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Clinton, Obama debate health care plans

LOS ANGELES, California (CNN) -- Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton kicked off Thursday's debate by highlighting the differences between their health care plans.

The two candidates are facing off for the last time before the Super Tuesday contests next week.

"I believe absolutely, passionately that we must have universal health care. It is a moral responsibility and a right for our country," Clinton said, adding that her plan is similar to that of former Sen. John Edwards, who dropped out of the race Wednesday.

Clinton favors mandated individual health insurance coverage for all Americans. Obama proposes a national health insurance program for individuals who do not have employer-provided health care and who do not qualify for other existing federal programs.

"It is true we've got a policy difference," said Obama. "What [people are] struggling with is they can't afford the health care, and so I emphasize reducing costs. My belief is that if we make it affordable, if we provide subsidies to those who can't afford it, they will buy it."

Thursday's event, sponsored by CNN, the Los Angeles Times and Politico.com, is the first debate without Edwards, and both Obama and Clinton are trying to pick up his supporters.

Obama said he thinks it's very important for to reduce the influence of lobbyists and special interests in Washington, implying that Clinton does not.

"I think that a lot of issues that both Sen. Clinton and I care about will not move forward unless we have increased the kinds of ethics proposal that I passed just last year -- some of the toughest since Watergate -- and that's something that John Edwards and I both talked about repeatedly in this campaign," he said.

"That's why I don't take federal PAC and federal lobbyist money. That is a difference," he said.

Edwards had campaigned on the message that he was standing up for the little guy, the people who are not traditionally given a voice in Washington, and that he would do more to fight special interests.

With the two major candidates locked in a tight race for the party's nomination, the stakes couldn't be higher.

Hours before the debate, supporters from both sides were outside the Kodak Theatre -- the site of the debate -- waving banners and cheering on their candidate. Watch what goes into setting up for the debate

The event is the first Democratic debate since Obama's convincing victory Saturday in South Carolina. On Tuesday, Clinton won the Florida primary, a contest her campaign said helped the senator regain momentum even though it awarded no delegates.

Clinton and Obama have split victories in their parties' early-voting states: Obama has won in Iowa and South Carolina, and Clinton has won in New Hampshire, Nevada, Michigan and Florida. But the Michigan and Florida contests awarded no delegates, and all major Democratic presidential candidates pledged to avoid campaigning in those states following national party penalties against them for moving up their contests so early.

Clinton was the only major candidate to appear on the Michigan ballot.

The forum comes hours after the Obama campaign revealed it had raised $32 million in January from roughly 170,000 new donors. That amount will allow Obama to expand his television ad buys greatly in the 20-plus states holding primaries or caucuses Tuesday.

The Clinton campaign would not indicate how much money it had raised in the same time period.

Mike Gravel, the other Democratic presidential candidate still in the race, was not invited to participate in the debate because he did not meet certain criteria, including support in national polls. In a CNN/Opinion Research Corporation poll conducted January 14-17, Gravel received less than 1 percent.

Clinton and Obama last faced off before the South Carolina primary. The debate was marked by numerous contentious exchanges, while Edwards struggled to get his voice heard.

The economy is likely to dominate Thursday's debate, as it did in the GOP debate the night before.

The debate may be slightly more restrained than last week's brutal showdown. Following her South Carolina loss, Clinton has largely steered clear of opportunities to take aim at Obama.

But in the hours leading up to the debate, Clinton's staffers ramped up recent accusations that Obama's team is engaged in negative campaigning.

Such accusations have dominated the Democratic presidential campaign in recent weeks, with Obama accusing both Hillary Clinton and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, of engaging in unfair attacks. The Clinton campaign has made similar charges against the Illinois senator, saying Obama's statements on the campaign trail, mailings and ads have distorted Clinton's record.

Obama is leading Clinton in the number of pledged delegates -- those awarded based on primary or caucus votes. Clinton has the edge when superdelegates are factored in. (Superdelegates are party leaders and elected officials who are not obligated to support a particular candidate. They can change their decisions at any time leading up to the Democratic National Convention in August.)

To date, Obama has won an estimated 63 national convention delegates as a result of primary or caucus votes, while Clinton has earned an estimated 48 delegates. However, when superdelegates are included, Clinton has 232 overall delegates to Obama's 158.

With solid fundraising numbers and a nod from Sen. Edward Kennedy of Massachusetts this week, Obama will be making the claim he holds the front-runner title. But Clinton -- who has led in national surveys for much of the race -- will be making her case as well.