We don’t take sides between candidates at HCFA, but we have a role talking about how the health care debate is heating up between Senators Obama and McCain. More and more, Obama and his supporters see health care as a top-tier issue. A bunch of interesting links are below. We’d be happy to put up some interesting pro-McCain sites; use the comments or email us with links.
Obama dedicated site: The Obama campaign has opened a dedicated web site focusing solely on health issues. It’s at healthplanfacts.org. They’ve also included health as one of their topics in their anti-McCain issues site, www.johnmccainrecord.com.
Unions Get In The “Game”: The Communications Workers have opened up healthcarevoices.org. The highlight is a “game” where you match candidates with positions to get points. SEIU is distributing 25,000 DVDs to swing state seniors. The 13-minute DVD, titled “The Facts about John McCain’s Health Care Plan,” focuses on concerns of seniors, such as drug coverage, Medicare, and pre-existing conditions. Here’s the trailer:
SEIU’s also running TV ads in some states (view here).
Coalition Ads: The Health Care For America Now coalition’s election site is www.whichsidearetheyon.com. They’re running a presidential spot in Ohio, and similar congressional ads in 7 districts, including NH. The TV buy is $4.3 million, in addition to a $500,000 direct mail and phone campaign (details). Their focus is also on preexisting conditions.
(UPDATE: They’ve made a new web-ad video spot featuring comments from their focus groups, who couldn’t believe that McCain’s proposals were true. Details and video.)
Dad knows best: I couldn’t pass this one up. Ana Marie Cox, former DC-gossip queen at Wonkette, writes in Time that she turned to her father, an actuary, to analyze the McCain plan. Which he does, here.
Brian Rosman
