Obama says McCain health plan could cut Medicare, Medicaid
John McCain's plan for financing healthcare could cost the programs billions, Barack Obama says. Obama continues economic theme as McCain focuses campaign on Florida, Virginia and North Carolina.
ROANOKE, Va. -- Democrat Barack Obama today criticized Republican John McCain's healthcare plan, saying that if enacted it could lead to $882 billion in cuts to Medicare and Medicaid.
In a TV ad called "It Gets Worse," to air in key battleground states, the Obama campaign cites a Wall Street Journal report that McCain would finance his healthcare plan in part with "major reductions to Medicare and Medicaid." The ad concludes, "John McCain, taxing health benefits, cutting Medicare. We can't afford John McCain."
And in a speech here today, Obama continued the theme, hammering on McCain for proposing cuts in healthcare when many American face economic hardships.
"Sen. McCain has been eager to share some details of his healthcare plan -- but not all," he said. "Like those ads for prescription drugs, you have to read the fine print to learn the full story. First, we found out that he wants to pay for his plan by taxing your healthcare benefits for the first time in history, just like George Bush. That was bad enough. But the Wall Street Journal recently reported that it's actually worse than we thought. It turns out, Sen. McCain would pay for part of his plan by making drastic cuts in Medicare -- $882 billion worth."
The result, Obama said: "If you count on Medicare, it would mean fewer places to get care, and less freedom to choose your own doctors. You'll pay more for your drugs, receiver fewer services and get lower-quality care."
With polls showing Obama leading in national polls due partly to voter concerns about the economy, McCain is focusing on reclaiming three states won by George W. Bush in the last two elections -- Florida, North Carolina and Virginia. Today he is in Florida, with stops in Miami and Melbourne. He will be introduced by his friend Sen. Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, an independent and fervent McCain supporter who on the Democratic ticket in 2000 was the first Jewish candidate for vice president.
As he did yesterday, Obama is reminding supporters not to get complacent. "We're are 18 days away from changing this country," he plans to say again today. "But for those who are getting a little cocky, I've got two words for you: New Hampshire." During the primary in that state, polls showed Obama winning, but New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton surprised the pundits with a victory. "You can't let up or pay too much attention to the polls," he says. "We've got to keep fighting for every vote, we've got to keep running through that finish line."
During Wednesday's debate between the two candidates, McCain raised to celebrity status a plumber in Ohio named Joe Wurzelbacher, saying that "Joe the Plumber" objected to Obama's tax proposals. Today Joe the Plumber made an appearance in both campaigns. When Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin mentioned the tax-reluctant plumber at her rally today in West Chester, Ohio, supporters started shouting "Joe, Joe, Joe." And as Obama motorcaded to his event, protesters appeared alongside the road waving plungers.
The McCain campaign also announced today that Palin would make an appearance tomorrow night on NBC's "Saturday Night Live," where actress Tina Fey has been doing a widely praised imitation of the Alaska governor.
seema.mehta.latimes.com
johanna.neuman@latimes.com
