The campaign drags on

Kerry Denies Claims That He Has A Health Care Plan

(2004-09-17) -- John Forbes Kerry, the Democrat presidential candidate, today denied allegations by President George Bush that Mr. Kerry has a plan for a "huge" government-controlled health care system.

"George W. Bush can only wish that I had a plan so he could have something to attack," said Mr. Kerry, who is also a U.S. Senator. "But if I had a health care plan, don't you think I would have introduced it during my 19 years in the Senate? After all, the legislative branch is where legislation starts, not the executive. I could have written a health care bill, rallied support among my senate colleagues and used my ample leadership skills to push it through with a veto-proof majority."

Mr. Kerry acknowledged that he does "have a plan to blame Mr. Bush for the shortcomings of America's health care system. And I also have a plan to talk about having a plan. But to accuse me of actually having a health care plan that I plan to put in place during my presidency is cynical at best."