LOS ANGELES - U.S. Senate candidate Ed Bernstein of Nevada personalized his message Monday to fellow Democrats, using his daughter to emphasize he'll fight insurance companies on health care issues.
His three-minute speech at the Democratic National Convention was a familiar one to Nevadans, since it's the mainstay of his campaign against Republican John Ensign.
Bernstein described how one of his daughters was diagnosed with a chronic illness, saying, ''For 11 years, I have made trips with her to children's hospitals across the country, and battled insurance companies to keep them from second-guessing our doctors.''
Bernstein was the first of five Nevadans expected to address the Democratic National Convention. He said in his 24-year career as a trial lawyer, ''nearly 300,000 Nevadans have called me to ask for help standing up to HMOs and insurance companies.''
Bernstein said Ensign, like many politicians, is ''suddenly talking about health care, even as (he) sides with drug companies and HMOs.''
Bernstein, after his speech, said he spoke last week with President Clinton in Chicago at a trial lawyers convention.
Bernstein said Clinton offered him this advice: ''Keep talking about the differences. You'll win if you talk about the differences.''
