In a recent blog post, the discussion has been about holding Barack Obama accountable for an unfortunate sentence in a 14-page bill that he supported in the 1990s, a sentence that seemed to promote "comprehensive sex education" for children as young as Kindergarten, but was countered by more careful wording in the rest of the bill that called for "age and development appropriate" curriculum.

If we are going to hold candidates accountable, let's look at more recent words. Here are some of McCain's in the September/October 2008 edition of Contingencies, where he writes:

"Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation."

He concludes the same paragraph with:

"Nationwide insurance markets that ensure broad and vigorous competition will wring out excess costs, overhead and bloated executive compensation."

Hmmmm. Is that so? Unfettered competition sure has done a lot to wring out bloated executive compensation in other industries, hasn't it, John?

But, hey, don't trust my word on his policy. Go read the article yourself:

http://www.contingencies.org/septoct08/mccain.pdf

You can tell it's McCain talking, or a paid minion, because he twice calls us "my friends." Among the scary concepts you will read -- a $5,000 tax break for all families, regardless of how wealthy, to pay for health insurance. While this sounds loverly on the surface, especially if you need that $5,000, please remember that every time you read the words "tax subsidy . . . regardless of one's income" you need to hear the sound "ca-ching," because it means we're taking out another cash advance on the Credit Card of the Bank of China and throwing the money at wealthy people. Note that the Republicans would have this credit card (a.k.a. the national debt) repaid by our children and grand children. They hope to make W's tax breaks for the wealthy "permanent." And remember too, that a $5,000 tax credit is meaningless for someone who is so poor that they aren't paying $5,000 in taxes to begin with. And finally, remember that every $5,000 subsidy that a wealthy person receives for health care is another 5 grand that won't go to public education or another area we may think needs support.

Hear "ca-ching" again when he talks about expanding support for the guaranteed access plan, with no apparent funding mechanism.

In the subsection "Transforming Medical Practice," it sounds like he is suggesting an HMO-type system, "paying for coordinated care and prevention," though, honestly, it's vague. If it is HMOs he's suggesting, but under a different name, we should remember they didn't work when we Dems launched them. How will they work better now?

Ca-ching, again, when he proposes "incentives to strengthen the business model for investment in health information technology (HIT)." Republicans love to say you don't solve problems by throwing money at them, but they sure do love throwing money at CEOs who are following a "business model," especially when that money comes from the credit card of the Bank of China, which our children will repay.

In the third to final paragraph, he finally suggests something that would seem to pay, in part, for this expensive plan, but, in fact, it's even more scary than everything else he has proposed. He's gonna make sure that doctors and hospitals are protected from you filing "frivolous lawsuits." If your doctor dotted his i's and crossed his t's and followed "best practices," (not necessarily most complete practices) you won't be able to sue if you have the wrong organ removed. Even if you are able to sue, the doctor will be protected from a jury of peers awarding you a fair settlement because McCain will protect your doctor from "excessive damage awards." Republicans love to give the Reader's Digest condensed summary of lawsuits to make them appear unreasonable and excessive, when, in fact, most of the time judges mitigate the damages after a jury makes an award, or an appeal otherwise prevents the dreaded "excess." But McCain will take discretion away from judges and the system of due process, and give doctors carte blanche to screw up without, dare I say it, taking "personal responsibility."

"Personal responsibility," ironically, is the topic of his final subsection, where he blames political correctness, not the No Child Left Behind Act, for squeezing nutrition and physical education out of the public schools.

Read and weep, my friends, my friends, but especially read between the lines. Hold McCain responsible for his words and don't make him CEO of this fine nation.

Debra Sapp-Yarwood, Midwest Voices '08