Obama v. McCain - Where Do They Stand on Cancer?
Over the last two weeks all of America has had a chance to hear from both the Democrats and the Republicans about their vision for America - but where do they stand on cancer?
Today the Obama campaign released their plan to fight cancer and you can read it here.
The McCain campaign also released their plan to fight cancer today and you can read it here. Last month Senator McCain joined us at the LIVESTRONG Summit and shared his thoughts on fighting cancer and you can watch his remarks here.
As we move closer to the election it is important for all of us to become educated on the issues that are important to us. We applaud both Senator Obama and Senator McCain for addressing the number one killer of Americans under the age of 85.
After you have had a chance to learn what both candidates have to say we would love to hear from you about what your thoughts are - so share them with us below.
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September 5th, 2008 at 12:46 pm
I think Senator Obama kind of hit the nail on the head here….prevention and access to health care is so important. I would also love to see the budget for NCI,NIH, and CDC doubled…
September 5th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Doesn’t matter what the candidates “SAY” we need to apply faith to what they will “DO!” I am giving my vote to the candidate who spoke with “action” not words. McCain found the Summit important enough NOT to miss. McCain/Palin. Suzanne Henslee
September 5th, 2008 at 5:41 pm
I agree with Suzanne Henslee. While both candidates are talking a good game, McCain was willing to give up ‘precious time’ on the campaign trail and attend the Summit. Talk is cheap but McCain’s presence at the summit seems like a pretty good indicator of his commitment to this cause after the election. McCain/Palin. Steve McDermott
September 6th, 2008 at 8:43 am
What progress to see both major candidates go on record with a published cancer plan! Now to ensure the best ideas get implemented.
September 6th, 2008 at 11:18 am
Obama found the issue important enough to do good work on it in Illinois. I’m still going with him.
September 6th, 2008 at 2:35 pm
Sen.Obama’s Mom succumbed to ovarian cancer.Maybe the forum clashed with another engagememt that had been planned.The man can only be in one place at a time. McCain probably had no plans and could make it. Sen Obama’s health care plans are phenominal!! Hes got my vote…
September 6th, 2008 at 9:16 pm
Obama’s plan sounds much more specific. Generalities sound good but have little substance. Obama for me!
September 7th, 2008 at 6:57 am
Just to interject here. I sent my mother and father the information from Obama and McCain to get their input. They asked me “Do you think this is for real or rhetoric?” My response back was “It is our job as citizens to make sure it does not become rhetoric.” That’s why it is imperative for us as voters, citizens, survivors and advocates to get involved and stay engaged. Keep our leaders honest and cancer on the forefront.
September 7th, 2008 at 7:18 am
Let’s see, McCain has had cancer and Obama can’t manage to stop smoking. Hmmmm…seems like McCain may have a better idea about cancer than Obama to me!
September 7th, 2008 at 11:22 am
It’s great to see both major candidates publish thier positions…And I think a lot of people would agree, that were it not for the perseverance of the LAF, among others, we would not be where we are today. Yeah, Obama’s has more detail, but let’s not get too excited about either, because right now, it’s all just talk, and both of these guys are career politicians who will say what it takes to get elected. Vote with your conscience, vote with your heart…but at the end of the day, I echo Brooke’s sentiment - it is up to ALL OF US to keep them honest and make sure this issue doesn’t fall through the cracks…
September 8th, 2008 at 7:07 am
Hmmmm……sounds like KC (#9) may be on to something there….
September 8th, 2008 at 10:40 am
Fixing lack of access to insurance is the number one way to increase cancer survival rates. We must look beyond rhetoric to see how the candidates’ larger platforms do or do not support their cancer claims: basically show us the money. McCain’s Health Savings Accounts and Healthcare Tax Credits will not benefit working families who do not earn enough to save or to get a tax credit: these programs will only benefit wealthier families. McCain’s plan to provide insurance to those who cannot afford it is to work with Governors on the state level using high-risk pools. This is not realistic: states are broke (because they have been picking up the tab of the federal government who is cutting social programs; this problem will only worsen under McCain as he stated he wants to eliminate more federal programs) and there is no way that 50 individual states can effectively solve the insurance crisis. McCain wants to deregulate health insurance companies; this at direct odds with his claim to limit pre-existing condition exclusions, which will never be passed under a Republican administration. Fundamentally McCain and his party have always supported tax credits that benefit those with the largest incomes, spending more on defense than the budget can often sustain, and spending less on social programs. These kinds of politics create an economy that cannot fund the doubling of the National Cancer Institute budget, or many of the other nice healthcare sound bytes that McCain proposes.
September 8th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
Sounds like a lot of bipartisan comments here. I agree with those who noted that both candidates have created official statements. It’s great to see such exposure. Let’s keep the pressure on all candidates on the national and local level!
September 8th, 2008 at 1:34 pm
Three words to keep in mind during this campaign: STEM CELL RESEARCH.
September 8th, 2008 at 2:06 pm
It is nice to see both camps with a release on where they stand… but like many of you I worry that it will become a lot of words. I did find Mr. Obamas to be much more specific and given his work in Illinois I am more inclined to believe that his is more than just looks good on paper. I think it is key that they address funding for research as well as availability of healthcare in the US. I mus also agree with Scott that we cannot forget about stem cell research which offers so much hope for finding cures and/or effective treatments for not just cancer but so many other diseases… and no one in politics seems eager to discuss this. I too must disagree with KC, Obama is trying very hard to quit smoking… it has nothing to do with whether or not you understand cancer it is an addiction; I work in healthcare and if you only knew how many oncology nurses and doctors (as well as respiratory therapists) that I see smoking it would shock you!
September 8th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
I would really like to see some of the cancer organizations and all cancer survivors challenge John McCain on how he thinks eliminating the corporate tax write-off for health care coverage is going to encourage employers to continue providing health care coverage and, in lieu of that, how he thinks cancer patients and survivors will purchase health insurance on the open market. First of all, most coverage is not available until you are 10 years in remission. See the story about the woman with Non-Hodgkins in Self magazine. Second, I don’t think a $5,000 tax credit is going to buy a healthy person good insurance, let alone a person who has or has had cancer. All I hear are shout outs for Palin and no one screaming over the crowd that McCain, a cancer survivor lucky enough to have government health insurance, is going to put the rest of his fellow survivors in a precarious situation. That was nice of McCain to show up to the cancer summit but what he plans to do will not be helpful to you if you have or have ever had cancer.
September 8th, 2008 at 4:22 pm
I think both candidates will say they care about cancer, but actions speak louder than words. McCain took time off from campaigning to show up to the Cancer Summit, wheras Obama stayed on the campaign trail. John McCain is a cancer survivor - he’s been there! Obama never had cancer (and hopefully never will) so he is a little more removed - as evidenced by the fact that he smokes cigarettes. Therefore I believe that what McCain says is more believable.
September 8th, 2008 at 5:22 pm
Actions speak loader than words. Obama wants Social medicine for all? Ya, they do that in England, my mum lives there, it takes her 3-6 months to get a doctors appointment, if she’s lucky. Obama will say whatever he has to in order to get your vote. I don’t really care too much for McCain either, but we’ll see. He’s soft on illegal immigration, and we are paying billions in taxes for illegal aliens.
But honestly, do you really think Obama sat in that church for 20-years and did not have a clue about his pastor, the man he calls his spiritual advisor? If you believe that I’ve got some tropical ocean front property for you to buy on Alaska’s North Slope!
And Obama’s ok with partial birth abortion? Do you know what that is? Google it.
September 8th, 2008 at 5:26 pm
How much has Bill Gates given to Livestrong? Perhaps Lance should do a commercial with Mr. Gates and give all proceeds to Cancer research, Bill Gates has more money than anyone in this country, at least his foundation does.
September 8th, 2008 at 7:51 pm
Both of these are wonk rhetoric. Neither provide any details. Obama’s plan to double the NCI budget - that’s just throwing money at it and hoping to placate the public. It’s what we do with that money that is important. McCain supports the research but doesn’t go so far to say he’ll increase it.
What neither candidate says is that he will put in the appropriate leadership to address this issue and provide them with the resources to do so. But on a good note, both candidates have said that pre-existing conditions should no longer be able to be used to deny a cancer survivor coverage. And to this point either candidate must be held accountable.
