Gephardt rips Dean on Medicare

[quinnox]

DES MOINES, Iowa - Democratic presidential hopeful Dick Gephardt on Tuesday likened Howard Dean to another Republican, arguing that his rival's position on Medicare matches those held by President Bush.

"The fact is we need a Democratic nominee who is clearly different from George Bush," Gephardt said at a Des Moines, Iowa, senior center. "But, on all these Medicare issues, there is very little difference between George Bush and Howard Dean."
...

"They both support cutting Medicare, they both support turning it into managed care, they both think recipients should pay more for services and they both have no plan to address the Medicare reimbursement crisis," Gephardt said. "We can beat George Bush, but not if our nominee's idea of being farsighted is to shortchange Medicare every chance he gets."

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=694&ncid=694&e=5&u=/ap/20031028/ap_on_el_pr/democrats_medicare

I love it, keep hammering Dean on this Gep! I wouldn't be surprised to see Gephardt open up a lead on Dean in a month or so in Iowa, if he keeps going on the offense.

[RogueTrooper]

1. Also from the article

"Dick Gephardt has talked about health care for more than a quarter-century and not a single piece of legislation he sponsored has become law," Leonard said. "Congressman Gephardt's record of rhetoric and failed leadership is not what the people of Iowa and American need."

[quinnox]

2. Yea , but just the fact that Gephardt's

criticism is being reported in nationwide media, is a good thing. (from my perspective of course, heh)

For awhile Gep wasn't getting any coverage, and this never would have been covered nationally. But now, it seems he is starting to get attention again. As long as this theme of "Dean= anti-medicare" gets out in the national press as much as possible it will help Gephardt in Iowa.

[RogueTrooper]

4. I would not be so confident in that assertion

The article did not go to press without Dean's response; and, as it was at the end of the article, the last thing the reader would have read.

[KaraokeKarlton]

10. So you are promoting lies to be told by Gephardt?

And you distrust Bill Clinton? Clinton thinks Howard Dean has done more for Health Care than any of his opponents, and he said so at Harkin's Steak Fry. Howard Dean has repeatedly testified to Congress to get Medicare enrollment expanded to cover more seniors and more services. And even when Washington Democrats COULD have done something, they chose not to. Does Gephardt's state have a drug benefit for seniors? Vermont does.

[blm]

20. Clinton didn't say he did more than any of his opponents.

Would you care to cite a direct quote?

I heard it as did more as governor than any other governor. Of course, he was handed a 91% insured populous when he began as gov. PLUS there was a booming economy PLUS the federal CHIPS bill that expanded healthcare further for all children. Not too shabby circumstances to start out with.

[cindyw]

21. You know, given those facts...

You could honestly say that Kerry and Gephardt did more to get health care for the children of Vermont than Dean ever did, due the CHIP program instituted by the Congress.

Kinda funny if you think about it. I'd like to see one of them say this at the next debate.

:silly:

[Pez]

22. merely maintaining a tiny, homogenous state...

...with programs implemented by the very washington insiders he talks smack on does not a president make.

pounce, boys!

:evilgrin:

[Egnever]

25. Somehow I dont think

You should be so pleased that the only way ghep gets atention is by talking about Dean.

But hey I guess he needs to take it how he can get it these days.

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

3. The problem is

that Medicare isn't working, and that it needs to be fixed. Frankly, I feel that someone who has been a doctor and has seen how Medicare does not work is qualified to come up with a program that does. Dean will not get rid of Medicare, but he will change it so it will be there when I reach 65 or 70.

[Mairead]

7. Who says it isn't working?

It's been given 'the treatment' by the privatisation guys, but it's fine otherwise. And considering that Dean is on record as despising Medicare, I don't think he's quite the right person to fix it, unless you mean 'fix' as in 'yes, Fido and Fifi have been "fixed"'. Which is basically the way the privatisation guys mean it.

[RogueTrooper]

8. Dean does not "despise" Medicare

it is the byzantian bureaucracy he has issues with.

He has said, time and time again, that he would sign a single payer health care system if it passed his desk it is just that he does not believe such a bill would ever get out of congress.

[KaraokeKarlton]

11. Dean is NOT on record as despising Medicare

That is BLATANTLY FALSE. Dean is on record for being frustrated that Medicare rules prevent seniors that NEED help from getting it through Medicare in many cases.

[jonoboy]

5. the real reason Bush went to Australia ?

the socialised Medicare system in Australia is envied by much of the western world.
Australians pay no more than approx $19 for necessary drugs.

Any governement that risks tampering with it is thrown out of office, even conservative voters love the system.

Any drug company has to show why it's product is worthy to be included in this free list and justify it's price.

US drugs companies the greatest doners to G.Bush's campaign are actively lobbying to open up free trade and change this and George Bush raised the matter with PM John Howard on his visit.

[E_Zapata]

6. I don't know how many times Geppie has run for prez...

but the guy has got some serious fire in his belly. I don't rememeber ever giving him a 2nd glance. He's fighting hard.....I am impressed with his campaign, and the things I have seen in the debates (the debates I can get, that is - no cable)

[ClintonTyree]

9. Perhaps Mr. Gephardt.........

and everyone else for that matter should acquaint themselves with the truth on Dean's position. http://www.doctorsfordean.org/gephardtAttack.html

[slinkerwink]

12. hmmm

The Gepharroach is just plain disgusting.....I'd like to employ a huge can of Raid against him.

