TONIGHT -- A SPECIAL EDITION
OF THE 7 ON 8 -- "KNOW BEFORE
YOU VOTE" -- GETTING YOU READY
FOR TOMORROW'S PRIMARY.THE
BATTLE FOR THE DEMOCRATIC
PREISDENTIAL NOMINATION --
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IS NOW ESSENTIALLY DOWN TO
FORMER VICE PRESIDENT JOE
BIDEN -- AND SENATOR BERNIE
SANDERS.NEW POLL NUMBERS
RELEASED TODAY SHOW THE FORMER
V-P IN LINE FOR A BIG WIN
TOMORROW NIGHT.
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EPIC-M-R-A TALKED TO 400
LIKELY VOTERS.51 PERCENT
SUPPORT BIDEN TO 27 PERCENT
BEHIND SANDERS.ANOTHER 13
PERCENT SAID THEY ARE STILL
UNDECIDED.
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AND IT APPEARS THE MOMENTUM
BIDEN GAINED OVER SUPER
TUESDAY HAS MADE A BIG IMPACT.
37 PERCENT OF THE VOTERS
POLLED SAID THEY MADE UP THEIR
MIND IN THE LAST FEW DAYS.
áWE'RE TAKING THIS WITH A
GRAIN OF SALT -- GIVEN THIS
WITH A GRAIN OF SALT -- GIVEN
WE KNOW HOW áOFFá POLLS WERE
BACK IN 20-16.FOR ANALYSIS --
POLITICAL REPORTER RICK ALBIN
WILL JOIN US IN ABOUT 10
MINUTES.
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LYNSEY:..RICK HAS EXCLUSIVE
ONE-ON-ONES WITH BOTH
CANDIDATES HEADING INTO
TOMORROW.BOTH HAVE
ACKNOWLEDGED HOW IMPORTANT OUR
STATE IS TO WIN THE NOMINATION.
THE SIT DOWN WITH SENATOR
SANDERS STARTED WITH
HEALTHCARE.
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SANDERS: LOOK, IN MY VIEW,
THE CURRENT HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
IS EXTRAORDINARILY WASTEFUL
AND DYSFUNCTIONAL. WE ARE
SPENDING TWICE AS MUCH PER
PERSON ON HEALTH CARE AS THE
PEOPLE OF CANADA, OR ANY OTHER
EUROPEAN COUNTRY. 11,000 A
PERSON. AND YET WE HAVE 87
MILLION AMERICANS WHO ARE
UNINSURED OR
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ARE UNDERINSURED. WE HAVE
30,000 PEOPLE WHO DIE EACH
YEAR. HALF A MILLION PEOPLE GO
BANKRUPT EACH YEAR BECAUSE OF
MEDICALLY AND ON TOP OF THAT,
WE PAY BY FAR THE HIGHEST
PRICES IN THE WORLD FOR
PRESCRIPTION DRUGS, ALL SO
THAT THE HEALTH CARE INDUSTRY
LAST YEAR COULD MAKE 100
BILLION DOLLARS IN PROFITS.
WHAT MEDICARE FOR ALL IS ABOUT
IS EXPANDING A VERY POPULAR
PROGRAM CALLED MEDICARE. BUT
TODAY YOU HAVE TO BE 65 OR
OLDER TO GET INTO IT. ALL I
WANT TO DO OVER A 4 YEAR
PERIOD IS GO FROM 65 DOWN TO
55, 45, 35, EVERYBODY IS IN.
