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Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama (Ill.) and Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) on Saturday appeared via satellite at an AARP convention in Washington, D.C., and spoke about health care and other issues that affect seniors, the Washington Post reports.

In his comments, Obama said that McCain would abandon seniors economically and tax their health benefits. He said, "Job shipped overseas? Tough luck. Pension disappeared? That's the breaks. No health care? The emergency room will fix it. You're on your own."

McCain in his comments cited his ability to work with congressional Democrats to address a number of issues, such as health care and Medicare. He said, "We have to sit down together, Republican and Democrat, and reach across the aisle, and I have that record," adding, "I ask you to do something and that is to say put aside your partisan rancor. My friends, I have that record and you can count on it" (Shear/Slevin, Washington Post, 9/7).

On Friday, Obama during a campaign event in Duryea, Pa., announced a proposal to fight cancer and promised to double federal funds for research and promote preventive care. Jill Biden, the wife of Democratic vice presidential nominee Sen. Joe Biden (Del.), appeared with Obama at the event and helped explain the proposal. She said, "This is a plan that will help save lives" (Douglas, McClatchy/Miami Herald, 9/6).

Health Care, Other Economic Proposals Examined
The New York Times' "The Caucus" on Monday examined the Obama and McCain economic proposals, which include their health care plans. According to the Times' "Caucus," Obama has "far outbid his Republican adversary" on his economic proposals, which include subsidies to help U.S. residents purchase health insurance.

The "principle elements of Mr. McCain's economic agenda on taxes, trade, regulation and health care follow the philosophic outlines of a deeply unpopular Bush administration," with McCain's "most ambitious proposal" a plan to replace a tax break for employees who receive health insurance from employers with a refundable tax credit of as much as $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to purchase private coverage, according to the Times "Caucus." However, "for most workers, who already have employer-provided health insurance, the value of that credit would be offset by a new tax on those employer-provided policies," the Times' "Caucus" reports (Harwood, "The Caucus," New York Times, 9/8).

The AP/Tennessean on Monday also examined the Obama and McCain economic proposals, which included their plans for Medicare. According to the AP/Tennessean, "neither candidate is talking very much about tackling what all experts see as the biggest budgetary challenge facing the next president -- the explosion in the government's big benefit programs for Social Security and Medicare as the baby boomers retire." In addition, "neither campaign has put forward any proposals that experts say would make a meaningful dent in fixing Medicare, the far bigger entitlement problem because of soaring health care costs," the AP/Tennessean reports (Crutsinger, AP/Tennessean, 9/8).

In addition, the Tribune/Long Island Newsday on Sunday examined the Obama and McCain economic proposals, which include their health care plans. Obama "wants all Americans to have health coverage and would spend tax dollars to do it," and McCain "would reduce regulations to permit more choices for consumers by allowing health care companies to sell across state lines," according to the Tribune/Newsday (Leckey, Tribune/Long Island Newsday, 9/7).

Newsday on Monday compared proposals from Obama and McCain on health care and other issues (Jones, Long Island Newsday, 9/8).

Ability of McCain To Work With Democrats Examined
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