2004 Presidential Campaign Blog

John Edwards Labor Day Rally

John Edwards Labor Day Rally in St. Paul, Minnesota. The number of candidate visits finally came to a head on Labor Day, as the Vice President's plane delayed the arrival of John Edward's appearance at the Labor Day picnic on Harriet Island.

Vice President Dick Cheney Town Hall Meeting

Vice President Dick Cheney and Mrs. Lynne Cheney hosted a Bush Cheney '04 Town Hall Meeting at the Minnesota State Fair in Falcon Heights, Minnesota. After the Town Hall, the Vice-President and Mrs. Cheney stopped at Sweet Martha's Cookies stand and served cookies to the fairgoers.

John Kerry Town Hall Meeting on Health Care

John Kerry to Hold Town Hall Meeting on Health Care at Anoka Hennepin Technical College Thursday

SAINT PAUL, MN – John Kerry will hold a town hall meeting Thursday, August 26, at Anoka Hennepin Technical College, where he will discuss skyrocketing health care costs, the squeeze on middle-class families and the Kerry-Edwards plan to expand access to affordable health care for families and businesses.

What: John Kerry to Hold Town Hall Meeting on Health Care at Anoka Hennepin Technical College

When: Thursday, August 26, 2004

Where:

Anoka Technical College Auditorium A
1355 West Highway 10
Anoka, Minnesota 55303

THE KERRY-EDWARDS PLAN: A STRONGER AMERICA THROUGH MORE AFFORDABLE HEALTH CARE
Significant Increase in Uninsured Underscores Need for Leadership that Puts Middle-class First

Today’s release of the new Census numbers paints a grim picture of George Bush’s failure to address rising health care costs. Since Bush took office, the number of uninsured has skyrocketed, with 1.4 million Americans having lost their health insurance in the last year alone:

5.2 million more Americans without health insurance under President Bush – 1.4 million in the last year alone. In 2003, an additional 1.4 million people joined the ranks of the uninsured. There are 5.2 million more people without health insurance than in 2000. In total, 45 million people are uninsured. Since 2000 there are:

• 397,000 more African Americans without health insurance
• 1.4 million more Hispanics without health insurance
• 2.2 million more women without health insurance

The number of uninsured has risen in every income group. The number of uninsured rose for every income group:

• 556,000 people with incomes under $25,000 lost health insurance
• 185,000 people with incomes from $25,000 - $50,000 lost health insurance
• 323,000 people with incomes from $50,000 - $75,000 lost health insurance
• 324,000 people with incomes over $75,000 lost health insurance

Kerry-Edwards Health Care Plan

John Kerry and John Edwards have a real plan to ensure reliable, high-quality care, as well as alleviate health care costs for America’s families and businesses. Their plan will:

Save workers up to $1,000 with premium relief. The Kerry-Edwards plan will provide relief for employers who do the right thing by offering their employees quality health care coverage with choices. Their plan will help make health care more affordable for all employers and employees by having the federal government pick up 75 percent of catastrophic costs – providing approximately 10 percent, or up to $1,000, in annual savings for America’s families.

Provide tax credits to make health insurance more affordable. The Kerry-Edwards plan will provide tax credits to make health insurance more affordable for small businesses, Americans between the ages of 55 to 64, and low to middle-income workers buying into the new Congressional Health Plan. These tax credits total $177 billion over ten years – more than twice as generous as the health care tax credits proposed by Bush.

Cut administrative costs by eliminating waste, fraud, and abuse. Approximately $350 billion is spent on non-medical costs – principally the costs of the paper work burden, including those costs associated with the preparation, submission, calculation and payment of bills. Kerry and Edwards will cut administrative costs by ensuring electronic paperless claims. They’ll also encourage greater use of technology to simplify and streamline paperwork so doctors can spend more time with patients and less time filling out forms. While cutting costs, Kerry and Edwards will improve the quality of care delivered by helping reduce medical errors and encourage greater disease management and prevention efforts.

Expand quality, reliable health care coverage. John Kerry and John Edwards’s plan will allow Americans to access the same range of affordable health care plans that members of Congress get today. Also, their health care plan will expand state-based programs to insure all children and millions of adults by picking up the full cost of more than 20 million children enrolled in Medicaid. In exchange, states would have to expand eligibility for children’s coverage, as well as expand coverage for families and adults.