AND FOR THE AVERAGE WORKER IN
AMERICA, THAT FAMILY WILL PAY
SUBSTANTIALLY LESS IN HEALTH
CARE THAN THEY ARE PAYING
RIGHT NOW. NOW, THE AVERAGE
FAMILY IS PAYING ABOUT 12,000
BUCKS A YEAR BECAUSE WE HAVE
TO ADMINISTER THOUSANDS OF
SEPARATE PLANS. YOU HAVE ONE
PLAN. HE HAS ONE PLAN. I HAVE
ONE PLAN. IT COSTS HUNDREDS OF
BILLIONS OF DOLLARS TO
ADMINISTER THAT BYZANTINE
SYSTEM. WHEN YOU HAVE ONE
BROAD SYSTEM OF COMPREHENSIVE
HEALTH CARE FOR ALL, IT'S WITH
YOU FOR YOUR WHOLE LIFE. YOU
QUIT YOUR JOB, YOU GET FIRED,
YOU WANNA START YOUR OWN
BUSINESS? YOU HAVE HEALTH
CARE. IT'S A RIGHT. THAT'S
WHAT WE GOTTA DO.RICK: THERE
ARE CONCERNS ON THE PART OF
SOME PEOPLE THAT IF HEALTH
CARE IS ALL IN ONE POT AND
IT'S ADMINISTERED BY THE
GOVERNMENT, WILL YOUR CARE BE
THROTTLED. FOR EXAMPLE, WILL
THERE BE A LACK OF SERVICES
AVAILABLE IF ITS ALL IN ONE
PLACE.SANDERS: LET'S BE CLEAR,
THIS IS NOT A QUOTE UNQUOTE A
GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE
PLAN. ALL IT IS, YOU'LL STIL
GO TO YOUR SAME DOCTOR, YOUR
SAME HOSPITAL. THE ONLY
DIFFERENCE IS LIKE PEOPLE ON
MEDICARE RIGHT NOW, YOU'LL
HAVE A MEDICARE CARD, IT WILL
BE FOR EVERYBODY IN THIS
COUNTRY. BUT YOU WILL STILL GO
TO THE SAME DOCTOR, SAME
HOSPITAL. BUT WHAT WE WANT TO
DO, BY THE WAY, IS EXPAND
MEDICARE TO COVER DENTAL CARE,
HEARING AIDS, EYEGLASSES, AND
HOME HEALTH CARE, WHICH IS
TERRIBLY IMPORTANT FOR A LOT
OF FOLKS.RICK: I'M GONNA MOVE
ON BUT I HAVE TO ASK THE
QUESTION THAT YOU'VE BEEN
ASKED 110 TIMES ON THE
CAMPAIGN. HOW DO YOU FEEL?
SANDERS: WELL IN TERMS OF
HEALTH CARE, RIGHT NOW, WE ARE
PAYING FOR IT BECAUSE WE ARE
SPENDING TWICE AS MUCH PER
CAPITA. YOU'RE PAYING, THE
AVERAGE PERSON IS PAYING ABOUT
12,000 DOLLARS A YEAR. THEIR
EMPLOYER IS PAYING ABOUT
14,000 DOLLARS A YEAR. WE GET
RID OF ALL THAT. NO MORE
PREMIUMS, NO MORE CO-PAYMENTS,
NO MORE DEDUCTIBLES, NO MORE
OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES. WHAT
WE DO DO IS SAY TO YOU, HEY
IT'S NOT FREE, OF COURSE
YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE TO PAY
FOR IT. BUT AMONG OTHER
THINGS, IF YOU'RE AN AVERAGE
WORKER. IT'S A 4 PERCENT TAX
ON YOUR INCOME WITH A 29,000
DOLLAR DEDUCTION. SO YOU
EXCLUDE THE FIRST 29,000
DOLLARS. THAT MEANS THE
AVERAGE WORKER IN AMERICA PAYS
A LOT MORE. WE HAVE A TAX ON
WEALTH WHICH HELPS PAY FOR
THAT, AND EMPLOYERS WILL
PROBABLY HAVE THE PAYROLL TAX.
SO WE PAY FOR IT, BUT AT THE
END OF THE DAY, EMPLOYERS WILL
PAY LESS, WORKERS WILL PAY
LESS AND IT WILL BE
COMPREHENSIVE HEALTH CARE. IT
WILL BE WITH YOU FOR YOUR
WHOLE LIFE.RICK: LET'S MOVE
ONTO TRADE. NAFTA HAS BEEN AN
AREA YOU'VE BEEN CRITICAL OF
THE FORMER VICE PRESIDENT.
THERE'S NOW THE NEW USMCA.
MICHIGAN IS DISPROPORTIONATELY
IMPACTED BY DISPROPORTIONATELY
IMPACTED BY THAT IT SEEMS BY
TRADE DEALS, AND IT'S NOT JUST
MANUFACTURING. I THINK PEOPLE
FORGET THAT WE LARGEST
PRODUCER OF SPECIALITY CROPS,
SECOND ONLY TO CALIFORNIA. SO
WE HAVE A BIG AGRICULTURE
COMPONENT, TOO, SO ANY TRADE
DEAL HAS TO WORK WELL FOR
BOTH. HOW WOULD A SANDERS
ADMINISTRATION APPROACH THAT?
SANDERS: ONE OF THE
DIFFERENCES AS YOU INDICATED
BETWEEN VICE PRESIDENT BIDEN
AND MYSELF IS OUR RECORD ON
TRADE. I UNDERSTOOD, WAY BACK
IN THE 1990S AS A MEMBER OF
CONGRESS, THAT IT WAS WRONG TO
ASK AMERICAN WORKERS, WHO ARE
MAKING DECENT WAGES IN
MANUFACTURING FOR EXAMPLE,. TO
BE COMPETING WITH PEOPLE IN
MEXICO AND LATER IN CHINA, WHO
ARE MAKING STARVATION WAGES --
PENNIES AN HOUR. I KNEW THAT
THAT WOULD FAIL. AND THE
RESULT WAS WE HAVE LOST MORE
THAN 4 MILLION GOOD PAYING
JOBS. AND HERE IN MICHIGAN,
NAFTA AND PN, ALL THE CHINA
COST THIS STATE ABOUT 160,000
GOOD PAYING JOBS, LOWERED
WAGES AND CAUSED A RACE TO THE
BOTTOM.
