Poll: Clinton, Giuliani Most Trusted Candidates on Health Care Issues

Democrats trust Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (N.Y.) most among Democratic presidential candidates to address health care issues, according to a recent Washington Post/ABC News poll, the Washington Post reports (Cohen/Kornblut, Washington Post, 10/3).

In addition, the poll found that Republicans trust former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani among Republican presidential candidates to address health care issues (Balz/Agiesta, Washington Post, 10/3).

The poll included telephone interviews with 1,114 U.S. adults -- who included 592 self-identified Democrats and Democratic-leaning Independents and 398 self-identified Republicans and Republican-leaning Independents -- conducted between Sept. 27 and 30.

Among Democrats, 53% favor Clinton for the presidential nomination, compared with 20% who favor Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and 13% who favor former Sen. John Edwards (N.C.).

The results "come on the heels of an aggressive push by Clinton to dominate the political landscape," in part through the recent release of her proposal to expand health insurance to all U.S. residents, according to the Post (Cohen/Kornblut, Washington Post, 10/3).

Among Republicans, 34% favor Giuliani for the presidential nomination, compared with 17% who favor former Sen. Fred Thompson (Tenn.), 12% who favor Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) and 11% who favor former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney. The results indicate that Republicans "continue to prize strength and experience over new ideas and a new direction," the Post reports (Balz/Agiesta, Washington Post, 10/3).

The poll is available online.

In related news, Clinton on Monday during a speech at Laney Community College in Oakland, Calif., called for $300 million in additional funds to address the lack of health care and other issues in urban areas, the San Francisco Chronicle reports.

During her speech, Clinton said that she would name Oakland Mayor Ron Dellums to serve as chair of her Urban Policy Committee, which advises her on such issues (Marinucci, San Francisco Chronicle, 10/2).

Thompson this week at a "Meet Fred Thompson" event at the Webster County, Iowa, Republican headquarters discussed health care, the State Children's Health Insurance Program and conditions in military hospitals, the Post reports.

Thompson called for tax incentives to help U.S. residents purchase health insurance and criticized the national health care system in Britain, where he said residents must wait in long lines to receive treatment.

In addition, he said that legislation proposed by Democrats to expand SCHIP would move the U.S. toward a national health care system. He also said that the problems with conditions at Walter Reed Army Medical Center reported earlier this year are an example of the "relentless growth of government bureaucracy" (Bacon, "The Trail," Washington Post, 10/3).

At a campaign event on Monday in Marshalltown, Iowa, Thompson said that he would have opposed the Medicare prescription drug benefit because of the cost.

In an interview with the Des Moines Register, he said, "We cannot afford that program," adding "Our entitlement system is broken and unsustainable as it is, as it was before that drug benefit" (Beaumont, Des Moines Register, 10/2).