September 8th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
It is something I think even Mary Brandenburg our State Representative gets. I don’t care WHO is in office, getting congress to agree will take an ACT OF GOD.
I hate to strike comparisons to the “healthy and elite only” policy the dictatorships of last century and unfortunately even the present day. It is the cornerstone of belief in what many feel are subversive evil religions which implement the very same ” for the strong only” policy.
We all should have had enough of this century and last century Government systems that employed a “Let them die and let God sort them out” policy as people died of starvation that was actually quite avoidable.
We can judge a society, from what I have learned, on how we take care of the weak and the aged, hurting, diseased or injured. It could quite possibly be the karma of leadership in general or the curse of destiny at best. It is those that are touched deepest in their personal lives that seem to understand this the most.
Somebody once said “Life is a terminal condition” so I suppose it is this, then:
Not if, but when we are weakened ourselves, then and only then, will we will truly understand. Look at the doctors that get cancer and see first hand what it really is like.
I have also heard it said that sanity could be translated as making the most sense out of each day as it appears. That is what we have done to survive this 5 and 1/2 years and take it from us, this is the only thing that works…and honestly, it works when nothing else will.
The music business, which I have followed for years now, is a funny thing, when a musician is on top, the champagne flows and the fine cigars burn and everybody loves them and “all is well” and the powers that be say things like, “we are doing really great.” As the popularity wanes, which it inevitably will, which is the nature of things like that, the terminology becomes “you are falling down the charts.”
As we build society, we pay our taxes and stand strong, When we fall, we cannot be alone and left to perish like pack animals. This is how we evolve from what I understand, to care exercises our intellect. Seeing the alarming rate at which our grand society is being “dumbed down” and numbed by apathy (which I understand is the first stage of destruction of in any society that was ever present on Earth) we could certainly, collectively use a little more caring.
Like a marriage, good Government is there when the puzzle is smashed into bits.
Here’s to picking up the pieces and being blessed!
September 8th, 2008 at 10:13 pm
Go McCain!!! Obama wants this “universal health care”. Jan. 2007 I had Brain Cancer, I’m from St. Louis, I went all the way down to Houston, TX at the M D Anderson Cancer Center, to get the best treatment I could get. If Obama was president and with his health care plans, I would end up going to the local hospital and hand some no name surgeon try to remove it and probably end up DEAD.
September 8th, 2008 at 10:17 pm
Seriously universal health care is such a dumb idea. I mean whats the point of working hard and trying to get ahead in life if your just going to get the same health care that the next person in line gets.
September 9th, 2008 at 3:29 am
Universal health care does not mean you can’t choose private medicine. It means everybody has access to health care services… This is not USSR this is the United States of America and we can’t let insurance companies to let us die on the street. I have suffered testicular cancer. Obama has my vote!
September 9th, 2008 at 6:06 am
Why in the world should healh care be for the rich? Why should it be competitive, business needs to butt out of health care and run their business.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:47 am
It seems both candidates have strong opinions on health care, but only one showed up to the Cancer Summit. Meanwhile, the other one can’t stop smoking.
Keep the following in mind during this year’s election:
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and
> the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill
> the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
> >
> >
> >
> > The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
> >
> > The fifth would pay $1.
> >
> > The sixth would pay $3.
> >
> > The seventh would pay $7.
> >
> > The eighth would pay $12.
> >
> > The ninth would pay $18.
> >
> > The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
> >
> > So, that’s what they decided to do.
> >
> >
> > The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed
> quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner
> threw them a curve. “Since you are all such good
> customers,” he said, “I’m going to reduce the
> cost of your daily beer by $20.” Drinks for the ten now
> cost just $80. The group still wanted to pay their bill the
> way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected.
> They would still drink for free. But what about the other
> six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the
> $20 windfall so that everyone would get his ‘fair
> share?’ They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33.
> But if they subtracted that from everybody’s share, then
> the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid
> to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested a plan to
> reduce each man’s bill, and he worked out the amounts
> each should pay.
> >
> >
> > And so:
> >
> > The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing
> (100% savings).
> >
> > The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings).
> >
> > The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28% savings).
> >
> > The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
> >
> > The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
> >
> > The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
> >
> >
> > Note that the tenth man got the smallest percentage
> reduction and now paid 61.25% of the total bill, where he
> previously paid 59% of the bill. Each of the six was better
> off than before. And the first four continued to drink for
> free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to
> compare their savings.
> >
> > “I only got a dollar out of the $20 declared the
> sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, “but he got
> $10!” “Yeah, that’s right,” exclaimed
> the fifth man. “I only saved a dollar, too. It’s
> unfair that he got ten times more than I!”
> “That’s true!!” shouted the seventh man.
> “Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The
> wealthy get all the breaks!” “Wait a
> minute,” yelled the first four men in unison. “We
> didn’t get anything at all. The system exploits the
> poor!”
> >
> >
> > The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The
> next night the tenth man didn’t show up for drinks, so
> the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it
> came time to pay the bill, they discovered something
> important. They didn’t have enough money between all of
> them for even half of the bill!
> >
> >
> > And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and
> college professors, is how our tax system works. The people
> who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax
> reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy,
> and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might
> start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat
> friendlier.
> >
> >
> > For those who understand, no explanation is needed.
> For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
> You probably have been sitting in a bar drinking too much
> beer.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Lucky you Garrett L. You must have excellent insurance, or a lot of money. Why should you care about the people who are dying because they can’t afford the tests to even find out if they have cancer. Who lives and who dies should never be based on how much money you have.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:37 am
The fact of Obama being a smoker only concerns to him and his family.
The real thing is that his proposal is far more specific than McCain’s one. Plus he has a National Health Plan to any american who cannot afford to pay for his health.
With McCain will still have people dying on the streets.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:24 am
This is the first I heard that Obama is a smoker. Is this true?
September 9th, 2008 at 11:12 am
Another thing Garrett L, there are alot of people out there working harder than you trying to get ahead in life for little pay and no health care. It’s no surprise you’re voting for McCain.
September 9th, 2008 at 2:15 pm
Cory R. What an excellent way of illustrating our tax system with a “10 guys at a bar” analogy. Anyone that thinks that this analogy accurately represents all the intricacies of our tax system, and all of the other issues in which this system works, is clearly a happy man living a blissful life. I wish that I could think of complex issues with MANY variables and make my decisions based on some very faulty and simplified premise. Cheers to you my friend! Keep burying your head in the sand, and don’t let any of the nuances get in the way!
As far as the candidates and their approach to attacking the issue of cancer, I would suggest that everyone take a good look at the many issues addressing this nation right now and decide on a candidate based on their overall policy. Cancer is an extremely important issue, but realistically it can only be a part of your assessment in choosing whom to vote for. Unless you are like Cory R., in which you can use the “10 guys at the bar” analogy and vote…keep it simple.
September 9th, 2008 at 3:06 pm
Obama’s words are different from his deeds. Example - medical malpractice reform is essential to reforming our health care system. Obama says he supports tort reform but he’s filibustered every medical malpractice proposal and the DNC accepts massive special interest contributions from trial lawyers. Some specialties like OB are unavailable in some areas due to malpractice insurance costs and “defensive medicine” adds billions to healthcare costs annually.
Obama and the DNC are also pharmaceutical company stooges. Who lifted the ban on drug advertising on TV? Clinton which, now get ready, coincided with massive contributions to the DNC. consider that the average entertainment budget for a drug rep in the DC area from the big companies is $100-$150K. Wonder why Obama and the DNC aren’t proposing massive reforms in RX marketing practices?
McCain’s plan has the better chance of success because he has not been corrupted by trial lawyers or pharmaceuticals. When he says he wants tort reform, he means it. You saw what Palin did to oil companies in Alaska. Just think what she’ll do to the trial lawyers that have nearly bankrupted our health care system.
If you want a Canadian or British system with unionized docs, go Obama. If you want to leave judgment and choice to docs and patients and free them from the grip of trial lawyers, go McCain.
September 9th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Who is going to pay for Obama’s health care program?
September 9th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
I just noticed a post by John S. about “insurance companies letting us die in the streets.” This is a common misapprehension popularized by health care lobbyists and some populace, appeal-to-the-common-man politicians.
