What a day it is in politics when Obamacare is considered a moderate approach to health care. Yet, that's where we find ourselves on Round Two of the 2020 Democratic primary debate. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) was quick to promote his radical Medicare for All plan, which he's acknowledged would ban all private insurance plans.
That is too radical, according to Sanders's opponent Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO).
"I disagree on Medicare for All," he said.
Universal health care is "a right," he agreed. But, the way to do it is "by finishing the work we started on Obamacare." Not only would it allow Americans to keep their current plans, but it would be "much quicker."
Biden took the same route and said the way to go is "to build on Obamacare." Everyone, he said, should have an option - be it private, employer-based, etc.
Sanders shot back at both of them, noting that health care today is all about greedy insurance companies conniving to make billions in profits.
They are "lying to the American people," he alleged.
The NBC moderators were eager to know how Medicare for All would work, considering it's failed elsewhere. Bennet mentioned that little fact too. Vermont, he noted, straight out "rejected" it.
Sanders explained that it will take millions of Americans "standing up to the insurance companies and the drug companies" to make the change. He equated it to the civil rights and women's rights movement.
Bennet couldn't help adding, for the good of the order, that while a plan like Bernie's may have been enacted in Canada, where there are only 35 million people, we have 300 million here in the U.S. So, things are bound to be a bit more complicated.