"Universal" Healthcare

OK, I have to say I am really getting tired of Sen. Clinton framing the difference between her healthcare plan and Sen. Obama's as one of "universality." It's really one of mandates -- her plan doesn't give away insurance to everyone, it insists that everyone has to sign up for a plan, and pay for that plan. Obama's plan doesn't mandate coverage -- people can choose not to participate. His goal is to come up with a plan that everyone will want to buy into. Her plan -- she'll garnish your wages to make sure you have coverage.

Now, I'm a freelancer who is paying out of her own pocket for a crappy health insurance plan, so I'll sign up for a better plan if Obama or Clinton can provide it, with or without mandates. But I know that mandatory payments are a complete nonstarter with Republicans and independents, and I worry that this could weaken Democrats in the fall.