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LYNSEY:..
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LYNSEY:..LOOKING LIVE RIGHT
NOW AT WHAT áWILL BEá A JOE
BIDEN RALLY IN DETROIT.THEY
ARE GETTING SET UP NOW.HE'S
EXPECTED TO SPEAK LATER ON
TONIGHT.
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BEFORE TONIGHT'S RALLY -- THE
FORMER VICE PRESIDENT WAS IN
GRAND RAPIDS TO TALK ABOUT HIS
WORK ON THE HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT WAS
ONE OF THE TOPICS RICK ASKED
ABOUT...
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RICK: MR. VICE PRESIDENT, YOU
CAME HERE TO TALK ABOUT HEALTH
CARE. INTERESTINGLY, ON THE
SAME DAY, WE RELEASED A POLL
THAT SHOWED 52 PERCENT OF
VOTERS WHO WILL VOTE IN THE
PRIMARY ON TUESDAY PREFER AN
EXPANSION OF OBAMACARE
PREFERRED TO ONLY ABOUT 21
PERCENT WHO WANT MEDICARE FOR
ALL.BIDEN: WE'D DO TWO THINGS.
NUMBER ONE, I'D RESTORE ALL
THE CUTS TO OBAMACARE, FURTHER
SUBSIDIZE IT SO PEOPLE CAN GET
A BETTER PLAN FOR LESS MONEY.
AND I'D PUT IN A PUBLIC OPTION
THAT PROVIDED MEDICAID-LIKE
COVERAGE. BUT ITS A MEDICARE
COVERAGE. SO ANYONE WHO
QUALIFIED FOR MEDICAID WOULD
AUTOMATICALLY BE ABLE TO GET
MEDICARE COVERAGE UNDER OUR
PLAN. BUT IT'S BY CHOICE. IN
ADDITION TO THAT, WE WILL
SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER DRUG
PRICES. NOT ALLOW DRUG
COMPANIES TO INCREASE THE
PRICE OF A DRUG BEYOND THE
COST OF INFLATION, AND THERE
WOULD BE NO HIDDEN BILLS, ETC.
SO THERE'S A LOT IT DOES AND
IT CAN DO IT QUICKLY. AND I
THINK THE REASON WHY PEOPLE
LIKE WHAT'S HAPPENED IS WE'RE
ALREADY COVERING PEOPLE WITH
PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS. WE'VE
EXPANDED COVERAGE ACROSS THE
BOARD, AND PEOPLE NEED THE
HELP NOW. NOT A PROMISE IN THE
FUTURE THAT SOMEHOW WE'RE
GOING TO FIND 35 TRILLION
DOLLARS TO COME UP WITH A
PLAN. RICK: SPEAKING OF HEALTH
CARE, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN 30
YEARS, YOU AND I DIDN'T WASH
HANDS WHEN YOU WALKED IN TODAY
BECAUSE WE ARE ALL VERY AWARE
OF THE CORONAVIRUS. IT'S NOT
JUST A HEALTH ISSUE BUT AN
ECONOMIC ISSUE AS THE MARKETS
WERE PAUSED FOR 15 MINUTES
TODAY. WHAT WOULD A PRESIDENT
BIDEN BE DOING ABOUT THE
CORONAVIRUS?BIDEN: WELL, FIRST
OF ALL, I WOULDN'T HAVE DONE
WHAT THE PRESIDENT DID IN THE
FIRST PLACE AND DISMANTLE WHAT
PRESIDENT OBAMA AND I PUT IN
PLACE IN TERMS OF DEALING WITH
DISEASES AND PANDEMICS,
CUTTING THE BUDGET, ETC. IT'S
A MATTER OF COMPETENCE AND
CONFIDENCE. THE FACT OF THE
MATTER IS, THERE'S NO
CONFIDENCE THAT PEOPLE HAVE IN
WHAT HE SAYS. HE SHOWS UP AT
THE CDC AND SAYS "PERFECT. THE
TESTS ARE PERFECT" -- JUST
LIKE THE CALL TO THE UKRAINIAN
PRESIDENT. AND TODAY I'M TOLD
HE JUST COMPARED THIS TO THE
FLU, IT'S NOTHING TO WORRY
ABOUT, EVERYTHING WILL BE OK.
