John Edwards on Health Care

On the differences between his and Sen. Clinton’s approaches to health care reform:

“[Sen. Clinton’s] lesson is to give them a seat at the table. I think if you give drug companies and insurance companies a seat at the table, they will eat all the food. I think you have to take power away from them. I do not think they're ever going to voluntarily give away their power. You have to take them on, confront them, and fight them. I think that is the way we have universal health care – you have to take them on, confront them, and fight them.”

On what he plans to do for the thousands of Americans who die each year because they do not have health insurance or money for treatment:

“There is an easy answer to that. I am proud that I came out with a truly universal health care plan that requires every single man and woman in America to have health care coverage. I actually think that is a question that should be put to every candidate, Democratic or Republican: If your health care plan doesn't cover everybody, then you should have to explain what this particular woman or child is not entitled to health care? Because my view is every single one of us have equal value and equal worth, and everybody's life is precious… Every single man and woman in this country should have health care coverage.”