Dem candidates on revamping U.S. health care

A nutshell take on the candidates' positions so far:

When Clinton offers her proposal next week to cover the 47 million                 Americans who lack insurance, she will probably stake out the                 middle ground, appearing bolder than Senator Obama of Illinois                 and more pragmatic than former Senator Edwards of North Carolina.              

Obama, 46, has proposed mandating health-care coverage only for                 children. Clinton, 59, will likely make coverage mandatory for                 everyone, said a campaign aide who declined to offer details because                 he didn't want to pre-empt her speech, scheduled for Sept. 17                 at a medical center in Des Moines, Iowa.

Edwards, 54, would go further and create a government-run system                 to compete with private insurance. Every American would have the                 option of signing up for a program similar to Medicare, the U.S.                 program for the elderly and disabled.

Edwards... the voice of reason, as usual.