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Printer Friendly Format Sponsored By July 24, 2007 Transcript Fourth Democratic Debate The eight candidates vying to be the Democratic nominee for president in the 2008 elections answered questions submitted by CNN and YouTube users in a debate.
Bill Richardson (D-NM) Moderator: Anderson Cooper, CNN host. Location: the Citadel, Charleston, SC Monday, July 23, 2007. Here is a full transcript of the event, from CNN: MR COOPER: Our first question tonight is from Zack Kempf in Provo, Utah. So my question is, we have a bunch of leaders who cant seem to do their job. And when we pick people based on the issues that they represent, but then when they get in power and they dont do anything about it anyway. If youre going to spend this whole night talking about your views on issues, but the issues dont matter if when you get in power, nothings going to get done. We have Congress and the president with, like, a 30 percent approval rating, so clearly we dont think theyre doing a good job. Whats going to make you any more effectual, beyond all the platitudes and the stuff were used to hearing? I mean, be honest with us: How are you going to be any different? MR COOPER: Senator Dodd, youve been in Congress more than 30 years. First of all, thank you for inviting us here to the Citadel. Its great to be here at this wonderful college, university. Certainly I think its a very important question one ought to be asking, because while hope and confidence and optimism are clearly very important, I think experience matters a great deal -- the experience people bring to their candidacy, the ideas, the bold ideas that theyve championed over the years, whether or not they were successful in advancing those ideas and able to bring people together. Im very proud of the fact that over my 26 years in the Senate, Ive offered landmark legislation; the Family and Medical Leave Act, child care legislation, reform of financial institutions.
Republicans as well as Democrats together around those issues. Thats whats missing more than anything else, I think, right now MR COOPER: But SEN. DODD: is the ability to bring people together to get the job done. MR COOPER: But if someone really wants a change, are you the guy to get it done? You all look back -- I think, you know, speeches are easy to make and rhetoric is easy to expose here, but I think the idea of looking back and saying, what have you done -- if you want to get a good idea of where someone is going to lead or how theyre going to lead, I think its very appropriate to say, what have you done? Show me, demonstrate to me the ability to get these things done that you cant get done in the past. MR COOPER: Senator Obama, your supporters say you are different. Your critics say youre inexperienced, youre a first-term senator. OBAMA: Well, I think the questioner hit the nail on the head. As I travel around the country, people have an urgent desire for change in Washington. And we are not going to fix health care, we are not going to fix energy, we are not going to do anything about our education system unless we change how business is done in Washington. Now, part of that is bringing people together, as Chris said, but part of it is also overcoming special interests and lobbyists who are writing legislation thats critical to the American people. And one of the things I bring is a perspective as a community organizer, as a state legislator, as well as a US senator, that says Washington has to change. MR COOPER: A lot of people say -- Congressman Kucinich, your supporters certainly say you are different. After watching the first several debates, which seemed more like conversations than actual debates, were all clear out here that you Democrats are united. But we have a very important decision to make coming up very soon, and Americans desperate for a change need to know, Congressman Kucinich, how would America be better off with you as president than we would be if either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama became president? MR COOPER: What do you have that Senator Clinton and Senator Obama do not have? KUCINICH: Well, first of all, a clear record as having not only opposed the war from the very beginning -- the only one on this stage who actually voted against the war and also the only one on the stage who voted against funding the war a hundred percent of the time. I want the people of the Citadel to know that I mourn the passing of those people who gave their lives, but I also would not hesitate to call upon you to defend this country. But Ill never send you in pursuit of a political agenda or a lie. Just like my father before me and like my -- who served in the Marines and my brother who served in the Marines in Vietnam and my nephew who served in Iraq, I believed in duty and honor, and I think its important to have those commitments to this country. Thats the new doctrine that Im going to promote throughout this campaign, that we use the science of human relations and diplomacy, that we pursue an approach which says that you can use international agreements and treaties and that you can work to settle your differences without committing the young men and women to war unless its absolutely necessary. MR COOPER: Senator Clinton, you were involved in that question. CLINTON: Well, I think the Democrats are united, as Davis said, and we are united for change. We cannot take another four or eight years of Republican leadership that has been so disastrous for our country. I have 35 years of being an instrument, an agent of change, before I was ever a public official. And during the time that Ive been privileged to serve as first lady and now as senator, Ive worked to bring people together, to find common ground where we can and then to stand our ground where we cant. Senator Obama, you were involved in the question, as well. OBAMA: Well, look, I dont think this is just a Republican problem. And we dont just need a change in political parties in Washington. Weve got to have a change in attitudes of those who are representing the people of America. Part of the reason I dont take PAC money, I dont take federal lobbyist money is because weve got to get the national interests up front as opposed to the special interests, and that is something that Ive got a track record doing, and I think that is what the American people are looking for in this election, people of both parties as well as independents. CLINTON: You know, Rob -- (laughter) -- you know, it is a word that originally meant that you were for freedom, that you were for the freedom to achieve, that you were willing to stand against big power and on behalf of the individual. Unfortunately, in the last 30, 40 years, it has been turned up on its head, and its been made to seem as though it is a word that describes big government, totally contrary to what its meaning was in the 19th and early 20th century. I prefer the word "progressive," which has a real American meaning, going back to the progressive era at the beginning of the 20th century. I consider myself a modern progressive, someone who believes strongly in individual rights and freedoms, who believes that we are better as a society when were working together and when we find ways to help those who may not have all the advantages in life get the tools they need to lead a more productive life for themselves and their families. So I consider myself a proud modern American progressive, and I think thats the kind of philosophy and practice that we need to bring back to American politics. Youre not going to see any change when these people get elected. And I want to take on Barack Obama for a minute, who said he doesnt take money from lobbyists. And besides that, he has received money from a Robert Wolf, the head of the USB Bank (sic; UBS Bank) in the United States, who raised $195,000 from this bank COOPER: Your time is up. COOPER: Senator Obama, Im going to have to let you respond. Well, the fact is I dont take PAC money and I dont take lobbyists money. And the bundlers -- the reason you know who is raising money for me, Mike, is because I have pushed through a law this past session to disclose that. And thats the kind ...
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