Posted on 09/03/2007 10:54:19 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Tipton, Ia. - On the eve of Labor Day and days after receiving the endorsement of a major workers' union, former U.S. Sen. John Edwards touted his commitment to the middle class and the poor while speaking to a small crowd outside the Cedar County Courthouse on Sunday. He focused especially on his promise to deliver "truly comprehensive, truly universal" health care.
The roughly 200 people at the forum - Edwards' first of four campaign stops Sunday - heard the Democrat position himself as the presidential candidate pushing for change "for those of us without a lobbyist in Washington."
"There is just too much power inside the Beltway," said Edwards. "It's simple: The reason we don't have universal health care is the insurance companies and their lobbyists. The reason we have a bad prescription drug bill is the drug companies and their lobbyists."
Edwards was riding a recent surge of positive campaign news that began Wednesday, when he met with and was praised publicly by former President Carter. Then, he garnered the endorsement of the half-million-member United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America.
And on Friday, Time Magazine released a poll showing Edwards leading his rivals among likely Democratic caucusgoers in Iowa, 32 percent to Hillary Clinton's 24 percent and Barack Obama's 22 percent.
When a middle-school teacher in the crowd asked about Edwards' plan to improve the federal No Child Left Behind initiative, the former North Carolina lawmaker said he supports gauging students' abilities in ways other than just standardized tests. He specified that a series of performance indicators - from students' critical-thinking skills to teachers' subjective judgments of progress - should be measured to ensure accountability.
"What we know is that no child has ever learned anything from taking a test," he said. "You don't make a pig fatter by weighing it."
On other subjects, Edwards railed against tax breaks for the wealthy. And in response to a question, Edwards said he would work to stop Congress from "raiding Social Security," although "at times, that's like trying to take an alcoholic off alcohol."
While many in attendance were committed Edwards supporters, others challenged him, often forcefully, to deliver specific answers to their questions.
One man told Edwards that his health care plan would hurt workers by shifting more of the tax burden on corporations such as General Motors, further disabling it from competing with Toyota and other foreign automakers.
In response, Edwards argued that his plan would reduce employers' burden by taking on drug and insurance companies and driving down costs.
Kaytee Riek, 23, a member of the advocacy group Iowa for AIDS Action, was upset that Edwards' Web site has little information regarding his plan to reduce and treat HIV and AIDS, and that the site lists the issue only under a heading designated for gay and lesbian issues.
"It just feeds into the stigma that HIV is only a gay issue," said Riek, of Pleasant Hill.
David and Judy Rixe, a couple from Bennett, said they are leaning toward caucusing for Edwards, in part because they like his position on health care.
Judy Rixe, 62, said the couple have medical coverage under a health maintenance organization - often called an HMO for short - but worry how well covered they would be if there were a substantial medical emergency.
"We'll find out, if there's ever something real serious," said David Rixe, 60.
Everyone who pays attention knows government healthcare would be a colossal travesty for this country but many just want the government to have that power.
What an absolute moron. The child taking a test finds out what he knows and what he doesn't know, and so does his so-called teacher. Then the child learns what he didn't know before. How can Edwards be so completely stupid?
Well, duh.
Imagine the fiasco of attempting to force women to pump ionizing radiation into their boobs.
Unbelievable concept, making calculated personal risks a compulsory affair.
His campaign has become nothing but illogical, inane, prattle. It's well past time for him to hang it up and head back to Xanadu, or whatever he calls his ramblin' palace.
Playing to the Democrat base...
Politicians desiring their vote, must pander to their ignorance, greed, and laziness and unwillingness to do much of anything for themselves.
This requires they steal from you, via taxes - and pay off their base..
So it is, and so it has been for decades...
The first thing they will do is ban private healthcare - they know it can’t compete with the private sector... isn’t that what the California plan did, if I remember correctly?
“It just feeds into the stigma that HIV is only a gay issue,”
No matter how you wish to disguise the fact that it large part, it is excatly that.
If this is the highlight of a "surge of positive" news, what would top it, an endorsement from Al Qaeda?
“... to teachers’ subjective judgments of progress”
Yeah, I am sure teachers would be coming out in droves to admit their students are as dumb as stumps, thanks to them.
One need only consider countries that have attempted to provide national healthcare. Nearly all have had to restructure their programs, and demand payment in some form, in order to avoid bankruptcy.
its called rationing. people denied surgery because they are deemed too old or too sick. No gramps, you can’t have that pacemaker, go home and die. Euthanasia will also save the government a bundle. and very long waiting lists to weed out the sickest of course.
Silky seems to be getting a ton of backing lately. The carpenters union 500,000 strong.. and just the other day he got the support of the steel union 800,000 strong.
I read once that on average 50% of a person’s lifetime medical costs are during the last 6 months of their life.
We can even estimate the dollar cost of that. 2 trillion in health care costs for America, a nation of 300 million. So 6,600 annually. And the average person lives to say 75. So 500,000$ lifetime cost.
The government just cuts that in half by not even trying once you get hit badly with something. Most of the time its right and you die only a little earlier. Sometimes with the treatment you would have made it and gone on to live x number of years more.. but you are a statistic.
Another huge one is premature babies. America is the only country which really tries to make them survive. Those kids then end up with a lifetime of medical costs usually. The state gets around the early care, sometimes millions.. and around the lifetime of chronic treatment, and things like special needs schooling for the severe cases.
I for one am glad to live in a nation where we try to save lives, even if its futile
Edwards will win Iowa. He’s basing his whole strategy on it.
And if the stars align after that...
the breck girl has become an expert at rehashing every liberal cliche that has ever been invented, even though in his vanity he truly believes that these are his original ideas.
A lot just want anything that’s FREE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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