Joe Biden draws line against progressives on health care

Joe Biden is taking an aggressive approach to defending the Affordable Care Act, challenging not just President Donald Trump but also some of his rivals for the Democratic presidential nomination who want to replace the current insurance system with a fully government-run model.

Biden on Monday released a plan that would add a "public option" to the 2010 health care overhaul, with expanded coverage paid for by raising taxes on the wealthiest Americans.

He's repeatedly touted his support for the health care law, often called Obamacare, during recent stops in early voting states. In Iowa, Biden declared himself "against any Republican (and) any Democrat who wants to scrap" the health law. Later in New Hampshire, he said "we should not be scrapping Obamacare, we should be building on it."

Biden hopes his positioning as Obamacare's chief defender will be a reminder of his close work alongside former President Barack Obama, who remains popular among Democratic voters. And it could reinforce his pitch as a sensible centrist promising to rise above the strident cacophony of Trump and more liberal Democrats who are single-payer advocates.

The emerging divide between Biden and his progressive rivals could give him an opportunity to go on offense ahead of the next presidential debates at the end of July. Biden has spent the past several weeks on defense, reversing his position on taxpayer funding for abortions and highlighting his past work with segregationist senators. Kamala Harris slammed Biden during the first debates, blasting the segregationist comment and criticizing his opposition to federal busing orders to desegregate public schools during the same era.

Those episodes called Biden's front-runner status into question, and in New Hampshire over the weekend it was clear he wanted to turn the tables on his rivals...