I WISH HE'D BE QUIET AND LET
THE EXPERTS DEAL WITH THIS.
LET THE CDC SPEAK TO THIS.
SECONDLY, THE ABILITY TO BE
ABLE TO PREPARE FOR THE
TESTING AS WELL AS THE CARE
FOR PEOPLE WHO TEST POSITIVE.
HOSPITALS AREN'T READY ACROSS
THE COUNTRY. THEY NEED
EVERYTHING FROM EQUIPMENT TO
TRAINING TO BEDS TO THE LIKE,
AND THERE'S SO MUCH WE SHOULD
BE DOING NOW IN MUCH WE SHOULD
BE DOING NOW IN TERMS OF
PLANNING BECAUSE, I'M NOT
TRYING TO PANIC PEOPLE, BUT IT
IS SPREADING AND WE CAN DEAL
WITH IT IF IN FACT WE MOVE IN
THE DIRECTION THAT HAS BEEN
RECOMMENDED BY THE EXPERTS
FROM THE BEGINNING. I JUST
THINK THE WAY THE PRESIDENT IS
GOING ABOUT THIS IS ALL THE
WRONG WAY.RICK: QUICKLY MOVING
TO ANOTHER SUBJECT THAT IS
VERY IMPORTANT IN MICHIGAN, AS
YOU WELL KNOW, AND THAT IS
TRADE. THERE'S NAFTA AND NOW
THERE'S THE USMCA. YOU KNOW
YOUR OPPONENT HAS BEEN TALKING
ABOUT THAT, TOO. WHAT DID
TRADE LOOK LIKE IN A STATE
LIKE MICHIGAN TO PROTECT BOTH
MANUFACTURING AND AGRICULTURE
INTERESTS?BIDEN: FIRST OF ALL,
REMEMBER, I'M THE GUY WHO
HELPED BAIL OUT THE AUTOMOBILE
INDUSTRY -- THE SINGLE BIGGEST
ISSUE THAT AFFECTED THE PEOPLE
IN THE STATE OF MICHIGAN. AND
MY FRIEND VOTED AGAINST THAT,
OK? NUMBER TWO, I THINK THE
TRADE POLICY WE HAVE NOW IS A
MISTAKE OF TAKING ON CHINA ON
MATTERS THAT HAVE A NEGATIVE
IMPACT ON BOTH AGRICULTURE AND
MANUFACTURING. WE'RE FOCUSING
ON THE WRONG THINGS WITH
CHINA. NUMBER THREE, WE CAN'T
DEAL WITH CHINA BEING THE
ROGUE NATION OUT THERE UNLESS
WE BRING IN OUR ALLIES AND
FRIENDS, WHO ARE THE SAME
DEMOCRACIES THAT MAKE UP 50
PERCENT OF THE WORLD'S ECONOMY
AND MAKE IT CLEAR THAT ANY
AGREEMENT HAS TO GO THROUGH
ALL OF US, WE ARE ALL THERE.
RICK: MR. VICE PRESIDENT, THE
FINAL QUESTION, OVER A WEEK
AGO ON A FRIDAY, I WROTE IF
BIDEN DOESN'T WIN SOUTH
CAROLINA BY DOUBLE DIGITS,
HE'S GOING TO HAVE TO REASSESS
HIS CAMPAIGN. YOU WON IT WITH
48 PERCENT GOING AWAY. YOU WON
10 STATES ON SUPER TUESDAY.
MICHIGAN IS THE BIG PRIZE THIS
COMING TUESDAY -- AND THE ONLY
ONE OF THE SIX THAT IS LIKELY
TO BE A BATTLEGROUND STATE.
HOW IMPORTANT IS IT THAT YOU
WIN HERE -- HOW CONFIDENT ARE
YOU THAT YOU CAN?BIDEN: I'M
NOT A PUNDIT SO I'M NOT GONNA
EXPRESS ON WHETHER I CAN WIN
OR NOT. BUT I FEEL VERY GOOD.
I'VE WORKED A LONG TIME TO
EARN EVERY VOTE I CAN POSSIBLY
GET IN THE DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY
AND I THINK WE'LL DO WELL. THE
FACT THAT THE GOVERNOR AND
LIEUTNENANT GOVERNER ENDORSED
ME, THE FACT THAT SO MANY
MEMBERS OF CONGRESS HAVE
ENDORSED ME, PAST AND PRESENT,
I THINK TESTIFIES TO THE FACT
THAT THEY HAVE CONFIDENCE IN
HOW I WILL DEAL WITH AND CAN
HELP MICHIGAN -- IN ADDITION
TO THE COUNTRY. SO I FEEL GOOD
ABOUT WHERE WE ARE BUT AGAIN
WE WILL KNOW TOMORROW LATE IN
THE EVENING.