Let’s frame the argument differently; if treatment is denied to a needy patient because the patient can’t pay or doesn’t have insurance, who is the villain? Is it the insurance company because they refused to cover the individual or is it the doctor who refused to provide services unless he/she was guaranteed payment? We could explore this further and question whether the individual could have purchased an health insurance coverage in their state and if so, why didn’t they? If no plan was available, why doesn’t this state mandate such?
Many (but not all) states mandate “open enrollment” individual medical insurance policies that prohibit medical underwriting or pre-existing condition exclusions. The objective is to encourage individuals without other coverage options to purchase affordable insurance.
I am self employed and enrolled in a Care First Blue Cross Blue Shield individual plan in the DC area about 8 years ago. I have excellent coverage ($500 deductible, $20 doc visits, and $2500 out of pocket max) and pay about $180 a month for the plan (when I started it was only $140 but rates go up with age). Other options included HMOs like Kaiser and MDIPDA, which were a bit cheaper, but with fewer choices of docs.
I’ve been blessed with good health (athlete, active, good genes, good diet, etc.) but have had my share of scrapes, crashes and regular checkups. Surprisingly, a good number of friends have chosen not to purchase health insurance not because they can’t afford it but because they’re healthy and think they don’t need it. However, when they do get sick they complain loudly about those greedy docs or those SOB insurance companies who won’t cover them (sort of like trying to buy car insurance after you’ve already crashed).
When counting the numbers of the uninsured we must not overlook the significant number of people who choose not to buy coverage. To those who say it’s too expensive, I say BS. A 20 something can get a great plan in the DC area for $140 a month. Too much? Right. Show me a guy who can’t afford this and it’ll take me about a minute to find that extra $140 that he says he doesn’t have.
Back to John S. John, since insurance companies don’t physically restrain your doctor from providing care, the doctor is making a decision not to treat you unless you can pay (in most states it is illegal for hospitals to “turf” patients without insurance - indigent care is shared amongst the region’s providers or by Medicaid). So it would be more accurate to state “Doctors letting us die in the streets because they aren’t getting paid.”
September 9th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
McCain wants to tax employer paid health insurance plans. I am not liking that. I also think every American should be covered for health needs. Better a british type plan than what many americans have now - nothing. I’m with Obama
September 9th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
Garrett,
Nice that you could afford to travel for your treatment. I was living in a decrypted warehouse when I was diagnosed. Fired and unemployable for two years.
Maybe you should think a bit about others instead of how things affect “You”
September 9th, 2008 at 6:52 pm
Cory & Garrett - I’m with you. I’m certainly not among the rich. I’m an independent business person who started a business nearly 10 years ago. I had a tumor in my liver some years ago and now only qualify for the state risk insurance pool. I make choices everyday about where and how to spend my money. Like Katrina and the situation in New Orleans, Health Care is not the governments responsibility.
Why don’t we task our government with fixing healthcare instead of expecting them to provide health insurance to pay for a broken system?
At the end of the day, where you cast your vote should be based on the issues and beliefs that you hold. I respect everyone’s choice as long as the respect the system enough to be educated about their choice.
September 9th, 2008 at 6:55 pm
Even a forum like this turns into a place for bipartisan nastiness and spread of unsubstantiated rumors. People, please don’t just fall for the rumors you see on ads. Educate yourselves! I believe that Obama is the way to go. Whatever your decision, please base your decisions on facts, not rumors and lies.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
Marc Scolson, I disagree with you that throwing money at cancer research would just placate the public. Money allocated to research has direct results. If you look at the top five cancer killers in this country (lung, colorectal, breast, pancreas, prostate), there is a relationship between how much money the National Cancer Institute allocates to funding research and the mortality rate of each cancer. Pancreas cancer gets by far the least amount of research funding from the federal government, and it has the highest mortality rate of these five killers. More research money leads to more and better treatment to people with cancer. Sen. Obama’s plan to double research funding, as well as Sen. McCain’s stated support of cancer research, will have direct results in reducing cancer diagnoses in American families and improving treatment options.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:16 pm
I truly get tired of people assuming that if someone is having trouble affording their care, then they must not have planned ahead. I have insurance, my husband contributed the maximum to his healthcare savings account, and through my company, we have AFLAC. This was still insufficient when I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Now McCain wants to make it even worse by taxing me on the employer-paid portion???
What is one of the primary things that this organization, and most others, need…money. I’m sorry, but that’s the bottom line. Who’s the one who cares more about whether his cronies could buy another boat or another house? He’s the one I’m supposed to trust? The guy whose advisors are lobbyists? The largest donations made by the McCains’ foundation was to their childrens’ schools…so much for him being the one who understands because he had cancer.
As for him taking the time to go to the Summit, don’t make any assumption that he went because it was important to him…maybe he was just pandering for votes. There was a questionnaire that a breast cancer organization sent to all the candidates before the primaries to see how they felt about some BC legislation in the pipeline. The only Republican candidate to answer the questionnaire was Mike Huckabee. McCain didn’t even bother to answer.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
I think John Mccain has shown by his selection of Gov. Palin that he will do whatever it takes to win, say whatever he thinks wants to be heard to win …just for the sake of winning.
Obama has been trying to quit smoking, and it’s a struggle- but he’s at least seen the streets and knows the way to go is to improve one’s own self, not just try and win glory for the sake of it!
God bless Lance, God bless Mccain, but Godspeed to Senator Obama!
September 9th, 2008 at 7:19 pm
Lance is my hero in more ways than one and I am so glad to see him back in the tour. I am a cancer survivor. I believe Obama has the right idea. I am sure that he had a good reason for not attending the Summit. Health care is an important issue. And, as important as cancer treatment and a cure is, I am seeing more and more people that do not have any kind of insurance. Doctors will not even see patients that do not have insurance. The Republicans have done nothing for health insurance, and I do not believe they will do anything to stop cancer.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
universal healthcare is not perfect but it is far superior to our system because everyone gets the care they need.
The care in many European union countries is better than in the US, and costs a fraction of what it does here, withless wait time.
don’t be deceived. Check it out for yourself.
And look with compassion at life!
September 9th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
The sad reality is that neither candidate has the REAL power to do much of anything. Plan, plan away. If congress doesn’t opt-in, nothing will happen. Sure, you can vote on the basis of whom seems most sincere and whom has the best thought out plan. Actions speak louder than words, I was once told.
Brooke has the right idea: the fight must start with us. Don’t depend on our so-call leaders. The politicos will jump in and be swept up in the movement.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:27 pm
Cory R - you’re right on. I hate to say it, but many will have to learn that lesson by watching its aftermath.
Tim - the answer is: You are.
As far as attacking cancer HEAD ON, both McCain and Palin have an actual track record of policy implementation.
I’ve lost too many in my life to cancer to risk putting someone with “good ideas” in office. I need someone who has proven their ability to enact their plans. I’m with McCain/Palin.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Let them plan plan away. Neither can make it happen unless congress opts-in.
You can certainly vote on whose plan is the best, but don’t bank on it.
Brooke has the right idea: WE NEED TO KEEP UP THE FIGHT and effort.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
I waded through both candidates statements. Like so many other issues, they had some very flowery remarks to make. You guys at the LAF are pros at dealing with these issues, I am just a cycling enthusiast with a personal cancer connection.
How about YOU guys review the plans, give us a side by side plain English explanation, and then tell us if you think they can actually pull it off?
It seems to me that Obama has the more comprehensive package, but I don’t really know?
Many groups already do this sort of thing. You do not have to risk your 501c3 by endorsing either one, just a fair comparison would help alot. This is an important issue to consider before November…
September 9th, 2008 at 7:29 pm
Well said, Mark. Cancer IS an important issue - but it’s not the only issue. There is so much at stake in this election after eight years of the worst administration ever! Does anyone remember that at the time of the cancer summit, Obama was visiting Iraq and Afghanistan? Is that somehow less important? If cancer is your main issue - think hard. Stem cell research is critical to finding a cure. McMain and Palin will veto this kind of research, just as they will work to overturn a woman’s right to choose. If Obama dies of lung cancer from smoking, that’s his fault - if others continue to die because we (again) elect a leader who chooses religion over science, that’s ours. And, by the way, I work in the pharmaceutical industry - they are overwhelmingly Republican leaning. Universal healthcare is their worst nightmare. This Hillary supporter is voting Obama-Biden.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:30 pm
After reading each candidates words I think different people can gleen different things.. I have been a Republican for most of my voting life, I hold close a sense of family, strong work ethic and my belief in my religion.
