Kerry Rolls Out Health Care Ad

[RedEarth]

WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry (news - web sites) argues that "over a million more Americans would lose their health insurance coverage" under President Bush (news - web sites) in a television ad the Democrat's campaign rolled out Tuesday.



The campaign also is going back on the air this week in Colorado with a moderate level of ads, two weeks earlier than it had planned. The shift comes as polls show the race tightening in the state, which traditionally leans toward the GOP.


The ad, unveiled as Kerry presses his health care plan in Florida, seeks to make the case that the Republican doesn't have much of a record on domestic issues, particularly health care. Bush last week started running an ad assailing Kerry's proposal as "a government-run health care plan."


In response, Kerry released an ad claiming the charge was false and explaining his own plan. His new ad goes after Bush's record, saying it shows "health insurance costs up 64 percent" and "Medicare premiums up by 56 percent." The ad also claims that Bush's plan would "raise insurance premiums for four out of five small businesses."


Steve Schmidt, a Bush campaign spokesman, dismissed the criticism. "The American people aren't going to trust a candidate who empowers bureaucrats at the expense of doctors and patients," he said.


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[xray s]

1. Steve Schmidt is descibing what we have now

But I guess he's ok with insurance company bureaucrats that act at the expense of doctors and patients.

[eridani]

2. If Bush doesn't like government run health care--

--then why in bloody hell doesn't he get rid of his own? Kerry should make the point that he wants the same plan that Bush has to be made available to everybody.