Edwards question for McCain hardly a ‘cheap shot’

April 21, 2008

Following up on an earlier item, one of the more interesting exchanges on John McCain’s appearance on ABC’s “This Week with George Stephanopoulos” yesterday came when McCain was confronted with a quote from Elizabeth Edwards.

“The truth is, a health care policy that covers everything but cancer doesn’t exactly do me a lot of good,” Edwards said. “And John McCain and I have something in common — neither one of us would be covered by his health care policy.” After the video clip, Stephanopoulos asked, “Why not guarantee that anyone with a preexisting condition should be able to get health care?”

McCain, falsely, responded, “We’re not leaving anybody behind. But what we’re not doing is we’re not going to have a big government takeover and mandates. They’ve tried that in other countries. Both Senator Obama and Senator Clinton’s plans are big-government solutions.”

STEPHANOPOULOS: What’s wrong with government — what’s wrong with government-run health care?

MCCAIN: And we continue to have these debates — what’s wrong with it? Go to Canada. Go to England and you can find out what’s wrong with it. Governments don’t make the right decisions. Families make the right decisions.

STEPHANOPOULOS: One of the points Mrs. Edwards made in the Wall Street Journal, she said that your whole life, you had government health care. You were the son of a Naval officer, a Naval officer, now a member of Congress. And her point is, why shouldn’t every American be able to get the kind of health care that members of Congress get or members of the military get?

MCCAIN: It’s a cheap shot, but I did have a period of time where I didn’t have very good government health care. I had it from another government.

There’s quite a few angles to this, not the least of which is McCain trying to defend his approach to health care by highlighting his experience as a prisoner of war in Vietnam. I also found the question itself to be slanted — who’s advocating “government-run health care”? It’s necessarily a conservative frame.

But as Elizabeth Edwards herself explained today, her question was anything but a “cheap shot.”

As Edwards explained, this is actually a “potentially life and death question for tens of million of Americans.”

McCain’s health care plan is centered around the idea that we’d be better off if more Americans bought health coverage on their own, rather than receiving it through a job or government program. But maybe since he has never purchased insurance in the individual market, he does not know the challenge it presents for Americans with preexisting conditions.

A recent study showed that nearly nine out of every ten people seeking individual coverage on the private insurance market never got it. Insurers will disqualify you for just taking certain medicines because of the possibility of future costs, including common drugs as Lipitor, Zocor, Nexium, and Advair. People who have had cancer are denied coverage and those who get cancer run the risk of simply being dropped by their insurer for any excuse that can be found. And insurers make it a practice to deny coverage to individuals in high risk occupations, such as firefighting, lumber work, telecom installation, and pretty much anything more risky than working in an office.

McCain opposes universal health care because he claims it represents a “big government takeover and mandates.” But yesterday, he said he would help cover people with preexisting conditions by creating a “special Medicaid trust fund.”

A “special Medicaid trust fund”? Talk about a big government takeover. Tens of millions of Americans have preexisting conditions. If he is going to expand Medicaid to cover Americans with preexisting conditions, he is talking about a massive, massive increase in the Medicaid program. He says he opposes more government involvement in health care, but his idea really would be government-run health care.

My questions is: why is he doing this? If he is so concerned about expanding government’s role in health care, why doesn’t he just tell the insurance industry that they have to cover people with preexisting conditions? Why is he more concerned about protecting the insurance industry — an industry which, by the way, his corporate tax cut plan gives a $1.9 billion tax cut to — than the tens of millions Americans with preexisting conditions?

Regrettably, Stephanopoulos didn’t think to ask. In all likelihood, though, it wouldn’t have mattered; I’m pretty sure McCain couldn’t have answered the question anyway.

McCain seems to forget the Republicans support BIG GOVERNMENT spending in IRAQ and AFGHANISTAN. How

  • McCain has now entered the realm of total stream of consciousness responses. He simply says the first thing that pops out of his mouth and then something completely different in the next moment, without any realization of the contradictions between us.

    The man, if not senile, is far too close to it to ever be allowed to hold the reins of power in this or any other country.

  • I thought his “cheap shot” was an allusion to his POW experience, which although regrettable, is a complete non sequitor. It’s reminds me of Guliani’s 9/11-itis.

  • It seems that everything in McCain’s view of the world and his fall back answer to any difficult question is that he was a POW.