When I hear people talking about uniform health care, or what ever you want to call it I wonder who is going to pay for it?
My wife works for an orthopedic surgeon and being close to Canada she sees a lot of people paying out of pocket for things we take for granted.
Think about being playing basketball with your friends and you tear an ACL, with socialized heath care surgery is not the first option..
I work now to pay for health insurance that pays for my sons monthly RX because the pharmaceutical companies are out of control. I hate my job but I love kids more.
While I think each candidate has good ideas, I believe that there is only one good option and I have made my choice.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:42 pm
@ kindra, Obama has released his thoughts on science, and it includes support for stem cell research. You won’t get that with McCain. Not bi-partisan, just the facts.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:48 pm
I don’t mean to imply we should not help other countries, but perhaps we should keep some of the MILLIONS we send to Africa for aids- and use it for cancer research here.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:49 pm
Oh- and I do not want Universal ANYTHING
September 9th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
I have had 3 family members with cancer…colon, bladder and breast. 2 are survivors. Thank God. I have spent more time at M D Anderson and other cancer clinics than most. I have met people from other countries who come to the United States because their “universal health care” does not give them the care when and where they need it..and perscription drugs are not always available. One should spend time at cancer centers such as M D Anderson and see how many cancer patients are from other countries because they cannot get the care and the hope of survival as they can in our great country, The United States of America. Our health system is the best in the world. I do not want the government involved with my healthcare. I will make the sacrifices to pay for my private healthcare. I do not want bigger government. All said leads to my vote for John McCain…..NOBAMA!
September 9th, 2008 at 7:54 pm
Oh- and I do not want Universal ANYTHING!! I have a family of 6 surviving on one income, and it is OUR job to support ourselves- NO ONE ELSES. Yes, people need a hand sometimes- the key word being SOMETIMES- And for a SHORT time. I am happy for the rich. Good for them. It gives us hope we could someday be there. Do you begrudge Lance for his wealth and accomplishments? Should he pay for your needs? No, he worked HARD to get where he is. Yes, he has those he thanks for their aid- NOT for doing it FOR him. Besides, I have Canadian friends with the health care ideas OBAMA proposes. They die while waiting for care. Research this. And who will pay for Obama’s nice plans. This is not realistic people.
September 9th, 2008 at 7:56 pm
Who is Lance voting for?
September 9th, 2008 at 7:57 pm
Well, all I know, as a almost 50 year old woman, grown up as a democrat, now a liberal Republican. Barack Obama has so little experience, and is being elected as a celebrity, is someone I just can’t get behind. My family is riddled with cancer, on both sides, but this election is not about 1 issue,it’s about many. I’m all for abortion and gay rights, what i’m not about is government that grows every time a democrat gets into office. Only thing I could think of that would be worse would be Hillary Clinton, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed Obama doesn’t win, but if he does, at least it’s not another Clinton. Maybe we should all keep our eyes on the big picture….. not just a part of it….think about that.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:07 pm
I don’t see either candidate wearing a yellow wristband. When I went to represent AZ 2 years ago with LAF. McCain’s office told me he was not on the appropiations committee. And there was a war going on right now. But I ask even though he wasn’t on the appropriation committee he could still write a letter to them or let his voice be heard could he not? No answer. Just putting it out there. I am waiting till the end. I still see no yellow wristband on either one of them.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:09 pm
TIM - Your going to pay for it! You, me and every other American. I’ve been self employeed for the past 16 years. My husband has been self employeed for the last 25 years. We’ve bought own health insurance for all these years. I don’t feel like we should have to pay for anyone else’s. They can pay for their own the same way we have. I live in Indiana. The state has health insurance for any uninsured children and this year added a plan for uninsured adults. I believe you can make about $25,000 and still qualify for coverage. For some it is completely free, for others it costs a small amount.
I’m casting my vote for fellow survivor John McCain and Sarah Palin.
As for the Sen. Obama smoking issue, I was not aware of it until today either, but if he isn’t strong enough kick smoking I sure hope he never has to fight cancer.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:12 pm
No contest here. Obama wants the kind of health program that the UK has. The UK has one of the highest cancer death rates in the world (look it up). This is because they restrict drugs and treatments to cancer patients based on cost. Billy Tauzin, a Democrat and Republican, from Louisiana is here today , but the drug that saved his life is not allowed in the UK. Don’t let the government come between you and doctor. Live strong.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:17 pm
I have non Hogkins lymphoma and have not been able to find a match one a bone marrow transplant. I had full coverage insurance. I am caucasion. Because Minorities need matches more the government pays for their donors. But caucasions have to pay if they want to donate. There for corporations and many other companies won’t sponsor bone marrow drives. I have been trying to find a match for 7 years. Then I harvested my own stem Cells which cost 40,000 dollars and my insurance said I needed to pay for that. It was elective surgery. ELECTIVE? I wasn’t geting botox! I am trying to save my life. I went thru my 401(k)cashed in my savings, cds. Oh and by the way tried to harvest eggs just in case I wanted to have kids down the road which isn’t covered by insurance. So YES..Our insurance is SCREWED up in the UNITED STATES of AMERICA!!! It is pretty bad when at 40 you have to move in with your parents or else I would have been homeless. So please think YELLOW when you vote!!!!!!! Think about the National Call to Action. It is not a Joke people!
September 9th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
Government must stay out of the medical field. They cause too many problems in so many other areas. What it comes down to is this: the health and well being of the individual should never be used to as a campaign rallying cry for a bunch of do nothing/know nothing/power hungry bureaucrats. Every single person on the face of this Earth has the right to decide how to treat their own bodies. That is what choice is all about. The more the government interferes with our current system, the less choice everyone will have. Government must never be allowed to dictate that aspect of a person’s life. As far as I’m concern, that is a principle that cannot be debated.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
Everyone who is criticizing Obama for smoking must be a non-smoker, and everyone criticizing universal health care must be insured. It would be nice if every citizen could afford ANY health care premium, but it isn’t so. Because you are addicted to nicotine doesn’t mean you have no idea about having cancer. Obama’s mother died of cancer. As a son and caretaker, he is as savvy to the horrors of the disease as anyone who hasn’t actually had it themselves. Look to our Canadian neighbors. They have universal health care. Although it may not be perfect, it is far superior to letting our poor and uninsured die in the streets, and YES THEY DO. I have many Canadian friends. They are not denied specilaized care, or medications that will save their lives. There are so many layers to these problems, and I am not about to turn my back on a candidate that couldn’t make a certain meeting. I am a four time cancer survivor, and former smoker who watched all my chemo nurses run outside on their smoke breaks while I sat with chemo drugs running through my IV. None of it has anything to do with the fact that we need reform, research, funding and political support now.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:25 pm
I will certainly NOT decide my vote on a single issue, be it cancer, abortion, death penalty or any other, but on their overall stance on the values that matter to me: Peace, freedom, health, jobs, equality. The Republicans have done and awful job at these for 8 years now and the country and the world is worse for it. I’ll vote for Obama.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:30 pm
I just want to say that the quality of the comments here is very impressive. Aside from an little arch-conservative/way-liberal stuff near the end, there are a lot of good ideas.
I don’t know who I’ll vote for yet, so every bit if input helps.
Steve
September 9th, 2008 at 8:31 pm
I have to go with Obama. His plan has more specifics, and he knows the pain of cancer loss. Not to mention he supports stem cell research, which McCain does not, and that may have cancer implications. I do applaud McCain for attending the summit, though.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Interesting, McCain made it to the Summit, but failed to make it to the Capitol to vote on the majority of healthcare issues. He hasn’t voted on a healthcare issue since March 08. That includes a vote to override a veto on a bill that extends and expands Medicare coverage for various programs and revises regulations regarding Medicare fee-for-service programs. The only healthcare voting he has done relates to abortion issues.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:47 pm
Diane - “Look to our Canadian neighbors. They have universal health care. Although it may not be perfect, it is far superior to letting our poor and uninsured die in the streets, and YES THEY DO.”
