Yet another CD one Forum on Health Care

They all showed up for this forum. Darren White and Joe Carraro were the republican’s candidates. Martin Heinrich, Michelle Lujan Grisham and Robert Pidcock were the democratic candidates. Rebecca Vigil Giron showed but was too ill to stay for the forum. I also saw Jason Marks and Judge Elizabeth Whitefield at the forum.

The issue was healthcare. Martin Heinrich and Robert Pidcock clearly had command on the issue with Michelle Lujan Grisham scoring more than a few points. Pidcock made points on wanting to combine all of the programs such as VA, Medicare, Medicaid, Native America health care, children’s health care and general preventive health care into one whole complete universal system . He understood that the old system is outdated and needs upgrades because of progress in health care delivery systems. Heinrich and Pidcock both talked about working with the people in congress to move the country forward. Heinrich was the one with a clear voting history on being able to cross boundaries between different groups. Both candidates had a true command of the subject.

Sheriff White who has not attended many of the forums clearly did not have the practice when it came to the issue but for a republican he did show some skill on parts of the subject. Joe Carraro also worked hard to point out his experience and his ability to work with both parties in the state senate. He also pointed out that he was one of the state senators who worked hard on creating a cancer center here in Albuquerque. Thank you! Joe since it was that cancer center that saves my life when I was diagnosed with bone cancer in 1990. The candidates did a great job with putting in a few jokes to lighten the subject. Someone should buy that sheriff some transfats; the round kind with glaze on it and jelly filled he earned it. Darren White clearly needs to work on his message before the general election or Martin Heinrich will simply run away with the race.

The whole evening was one where the candidates were friendly toward each other. The republican candidates were surprisingly kind to their democratic counter parts. It looked like the event would be one where candidates talk only about the issue and how they could put their plan forward. The one time when Carraro and White slipped into complaining about the weakness of our present congress to fix this problem and Grisham jointed in but Heinrich was not given a chance since he was on the other side of Pidcock nevertheless it was Pidcock who quickly brought the talk back to a positive note that he wanted to work with the members of congress to help solve this issue for the American people. The only sour note came at the end when Pidcock himself attacked both Martin Heinrich and Michelle Lujan Grisham.

I was truly saddened and totally disappointed because up to that last moment Pidcock showed that he could be the smart mainstream candidate if he truly wished to be one. We don’t need a candidate that can not put the people’s issues before his own. As he himself said you can either complain or not care and work toward fixing the problems with the people that you are faced with everyday. No candidate is perfect but it is up to the candidates to put the voting public’s issue first and foremost. He should have spent those last few minutes telling people what he was capable of doing for the people of New Mexico. He even gave Darren White an opening to show that he could stand about attacks and work with both Martin Heinrich and Michelle Lujan Grisham. I want to see a democrat in that congressional seat because I don’t agree with the republicans stand when it comes to the war in Iraq and I know that Martin Heinrich will work hard to bring our troops home safely.