    It isn’t quite as bad as Rudy answering every question with 9-11

    but it ain’t too different

  • PTSD will do that to a man, Neil…

    Hopefully after November he can get the treatment he deserves, somewhere outside the spotlight of public service. Al Gore and Bill Richardson both grew beards. Perhaps John Dubya can get a goatee and a tan, find a cause, write a book… maybe start making those ships-in-a-bottle dealies. But he’s far too dangerous to be President.

  • regarding the republican argument about how bad government healthcare is in england and canada, i HIGHLY recommend watching (and passing along) the Frontline piece called “Sick Around the World”.

    http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/sickaroundtheworld/

    it’s working amazingly well in Germany, Taiwan, Switzerland, Japan, Denmark, and yes, even jolly old England.

    time to debunk that myth, and get people here in the US into the medical profession who care more about health than profit.

  • I appreciate Edwards focus on how many people get denied. I hope she and others keep focusing on this. It isn’t just pre-existing conditions or certain medications. My boyfriend got denied for his weight. He’s not obese. They denied him for being too thin! That’s crazy. He is very tall and slim, but healthy. It took ages to cajole him into getting insurance. His mother and I were thrilled when we thought it was taken care of, but after the denial letter came he hasn’t tried again.

  • I thought the same thing as cha. He’s saying “It’s a cheap shot, but I’m going to say it anyway…” and then proceeds to allude to his health care while a POW. So his “cheap shot” reference was to what he was about to say. At least that’s how I read the transcript.

  • I hope McCain does start to be asked, “How much money have you set aside in your budget for this massive Medicaid expansion?” Republicans would certainly like to know.

  • More straight-talk from the maverick who courageously stands up to reality, logic, and whatever it was he said that he now wants to deny ever having said because it’s not on the big-screen monitor in the back of the room.

  • Oh, and God help you if you are taking anti-depressants or seeing a therapist. Only the very wealthy can afford private health insurance. 15 years ago when I was working as hairdresser while my husband was a full-time student, we could only afford our $400 p/mo premium b/c his parents owned our duplex and allowed us to live rent-free.

  • cha #5, and emd #11 – I think you may very well be right. That makes sense, more sense than any other interpretation. Note how it enables him to avoid answering the question. Steph should have followed up.

    How come the Demcratic candidates can’t be as sharp as Elizabeth Edwards on this issue? She ought to take over the Sunday pundit parade shows.

  • A “special Medicaid trust fund”? Talk about a big government takeover. Tens of millions of Americans have preexisting conditions. If he is going to expand Medicaid to cover Americans with preexisting conditions, he is talking about a massive, massive increase in the Medicaid program.

    Not so massive. Medicaid is a safety net for the indigent. Need coverage for your pre-existing condition? Well, let us know when your savings are gone and the rest of your assets are depleted and we’ll see what we can do. Of course, by then you may not be able to afford any insurance at all.

  • You guys are delusional. McCain has repeatedly said that it was wrong for the Republicans to expand “big government” over the past 8 years. Furthermore, at least he talks candidly with the media. Obama is the most sheltered and scripted candidate I have ever seen. The press can’t even quote him on the plane between campaign appearances. Moreover, to equate McCain with the current president is belied by not only their policy differences, but their past relationship.

  • Go to England and you can find out what’s wrong with it. — McCain

    A friend of mine in UK had chemo for breast cancer. A nurse came to her home every week to administer it and stayed around till the worst of the after-effects wore off.

    A friend of mine in US had chemo for breast cancer. She had to drive herself over to the hospital every week to have it administered and then sat around in her car, on the hospital’s parking lot, till the worst of the after-effects wore off.

    My friend in UK has the National Health and a small, private, supplementary policy, which paid the difference between a double an a single room in the hospital, once she had to go in for mastectomy. My friend in US had a “Cadillac” private insurance. Which she has since lost, so that, when she had a recurrence, she was on her own, financially.

    Eff McCain with his BS and eff American “healthcare”; the only “health” in US “healthcare” is in the healthy bank balances of the insurers.

  • McCain says “Governments don’t make the right decisions. Families make the right decisions.”

    That’s so true! My family decided we shouldn’t invade Iraq. Also, my family decided we would not torture political prisoners or send them to Gitmo. We decided to cut the military budget by ten percent and spend the money on education. We decided not to bail out Bear-Stearns. We decided not to make it harder for Americans who have been rooked into bad credit situations to declare bankruptcy.

    We also decided that John McCain is full of shit!