Under Universal Healthcare, the INSURED die in the streets, rich and poor alike.
Nicolas - You can’t be serious.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
It’s truly amazing to see some of the post. My first response is the following: you vote for someone, whether they smoke or not! Wow, folks we have more serious issues on whether someone smokes or whether they showed up at a Summit! To answer the question, Obama quit smoking! The other is the following, most American’s do not have access to Health Insurance, let along treatment for Cancer. Unfortunately, contrary to all the rhetoric John McCain is now spewing, he could care less whether you have Health Insurance, in fact he wants to place most of the burden on you paying more for Health Insurance and less on Employers (sounds like the lobbyist to me). John McCain’s sudden position on change occured after the DNC! Folks the media has hidden so many facts regarding the Bush Administration. It appears they’re still up to hiding the facts from us. Don’t believe the hype you’re now hearing. If you can’t pay for Health Insurance now, you sure won’t be getting help from the Republican Adm. in the treatment of Cancer!
September 9th, 2008 at 8:49 pm
Paul, you are a lucky man - I don’t think you realize how lucky. $140-$180/month is a dream when it comes to insurance.
I live in Maine where hospitals can’t turn away anyone, whether they have insurance or not. I wouldn’t have it any other way. But what it means is that there are only two or three companies that even offer plans in this state. Anyone with any understanding of economics knows what that means - limited competition means limited bargaining power.
I am very lucky. My company pays my health insurance premiums for myself and my two children 100%. The catch is that to get my husband on the plan I have to pay $82 a week. That works out to $4264 per year. In addition we have a $2500 deductible plus pay $15 per office visit and more for specialists or ER visits. Prescriptions range from $15 to $50 per. All told, we will pay over $7500 for our health care this year.
If I had to pay full price for our health insurance it would be $164/WEEK. That would be $8528 just for the premiums.
I am guessing that being in the DC area you probably make a pretty decent salary. My husband has a good job here. He makes $35,000 a year. We pay $16,000 a year for daycare for our two children so we can both work. We can’t get out of the grocery store these days for less than $200 a week. Gas is $3.75 a gallon. We will be paying about $5000 this winter for the heating oil we need to heat our house. We have a mortgage and a car payment. It goes on and on. Go ahead and show me where all of the fluff in my budget to pay for health care is.
Like I said at the beginning, we are lucky because my company pays for a good portion of my healthcare cost. When we interview people for job openings, most are very surprised that this is true. Most companies here can no longer think of paying for health care.
Don’t assume that what you can get in DC is representative of what is available to all in this country.
I am proud to be a Democrat because mine is the party of inclusiveness. Barack Obama and other progressives want to offer the same basic rights, whether it be basic health care access, educational opportunities, access to good jobs with decent pay or a long list of other rights to EVERYONE no matter their skin color, age, gender, sexual orientation or where they live in this country.
I believe in Barack’s intelligence, his willingness to work across party lines and his sincerity. He is energizing young people and people around the country who have never cared about politics. This is the kind of grass roots movement that a cause like cancer funding can benefit from.
Obama 08 for a better, more united States.
September 9th, 2008 at 8:50 pm
I will be the first to admit that Obama angered me to no end when he did not find time to attend the Livestrong Summit. Especially when that coincided with a hot PET scan and two weeks of terror thinking my Cancer had returned.
At a glance, both platforms are pretty similar. However, McCain’s last paragraph is telling. It basically boils down to free-market medicine where the shareholders are #1 and the customers (patients, YOU and ME) can be damned. I don’t trust my cell phone company to get my bill right. I’m sure not going to trust big business to get my treatment right. I’m so thankful that I work for a small medical company that puts the health of our patients and employees first. We have a pretty good health insurance plan that is paid 100% and we have often provided our services at a loss to patients who can afford no more.
But for the issue at hand, I think Obama has the best ideas for winning the war on Cancer.
And speaking of winning and considering the venue, I have to close by saying how awesome it is that Lance is going for his 8th Tour and using it to push Cancer research and funding to even greater heights.
GO LANCE AND GO GET #8!!
September 9th, 2008 at 8:55 pm
I have supported Obama since the beginning of his campaign after informing myself about who he is as a person. Then, I immediately read his ENTIRE health plan posted on his website, and when friends told me Ms. Clinton would right all the wrongs in the health care system, I argued the specifics of Mr. Obama’s plan.
Of special interest to me is the emphasis the Obama plan places on health care infrastructure including streamlining the electronic health record and bolstering medical IT. I have transcribed hospital patient records for 13 years and know intimately how terribly fragmented the health care record is. Easily accessible information would prevent ill people from needing to restate their medical story countless times to countless doctors and things getting lost in translation.
I get goosebumps when I hear Obama and Biden say several times on the campaign trail: “A parent should not have to lose a job or their own health care in order to care for a sick child,” because this is nearly verbatim what I blogged on the Obama website.
I am now on the Parent Advisory Board to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance and Children’s Hospital, and I want to do everything in my power to urge more support for entire families–not just the ill child upon a cancer diagnosis.
My father spent his career teaching medical students and developed a curriculum fostering problem solving and critical thinking rather than high tech machinery.
My sister is a family practice physician working with “underserved populations” (the definition is expanding) in this country both through Indian Health Services on a reservation and now Community Health Clinics serving homeless and low income folks in the Seattle area. So, I see first hand how essential a strong health system (mental, physical, oncologic) is to support us all.
Health care is the central issue for me in the election. Cancer is a huge piece of it, but it is also an essential foundation for a civil society. We have come so far from a place where all citizens’ health needs are met that I think it is very difficult for us to imagine what it would be like to have everyone able to afford to maintain good health. It almost sounds like “la-la” land fantasy, but the truth is there are countries modeling systems that work and succeeding. And those countries do not have an ounce of the funding, manpower, and innovative thinkers we do. It is time for a change.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
I am glad that both candidates have ideas on how they are going to fight cancer. I am a 3 year survivor of stage 3 brain cancer. I was fortunate to have insurance. The reality is that insurance is not available for everyone. This is an undeniable fact. It is also undeniable that the level of care can be different based on what insurance can cover or if you even have insurance - I argued with my insurance to cover my chemotherapy. In a country where we have working poor, we have to come up with a health care system that works for everyone - no matter what party affiliation.
Maybe we can stop paying money for wars that don’t really get us anywhere and invest that money in a war with cancer where the majority of the nation would come out ahead.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:18 pm
Obama was a smoker; Michelle told he had to quit if he was going to run. if you read articles about his aide, Reggie Love, you’ll see Reggie always has on hand, among other things, Nicorette. Obama has quit, but it’s not easy. as any smoker can testify.
he watched his mother die of ovarian cancer when she was only 52. her health care coverage was not good; it apparently covered her care but she still had to fight with the insurance company. how can a person go through that and not be deeply affected? any candidate can have a plan — and that his stresses prevention is vital — but what matters is the actions of their life. attending Lance’s conference? that proves nothing. wearing the yellow wristband? i’d prefer he wear the Leukemia-Lymphoma Society’s red bed: my father & brother have leukemia.
what gives Obama the edge is that he’ll reduce real waste: spending on the war, at the tune of $10B per month. that’s where cancer research money went: to Iraq. i do believe McCain will increase funding for cancer research, but not nearly as much as Obama will be able to. and McCain will still rely on corporations to provide health care — and when profits enter the picture, health care takes a dim second place.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:30 pm
Universal healthcare may sound wonderful, but what kind of healthcare are you getting? Do those favoring socialized healthcare and taxation not realize that it could cost them in the end, that patients are denied care because of their age and/or pre-existing disease/comorbidities. “I’m sorry, sir. You’re 65 now. We can no longer dialyze you.” or “With your medical history, you do not qualify for this treatment.” How is that right?Like T above, why not task the government with fixing the healthcare system instead of expecting them to provide health insurance to pay for a broken one? I’m with the others in saying that neither candidate’s ‘proposed’ policy is perfect, but know this: Obama will NOT get my vote.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:40 pm
Unbelievable! You McCain supporters still believe that the Republican Party is interested in Health Care, Elderly Health Care and our returning damanged veterans and now you believe that we should leave the research dollars and health care dollars for cancer victims in the hands of the Republicans??? My vote, my work and my faith is with Obama.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
Got to agree more partisan bs this is a site dedicated to helping gain funds for cancer research.Have’nt any of you seen how poorly the unions in this country are doing thanks to one party mindedness ie lets put all our eggs in one barrel and kick the other to the curb.This is what the labor unions in this country did for the past 8 years the decided not only to only support a democrat but to dissrespect the republican candidate only to find themselves twice on the loosing side (not very smart for any cause).It is better to vote for who you believe can do the most and believes the same things you believe.This countries systems might not be perfect but in comparison they are still the best in the world.
