DNC McCain Myth Buster: John McCain and H...( Today's McCain Myth: John McCain ...),Health

Today's McCain Myth: John McCain understands how to address the challenges facing America's working families, like getting quality health care.

WASHINGTON, March 25 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- John McCain claims he delivers "straight talk on health system reform." In his speech today in Los Angeles, the Republican candidate will try to demonstrate that he understands the economy, but his previous health care proposals show that he doesn't. [johnmccain.com, accessed 3/24/08]

Just yesterday the Washington Post detailed how American families are struggling to get quality health care as costs continue to skyrocket. But all McCain offers is more of the same failed Bush health care policy focusing on tax credits, a plan that was dead on arrival. In fact, McCain sided with President Bush instead of America's kids when he had the chance, voting against a program to give more children health care. [Washington Post, 3/24/08; Wall Street Journal, 10/11/07; Washington Post, 1/25/07; Senate Vote #307, 8/2/07]

My friends, it's time for a little straight talk. John McCain's health care agenda would do little to reduce the ranks of the uninsured. And with the economy continuing to slide, Americans don't want another president who just doesn't understand the challenges they face. But that's all they'd get with John McCain.

McCain's Plan Just Like Bush's. "Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) has proposed reining in health-care costs, in part by treating the value of employer-sponsored health-care plans as income and providing a $5,000 per family tax credit for those who buy health insurance. He also supports free-market proposals aimed at stoking competition and giving patients more information, which he believes will increase pressure on health providers to control costs." In fact, "President Bush proposed a similar idea" to the tax credits in McCain's plan, which was dead-on-arrival in Congress in early 2007
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