  • I just loved McCain assertions that “Families make the right decisions”. What exactly do they have to make a decision with, John?

    I hope Ewards works with Obama on the HC issue.

  • Bob (17):McCain has repeatedly said that it was wrong for the Republicans to expand “big government” over the past 8 years. Furthermore, at least he talks candidly with the media.

    But now he’s going to take care of people with preexisting conditions with medicaid. How do you do that without big government.

    Obama is the most sheltered and scripted candidate I have ever seen. The press can’t even quote him on the plane between campaign appearances.

    You apparently don’t watch CNN. I don’t blame you, but they show video every day of Obama taking questions from reporters on his plane.

  • So Bob….

    Can you then explain McCain’s “medicaid trust fund” to us, since you’re so enlightened?

  • Here’s the harsh reality of our “stellar” medical system: see http://www.careforkelly.org. Kelly is a friend of mine, who has a recently diagnosed brain tumor. It’s a ridiculous story, from how long it took to diagnose, to the search for a doctor who can treat it, to the financial toll on the family. The kicker? Kelly was able to get on the Oregon Health Plan (OHP)because this is a life-threatening problem and due to the economy her husband is only working a part time, low paying job. IF he finds a job that pays enough to feed the family, Kelly looses OHP, AND even if he’s lucky enough to find a job that offers insurance to the family, she’d be ineligible for care due to the pre-existing condition.

    Some great system.

  • Steph should have followed up.

    Yes, when McCain said “And we continue to have these debates — what’s wrong with it? Go to Canada. Go to England and you can find out what’s wrong with it. Governments don’t make the right decisions. Families make the right decisions.”

    “Steph” should’ve torn him to shreds – “What’s wrong with healthcare in these other countries. Don’t families make decisions in those countries? And so on.”

    These pundits – they have their list of questions and are determined to get through them, no matter what stupid responses they are given.

  • McStain is running as Rambo, or some ass-hole Chuck Norris character…

    No one will, but someone should remind the Senator that had he not been killing innocent civilians, maiming their children, slaughtering their livestock, and bombing their dikes, destroying their power stations, bombing their docks, and otherwise flying the fuck around like a malignant dick, they probably would not have shot him down. Any subsequent ‘treatment” he received was not the fault of his hosts, but of his own country’s arrogance and aggression. What a mutherfocking hypocrite!

    And the country is run by a bunch of tin-horn gamblers who think you don’t win until everybody else loses everything. And they are already have the ‘big stack.” And the deck is stacked. And the dealer is in on the cheat.

    And Rambo’s gonna get his violently senescent, demented, dead-eyed self installed as Preznit.

  • “These pundits – they have their list of questions and are determined to get through them, no matter what stupid responses they are given.”

    If stephie had followed-up as you suggest, he would have to have contradicted his guest, for whom he has an unrequited hard-on.

    seriously, steph is not in the business of pinning down war heroes for their misstatements, fabrications, and outright lies. they couldn’t do it to a deserter, and they’re sure the fuck not gonna interrogate a former pow. Nagahapun…

  • who’s advocating “government-run health care”? It’s necessarily a conservative frame.

    Good point. Under the Commerce Clause, Congress has the power to forbid insurance companies from denying coverage for preexisting conditions. That’s not a government takeover, it’s the assertion of legislative authority.

  • “(McCain) said he would help cover people with preexisting conditions by creating a ‘special Medicaid trust fund.'”

    If McCain doesn’t believe in big government, he sure believes in slightly smaller government carrying a huge debt. This must be another instance of the tax fairy being forced to solve the problem.

  • Since when do families get to make decisions under insurance companies? My insurance company makes the decisions on what will be covered, e.g. type of treatment, number of treatments, etc. What would the difference be under government-run healthcare? Not that the candidates are suggesting government-run healthcare. This is a non-sequitor on McShame’s part!

  • Why is it Republicans want to protect the unborn (no matter how few cells they may be), but not those who are born? Are they so perfect that they do not expect anyone to be supported when they have misfortune, whether it comes from bad decisions, heredity, or accidents?

    Don’t they know we’re all in this together? They want the smug assurance of protection. Are they so elitist that they feel they must deny it to those who need it and have not been able to attain it? Do they think that their status will never change, and realize that by covering ALL citizens, they INCREASE their own security, and actually DECREASE their cost of coverage? 47 million people added to the insured rolls, and taken off ER Indigent care because of preventive medicine when it costs about 5% of ER measures, makes a big difference..

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