Socialized medicine does’nt work why do you think people from canada and the uk come here for major medical procedures and treatments,oh and pray you dont live in the uk or canada and have cancer chances are you would be beyond treatment by the time it was detected (my mother lived in london as a child she was told she needed an emergency toncilectamy,The day before she left for the us. she recieved notice of her appointment total time including wait for the letter 16 mounths).Oh. and you cant sue the doctors for malpractice even if the doctor was 100% negligent.All politicians promiss the word and few ever deliver some due to a partisan congress some due to just a pure lack of feasability of thier promisses(if it sounds too good to be true it probably is.I would love to know who pays for doubling federal funds for research my guess is the top 10% of the country which as a union construction worker on the east coast would mean me and i struggle to make ends meet as it is between paying 40% to taxes and donating to charitable orgs. oh and gas.
I would prefer to decide what charities get my hard earned money if we did’nt have to pay a bunch of beurocrats 200k a year to divi up 20m dollars we would have an additional 20m dollars for the charity.
Well off my soap box I go
Don’t forget to vote you don’t vote don’t complain
September 9th, 2008 at 9:51 pm
I have cancer and I have no insurance and the insurance I did have quit paying after it became too costly for them. My sister ran in the human race last month for the Lance Armstrong Foundation for me. I won’t even see any of that personally. I have already missed 2 CT scans and if Obama doesn’t become president then I will die.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:52 pm
Lance:
You and I have been through the same ordeal.
These folks have not. As we listen to what they say, I only wish that they would follow through. Yes, the funding for saving many more people is important. Who will give those folks a chance?. I say Senator Obama is our hope.What he says rings true. His hope for his, and our future is much happier and long focused. Let the Democrats take us into the teens. Let the country change. Do not let us get bogged down in the same old horrid funding for research. What does McCain say about stem cells?
Lance, you and I each know that we are healthy folks. You especially! Give America the chance to be as healthy as you are. Do not let McCain starve research.
Vote for health!
September 9th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
Obama for me. McCain is certifiable.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:53 pm
If John McCain and Sarah Palin are elected to office, cancer research and particularly the most promising research using stem cells will be set back a decade or more.
Think, people.
If you “show up for a summit” does this mean that you’re smart? Maybe it means that you were available. No one denies that John McCain is willing to say whatever it takes to secure votes, and he is an excellent campaigner. The problem is he will be exactly like George Bush, a figurehead for the party of Lobbyists who we have allowed to own our nation. The same group that got W elected is working to secure another four years at the trough utilizing your fear and your ignorance.
Look, please, at who is running his campaign now and who has been running the country for eight years. Same guys, including Rove. These people are brilliant manipulators who are expert at making “regular folks” feel like insiders. They would no more sit down and have a beer with you than they would pay your Blue Cross premiums.
Wise up. They have you terrified of the boogeyman “socialized medicine”. Ask your doctor if he/she can make any decisions about your treatment without first checking in with your insurance carrier, if you have one. Your treatment options are dictated by the very people who are financially motivated to deny your treatment.
And, while you’re at it, before you go blaming your doctor (or hospitals for that matter) for refusing to treat because you don’t have adequate coverage, (Paul). Exactly how long would you go to work for free?
Face it. You don’t– and the medical profession doesn’t –have a say in what kind of treatment you’re going to get. That’s completely up to your insurance carrier and if it wasn’t for those awful lawyers suing the insurance industry periodically for utter malfeasance, their profits would be even more scandalously ridiculous and your coverage would be worse than it is.
For those of you who are fearful of socialization, don’t call the police or fire departments since these are also “socialized” and for those of you who think stem cell research is immoral, please feel free to avoid any treatment options derived from this important research. We won’t stop you from needlessly dying. But, don’t impose your religious beliefs on the rest of us. Even Nancy Reagan is a proponent of stem cell research.
Obama ‘08. The only reasonable choice. Please educate yourselves about the issues.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Let me clarify that what I say is meaning that our “elected officials” may not have struggled as so many on this site have. Give medicne, research, and science a chance.
September 9th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Oh, and if you think that the insurance industry isn’t the devil, just drive down any major avenue of any major city in the U.S. and notice which corporate logos/names are on the biggest, shiniest buildings. Instead of excellent world class medical treatment for every citizen, we have shiny buildings dedicated to the profit, waste and private bureaucracy of the insurance industry!
September 9th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Obama: Health insurance for all.
McCain: Tax employer-provided health benefits.
Obama: for stem-cell research
Palin: against
Enough said.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:21 pm
I battled cancer in ‘95 and was refused other health insurance or offered it at a price I couldn’t afford by a very select few. The only insurance I was able to get thru my car insurance will raise to $850 a month in November. This insurance doesn’t cover any of the preventative exams especially for women. So I don’t get them. This expense is only 2nd to my rent. Obama gets the middle class as he didn’t grow up rich or marry someone rich. I’ve worked hard all of my life. I’ve given back to society. I am supporting someone who understands that concept. I’m supporting Obama as the Republicans have had 8 years to make a difference. They have made nothing but poor choices.
With Obama I have hope.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:38 pm
Do you really beleive that when the government controls healthcare, medicine and medical research that the “pharm” companies will continue too spend millions and / or billions on research. Do really believe that docs will go to work when their salaries are being governed / controlled by the government. Do you really believe that healthcare will improve with government control. The docs and the reasearch will go by the wayside or to private hospitals that only the wealthy can afford as an out of pocket expense. Competition and the rewards of success are the reason why these people get up everyday and go to work, it is the same reason that Lance won 7 tours and has the drive & determination for more. I guess you can afford to smoke if you know that one day the government (reality = taxpayers) are going to foot the bill. Keep lighting them up Obama. McCain is the man with the plan.
September 9th, 2008 at 10:48 pm
Yeah, sure, Obama’s plan is more “specific”. But just because it is more specific doesn’t mean it’ll deliver any more than the more “vague” plan. Specifics don’t matter, it’s the heart of the person making the claims to deliver that matters. If McCain is willing to take time off of campaigning to go the The Summit, it shows commitment to the problem. If Obama can’t even put down his cigarette for a few hours and actually adress a growing problem, then it shows that he’s complacent. I’m not saying McCain’s perfect, his lack of support for stem cell research is a minor problem. I personally do not agree with embryonic stem cell research (pro-life) however, there ARE other places you can get stems cells (umbilical cords, pockets in adult bodies, etc.). I’m a college student working to get into the field of cancer research when I graduate, so this is a very big issue for me. Plus, I’ve lost more close friends and relatives than I want to count to cancer. So everybody, honestly, PLEASE consider cancer stances when you choose your candidate. And don’t just look at specifics, or plans, look at the person behind the plans, and ask yourself if you can be sure they’ll stand behind their words. McCain’s a survivor, he knows what needs done, I think he has the guts to make it a priority. As for Obama, he talks a good game, and his plan looks very good, but can you trust him to deliver? Has he changed his mind on anything else already (war stances maybe???)? He can’t even quit smoking to keep himself from getting cancer… can you trust him to keep YOU from getting it??? Just think about it.
September 9th, 2008 at 11:35 pm
I’d be willing to bet McCain went to the conference as a political move for attention and to capture votes more than having a sincere interest in the cure. His policies do nothing to help those not fotunate enough to have good health care insurance or live in an area with readily accessible treatment facilities. I am a cancer survivor and fortunate to get the best care. My heart goes out to those who are not a place to get good care or receive good monitoring.
