Obama's Health-Care Flier

Also, the mailer says Obama's proposal "offers health care coverage for all Americans similar to that of members of Congress, and subsidies to help those who cannot afford it." It leaves out the fact that Clinton, too, proposes allowing Americans to "choose from dozens of the same plans available to members of Congress," as her Web site states. Instead of direct federal subsidies, Clinton would rely on tax credits that hold premiums to a set percentage of income:

Clinton Plan: This credit will ensure that securing quality health care is never a crushing burden for any working family. This guarantee will be achieved through a premium affordability tax credit that ensures that health premiums never rise above a certain percentage of family income. The tax credit will be indexed over time, and designed to maintain consumer price consciousness in choosing health plans, even for those who reach the percentage of income limit.

The Clinton plan doesn't specify what "a certain percentage" will be, and whether health care is perceived as a "crushing burden" will probably depend on the family. Obama's plan is similarly vague, promising "income-related federal subsidies" for those who "need assistance" but not specifying amount or eligibility requirements.

Student Judgments
The mailer also includes a quote from The Daily Iowan:

Obama Mailer: "forcing those who cannot afford health insurance to buy it through mandates … punishing those who don't fall in line with fines."

This snippet is from an opinion column in The Daily Iowan. Obama doesn't tell readers that this is a college newspaper written and edited by University of Iowa students. That's not to say it's wrong, but a student newspaper carries less authority than a professionally written and edited major U.S. daily. The full quote reads, "Rather than forcing those who cannot afford health insurance to buy it through mandates and punishing those who don't fall in line with fines, Obama's approach to ensuring total coverage of all Americans aims to lower costs by pinning the pressure on insurance and pharmaceutical companies."