DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION: Speakers Tout Health Ideas
Continuing Tuesday night's health care extravaganza, speakers during last night's proceedings at the Democratic National Convention also emphasized how Vice President Al Gore and running mate, Sen. Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) would transform the world of health care. During his speech, Lieberman invoked one-time Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), saying he wanted to "do a little straight talking right now." After speaking about his immigrant parents and life as a public servant, Lieberman emphasized the differences between his ticket and the Republican ticket. Saying that "it's a good thing that our opponent is talking about health care," he added, "But I'm sad to say that Texas is also falling behind on that. You know, Texas led the nation in the percentage of residents who did not have insurance. And today, it ranks next to last for health insurance for both women and children. We see health care with a different set of eyes." He said that "health care is one of the most important problems facing America's family today," and asserted that the Gore-Lieberman ticket believes "medical decisions should be made by doctors, not bureaucrats ... senior citizens should not be stopped from filling a prescription ... because they can't afford to pay for it." Lieberman said, "I tell you tonight that Al Gore and I are the only candidates in this race who will extend access to health care coverage to every single child in America. Yes we will" (Lieberman speech text, New York Times, 8/17). Lieberman's full speech is available at http://www.nytimes.com/library/politics/camp/081700lie berman-text.html and a video is at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/politics/081600- 4v.htm.
More Health Care
Other speakers last night briefly touched on health care. The following are excerpts from their remarks:
- Karenna Gore Schiff: "On November 7, America must decide. Will all children get health care or won't they? My dad wants to win the fight for affordable health care. ... There's something else we must decide this November. It's about every woman's control over her body and her own life. I believe in every woman's right to choose -- and I know my father will always, always defend it" (Gore Schiff speech text, ABC News, 8/17). Gore Schiff's full speech is available at http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/DEMCVN_trans_ka renna000816.html and video is at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/politics/081600- 5v.htm.
- Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.): "The present leadership in Congress has been totally unwilling to consider -- much less decide issues that are very important to millions of people. They have been unwilling to do a patients' bill of rights, a Medicare prescription benefit ..." Gephardt's full speech is available at http://abcnews.go.com/sections/politics/DailyNews/DEMCVN_trans_ge phardt000816.html and a video is at http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/mmedia/politics/081600- 3v.htm.
Tonight's Preview
During a campaign appearance in Burbank, Calif., Gore promised he will tonight give a "detail-laden convention speech that attacks unfriendly HMOs, hate crimes and the gun lobby," the New York Post reports (Morris, 8/17).