2008 Presidential Candidate Edwards says investing in Universal Health Care System, fighting poverty more important than reducing Federal deficit

Former Sen. John Edwards (D-N.C.) last week announced his candidacy for president in 2008 and said he would support efforts to invest in universal health care and other initiatives over efforts to reduce the national budget deficit, the AP/Los Angeles Times reports (Margasak, AP/Los Angeles Times, 1/2).

Edwards said that he is evaluating two universal health care plans, one that is more ambitious and costly and another that, according to the Washington Post, might be more "politically achievable" (Balz, Washington Post, 12/30/06).

According to Edwards, "there is a tension" between investing in universal health care coverage and reducing the deficit, but if "I were choosing now between which is more important, I think the investments are more important" (AP/Los Angeles Times, 1/2).

He said, "If we do energy, health care, serious middle-class poverty proposals, then I think we're talking about just trying to keep the deficit in check" instead of drastically lowering it (Washington Post, 12/30/06).