Edwards Speaks on Health Care

Democratic presidential candidate, John Edwards, went into further detail on his health-care plan today.

Among the more interesting highlights was the idea of removing patents from breakthrough drugs and forcing health insurance companies to spend at least 85% of their premiums on patient care.

Mr. Edwards also believes that offering cash incentives will make it so that generic brands of breakthrough drugs will be more available, instead of one company benefiting from the discovery.

However, Mr. Edwards does not recognize that drug companies will not be willing to share their drug if they know it is not in the best interest. The only reason why we have made the advances that we have in medicine, is that companies knew they would be rewarded for their research and effort.

Mr. Edwards' plan takes away the most fundamental aspect of a business, which drug companies are, and that is the potential for profit.

All Mr. Edwards' plan does is eliminate the incentive for drug companies to research and develop new drugs, or at the very least, make those drugs available in the United States.

To cover the costs of his 90-120 billion dollar 'universal' healtcare plan, Mr. Edwards intends on raising taxes.

Dies on the Table

The immigration bill backed in large part by Presidential candidate and Senior Senator from Arizona, John McCain as well as George Bush, died in the Senate today.

A broad immigration bill to legalize millions of people in the U.S. unlawfully failed a crucial test vote in the Senate Thursday, a stunning setback that could spell its defeat for the year.

The vote was 45-50 against limiting debate on the bill, 15 short of the 60 that the bill's supporters needed to prevail. Most Republicans voted to block Democrats' efforts to bring the bill to a final vote.

The Inevitable Turn

I think no one is surprised that the candidates took the side against Bush at last night's debate. After all, they are just playing the way Sarkozy did, and look how it turned out for him! Sarkozy was running against the office. An office under Chirac that was failing miserably. So, in a sense, you have our Republican contenders fleshing that out now. They are essentially levelling the playing field. If they Democrats can use Bush as a foil, and thereby a means to propel them straight into the Oval Office, why not the Republicans too? This sort of logic is what is what we saw last night.

Weary Americans will easily be sold on someone who will distance themselves from the current administration. Such is the condition of this nation now.

And while many prophesied that Bush would and will be the downfall of the Republican Party in 2008, we may see different effect. We will see Bush being used as a tool of comparison and a means of differentiation. C'est la vie.

CNN Debate Transcripts

Although, and unfortunantly so, I missed the GOP on Tuesday, I was able to locate a transcript of it from the New York Times. I will post that here for you, as well as the transcript for the Democrat's debate on June 3rd.

GOP June 5, 2007

Dems June 3, 2007

Do note, you will need an New York Times account to view the transcripts. However, registration is free.

All credit for the transcripts of the debates goes to the New York Times. For more election 2008 coverage go to NewYorkTimes.com

CNN Democratic Debate

Last night CNN hosted the eight Democratic presidential hopefuls for a two part debate. Questions covering each and every hot button issue will be addressed.

The Candidates

Mike Gravel (Senator from Alaska)

Chris Dodd (Senator from Connecticut)

Hillary Clinton (Senator from New York)

Barack Obama (Senator from Illinois)

John Edwards (Former Senator from North Carolina)

Bill Richardson (Governor from New Mexico)

Dennis Kuchinich (Representative from Ohio)

Joe Biden (Senator from Delaware)

Bolded candidates were in the center and called upon the most.

TERRORISM

Obama:
-Bush created a more dangerous world
-Get out of Iraq focus on Afghanistan
-Acknowledges Bush did some things well

Edwards:
-'Global War on Terrorism' a bumper stick term
-US less safe than we were before 9/11

Clinton:
-Disagrees with Edwards
-Emphasizes her connection with New York
-We are safer, but we are still not safe enough

IRAQ

Biden:
-Voted to fund the troops in Iraq
-End war, but support troops
-Wants money to go to landmine elimination vehicles

Clinton:
-Did not vote for funding
-Enough is enough, end the war

Obama:
-No military solution
-Wants troops out by March 31 2008

Edwards:
-Obama and Clinton were not vocal enough in opposition to the war on the Senate floor

Obama:
-Counters Edwards with the fact that Obama had been against the war since the beginning

Clinton:
-Iraq is Bush's war

Dodd: (first time another candidate besides the big three is called on)
-Iraq is a civil war
-There is no military solution
-We are less secure now

Richardson:
-Troops out of Iraq by the end of 2007
-Talks around question about the potential for genocide in Iraq
-Station troops in Kuwait to keep tabs

Gravel:
-War is not only Bush's war, the war is facilitated by the Democrats

Kuchinich:
-War was a waste of time
-Never should have been there
-Stop the funding

Biden
-The Democrats can't stop the war
-Don't have the required votes
-They are making empty promises

DID YOU REGRET NOT HAVING READ THE SECURITY BRIEFING ON IRAQ

Clinton:
-No, I got enough information to make a decision
-Iraqis have failed

Edwards:
-Did not read the briefing
-It was wrong to vote for the war, sends praise over to Obama

Obama:
-Authorizing the war should not be a dis qualifier for the race for president (VP shopping?)

