Eighth District congressional candidate Jo Ann Emerson says a bipartisan commission should be established to find a way to keep Medicare financially solvent.

She proposed the idea at a candidates forum in Cape Girardeau Monday afternoon.

All five 8th District candidates attended the forum, sponsored by AARP/Vote, the voter education program of the American Association of Retired Persons.

About 150 people attended the forum at Grace United Methodist Church, including several classes of high school students.

The independent/Republican candidate said a commission should be set up that doesn't include politicians.

Emerson said Congress should set up the commission when the new session starts in January. The commission should be instructed to report back to Congress by July 1, she said.

Emerson wants to pattern the commission after one in 1983 that put the Social Security system on sound financial footing.

"You have to take politics out of it," she said after the two-hour forum.

But Democratic candidate Emily Firebaugh agreed that a bipartisan approach is needed. But she said, "You can't trust Newt Gingrich."

Firebaugh blamed the Republican House speaker for efforts to cut Medicare funding.

She repeatedly accused Emerson and Republicans of trying to cut $270 billion from Medicare spending over seven years.

Emerson said the Republican plan actually would have increased Medicare spending.

She said Firebaugh should quit misleading the public. "I did not create `Mediscare,'" Firebaugh replied.

Emerson and Firebaugh are the leading candidates in the race. Both women directed many of their remarks at each other.

Libertarian Greg Tlapek said not everyone needs government's Medicare. He said a better solution would be medical savings accounts.

Republican candidate Richard Kline said both Medicare and Social Security should be privatized. "Government fails at everything it does," he said.

Natural Law Party candidate David Zimmer said the nation needs to put a greater emphasis on health prevention and allow people to choose their health care providers.

Zimmer said the federal government could balance the budget within three years if it eliminated federal programs that aren't working.

But he said that won't happen without campaign reform and the elimination of political action committees.

Firebaugh said Americans need Social Security. "I see Social Security as one of the most important services that government provides."

Tlapek said Social Security is the largest single tax paid by most Americans. He said the nation should sell some of its assets and give annuities to senior citizens rather than tax people.

"Social Security is neither social nor secure," he said.