John McCain Attacks Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama's Health Care Plans
 Wednesday, April 30th, 2008

John McCain sent out another e-mail yesterday, this time on health care.

"Today, there are 47 million uninsured individuals in the U.S., and nearly a quarter of them are children," McCain wrote.  As if we didn't know that.  In fact, an extension of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) was a key issue and conflict between President George W. Bush and the Democratic-led Congress at the end of 2007.  In August of '07, the House introduced HR 976, a bipartisan bill that would have expanded SCHIP to over 4 million more children by 2012; Sen. John McCain voted no.  The bill passed in the Senate anyway, but Pres. Bush vetoed it.

In November, HR 3963 was introduced, a similar bill but with firmer caps on income eligibility and measures to prevent adults and children of illegal immigrants from getting benefits.  John McCain did not vote at all.  This Bill also passed, and Pres. Bush vetoed it.

In October and November, appropriations for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies were brought forward:  John McCain did not show up to vote for either one.

"As you know," McCain wrote yesterday, "Both Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama are touting outrageously expensive and unrealistic universal health care plans - a government monopoly over health care.

"Unlike my opponents, I do not believe that all of our nation's problems can be solved by turning control over to our government, with all the tax increases, new mandates and government regulation that come with that idea."

"Here are the facts," McCain put.  "Under the Democrats' plan, we will have all the problems, and more, of the current health care system - rigid rules, long waits and lack of choices - and we risk degrading the system's great strengths and advantages."  Fear mongering, fear mongering alert!  Ask Canada, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom.  Their citizens will probably tell you, as they have us, that they get the care they need when they need it; health care is not a luxury to them as it is to many in the U.S. now.

Additionally, both Hillary Clinton's and Barack Obama's health care plans allow for people to keep their existing plans if they choose to:  so if by "long waits" McCain means that more people will be able to see the doctor when they are sick who could not before, how is that a problem?

"My friends, this is not my definition of real reform."  (By the way, the "My Friends" e-mail affectation count is up to 13 in less than 2 months.)

So, McCain asks for donations again and then mentions that he will be speaking at a Health Care Town Hall Meeting on Thursday, May 1st in Cleveland, Ohio, at the Founders Ballroom at InterContinental.  So, Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and Ron Paul supporters:  show up with your signs!

Oops, did I write that?

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