Democratic congressional candidate Dennis McDonald waded into the health reform debate Friday, saying the best approach is to expand Medicare to cover any citizen that wants the government-funded coverage.

";It's not rocket science," he said in an interview in Helena. ";It's a common-sense approach for what ordinary folks across the state are experiencing."

McDonald, a Melville rancher and chairman of the state Democratic Party, also rapped his potential 2010 opponent, U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., as showing no leadership to solve what he called a ";crisis" in having affordable care and health coverage.

McDonald pointed to Rehberg's recent comments in a television interview, when Rehberg said one approach could be to offer tax incentives for people to join a health club and stay healthier.

";What this really tells me is he has a basic misunderstanding of the crisis and what ordinary Montanans face," McDonald said.

McDonald is one of two Democrats in the race to challenge Rehberg in 2010. The other one is Tyler Gernant, a Missoula attorney.

Rehberg's re-election campaign manager, Tyler Matthews, said Rehberg is spending the month listening to constituents at meetings around the state.

";Dennis McDonald might consider stopping to talk with some of the folks he drives past in places like Columbus, Big Timber or Ryegate to see what they think about his plan to socialize health care," he said.

Rehberg has said he's opposed to current reforms before Congress, calling them too much government intervention in health care.

In the interview with KULR-TV in Billings, he said he'd like to create tax incentives for people to stay healthier, as well as allow health insurance to be sold across state lines, to allow larger pooling of customers.

McDonald said the problem is that many people simply can't get insurance, often because they have health problems that make insurance unaffordable.

He told of a Bozeman carpenter who had survived a bout of cancer, but then lost his job, and is now unable to get health insurance.

Expanding Medicare, the federal government's insurance for the elderly, to cover everyone is the way to go, McDonald said. It could be extended to anyone who wants to buy into the system, he said, creating a more cost-efficient system in the long run.

Anyone who wants to keep their current insurance could do so, he said.

";It doesn't take any great change," McDonald said. ";We have the system in place. ... My concern is that without a single-payer system, over the long run, I don't see anything that will result in lower costs."