AARP Forum Shows Candidate Differences, Supporter Similarities

There was a distinct disconnect last night at the AARP and Iowa Public Television “Divided We Fail” Democratic presidential forum between what happened on the stage between participating candidates — Sen. Joe Biden, Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Chris Dodd, former Sen. John Edwards and Gov. Bill Richardson — and what happened throughout downtown Davenport following the event.

Several times during the public broadcast Richardson took swipes, not necessarily at the two higher-polling candidates on the stage but at those who are polling below him in Iowa. The sparks began about 30 minutes into the programming when Richardson discussed why he would be the best candidate to implement a health care plan.

“I think I’m the only one here who has ever dealt with health care directly as a governor,” said Richardson during the forum. “In my state, we had to face the Bush cuts on Medicaid and what we did is make up for that shortfall. I was able to insure children under (age) 5. We increased the number of immunizations and removed junk foods from schools. We have dealt with, first of all, insuring kids, working people and then the chronically unemployed. I believe by the year 2009 we will have insured everyone in my state.”

Richardson went on to say the states can’t fix the health care system alone.

“There has to be universal health care,” he said. “There has to be a national plan because the states are getting short-changed. In the absence of any federal action or any federal leadership, the last time we debated universal health care in the Congress was 15 years ago. It has to happen. We need somebody who can get it done, and I’ve had to deal with this directly as a governor.”

Moderator Judy Woodruff then asked Biden if a government-run, single-payer system was the answer instead of shoring up the current system. Biden first answered the question by stating that he believed a single-payer system was not the answer, gave a quick plug for campaign finance reform, then took exception to Richardson’s remarks.

“My good friend from New Mexico — God love him,” said Biden. “His state is a couple of million people. Give me a break! You can pull that together. Pull together 300 million people. That’s like saying I played half-back when I was in high school so I can play in the pros.”

Using criticism that had previously been placed on his own door-step, Biden then stated that Richardson is “a great governor and would make a great secretary of state.” In case anyone missed the self-deprecation part of that, he spelled it out for everyone.

“I love Hillary Clinton,” Biden said. “I’ve been getting beat up because I’m always saying nice things about her. They think I want to be her secretary of state. But, let’s be frank about this. What’s changed to make you think that Hillary is going to be able to pull together 15 percent of the Republicans to join her?”

Biden, on a roll, then took swipes at all the other candidates on the stage — except Dodd.

“What’s changed to make you think John [Edwards], who couldn’t get the Patients Bill of Rights passed when he was in charge of it in the United States Senate, is going to be able to pull over 15 or 20 people?” Biden asked. “I don’t question the integrity of a single person on this stage, but what’s the record of being able to get folks in those red states to vote for this stuff? Folks, think about it. There is no possibility of getting any one of our plans unless you get 15 or 20 percent of the Republicans to join us.”

The disagreements between the candidates continued throughout the remainder of the broadcast. Richardson disagreed with Dodd’s plan for corporate carbon taxes. Biden took exception with Richardson’s assertion that economic growth was an answer for the nation’s ills. While there were small swipes here and there between Edwards and Clinton, the night belonged to Richardson, Biden and Dodd as they exposed their differences and expressed their passions to a very receptive audience.

Following the forum, Dodd remained fired up and said the American people were tired of talk without action.

“Results matter,” he said. “People want to know not only how good of a fighter you are, but they want to know whether or not you can produce. Most people know how to fight, but not everybody knows how to win. People, I think, are tired of the fighting and want results. They don’t want to go year-end and year-out hearing the same debate every time about education, health care, the war in Iraq — they want you to get it done. The people want leadership that knows how to do it not just with talk, but with proven ability to make it happen.”

Dodd added that it was time to “get the damn job done or people are going to be really hurt in this country.” That’s one of the reasons why, he said, so many Americans remain undecided.

“It’s their health care,” he said. “It’s their kids’ educations. It’s their jobs. The American people don’t want anymore fooling around. They want someone who can make something happen — who has proven he can make things happen.”

For all the distance candidates were placing between themselves on stage, however, the after-receptions throughout the area did not reflect divisiveness. At a local brewery, staff and supporters from the campaigns of Edwards, Dodd, Biden and Richardson sat together with smiles on their faces while the forum was rehashed. While every individual was quick to tell you that his or her chosen candidate had the best performance, there was an undercurrent of good will toward all the Democratic hopefuls and their accomplishments on the stage. Most were exceptionally pleased with the turnout, the forum, the discussion and the more relaxed atmosphere of this forum when compared with the stricter debate events of recent weeks.

If there were any sour grapes, they were reserved for Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, for declining to participate, and toward organizers for not allowing Ohio Congressman Dennis Kucinich or former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel to participate.

“We are here even though Dennis was not invited,” said Marcos Rubenstein, Iowa spokesman for Kucinich, as he handed out informational flyers outside the event. “It is clear that he was not invited because he’s the only one proposing single-payer, universal health care. Dennis is a national leader and they are using a bunk excuse for him not to be invited. This is clearly a political exclusion. I hope that from now on [such events] will be a little more fair and inclusive.”

Gravel, who also was not invited, did not have anyone on the ground at the event.

Tommy Vietor, Iowa spokesman for the Obama campaign, said before the event that their campaign reaches out to senior citizens daily.

“We’ve also held a number of senior-issue focused events and will hold another on Friday,” he wrote. “In June, Obama hosted a roundtable discussion in Story City about how his prescription drug plan would save seniors as much as $157 billion over the next decade. In May, he held an event at the Polk County Central Senior Center to discuss reforms to the Medicare Advantage program that would help prevent seniors from being defrauded. And in April, Obama met with seniors at the Iowa Veterans Home in Marshalltown.”

Last night, Obama presented comments to a $25-a-head event at the Georgia World Congress Center that organizers said drew 2,200 supporters. A private, $1,000-per-person event followed, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

AARP and Iowa Public Television will return again next month to host a forum for the Republican presidential hopefuls in western Iowa. Although all of the candidates have been invited to participate, only former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and Arizona Sen. John McCain have confirmed they will attend.