Obama Promises Bristol, Va., Crowd Health Care Changes

By David McGee
Staff Writer / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: June 6, 2008

BRISTOL, Va. – In his first public appearance since securing the Democratic presidential nomination, Barack Obama promised here Thursday that every American would receive affordable health care by the end of his first term.
Battling self-admitted sleep deprivation since claiming the nomination Tuesday night, Obama spent more than an hour detailing much of his health care plan.
Amid chants of “Yes we can!” and a light show from camera flashes, the presumptive Democratic nominee also championed other issues and criticized GOP opponent John McCain before an enthusiastic crowd of about 2,500 in the Virginia High School gymnasium.
“We need a health care system instead of a disease care system,” Obama said.
Under his plan, the government would work with insurance companies to lower premiums by an average of $2,500 per family annually for those who have insurance, the candidate said.
He wants the government to develop a health care program – similar to the one available to Congress – that uninsured Americans could buy into. The government would then subsidize anyone who couldn’t afford to participate.
Standing behind a podium adorned with a sign that read: “Affordable Health Care For All,” Obama said pre-existing conditions would be covered under his plan, but some procedures – such as plastic surgery – would be excluded.
Reforms would focus on “prevention, regular checkups and regular screenings,” the Illinois senator said. He expects to pay for the expanded coverage through disease prevention and a paperless recordkeeping system.
Discussions to create a new health care system should involve every stakeholder and be broadcast live on C-SPAN, Obama said.
“I’ll allow the drug companies to have a seat at the table, but they just won’t be able to buy every chair,” Obama said, decrying the overt influence of special interests.
He has promised not to accept campaign contributions from registered lobbyists and special-interest political action committees and Thursday announced the Democratic National Committee would be held to the same standard.
Taking a swipe at both the current administration and his opponent, Obama called McCain “Bush lite” and claimed his opponent’s health care reform plan would drive up costs by $20 billion.
“Like George Bush, John McCain has a plan to only take care of the healthy and wealthy,” Obama said. “Instead of offering a comprehensive plan like I have to cover all Americans and control rising costs, he is offering a tax cut that doesn’t even amount to half of the cost of an average family health care plan.”
McCain campaign spokesman Tucker Bounds fired back in response to an e-mail query from the Herald Courier.
“Barack Obama has no record of bipartisan success on this issue and his proposal to put the government between Americans and their health care is a plan that even his allies on Capitol Hill think is unrealistic,” Bounds wrote.
“John McCain believes that families should make the decisions about their care, not the government, which is why he’s proposed a $5,000 per-family tax credit and proposed major overhauls to encourage more affordability and accessibility to care,” Bounds wrote.
Thursday’s town hall-style meeting offered Obama a chance to answer questions about health care, the national debt, the war in Iraq and the price of gasoline.
In response to one question, Obama said his health care plan would include reforming mental health services – particularly to returning veterans suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.
Obama also praised legislation by U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., to update the GI Bill with beefed-up tuition benefits and blasted McCain for failing to support it because it would drive veterans out of the armed forces and into colleges.
Obama argued it would be a recruiting tool.
“George Bush and John McCain opposed it because it costs too much,” Obama said, adding his proposal would cost less each year than one month of war in Iraq.
The Illinois senator also said, if elected, he would begin “carefully” withdrawing U.S. troops from Iraq and make it clear to Iraqi leaders they must assume responsibility for their country.
“We’re going to have to be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in,” Obama said. “We don’t want the Iraqi government to collapse, but we’ve been there a long time – five years – and we need to bring our troops home.”
He also stressed the U.S. should continue its pursuit of terrorist groups and masterminds like Osama bin Laden.
During a Thursday afternoon conference call with reporters, Virginia’s Republican attorney general, Bob McDonnell, criticized Obama’s “very liberal” voting record and his stance on national security issues.
“There is a night-and-day difference between Sen. Obama and Sen. McCain on the global war on terror,” McDonnell said. “He [Obama] has exhibited no leadership and no understanding of the nature of this enemy.”
During the conference call, the GOP attorney general predicted Obama would not enjoy the statewide success of such Democrats as Webb, Gov. Tim Kaine and former Gov. Mark Warner.
“Sen. Obama’s views are outside of the mainstream and [different from] views of where most Virginians are,” McDonnell said. “With his scant and undistinguished federal voting record, Virginians will have trouble accepting the message of Sen. Obama.”
Playing off introductions by Boucher and Warner, Obama told those in attendance that Virginia was crucial to his chances in November.
“There’s a reason why the first public event we had, after obtaining the nomination, is right here in Southwest Virginia,” Obama said. “Because Southwest Virginia is an example of so much that is good about this country, but so many people have been forgotten. There are good, hard-working, decent, generous people in beautiful towns all around this region, but Washington hasn’t been paying attention and hasn’t been listening.”
The candidate, who stood on an outline of Virginia painted in the center of the gym floor, promised to both listen and pay attention. He urged the crowd to vote for him and encourage others to do the same.
“If you’ll stand with me Virginia, I promise we will not just get health care done, we’ll get a lot of other stuff done,” Obama said to a standing ovation.

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