Obama touts health care plan
Sun, 25 Nov 2007 06:09:51 GMT
By MIKE GLOVER, Associated Press Writer
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa - Democrat Barack Obama, seeking to distance from his leading rivals, touted his health care expansion package as doing more to cut costs and deal with root problems facing consumers "than any other proposal in this race."
Obama's two main rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination — New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards — have offered universal health care plans, while his stops short of mandating everyone have health insurance. Obama routinely describes his rivals' plans as similar in thrust.
"Cost is the number one reason that 47 million Americans do not have health insurance and thousands more are edging toward bankruptcy every day," Obama told a town hall-style meeting of about 350 people at a Council Bluffs high school. "That is wrong, and it's why my plan does more to cut the cost of health insurance than any other proposal in this race."
Obama argued against elements of his rivals' plans that would require consumers to buy health insurance, saying that thinking is misplaced.
"What I have said repeatedly is that the reason people don't have health insurance is not because they don't want it, it's because they can't afford it," said Obama.
Clinton rejected the criticism during an appearance in Sac City.
"You know, everybody on the Democratic side is talking about covering more people, but some of them don't cover everybody," she said. "Some of them claim to cover everybody, but they don't."
Clinton argued: "I don't think you can run for president today without having a universal health care plan that covers every single American. So I call on all of my Democratic opponents, have a plan that covers everybody. Don't leave people out."
Edwards spokesman Dan Leistikow also noted that Obama's plan would leave millions uninsured.
"Without primary or preventive care, they would continue to rely on the emergency room, driving up premiums for everyone," he said. "Senator Edwards' plan covers every man, woman and child in America, and cuts the costs for families and businesses."
While Clinton has built a substantial lead in national surveys of the Democratic field, the race in Iowa between Obama, Clinton and Edwards is extremely tight heading into the state's leadoff precinct caucuses, the traditional opening test of the presidential nominating season.
The stakes are very high for Obama and Edwards because Clinton has forged a significant lead in most of the early voting states, and a win in Iowa would give her momentum that would be difficult to derail. Obama has been sharpening his differences with Clinton.
Obama routinely gives Clinton credit for trying to overhaul health care as first lady, but says her plan failed largely because she was too secretive.
"What I am convinced of is, if we actually hope to pass universal health care this time around, we have to bring Republicans and Democrats together," said Obama. "We have to have an open and transparent process so that the American people participate in the debate and see exactly what we're doing."
Obama and Clinton opened Saturday with events in the heavily Republican western portion of the state, Obama in Council Bluffs and Clinton in Sioux City. Both were swinging through a long list of small-town stops, and Obama argued that time is getting short for activists to make a decision.
"It's getting nippy, it's starting to get close and some of you are starting to make up your mind," said Obama.
Wisconsin company recalls beef products
Sun, 25 Nov 2007 05:06:12 GMT
GREEN BAY, Wis. - A company voluntarily recalled nearly 96,000 pounds of ground beef products after two people were sickened, possibly by the E. coli bacteria, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Food Safety and Inspection Service said Saturday.
The beef products by American Foods Group include coarse and fine ground beef chuck, sirloin and chop beef. They were distributed to retailers and distributors in Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Ohio, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Virginia.
The problem surfaced after an investigation by the Illinois Department of Health, which was looking into two reports of illnesses.
The bacteria is E. coli O157:H7. E. coli is harbored in the intestines of cattle. Improper butchering and processing can cause the E. coli to get onto meat. Thorough cooking, to at least 160 degrees internal temperature, can destroy the bacteria.
E. coli O157:H7 is a potentially deadly bacterium that can cause bloody diarrhea and dehydration. The very young, seniors and people with compromised immune systems are the most susceptible to E. coli.
The products subject to recall were produced on Oct. 10. They were distributed for further processing and repackaging and will not have the company's establishment number on the package.
Some of the recommended use-by dates have already expired. In that case, consumers can contact their retailers to see if the products in question were at stores. Consumers are also urged to look in their freezers and return or throw out the products if they find them.
The products include:
_Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 73/27." Each shipping label bears a product code of "65000."
_Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 75/25." Each shipping label bears a product code of "65800."
_Bulk weight packages of "BEEF SIRLOIN, FINE GROUND 90/10." Each shipping label bears a product code of "66000."
_Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 80/20." Each shipping label bears a product code of "66400."
_Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 75/25." Each shipping label bears a product code of "19900."
_Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 73/27." Each shipping label bears a product code of "20100."
_Bulk weight packages of "BEEF CHUCK, FINE GROUND 82/18." Each shipping label bears a product code of "20600."
_Bulk weight packages of "CHOP BEEF STEAK, FINE GRIND "86/14." Each shipping label bears a product code of "30000."
_Bulk weight packages of "BEEF SIRLOIN, FINE GROUND 92/08." Each shipping label bears a product code of "30400."
_Bulk weight packages of "BEEF ROUND, FINE GROUND 87/13." Each shipping label bears a product code of "30200."
_Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 80/20." Each shipping label bears a product code of "30700."
_Bulk weight packages of "BEEF CHUCK, FINE GROUND 82/18." Each shipping label bears a product code of "31400."
_Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 93/07." Each shipping label bears a product code of "31600."
_Bulk weight packages of "BEEF, FINE GROUND 73/27." Each shipping label bears a product code of "31700."
_Bulk weight packages of "BEEF MODIFIED, FINE GROUND 93/07." Each shipping label bears a product code of "31900."
Each shipping label bears the establishment number "Est. 18076" inside the USDA mark of inspection.
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On the Net:
Agriculture Department's Food and Safety Inspection Service: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/
FDA Flu drugs affecting kids behavior
Sat, 24 Nov 2007 07:36:52 GMT
WASHINGTON - Government health regulators recommended adding label precautions about neurological problems seen in children who have taken flu drugs made by Roche and GlaxoSmithKline.
The Food and Drug Administration on Friday released its safety review of Roche's Tamiflu and Glaxo's Relenza. Next week, an outside group of pediatric experts is scheduled to review the safety of several such drugs when used in children.
FDA began reviewing Tamiflu's safety in 2005 after receiving reports of children experiencing neurological problems, including hallucinations and convulsions.
Twenty-five patients under age 21 have died while taking the drug, most of them in Japan. Five deaths resulted from children "falling from windows or balconies or running into traffic."
There have been no child deaths connected with Relenza, but regulators said children taking the drug have shown similar neurological problems.
While FDA said it isn't clear whether the problems are directly related to the drugs, it recommends adding language about the possible side effects to labeling for physicians who prescribe Tamiflu and Relenza.
Besides being a drug side effect, the agency said the behaviors alternately could result from an unusual strain of flu or a rare genetic reaction to the drug.
Company representatives were not immediately available for comment.