Make prescription drugs more affordable. Prescription drug costs have increased by 17 percent in the last year alone. Kerry and Edwards will cut prescription drugs costs by allowing the federal government to negotiate better prices through the Medicare program; permitting the reimportation of safe, FDA-approved drugs; supporting incentives to allow generic drugs to get to market faster.

Push Congress to finally pass a real Patients’ Bill of Rights – one that allows Americans to hold HMOs accountable for decisions that harm patients by denying necessary medical care. Other critical patient protections Kerry and Edwards will support include (1) a right to see the specialists they need; (2) a right to real emergency protections; (3) a real external appeals process that allows patients to appeal a HMO decision; and (4) whistleblower protections that allow health care workers to report quality problems without fear of retaliation.

Reduce medical malpractice premiums. John Kerry and John Edwards oppose punitive damages – unless intentional misconduct, gross negligence, or reckless indifference to life can be established. Kerry and Edwards also support a series of reforms to get rid of the frivolous lawsuits clogging the health care system by (1) requiring a qualified specialist to certify that a case has merit before it can move forward; (2) working with states to ensure the availability of non-binding mediation in all malpractice claims before cases proceed trial; and (3) preventing and punishing frivolous lawsuits by putting in place tough, mandatory sanctions, including a “three strikes and you’re out” provision that forbids lawyers who file three frivolous cases from bringing another suit for the next 10 years.

Anoka, MN - Democratic Presidential nominee John Kerry Thursday held a town hall meeting with voters from the Twin-cities area where he emphasized the Kerry-Edwards plan to expand access to affordable health care and bring down costs for families and businesses.

George W. Bush "Heart and Soul of America" Bus Tour

President Bush made a stop at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota on August 18, 2004.

The huge crowd of over 15,000 supporters cheered as the jumbotron showed the President's campaign bus entering the arena tunnel and then driving onto the floor where the President stepped out and waved to the crowd.

He was introduced by St. Paul Mayor Randy Kelly, a Democrat who endorsed the President for re-election. President Bush received one of many standing ovations when he stated "I believe the heart and soul of America is found in places like St. Paul, Minnesota."

Photos Video

John Edwards Olympic Opening Ceremonies Watch Party

"I got to tell you something, you guys are worth coming here for," said John Edwards when he traveled to the Rosemount High School Gymnasium to open the two-week "A Stronger America Begins at Home: The Path to Prosperity" Tour. Former Governor Wendell Anderson (1956 Olymplic silver medalist in hockey) introduced John Edwards, who returned to Minnesota for the first time as the Vice Presidential nominee.

George W. Bush "Heart and Soul of America" Bus Tour

Looking a bit like a mountainous desert terrain, the piles of gravel that make up the Southern Minnesota Construction Company Quarry served as the setting for the President's "Heart and Soul of America" bus tour stop in Mankato.

The President asked for the vote and emphasized how important the grassroots efforts were to help him win this election.. He said that he wanted to be President for four more years "To make our country safer, to make our economy stronger, and to make the future brighter and better for every single citizen."

St. Paul Saints Bobblelection 2004

The St. Paul Saints did their part to capture the mood fo the Twin Cities during the presidential season. As fans entered the ballpark, they chose a George W. Bush or John Kerry bobblehead doll. John Kerry was the winner in St. Paul and George W. Bush won the national vote.

USA Today Story

Kerry Edwards Minnesota Headquarters Grand Opening

"Today, July 21st, would have been Paul Wellstone's 60th birthday." said former Vice President Walter Mondale at the grand opening of the Kerry Edwards Minnesota Headquarters. The University Avenue location served as the offices for the Wellstone for Senate 2002 campaign.

Dick Cheney Bush Cheney '04 Rally

Talk show host Sean Hannity was the surprise emcee for a Bush Cheney '04 Rally featuring Vice President Dick Cheney at the Minneapolis Convention Center on July 17, 2004.. He was introduced by his wife Lynne Cheney and joined on stage by two of their grandchildren.

Vice President Cheney closed his speech with the following words: "The President and I are honored by your confidence in us, by your commitment to the cause we all share. We're grateful to our many friends across the great state of Minnesota. Thanks for this tremendous welcome today. We're proud to have you on the team. And together, on November 2nd, we're going to see our cause forward to victory."

George W. Bush Yes, America Can Bus Tour

As part of a three state "Yes, America Can" Bus Tour, President George W. Bush spoke at the DECC in Duluth, Minnesota on July 13, 2004.