Clinton vs. Obama: The Duel Of Health Care Plans

CBS News blogger Fernando Suarez posts in his “From The Road” blog from Hanging Rock, Ohio where he follows the campaign trail of US Democratic hopeful and frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

While making a campaign stop in the southeastern part of Ohio, Hillary Clinton has taken the chance to attack her rival for the Democratic nomination Barack Obama. While Obama is sparring against GOP frontrunner John McCain over the war in Iraq, he is sparring with Clinton over health care. Clinton said that Obama only wants people’s children to have health insurance. She said that Obama’s plan requires parents to buy health insurance for children and adds that it does not require the parents themselves to have it. In that regard Clinton said: “I don’t think that’s smart, I think we have to figure out how we’re going to provide affordable health insurance for everyone. No one will be asked to pay what they can’t pay.” She would address the crowd at Ohio University Southern. Before the Wisconsin primary, Clinton’s campaign launched a pamphlet attacking Obama’s health care plan saying that it was not universal. The non-partisan group known as Factcheck.org supports Clinton’s claim. “Look at his plan, he has a mandate to cover children,” Clinton said. She added: “He does not have any requirements for adults and he has said repeatedly that he is concerned about children. Well I cover both children and adults.” She would say Obama has a double standing because he is mandating that children need to be covered and adults do not get the same mandate. In that regard, Clinton said: “It is also a bit of a red herring on his part because he does mandate parents to have health care for their children and then criticizes me for requiring everyone to have health insurance so it’s like being a little bit pregnant it doesn’t make sense.” Obama has several fronts to face against: Iraq, health care, and the economy. He must combat both Clinton and McCain in terms of the economy. In the case of Clinton, it’s a clash over health care. In the case of McCain, it’s a clash over the policy in Iraq.