Two Comments on the Presidential Debate Last Night

First, in response to a question on the lessons of Iraq, Barack Obama said this: "Now six years ago, I stood up and opposed this war at a time when it was politically risky to do so …." That is not true. It was not politically risky for Senator Obama to oppose the war in Iraq in 2002 when state Senator Obama was running for re-election to the Illinois Senate from the Hyde Park area of Chicago. Given the political leanings of that district, it would have been politically risky to support the invasion of Iraq. Senator Obama’s opposition to the war in Iraq at that time in that district is actually just another example of Senator Obama’s positions fitting the district he is running in at the time.

Second, in response to a question about what parts of his programs he might have to give up because of the economic crisis, Senator Obama talked about things he would cut:

"We right now give $15 billion every year as subsidies to private insurers under the Medicare system. Doesn't work any better through the private insurers. They just skim off $15 billion. That was a give away and part of the reason is because lobbyists are able to shape how Medicare works.

They did it on the Medicaid prescription drug bill …."

The first part of the quotation is the standard Democratic policy that we have to change the part of Medicare that allows private insurers to provide seniors with choices for the medical coverage. Democrats don’t like private involvement in Medicare. It’s against what they believe in; they want the government to run it.

I think the second part probably relates to the new Medicare Part D drug plan that was passed in 2003 even though the transcript says "Medicaid". This is even more troubling because, as I have mentioned before, the really good thing about Part D is that it shows how a government health program can, by involving private companies that give seniors real choices, actually provide a program that people like and that comes in under budget. If Senator Obama does not like this, then that is a worry.