South Carolina Democratic debate transcript

Williams: Governor Richardson, you are currently, if our research is correct, the NRA's favorite presidential candidate declared in either party, based on their rating system.

Did anything about the massacre at Virginia Tech make you rethink any part of your position on guns?

Richardson: The first point I'd want to make is my sincerest condolences to the families of those loved ones that perished. It was an unspeakable tragedy.

You're right, Brian. I'm a Westerner. I'm a governor of New Mexico. The Second Amendment is precious in the West. But I want to just state for the record, a vast, vast majority of gun owners are law-abiding.

This is an issue that deals with two fundamental problems in our system right now.

The first is mental illness. We should ensure that all federal and state initiatives deal with making sure those with mental illnesses cannot get a gun.

Secondly, I was for instant background checks. We have to make sure that those background checks are state and local. States are properly funded to be able to detect those problems.

Lastly, in this country, mental health is not treated the same as other illnesses. There should be mental health parity in this country and we don't have it and we should finally find ways to ensure that our schools get the help that they need to detect these mentally ill patients.

Williams: Thank you, Governor.

We are over on time.

And because our producers are learning about the consumption of time, we have our first "show of hands" question tonight.

(Laughter)

How many of you, in your adult lifetime, have had a gun in the house?

One -- Senator Gravel, Senator Biden, Senator Dodd, Governor Richardson, Congressman Kucinich.

Thank you very much.

Senator Biden, the kind of flip side of the question I just asked Senator Clinton: What could the federal government have done to save those kids at Virginia Tech?

Biden: Shotgun -- not pistol.

What they could have done is two things. One, I was the fellow who, in the so-called Biden crime bill years ago to put 100,000 cops on the street that the Clinton administration made work incredibly well -- the first assault weapons ban was passed.

I've worked with law enforcement for the past 30 years, deal with getting around with armor-piercing bullets, waiting periods, et cetera.

But the one thing that's clear: We should not have let the assault weapons ban lapse.

Number two, we should close this so-called gun show loophole, so you can't go into a gun show and buy a gun that you couldn't buy walking into a gun shop.

Number three, I agree with everyone here; we have let the country down in the way in which we have not focused on mental illness. We should know that when you sent a kid to college, you're going to be safe at college.

My wife is a doctor of education, a teacher at a community college. If, in fact, she and other teachers determine that a child, by the way they're writing and what they're acting, that they're a danger, the school should be able to take them off the campus.

Williams: Let's talk about health care, an issue that currently ranks a solid second in virtually every opinion poll in the United States.

Senator Edwards, you have said you would raise taxes to pay for a health care plan. The question is: Which ones?

Edwards: I would get rid of George Bush's tax cuts for people who make over $200,000 a year. But I want to say, this is an example -- we've had a lot of discussion tonight -- not a great deal of discussion so far about the substance of the very specific ideas that each of us have on big issues.

I'm proud of the fact that I have a very specific universal health care plan which I think is different than some others on the stage who are running for president.

And I think we have a responsibility, if you want to be president of the United States, to tell the American people what it is you want to do.

Rhetoric's not enough. High-falutin' language is not enough. And my plan would require employers to cover all their employees or pay into a fund that covers the cracks in the health care system -- mental health parity, which others have spoken about; chronic care; preventative care; long-term care; subsidized health care costs.

Give people a choice, including a government choice; no pre- existing conditions -- banned as a matter of law. And the law actually requires that every single American be covered.

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