"The original plan relied on lenders taking the hit, " Holtz-Eakin said on the conference call.

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McCain senior policy adviser Doug Holtz-Eakin said earlier this week that the system for investment banks would be much like the system in place for commercial banks.

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Holtz-Eakin said the plan would also encourage insurers and health care providers to deliver better health and disease management as well as more preventive medicine such as anti-smoking programs, which he said would further reduce costs.

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"We had a good 2011 and a great 2012, " said David Holtz, Delta's vice president for operations control.

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Mr. Holtz-Eakin also said that a Resolution Trust Corp.

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"We've taken the defects out of the good-day operations, " said Mr. Holtz.

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The key, said Mr. Holtz, was being predictable for customers on the 30 to 40 bad-weather days each year by making decisions early on cancellations and delays, and then running a clean operation without cancellations and delays on good-weather days.

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"We'll speed up when we have to, and we'll slow down when we can, too, " said Delta's Mr. Holtz.

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