September 10th, 2008 at 2:25 am
Obama gets my vote. My health insurance premiums will be increased to nearly $1000/month in January because I had breast cancer. I work as hard as anyone else and I pay my taxes. I do not deserve to be treated like this. Health care should not only be for the rich. I have no faith in McCain’s plan.
September 10th, 2008 at 3:15 am
I’m a moderate libertarian so I dislike both platforms, but in the short run, and at a pragmatic level, I prefer Obama’s plan.
I would prefer that the government simply placed fewer restrictions on medical research since raising taxes to help some people might affect private medical research negatively in the long-term.
It’s a trade-off, do we want the government to conduct research and discourage private researchers? Or can we rely on the unrestricted financial and academic ambitions of private researchers?
I don’t know which option is preferable, but whichever has the best track record (between the government, or private researchers) should be favored.
If someone knows which entity has yielded better results, it could be useful to have it posted here.
September 10th, 2008 at 4:21 am
we’re suposing that voting obama or Mc Cain the government will try fight cancer. Well, after the election all that promises will desapear, sadly. I think that the private hospitals and chemical factories should be the biggest enemyes of cancer. Or do you think that taxes are destinating cencer fighting. Of course not, although they should. If they promise you “very low taxes” be sure that they’re not destinating to this. Who knows better this? Obama or Mc Cain? I supose both in equal parts. May be Palin doesn’t want to fight cancer, because illnesses, as climatic change, is god’s work(don’t insult me please, madam). I don’t know if anibody would do anything, but in case I would vote OBAMA.
Thank you, from Basque Country(Spain)
September 10th, 2008 at 5:35 am
I am a survivor and probably understand more on this subject than those who have not had the need to understand and endure the disease. I read both plans Obama and although he has good intentions, his plan is the surface rhetoric we hear from him. McCain plan to fight cancer shines, he shows his knowledge of the agencies involved and the inner workings of Congress and how to make the best effort towards a cure. Very simple, I’m with McCain . . . you should be too!
September 10th, 2008 at 5:43 am
I’m a physician and so is my wife. We took out large sums of money in student loans, worked 100+ hrs/wk for 12 years to get our education, gave up over a decade for this, lived in poverty, and put our lives on hold. Now that we are seeing the rewards for our sacrifice we are being demonized by Osama as being the evil rich, “the top 1%”, we not only pay more in taxes than several families combined, but also a higher percentage of our income goes to taxes. Despite this, I hear by left wing flamers that I’m still not doing my fairshare. God forbid that I actually want to charge for my services, that too is evil. You don’t see me able to go to the grocery and say to the clerk, nah, I think I want someone else to pay for this. You don’t see me able to tell the mechanic who fixes my car, I think that brake job is going to be a free-be. I totally believe in charitable works, however, this environment of entitlement is sickening. Hillzilla used the Veteran’s Hospital system as a shining example of what Universal Healthcare will be like. After having worked in VA systems, it’s quite obvious she has never been treated at one; hardly a positive endorsement, considering a large number of in-patients have been known to call 911 from their hospital room to be taken to another hospital. I can also say with direct certainty that if this system gets put in place, US student enrollment into medical schools will plummit! Goodluck communicating with Dr. (insert non-english speaking name here). Anytime more people are riding the cart instead of pulling it, society implodes and everyone loses!
September 10th, 2008 at 5:49 am
As a cancer survivor and someone who lost his wife to cancer this topic is very close to my heart! After reading and viewing all of the information hear I feel that McCain truly offers us the best hope and has my vote as well!!!
September 10th, 2008 at 5:55 am
Oops, almost forgot. “Osama, because you may be one of my future assigned patient, I must advise you to stop smoking, it’s bad for your health and wait times for your Chest CT scan are expected to be approximately 3 months”
September 10th, 2008 at 6:06 am
You have to travel around the country and see how people choose to leave, the cars the choose to have, the close the choose to wear and guess what? Healthcare isn’t in their plan. I did choose the best healthcare without thinking how much it will cost me. Today I thank God I made that decission because it help safe my daughters life. A three year fight with Hutchkins Lymphoma and Non Hutchins lymphoma. I choose to drive and older car, I buy my close on sale, I didn’t buy the bigest house in town. I did choose to pay for health care for my family. You want government health care then join the military. By the way I’m a disable Veteran and I only use the VA for my service connected health problems.
P.S. Palin is for Stem Cell Research
For McCain & Palin
September 10th, 2008 at 6:29 am
Anyone can show up at an event. What matters is what policy changes are made to give people access to the health care needed.
From what I see the Obama plan would best accomplish this end.
September 10th, 2008 at 7:00 am
Cancer doesn’t ask for your political party affiliation. Cancer is totally unbiased and indiscriminate. Vote for whom you want but continue the fight against cancer.
September 10th, 2008 at 7:04 am
This debate is good.
Rhetoric is just RHETORIC! Find out where your candidates stand, what their political history is, how they’ve helped citizens of U.S. and think about the kind of country you’d like to live in before casting votes.
And now to Paul who is blessed with good health:
How lucky for you! My mother-in-law was dropped by her insurance company (which is LEGAL for them to do even though she paid her bills) and NO COMPANIES WILL INSURE HER. She SURVIVED colon cancer, which does not have high survival rates, and applied to blue cross but was told she is not insurable until she has a clean bill of health for FOUR YEARS. Too bad for her that she had uterine cancer this year and had to have a hysterectomy.
To Paul and others like you; please continue to spout your ignorant thoughts so others can enlighten you.
September 10th, 2008 at 7:49 am
It’s disappointing to see the partisan rhetoric - “my candidate good, your candidate bad” …“my plan good, your plan bad”.
That’s why we have grid lock.
If you really want to cure cancer the objective should be to look at both plans and find the best in both – then fight to have all the good ideas put into practice.
September 10th, 2008 at 8:02 am
My father died 29years ago of colon cancer; I’m in my 40’s and get regular colonoscopies–paid for my insurance. I trust the Doctors–I’m with Dr.Aaron on this(read his post here). Obama’s plans leads to certain failure. McCain has a realistic plan; McCain is a proven, real leader with the correct vision for the USA.
September 10th, 2008 at 8:07 am
Please read the links. They both support advancing research, doubling funding for research and work closely with existing organizations.
Here’s the difference Obama will work toward Affordable, Accessible Health Care for all Americans. McCain believes it is a person’s responsibility to eat healthy and keep an active life style.
Personally,I do eat health and work out daily, however I am genetically predispositioned to future cancers. I want to make sure there is a health care system I can depend upon.
September 10th, 2008 at 8:33 am
I see this as two candidates with palns to help the fight against cancer. But I doubt the Repubkicans and Sarah Palin will allow stem cell research,and any scientific research that does not pass thneir relifiuos criteria. Eight years of Bush has already done enough damage why continue it? Palin too risky, Biden solid as a rock, I vote for Obama!
September 10th, 2008 at 8:34 am
We need new leadership that believes in science. Obama is the obvious choice.
September 10th, 2008 at 8:41 am
Cancer research is expensive. Not surprisingly, federal funding for cancer research has seriously declined in real dollars in parallel with the war in Iraq. If you’re serious about funding cancer research, go with the candidate who will invest our tax dollars in research rather than wars.
September 10th, 2008 at 8:43 am
Honestly, many of these comments are offensive. We are all united on here and yet I am reading a bunch of (well meaning) comments dividing people and telling me who I should vote for. I am in independant voter and I assure you that anyone on here telling me who to vote for will in no way have any bearing on my decision. It’s a shame we need to turn this in to a politcal issue (which it is) when ANY and ALL politcal parties and those representing them need to hear our voices and do ALL that is possible to help those who have Cancer and prevent others from getting Cancer. After reading all of these comments, I am voting for Lance Armstrong for President. Why? Because regarding Cancer he is most qualified to be President - if indeed being a Cancer advocate is all that is required of the President. None of us know 100% for sure what the candidates are telling us is what in fact they will do. Bottom line is vote for whomever you want and pray that they will do anything and everything to help those who have and to prevent Cancer.
September 10th, 2008 at 9:11 am
If you want the efficiency of the DMV with the compassion of the IRS, vote for universal health care.
The gov’t can’t even balance the budget(when it can get one passed), how can you think they will CARE about your health care? We need tort reform. That will drop Doctors expenses and allow for more reasonable cost. Remember when Doctors made house calls? What happened between then and now?
