Chris Coons and Christine O'Donnell squared off for their first debate at the University of Deleware. It looks like someone gave Christine O'Donnell a crash course on right wing talking points because she pretty well had them all down pat tonight.
From the LA Times:
Democrat Chris Coons supports the Obama healthcare reform bill. Yes, he said, "It's not perfect, there's problems with it, but rather than turning it back and going through another year of two of partisan bickering ... I would stand for it and implement it."
What about malpractice liability limits and the fact that Democrats are close to trial lawyers, who are often big donors. Would you support malpractice reform? Coons is asked.
No, he said, because people have the right to seek redress, whether it's financial or "a medical procedure that went horribly wrong. I don't support caps on medical liability. ... I frankly think that's an important part of the American legal system."
Republican Christine O'Donnells responds: "This healthcare bill has caused costs to skyrocket. You say it's partisan bickering, but one out of four Democrats have gone on record saying they oppose this bill. ... Uncle Sam has no business coming in the examination room, coming between you and your doctor."
Coons bridles: "That's a great slogan, you toss it around wherever you go."
O'Donnell replies that the healthcare bill "gives the government the ability to say what kind of treament a doctor can and can't do, what kind it will fund. ... This healthcare bill has cut Medicare."
Coons also made a very good point at the end of this segment that what O'Donnell was advocating for is what we have now where those with insurance are picking up the tab for everyone else, and that people are turning to emergency rooms for care and running up the cost of health care for everyone, and it's not working. You can read much more of the debate summary at the LA Times blog linked above.
