Washblog

Dan Lewis from KOMO-TV asked the candidates one direct question about health care during the one hour debate held in Seattle.  The Republican challenger couldn't have been more McCain-esque.  His solution for lowering health care costs is to lower the requirements for health insurance companies to encourage more to enter our state which in turn would promote competition and lower cost.  Okay, now I'm not making this one up.  Rossi pointed to the opportunity he has to see an environmental allergist and his wife to receive chiropractic care as examples of the important choices Washingtonians would have under his administration through less regulation of health insurance companies.

Gregoire, on the other hand, pointed to the over 80,000 children she has covered with basic health insurance under her administration.  She highlighted 49,000 seniors in the state who have prescription drug coverage through the state at no cost.  Gregoire used her, "What would you ask Barack Obama for?" question to again hammer home the point that the uninsured and the underinsured are a critical issue for our state that must be addressed.  She all but called for universal coverage, which certainly would have evoked "the S word" out of Rossi, but her answers gave a clear indication that health care is a moral responsibility.

I'll leave who won the overall debate to local pundits, but on health care Gregoire clearly demonstrated a knowledge of the issues and had a list of accomplishments she could point to.  Rossi came off sounding like a rich realtor from the Sammamish plateau.  Oh wait, isn't that what he is?

The Country Doc
http://thecountrydocreport.wordpress.com