Agreeing on the need for universal health care, five major Democratic presidential contenders used a debate Thursday night to spar over which of them was most likely to turn campaign rhetoric into reality.
Sen. Joseph Biden of Delaware contended that his better-polling rivals lacked the ability to gain needed Republican votes in Congress to approve their expansive plans for health care and financial security.
Former Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina issued a backhanded welcome to Sen. Hillary Clinton of New York for proposing a plan to create universal health care months after Edwards unveiled a similar plan.
New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson said he expanded several health-care programs in his state, while Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut said he was the most experienced at working among disparate groups to advance legislation in Congress.
The candidates’ back-and-forth was part of a freewheeling 90-minute debate broadcast nationwide by the Public Broadcasting Service in which the contenders also pledged to keep Social Security solvent.
Sponsored by a consortium called “Divided We Fail” — made up of AARP, the Business Roundtable and the Service Employees International Union — the forum targeted an older demographic that regularly makes up the majority of Iowa caucusgoers.
Biden was most outspoken in challenging his rivals. At one point, Biden criticized Richardson for touting his record as governor of a small state as a way to predict what he could do as president, contending it was the equivalent of saying, “I played halfback when I was in high school, [so] I can play in the pros. It’s a different deal.”
Richardson countered that Biden appeared to be “denigrating experience” as he proposed a plan to use health-care technology to let more older Americans remain in their homes.
Edwards said he found it very hard to be critical about Clinton’s universal health-care proposal, which, like the former North Carolina senator’s, would mandate that individuals obtain health insurance.
“I’m proud of the fact that, you know, six, seven months later, Sen. Clinton came out with a plan that’s similar to mine,” Edwards said.
Recalling the failure of her proposal for expansive government-run health coverage as first lady in the 1990s, Clinton said she went through a “lonely struggle” for universal health care and now found it “tremendous” that Democratic contenders were supporting such plans.
Among the contenders not participating was Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, who was attending fundraisers in Atlanta and has espoused a policy of limiting his appearances at candidate forums.
Former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel and Rep. Dennis Kucinich of Ohio were not invited to participate under a provision requiring candidates to have at least one full-time paid staffer actively working in Iowa.
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