On The Campaign Trail, Warren Faces Pressure From Rivals To Detail How She’d Pay For Medicare For All
Polling done by a firm associated with the presidential campaign of former Vice President Joe Biden found the issue of "Medicare for All" to be a weak spot among Democratic primary voters. Still, a Washington Post fact check found that Biden bungled an effort to attack the policy.
The Hill:
Warren Comes Under New Pressure Over Medicare For All And Higher Taxes
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) is coming under increasing pressure from her 2020 rivals to spell out how she’d pay for her “Medicare for All” proposal. The pressure comes as Warren builds momentum in the presidential primary race and suggests she is likely to come under a harsher spotlight as other candidates seek to compete with her for the 2020 Democratic nomination. (Jagoda and Easley, 9/23)
Bloomberg:
Biden-Linked Firm Tests Messages To Undercut ‘Medicare For All’
A new poll by a firm linked to Joe Biden is testing messages designed to undercut support among Democrats for Medicare for All, one of the most contentious issues splitting the party’s top presidential contenders. The survey, commissioned by the centrist Democratic think tank Third Way, found that primary voters start off favoring the government-run health care system by a margin of 70% to 21%, but can be persuaded to oppose it. The study showed that Democrats are most swayed by the arguments that the program would impose a heavy cost on taxpayers and threaten Medicare for senior citizens. (Kapur, 9/23)
The Washington Post:
Biden’s Bungled Attack On Medicare-For-All
A confused reader passed along a tweet with a clip of these remarks. What was Biden talking about? After all, the Medicare-for-all plan advanced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) calls for eliminating premiums, deductibles and co-pays. Yet Biden suggests the plan would raise deductibles. Biden’s staff acknowledges that he misspoke, repeatedly, in this passage. (Kessler, 9/24)
Outlets also report on how issues ranging from health care to abortion and guns pose challenges for voters and candidates on both sides of the aisle -
The Associated Press:
'Way Too Extreme': Some Democrats Warn Against Moving Left
Sitting outside a coffee shop a mile (1.6 kilometers) from the construction site, Beaver County Democratic Party Chairwoman Terry Mitko worried that the plant would hurt local air quality, but her criticism was largely muted. Asked about her party’s message, she encouraged candidates to avoid issues that turn off local Democrats, like gun control, abortion, impeachment and the Green New Deal. (Peoples, 9/24)
Politico:
White House Infighting Thwarts Movement On Guns
Competing factions inside the White House have stymied efforts to unite behind gun legislation, further delaying President Donald Trump from getting behind any plan. On one side is Ivanka Trump, the president’s daughter and adviser, and Attorney General William Barr. Both are urging the president to back new firearms restrictions — including expanded background checks for gun sales ... On the other side, a group that includes Donald Trump Jr., the president’s son and an avid hunter, and a top aide to acting White House chief of staff Mick Mulvaney, is telling Trump he risks losing support from his conservative base if he pushes too aggressively on new gun control legislation, they say. (Kumar and Levin, 9/23)