LAWSUITS!
Don’t drink the KoolAid!
J
September 10th, 2008 at 9:20 am
We all need to take a breath and actually look at the “Universal” health care proposal. It is not at all similar to the Canadian Health Care system because it is NOT “socialism” in health care. The Universal Health Care option is to provide AFFORDABLE health care for everyone - so your child doesn’t keep getting sick at school because another family can’t afford to bring their kid in for treatment. They will still have to pay for health care- it won’t be free or paid for by everyone else - it will be the same insurance plan that our “well-off” representatives in Congress give themselves.
Also, McCain/Palin represent a threat to modern medical research, promising more of the same vetos to stem-cell research and getting ever closer to a federal stance on abortion.
It is critical to review the results of the policies that the representatives have put into place. Palin was mayor of a town on 9,000, and Governor of a state of 670,000. Fewer representatives to work with and even fewer voters to appeal to - how do you think she can possibly handle anything remotely similar to the US Senate and House of Representatives and a population of 300 million?
These issues are important and I fully believe that everyone has the right to choose what they think is right for them. But before jumping to conclusions, PLEASE do some homework…
September 10th, 2008 at 9:47 am
God forbid if we get cancer if Obama is elected. We’ll die for sure! We won’t be able to see a doctor for months! If he leads by example everyone will smoke. IF it could get worse he’s for partial birth abortion. Look it up and see what it’s like to decapitate a baby while in the womb.
McCain is a cancer survivor and he went to the Cancer Summit. He knows what cancer is about and knows it needs to be
eradicated. McCain and Palin are for stem cell research. This is the what we are waiting for! They will change the way our country is run the right way and protect the American way of life.
September 10th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Hey I have an idea!! Lets dump the funding for TSA at airports and put it all into Cancer research. Then the American people will be getting something for their money and we will TRULY be helping to save lives!!
September 10th, 2008 at 10:07 am
Just wanted everyone to keep in mind that during the Summit Obama was speaking and at meetings in the Middle East — he did not just “decide” not to come to the Summit.
His much more detailed and decidely more aggressive plan definitely strikes home for me. I am 25 yo recently diagnosed with a rare eye cancer — where there has been not enough research money to make ANY improvements in treatment protocols and the prognosis is not great. I support his desire to double funding for both the NCI and the NIH (not just the NIH as McCain has alluded to doing) and also his interest in genomics and in supporting more research for rare cancers.
Regardless, the fact of the matter is we need a president who is willing to take on the fight for cancer much in the way Lance has done through the LAF. Hopefully whomever wins the next election does this and does it quickly and well so that we can reduce the rate of 1 american dying from cancer every minute.
Be well everyone!
September 10th, 2008 at 10:42 am
I grew up in Chicago, my mother was a single parent raising 5 kids she never thought about leaving us with grandma, she struggled and made sure we were always covered with insurance. For the people that think the people in Canada are enjoying the coverage they have you need to talk to a few, they hate it. Omaba is going in that direction and would never want that for me and mine. Stem Cell is the way to go and free clincs are everywhere. My 87 year old mother-in-law has had cancer 3 times and now has it again. Stem cells is the way.
September 10th, 2008 at 10:52 am
As I read all your comments, they brings tears to my eyes because I realize that many of you are clueless to REALITY.
Here is some food for thought –
1. Those of you who have NOT stared straight into the face of a serious cancer diagnosis, count yourself among the lucky ones - for now — someday it may be yours or a loved one’s turn…based on the stats.
2. Those of you who HAVE faced a serious cancer, you have my empathy and I think you will understand my comments, no matter which candidate you favor.
3. Please stop “blaming” people for contracting cancer (smokers, etc). What a pointless and hurtful thing to do! If you feel the need to “blame” someone, blame the tobacco companies who sell “death” and get people hooked on nicotine.
4. If you have great health ins. coverage now through the govt. or a corporation, hang onto it for dear life! Don’t ever think you can leave the govt. or corporate world and purchase a private paid policy and KEEP it.
If you ever contract a serious illness, that insurance company CAN (and WILL) cancel your private policy — you have NO clout as an individual!
5. My husband and I are both middle-aged professionals, with good-paying careers. I’d left my corp job to join a start-up (no benefits) and I carried COBRA insurance at over $900/ mo, thinking I would have insurance at the start-up within 12 mos. My husband was also working at a start-up (no benefits, thinking he would have insurance at the start-up within 12 mos., and I carried him on my COBRA.)
Do I need to tell you what happened next?
My husband (a FORMER smoker)was diagnosed with stage III-B Lung Cancer … well, it doesn’t get much worse than that, folks.
I knew that when we ran out of the 18 mos of COBRA coverage we would NEVER be able to get a private policy — due to what would be called a “pre-exisitng condition”.
Fortunately, I had maintained very positive relationships with my former corporate employer, and was hired back by the CEO.
So, I had to go back and work at that company and report to a VP who was a harrassing, mean-spirited, incompetent person and I was grateful to have the job only for the health insurance coverage. His antics took a toll on my emotional & physical health, in addition to what I faced as a “caregiver” at home. But as you see, I had NO choice!Thankfully, he was eventually fired.
After 3+ YEARS of very serious treatments, a lung removal, etc… all through a wonderful cancer specialized institution, I am thrilled to tell you that my husband is in remission and back at work now (Oh yes…I almost forgot to mention the painful journey of his attempts to find a new job, after 3 yrs in a medical crisis — NO ONE will hire you — but let’s not get into that!)
I am still working at the job I dislike, but only for the security of health ins. coverage and a paycheck, because I dare not leave and risk losing everything we have worked our whole lives to attain!
The overall point I am trying to get across to you is just how flawed our current health insurance system is right now. You are all in a fragile place –only one very small step away from a medical & financial disaster — most of you don’t even realize it!
In closing, I have to say “Obama-Biden all the way !”
Only their plans deal with the REALITY on the present situation and provide HOPE for the future (stem cell research, etc.)
The tired old platitudes and a “$5000″ credit (laughable!) from McCain-Palin won’t do anything to resolve the crisis we face.
Thanks for listening and I wish you all good health in your lives!
September 10th, 2008 at 10:54 am
Not only did McCain take the time out of his busy campaign schedule to attend your event, he is a cancer survivor, as you can tell by looking at the left side of his face. McCain is a doer, Obama is a talker. I’m absolutely convinced that a McCain administration will be the better chance for helping find a cure for cancer.
September 10th, 2008 at 10:54 am
I feel for people with no health care insurance because I have been there. The problem is, the taxes required to implement Obama’s plan will cost me more than my insurance premiums.
September 10th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Just a reminder–
At that time, Obama was on a long-planned fact-finding visit to the MIDDLE EAST. As you may recall, there is an Iraq War — just another example of the failed policies of this Republican Admin ….
P.S. Wow, I had skin cancer too…better elect me for VP! Based on the qualifications McCain considered for his VP running mate, I’m more than qualified.
September 10th, 2008 at 11:09 am
Don’t forget…McCain was one of the Keating 5 in the huge Savings and Loan scandal or the late 80’s and early 90’s. Over 700 S&Ls failed, thousands of seniors lost their life savings, junk bond merchants made billions, the feds had to bail out the S&Ls to prevent a total industry collapse. Reaganomics at work!
If it sounds familiar, just turn on your TV. It’s happening again, and this time folks are losing their homes.
Is McCain the man you want to trust your family’s health to?
September 10th, 2008 at 11:14 am
to P Heard: The US currently puts more of its GNP (17-22% depending on how you calculate) into our half-baked health care system than any counry with universal cradle-to-grave health care (generally around 14%). The difference is lining the pockets of private insurance industry executives. We could SAVE money by implementing universal health care.
September 10th, 2008 at 12:07 pm
I don’t understand how McCain being a very rich cancer survivor makes him more empathetic. He SURVIVED, and because of his wealth and his government healthcare coverage, I’m sure he got wonderful care. Obama’s mother DIED. Did McCain have to be on chemo and steroids, like I did? Skin cancer can be deadly, but I don’t think McCain has ANY IDEA what some of us have gone through. Obama got to watch his mother die. If you think McCain has more understa