2007年VOA标准英语-Health Care, Economy Rival Iraq as US Election

By Jim Malone
Washington
18 September 2007

The war in Iraq figures to be a major issue in the 2008 U.S. presidential election.  But, as VOA national correspondent Jim Malone reports from Washington, health care and economic issues are also high on the list of voter priorities.

For months now, public opinion polls have indicated that concerns about health care and the economy rank right behind the war in Iraq.

Democratic presidential contender and senator, Hillary Clinton, is the latest to offer a comprehensive health care reform plan.

"We can talk all we want about freedom and opportunity, about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness," she said. "But what does all that mean to a mother or father who cannot take a sick child to the doctor, or someone who cannot take the job of his dreams because it does not offer health care."

Other Democratic contenders, including Senator Barack Obama and former Senator John Edwards, have already presented their health care proposals.

The Republican presidential candidates are generally critical of what they see as too much government involvement in the health care plans proposed by Democrats¹.

But Republican presidential contender and former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee acknowledges that concerns about the cost and quality of health care will be a major campaign issue in 2008.

"We really have an incredible problem because our system is upside down.  It focuses on [medical] intervention² at the catastrophic level of disease rather than really focusing on prevention [of illness]," Huckabee said.

Sarah Dutton conducts public surveys for CBS News.  She says presidential candidates from both parties understand the public's worries about health care in the 2008 campaign.

"Sixty-six percent say they are very or somewhat dissatisfied with the quality of health care available here, and 81 percent are very or somewhat dissatisfied with the cost of health care," she said.

Presidential elections are often determined³ by the state of the U.S. economy, and 2008 is shaping up as no different.  Two key components⁴ of that debate involve jobs and taxes.

As part of his economic plan, Democratic Senator and presidential contender Barack Obama is promising⁵ to cut taxes for middle class Americans if he is elected next year.

"Under my plan, 150 million Americans and their families will get a tax cut," he said. "And because this credit would be greater than their income tax bill, my proposal would effectively eliminate all income taxes for 10 million working Americans."

Concern about high taxes is an issue that usually helps Republican candidates.

In the Republican candidates' debates, presidential contender Rudy Giuliani often cites his record of cutting taxes when he was mayor of New York City.

"But the knee-jerk, liberal, Democratic reaction to raise taxes to get money very often is a very big mistake," Giuliani said.

Beyond concerns about Iraq and the economy, social issues could also play a key role in next year's election.

"The liberals are going to work hard for the Democrats, and the conservatives are going to work hard for the Republicans because they agree with their positions on abortion⁶, gay rights, the death penalty, immigration and gun control, the things that drive emotions in American politics today," said Larry Sabato, who directs the Center for Politics at the University of Virginia.

In addition to those issues, concerns about terrorism and national security also remain high on the list of voter priorities going into the 2008 campaign.

1 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

3 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

4 components   

（机器、设备等的）构成要素，零件，成分； 成分( component的名词复数 )； [物理化学]组分； [数学]分量； （混合物的）组成部分

参考例句：

• the components of a machine 机器部件
• Our chemistry teacher often reduces a compound to its components in lab. 在实验室中化学老师常把化合物分解为各种成分。

5 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

6 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。