation's at war. Our planet's in peril. Our economy is in a shambles. And most importantly, the American people have lost trust in their government, not just Democrats but independents and Republicans who've been disillusioned about promises that have been made election after election, decade after decade.

And the bet I was making was a bet on the American people; that they were tired of a politics that was about tearing about each other down, but wanted a politics that was about lifting the country up; that they didn't want spin and PR out of their elected officials, they wanted an honest conversation.

And most importantly, I believe that change does not happen from the top down, it happens from the bottom up. And that's why we decided we weren't going to take PAC money or money from federal registered lobbyists, that we were not going to be subject to special- interest influence, but instead were going to enlist the American people in a project of changing this country.

And during the course of these last 15 months, my bet's paid off because the American people have responded in record numbers, and not just people who are accustomed to participating, but people who haven't participated in years. I talked to a woman here in Pennsylvania, 70 years old, she whispered to me, "I've never voted before, but I'm going to vote in this election."

And so my point to the super delegates would be that if we're going to deliver on health care for every American, improve our schools, deliver on jobs, then it's going to be absolutely vital we form a new political coalition in this country. That's what we've been doing in this campaign, and that's what I'm going to do when I'm president of the United States of America.

Clinton Describes Cancer Research Plan

2008-04-07T18:22:00Z

During a discussion with talk show host Ellen DeGeneres scheduled to air today, Hillary Clinton described a plan under which the government would provide $300 million per year in increased funding for breast cancer research. An Associated Press (AP) article quoted Clinton as saying the research would focus on treatment and exploring genetic and environmental triggers for the disease.

Clinton said that, if elected president, she would set a goal of finding a cure for breast cancer within 10 years. The AP report noted that approximately 40,000 women died of breast cancer in 2007, and 240,000 cases are expected to be diagnosed this year.

Clinton's plan would increase funding through programs at the National Institutes of Health, the National Cancer Institute and the Department of Defense Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program, the AP report stated.

Clinton said the plan would also help more low-income women gain access to screenings such as mammograms by making them more affordable. Clinton said the plan would eliminate Medicare co-payments for mammograms.