With Super Tuesday come and gone,
and the Wisconsin primary today, voters are taking a long, hard look at the
views of the 2008 presidential candidates on several key topics, including
Iraq, education and health care. Of the Democratic candidates, only Hilary
Clinton and Barack Obama remain.
Although the platforms of the
Democratic contenders are similar, and they hope to attain the same goals,
closer inspection reveals the two candidates disagree on how specifically to reach
them.
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Iraq
One of the most contentious issues
in this year?s election is U.S. involvement in Iraq, which has drawn flak from
many students.
According to professor Barry
Burden of the political science department, at first both candidates sound very
different on the subject of Iraq, but essentially both want to take action
within 60 days, which is how long it will take to develop a plan.
?Both candidates plan to have most
of the troops out in around a year,? Burden said. ?Both also plan on keeping
some troops there for peace-keeping and humanitarian efforts.?
Clinton also plans to create a
regional stabilization group composed of key allies, with the goals of
mediation, non-interference and reconstruction funding.
Obama has promised to pull all
combat brigades out in 16 months without maintaining any permanent bases. He
also plans to press Iraq?s leaders to reconcile while providing at least $2
billion to Iraqi refugees.
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Education
Education is also a big-ticket
item, especially for college students.
Clinton?s education reform deals
more specifically with plans for younger children, such as ending No Child Left
Behind and promoting Head Start, which funds programs for economically
disadvantaged children.
At the college level, Clinton plans
to create a new $3,500 college tax credit, increase the maximum amount of
federal Pell grants and create a graduation fund to increase graduation rates
as well as promoting affordable loan programs.
Obama plans to create a tax credit
to pay for the first $4,000 of college tuition for most Americans, cover
two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public university and make
community college tuition completely free for most students. He has said he
will change the financial aid process by eliminating applications in favor of a
box to check on tax forms.
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Health care
On the issue of health care, yet again both candidates have
the same foundational idea, but different specific plans on how to come to the
same conclusion.
Both candidates want to provide
universal health care coverage with affordable premiums, co-pays and
deductibles with similar benefit packages that Congress receives. They also
want to strengthen Medicaid and children?s health insurance programs (CHIP and
SCHIP). They both plan to help pay for this by eliminating President Bush?s tax
cuts for those earning over $250,000.
Clinton?s health care reform is
based around tax credits; one for private and public retiree health plans,
another for small businesses and a third to prevent premiums from increasing
above a percentage of family income. She also wants to mandate individual
health insurance for all, not just children.
Obama?s promises include the
creation of the National Health Insurance Exchange, a national watchdog group
that will help reform private insurance companies by creating rules and
standards that all companies must follow. He also wants to mandate coverage of
all children up to age 25.
