. >> host: next is bonnie from middletown, new jersey. good morning. >> caller: good morning, and good morning, senator mccain. to start off you spoke about deficit spending? well, deficit spending, there's a difference between investing in the nation and what you referred to as private interests. and during reagan's time we went from being the biggest lender nation in the world to the biggest debtor nation in the world. now we're trying to invest in our people. but my main issue is your view on health care. 90 percent of bankruptcies are due to catastrophic illnesses, and with unemployment rate creeping towards 10 percent, that's only going to become more so. you're offering a $5,000 credit, tax credit towards health care? well, my insurance costs $20,000. so -- collectively between my employer and myself. how is $5,000 going to help? and the cost of health care is due to the private interests. it's the health insurance companies and -- that are driving up the costs with a private, with a public plan and certainly with a single-payer pub

host: lynn wants to follow up on bonnie's point.est: i do not think that they do, to start with, and second cannot it is interesting that when someone welty -- and a second, it is interesting that when someone wealthy need health care, they come to america to get it. the problem is not the quality of the care. the problem is the cost of care and the inflation associated with care, which has to be brought under control. but wellness and fitness, prevention, rewarding people for good, healthy behavior -- there is a whole range of options that we can exercise to bring health care costs under control. including what may go and other health-care providers -- mayo and other of care providers have, which is overall procedure included. we can do this without going to a government run system. again, those countries that have gone to a government run systems, they ration health care and there are delays in receiving some operations. in some cases, if you're too old, you just do not get them, told. that is not the system i want. -- you just ca

host: bonnie lake, washington. caller: good morning. one thing i have not heard the republicans mention much is on the health care reform plan, if people are focusing more on preventive medicines, getting into exercise programs, learning more about nutrition, i think it has en

and my sister tina and my nephew glisten as well is here and our good friend bonnie motes is going to do the honors of escorting them out as soon as we're done with the opening statement. so -- and, of course, i owe everything to my parents. my father, bart mcdowell, a native texan, passed away just this past january. and my mother martha mcdowell passed away not quite four years ago and our thoughts and prayers are with them always. but especially today. i would also like to extend my public congratulations to genachowski and his beautiful family on his nomination and if we are both confirmed, i look forward to working with him in the same bipartisan manner i pursued for the past three years. furthermore, i want to acknowledge the warm friendship and support i've received from acting chairman mike kopps and commissioner jonathan addlestein. i've enjoyed work with them and especially in the past six months. although we don't always agree, our disagreements are almost always pleasant. in fact, while the three of us have enjoyed this collegial time at the commission this year, folks hav