Clinton Slams Obama on Health Care; Targets Youth

From CBS News' Fernando Suarez:

PENACOOK, N.H. -- After a big turnout by younger voters who supported Barack Obama in Iowa, the Clinton campaign is now reaching out, trying to pull some of them over to vote for her. During a stop in Penacook, Clinton slammed Obama for proposing a health care plan that does not cover every American, specifically young people.

“When we pass comprehensive health care reform, among the people who will be most advantaged are young people,” said Clinton at Merrimack Valley High School.

“Young people who may not have jobs that offer health insurance, who may no longer be on their family’s policies but who will be insured under the plan I am proposing for a really low percentage of their income.”

Part of Obama’s argument for not covering everyone with his plan is that some people, primarily young, healthy people may not want to pay into the health care system. Clinton says she “rejects” this plan because it “cedes to the Republicans the argument that we can’t do this.”

Clinton called Obama's plan, without mentioning his name, “a really big mistake.”

“It’s a mistake on the merits for a Democrat to propose a plan that doesn’t cover everybody.”

Clinton clearly knows important it is for her to have a strong showing here in New Hampshire, especially after her nine-point loss in Iowa to Obama, so she needs to reach as many voters as possible.

“We want as many voters from New Hampshire to have a chance to make up their minds about what they are going to do on Tuesday,” Clinton told the crowd.

In fact, her crowd was so large today that the staff did not outfit the gymnasium with enough chairs. So many people were waiting outside in the hallways that Clinton lobbied the fire marshal to get involved.

She tried to use the interruptions from the overcrowding to her advantage, saying, “You see, I am a problem solver, I have been telling you that through this whole campaign.”