Democratic Presidential Candidate Rep. Dick Gephardt Airs New Advertisement Focused on Health Care

Democratic presidential candidate Rep. Dick Gephardt (D-Mo.) on Wednesday began airing a new 30-second advertisement in Iowa that focuses on his health care proposal, the New York Times reports. In the ad, Gephardt discusses how his son, Matt, received experimental treatments for cancer as a 2-year-old that "saved Matt's life." Gephardt adds that while his son was undergoing treatment, he met several parents who did not have insurance, and he'll "never forget the terror in their eyes." He continues, "As president, I'll get rid of the Bush tax cuts to guarantee health insurance for every American." Gephardt's health care plan would cost $214 billion to $247 billion annually during its first three years, which could be financed by eliminating Bush's tax cuts. However, Republicans say that over a decade, a $1 trillion gap would form between the cost of the plan and the savings incurred from the tax cut repeal. According to the Times, the ad underscores that Gephardt "understands the importance of health insurance," and it "has a good chance of resonating with voters" even though it is "very similar" to presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry's (D-Mass.) latest ad, which mentions his own bout with cancer (Rutenberg, New York Times, 11/29). NPR's "Tavis Smiley Show" on Wednesday included an interview with Gephardt about several issues, including a plan he proposed Nov. 25 in Detroit to provide universal health coverage for people of color in urban areas (Smiley, "Tavis Smiley Show," NPR, 11/26). The full segment is available online in RealPlayer.