HELENA - It may be difficult to draw lines between the political positions of the rival presidential democracy Sens Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama.
Tonight, more than 4500 Democrats get an opportunity to showcase the candidates, try to do exactly the Montana Democratic Party’s annual dinner at Mansfield Metcalf Butte, where Clinton and Obama scheduled to speak.
The two candidates briefing on the campaign range over the importance of working class America, the two say it needs to be done to strengthen the fight against climate change and both promise to expand insurance Medicare.
Here is a look at the candidate countries, where the past, dealing with the questions that many Montanans have said, it is important.
From health
Perhaps the most clearly defined the difference between Clinton and Obama around their health care centres competitive plans.
Clinton’s plan for health care, the mandate health insurance for all Americans. Obama plan would require that all children have, insurance and subsidize health care for all Americans uninsured, but it would not be necessary. Bill Clinton has said that they would be planning, costing taxpayers about $ 110 billion per year, while Obama a $ 50 billion to $ 65 billion would pay for his proposal.
Montana former Member of Congress chaired by Pat Williams laboratory for the establishment of a management committee of the period, in the 1990’s. The committee was one of three committees of Congress, on the skills of former President Bill Clinton, health care 1993, who died in the Congress in late 1994. Hillary Clinton was one of the principal architects of the plan.
“For a year and a half, I have worked closely together for health care and we were the only committee, in fact, in a bill,” said Williams. “We have a law very similar to that of the Clinton proposal. ”
Williams spoke about his experience that he eingeträufelt commission an interest in health care.
“Personally, I think it is fair, and it is wrong,” said Williams. “Franklin Roosevelt had accepted an idea as to Obama’s Social Security - by which it is not mandatory - we have today is not because people would opt out.”
Williams said: This is an important point in a state like Montana, who are 46th in the nation in per capita income.
“If people have a choice, especially the young, not to buy or insurance or not, they will not buy, and we will continue to the same problems without the costs of the health care system we have today” , “said Williams.
David Sirota is a columnist and political commentator, live in Denver. He is a former strategist single policy for the Democratic candidate in the United States and the current Senate Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer. Sirota is the author of the forthcoming book “The Revolt: An Unauthorized Tour populists Revolt Scaring Wall Street and Washington,” he says, contains chapters on politics Montana in 2007, the Montana legislature and the U.S. Senator Jon Tester in the choice of 2006.
Sirota said that whatever the health merits of Bill Clinton, Westerners - with its libertarian tendencies - perhaps less likely to vote for a candidate, the mandate, assured that the Americans are buying they may maybe not, yet that can be made.
“The problem with the Clinton plan, … is that many of the mandates, and this is not necessarily the controlling costs,” said Sirota. “It is one thing to require individuals to purchase, while health insurance cracking the insurer. It is another thing, not really hard on health insurance and force people to a bad system.
Last but Sirota said he did not believe that the plan is the result would have a disproportionate impact in Montana, compared with the rest of the country.
Conservation and energy
When it comes, climate change and energy, the line between Hillary Clinton and Obama is too low, yet perceptible.
According to the League of Conservation voters questionnaire, the two candidates, a hat on coal, carbon emissions, such as coal for the power plant is proposed for Great Falls.
To avoid the worst consequences of climate change, the United States to reduce emissions should be a contribution of at least 80 per cent by 2050, the LCV said. The two Democratic candidates to support this objective, but they can be distinguished easily when it comes to the construction of new coal-fired power stations.
A gradual assumption of Bill Clinton and demand for new coal collection and storage of carbon, while Obama said, it seems a moratorium on new coal, if a ceiling is not slow to the construction of new facilities.
Tony Massaro, the director of policy LCV, said none of the presidential candidates to take a position on LCV’s coal development.
“The two senators are Democrats in the area … but they are not there,” said Massaro, adding that both Clinton and Obama a “C” grade for their positions on the development of facilities to coal. Republican presidential candidates Senator John McCain would be a “radiation F” for his view that new coal-fired plants must be compatible with the future of carbon sequestration technology, Massaro said.
“I would say that the question is, in fact, in your opinion, a moratorium on new coal until we are on technology for collecting and storing actually on the plants?”, Says Massaro, family ties to the State. “I think it’s the specificity of the nature that man in Montana - regardless of whether the Democrats or the Republicans - the need to hear all the candidates.”
Work and education
Jim McGarvey, Executive Secretary of the Montana AFL-CIO, said Health and coal for development are the two central issues of the status of work organisation.
Universal Health Insurance is a cornerstone of the AFL-CIO of the national political agenda, he said, the mandate of Bill Clinton and health insurance is more in harmony with the AFL-CIO-political issues .
“I think Bill Clinton is increasingly on health care,” said McGarvey. “The national AFL-CIO supports a single payer system, and I think it is closer to Bill Clinton’s. Obama is not that far from him to be removed.”
Earlier this week, during the voyage, the condition of his wife, to promote the campaign, Bill Clinton has made the importance of clean coal development. McGarvey said it is a problem that echoes the work of the town, because the possibility of the creation of highly paid jobs for the construction of power plants and railways for the treatment of fuel consumption.
McGarvey said that, when it comes to collective bargaining and the right of workers to organize, the two candidates are in conformity with the labour movement guidelines.
He added that no matter which candidate wins the game, the designation of the Democratic presidential candidates Montana get the right to vote of work during the year 2008.
“I believe that the entire labour movement in Montana, to see, George Bush, has disappeared and did not want a third term of George W. Bush, with the name of John McCain,” he said.
Eric Feaver, president of the 17,000 members of the state teachers union MEA-MFT - the largest union in the state - said education is another area where Democratic candidates do not differ much.
Both candidates for the Bush administration’s No Child Left Behind Act, which deserves the points of education.
“No Child Left Behind plays, but notes acids in Montana,” Feaver said. “I think the best thing we can do is to completely renew, not to get rid of them.”
He said Hillary Clinton was quickly this conclusion, if she had of the action in the year 2001. Schmetterte Obama has been consistent in the administration of Bush’s education plan, a slogan called “political vacuum”.
How McGarvey, Feaver is impressed, “he said with the two candidates, and it is curious to hear, they talk about important topics on Montana in the weeks and months ahead.
“I think each of them is an amazing individual, and I think Montanans know whether you have a Democrat or Republican,” he said. “I think people recognize that this is a unique event in the history of this nation. Who would have ever thought that we would have a black and a female on a party ticket? And who would have thought, would be a sub-Montana De action? “