[polpilot]

13. Absurd accusations against the next president of the U.S. 'Bush-like

Gep'/'Rose Garden Gep' spinning like a top!!! This dribble will eventually help Dean as he calmly lays out his SUPPORT for health care for all and exposes Gep for the untruthful, failed politco that he is!!! Smile Gep!!!

Dean '04

[E_Zapata]

15. I pray that the DEANIES will get it straight:

Dean is NOT for HEALTH CARE

Dean is for Health INSURANCE.

Care vs Insurance - two seemingly innocuous words that are LIGHT YEARS apart in impelmentation.

The argument against Universal Insurance is:

The hmos get in on the govt gravy train and then we're stuck with them. And then they raise and raise and raise their prices. Kind of like 0% interest for the first year, and the skies the limit from then on out.

Deanies: please...use the word 'INSURANCE' when you are speaking of your candidate.

The little poor kids who are denied double transplants (lung and heart) still won't get what they need under Dean's 'an HMO for ALL' program. And that's the truth.

[E_Zapata]

16. It is so frustrating to have to clarify over and over again

Dean's rather conservative, pro-business platform to bona fide moderate/liberal democrats.

Aren't our hands full enough trying to wake up middle america???

And here in dem activist land, it's like a huge slumber party. zzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

[polpilot]

18. Dr. Dean NOT for 'health care'. That is a revelation!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dean '04....FOR Health INSURANCE, NOT for health care.

[madfloridian]

14. I want to know ....what is Gephardt doing this week on Medicare.

Is he keeping it from being privatized? The battle is on right now, and he is in a position to stop it from being turned over to private companies and oversight dropped.

Could you please post what he is doing. It is right now, and we have worked hard on this battle.

I want to know how he votes this week.

Glad you are so excited today:
"I love it, keep hammering Dean on this Gep! I wouldn't be surprised to see Gephardt open up a lead on Dean in a month or so in Iowa, if he keeps going on the offense...."

[Larkspur]

17. Who's got a picture of the Day of Infamy, Oct. 10, 2002

when Geppy was standing next to Bush in the Rose Garden after the passage of the IWR.

I'd like a copy and every time Gep attacks Dean with

The fact is we need a Democratic nominee who is clearly different from George Bush

I want to send him that picture with the words "Traitor" on it.

[polpilot]

19. Gep was ready to bomb those sheperds and NOW send $87 bil to Halli.

Go Gep...you da one!!!!!

Dean '04...

[DemBones DemBones]

23. No to Bush*, No to Dean, Yes to Saving Medicare!

Gephardt seems to have the Deanies worried now. Former governors don't have to vote, don't have to make Rose Garden appearances with the opposition party's president. That doesn't make them better than those who had to step up and vote in Congress or go to the Rose Garden with the other Congressional leaders. I'd vote for Edwards, Gephardt, or Kerry, though I'd rather they hadn't cast certain votes.

As soon as Bush* gave orders for the invasion to begin, Dean said "I support the commander in chief now that we have troops in the field" and he has suggested sending in more troops, supports staying there and spending lots of money on reconstruction (profits for Halliburton.) So I laugh when people talk about Dean being opposed to the Iraq war.

Medicare and Social Security are important issues and Dean has indicated an alarming willingness to make changes in them that sound like the sort of changes the GOP would like to make. He's a fiscal conservative and he'll be looking for a way to balance the federal budget if he ever makes it to the White House. In June, 2003, he was willing to "entertain" the idea of raising the Social Security retirement age to 68. That's a bad sign, Dean saying that on national television after campaigning for a year or so. It suggests that for a year or more, that was his position, whatever he's saying now. It suggests that he believes in cutting entitlements, since he'd said in 1995 that he'd raise the retirement age to 70. Yet he says he won't cut the military budget, despite the Pentagon having completely lost track of large amounts of money, despite their history of paying $200 for a hammer, $700 for a toilet seat, that sort of thing.

A Dean presidency would be only marginally better than a Bush* presidency, IMO, and would damage the Democratic Party's reputation, pushing us closer to a one-party nation. Candidates who want to cut entitlements are Republicans in their heart of hearts. Gephardt is so right to bring this up.

[Mairead]

26. Well said, DB

Dean is a status-quo candidate. I hesitate to say 'Bush lite', but I think 'Bush One lite' is fair.

He's not going to cut the obscene war-industry budget, now approaching the size of all other war budgets in the world combined.

He's not going to take the hands of the wealthy elites out of our pockets on healthcare. Instead he's actually planning to give them $88G MORE per year while still leaving 10M people without healthcare.

He's not going to end the drug war, which means that while, if he follows through, he's going to switch some money out of the prison industry, he's just going to funnel it into the same elite pockets via the healthcare industry.

He says full civil rights for LGB people are a state issue...which is both the status quo and false (equal-treatment clause of the Fourteenth Amendment).

He says he's going to balance the budget. But on whose backs? Obviously not the wealthy elites' backs, so that only leaves ours.

[genius]

24. Gephardt's right on this one

Good for him.