Gravel (grumpy old man):
-Voting for the war should be a dis qualifier
-They have no morals

Clinton:
-It was a mistake
-Bush misused his authority

IMMIGRATION

Richardson
-Legal status for illegals currently in the US
-Compares a wall between Mexico and the US to the Berlin Wall (stupid comparison)
-Earned legalization programs
-Immigrants would have to fulfill certain standards
-13 year process
-Penalize employers who hire illegals
-Touch back process (head of the house hold goes to the Mexico)

Biden:
-It would cost more to send them back then to grant those already here legalization
-Earned citizenship
-Voted for the fence mainly to stop drug imports

Obama:
-Voted for the fence
-More border security in Mexico and Canada
-Earned citizenship

Hand raise question: Should English be the official language of the U.S.?
-All hands down but Gravel

Clinton:
-English should be national language but not official

Dodd:
-Encourage language training for Americans
-(Apparently he is fluent in Spanish)

HEALTH CARE

Edwards:
-Raise taxes, get rid of Bush's tax cuts
-Universal health care

Obama:
-Universal health care
-Not mandatory insurance
-Drive down costs
-Work with the drug companies

Clinton:
-Let the tax cuts expire
-Universal health care

Richardson (long winded):
-Children automatically insured under 5
-Mandatory insurance
-Keep your present plan if you want

Edwards is wearing a live strong bracelet

Kuchinich:
-Non profit health care organization
-HR676
-Medicare for all

GAYS

Clinton:
-'Don't ask don't tell a stepping stone policy
-Allow gays in the military

Biden:
-General Pace wrong on gay policy
-Cites allies that allow gays in the military

CIVIL UNIONS

Edwards
-Should be state decision
-Church make their own decision

WHAT WOULD YOU DO WITH BILL CLINTON (stupid question)

Gravel:
-Clinton would be some form of ambassador

Richardson:
-Ideal job would be secretary general of UN
-Send him to the Middle East to secure allies

Obama:
-End genocide

Clinton:
-Roaming ambassador

GAS PRICES

Dodd
-Talks about Global Warming
-America's dependency on foreign oil
-Carbon tax
-Alternative energy

Gravel:
-Will not lower prices, 'suck it up America'

Edwards:
-Investigate oil/gas companies
-State clean air law
-Stop subsidies to oil companies

Richardson:
-Price gouging
-Renewable energy
-Give states the authority to investigate

Biden:
-Get rid of the subsidies
-Investigate oil
-Raise automobile millage

PART II OF DEBATE
(3 minute break)
Removed the podiums, candidates now sitting down

What is your plan on Iraq?

Kuchinich:
-25% cut in funding

Obama:
-100,000 more troops
-Shorter tours for troops
-Better care for when they return

Dodd:
-Diplomacy first

Why can't veteran's go to hospitals of their choice?

Obama:
-Quick pander
-There is a deficiency in the system (Obama is on the Veteran's affairs committee)
-Drug prices for Veterans are lower

Richardson:
-A 'Hero's Health Card'
-Health care anywhere

Gravel:
-As a veteran he is satisfied with the system
-Challenges Obama on Walter Reed Medical Center

IRAN
What's your plan?

Clinton:
-Diplomacy first
-Patience
-Iranian nuclear weapons unacceptable

Edwards:
-Tariffs
-Economic sanctions
-No military initiative

Biden:
-No regime change
-Iran is a decade away from Nukes
-Economic sanctions

Pakistan Alliance?

Clinton:
-Send envoy to Pakistan
-If Osama was in Pakistan she would take him out regardless of collateral damage

Kuchinich:
-Would not take Osama out
-Not for assassination

Obama:
-Take Osama out
-It's not assassination, military target

DAFUR, US ROLE

Biden:
-No fly zone
-UN Peacekeepers

Richardson:
-No force in Darfur
-More UN Peacekeepers
-Economic sanctions
-China's leverage
-Threaten to boycott Olympics if they do not cooperate

Dodd:
-Olympic boycott goes too far

Edwards:
-Use whatever tools available

Obama:
-Security and humanitarian issue
-Shut down Gitmo

Richardson:
-Shut down gitmo too!

Mandatory civil service?

Gravel:
-Volunteer program only
-Education incentive for volunteering

Kuchinich:
-Encourage volunteer service

Dodd:
-No draft
-Financial incentives for civil service through education

Definition of rich for eliminating tax cuts?

Obama:
-250,000 and up
-Eliminate earmarks

Edwards:
-200,000 and up
-College for everyone, have to work for it

Controlling the Deficit?

Richardson:
-Eliminate earmarks
-No corporate welfare

Kuchinich:
-No more borrowing of money
-Stop the war
-Change trade system
-Eliminate NAFTA and WTO
-Non profit health care

Gravel:
-Eliminate earmarks

Clinton:
-End tax cuts
-Focus on middle class

Kuchinich:
-Take on special interest groups

Biden:
-Reform the system
-More transparency

First priority as President (good question)

Edwards:
-Reestablish moral authority
-Alliance building (have you not learned anything for WWII?)

Clinton:
-End Iraq

Obama:
-End Iraq
-Health care

Richardson:
-Universal education

Biden:
-End Iraq
-Work on Iran
-Work on North Korea

Kuchinich:
-Reshape world for peace
-Get rid of nukes

Gravel
-End war

Dodd:
-Focus on the Constitution


For more information on the debate go to CNN.com

Somewhat Late to the Party

I have been doing some rudimentary election coverage over at the main site, the now Free World Political channel. Tomorrow you should expect to see an update containing some in depth coverage of the Democratic debate hosted by CNN in New Hampshire.

Stay tuned.