In a news conference call for the Barack Obama campaign today, former Florida Sen. Bob Graham called John McCain’s health care plan “a disaster” for Florida and senior citizens, citing a Wall Street Journal story that the plan would require big cuts in Medicare and Medicaid.

The Journal reported today that according to comments by McCain campaign aides, implementing the plan would depend on cutting Medicare and Medicaid by $1.3 trillion over the next 10 years.

“John McCain is a serious person, and when he proposes a solution to one of our most serious programs, I think we have to assume he’s serious about it,” Graham said during the call. “This plan is a disaster.”

In the Journal story, McCain economic adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin responded that McCain would reform payment policies and eliminate fraud to reduce costs in the Medicare and Medicaid programs.

“It’s about giving them the benefit package that has been promised to them by law at lower cost,” he said.

One purpose of McCain’s proposal is to end the dependence of most Americans on their employers for health insurance.

But Graham said that system has been in place for some 50 years, “and while not perfect it has served most Americans well. Rather than discarding the foundation of the system, make that foundation stronger through things like portability.”

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