Candidate’s wife makes campaign stops across LV Valley

Jeffrey Libby

Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2000 | 9:47 a.m.

Hadassah Lieberman, wife of Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman, told about 75 Henderson seniors Tuesday that a society is judged by the way it treats its elderly.

"Many seniors have to choose between drugs and meals, dinner as they say, and that's unconscionable," Lieberman said at the Black Mountain Nutritional Center.

Arriving from a stop in New Mexico with plans for two stops today in California, Lieberman said that for the next 21 days it will be her job "to run around the country and get people to vote for Al and Joe."

So it was no surprise that the product of her participation in a landscape watercolor class was a homemade sign that read "Go Joe, go!"

It was a surprise to the seniors, however, when they learned that Henderson Mayor Jim Gibson had apparently misspoken when he said that Lieberman would be available for questions from them after the roundtable discussion.

She wasn't, and several seniors went away grumbling after waiting two hours to sit in on the short, tightly scripted talk on prescription drugs, Medicare and Social Security.

But in an indirect criticism of plans proposed by Republican George W. Bush's campaign, Lieberman outlined several advantages to reforms promised by the Gore-Lieberman ticket that she said would better serve seniors.

Democrats are prepared to devise a complete overhaul of the health care system, she said, in order to provide better coverage for seniors, children and the 45 million uninsured Americans.

On the privatization of Social Security, a proposal by the Bush campaign to allow working Americans to invest privately a small portion of their federal retirement payments, Lieberman was skeptical.

"We think that would be gambling and you understand that in this state," Lieberman said. "If you win, it's great. But it's a dangerous choice for the vast majority of people."

Jean Maher, a retired teacher and panelist, said she did not want choice when it came to health care either.

"When you say you want to let us have choice, we don't know all that is going on. Only the people involved know what's going on."

Lieberman responded that the Gore-Lieberman ticket would work hard on drafting a patient's bill of rights. She encouraged the audience to pick leaders who listen, are sensitive and flexible.

Lieberman attended a debate watch party sponsored by the AFL-CIO in Las Vegas following the roundtable and then appeared at a private fund-raising party at Harrah's hotel-casino.

Lois Olsen, a panelist at the senior center and one of the few who was able to question Lieberman directly, said she was satisfied with Lieberman's response to her question on providing for low-income seniors.

"It will go back to her husband and that's where I want it to go," Olsen said.