Presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) on Tuesday discussed his health care proposal and his positions on stem cell research and other issues in an interview with the editorial board of the Nashua Telegraph.

In the interview, Obama addressed the fact that his proposal would not require U.S. adults to obtain health insurance and discussed whether such a requirement is enforceable. The proposal, which seeks to expand health insurance to all U.S. residents by 2012, would require children to have coverage.

Obama said, "If you set up a mandate that is unaffordable, then you are putting people in the position of having to break the law with no recourse, no option." He added that health care proposals from other Democratic presidential candidates that include such a mandate "don't have a mechanism of enforcement." Obama said, "We may consider a mandate down the road if, in fact, we've made it affordable and people don't have an excuse" not to obtain health insurance.

On the issue of embryonic stem cell research, Obama said that he supports an expansion of federal funding for such studies (Landrigan, Nashua Telegraph, 10/10).

In other election news, CNBC on Thursday included a discussion with Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) about her health care proposal (Harwood, CNBC, 10/11). Video of the segment is available online.

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