Sept. 26 Democratic debate transcript

Russert: Senator Obama, you were criticized by Jesse Jackson and others about your, in their words, tepid response about the situation in Jena involving the civil rights difficulties in Louisiana.

Should you have gone to Jena, Louisiana, in order to try to bring those communities together?

Obama: No, because I was in Washington at that time trying to bring an end to the war in Iraq, and that was something that was critical.

The fact is that I was -- before any of the other candidates on this stage, spoke out with respect to Jena.  I put out several strong statements, including ones prepared with Jesse Jackson's son, Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr.  And, subsequently, I think Reverend Jackson acknowledged that.

This is an issue that's not black or white.  It's an issue of American justice.  We've got to make sure the justice system works for every single person.

Russert: Governor Richardson, if you're president of the United States you're automatically honorary chairman of the Boy Scouts of America.  In light of that organization's position on sexual orientation, would you accept that position?

Richardson: No, I wouldn't.  Because I think, as president, I would commit myself, number one, that I will be a leader that prevents discrimination on the basis of race, gender and sexual orientation.  I will also be a president that follows the Constitution of the United States.

I will also be a president that will bring back habeas corpus and the rule of law.  I will also be a president that will shut down Guantanamo.  I will also be a president that will follow the Constitution and not permit torture as a tool in our foreign policy. I will not eavesdrop on American citizens.  And I will not go to war, unless I get the consent of Congress.

And there are still basic differences on the war.  My plans ends the war, getting the troops out, and with all due respect to Senator Obama, Senator Edwards, Senator Clinton, what I heard tonight is that even in their second terms, they will not get the troops out. Therefore, the war will not end.

Russert: Senator Obama?

Obama: You know, I'm happy to have this discussion again, Bill. I think it is important to tell the American people the truth.  Now, military commanders indicate that they can safely get combat troops out at the pace of one to two brigades a month.  That is the quickest pace that we can do it safely.  I have said I will begin immediately and we will do it as rapidly as we can.

It is the same issue with Social Security, where the pretense is that somehow we can do this magically.  We can't.  I think it's important for the next president to tell the American people not just what they want to hear, or to tell our own base what they want to hear, but what they need to hear.  They need to hear...

Russert: I've got to move on and give Senator Edwards a chance.

Senator Edwards, you heard Alan Greenspan recommending raising gasoline tax.  We do have a dependency on foreign oil which all across America people say we must become energy independent.

Edwards: Yes.

Russert: Would you be in favor of developing more nuclear power here in the United States?

Edwards: No.

Russert: Period?

Edwards: No.  So that was less than 30 seconds.

(Laughter)

Russert: Senator Obama, nuclear power?

Obama: I don't think that we can take nuclear power off the table.  What we have to make sure of is that we have the capacity to store it properly and safely, and that we reduce whatever threats might come from terrorism.  And if we can do that in a technologically sound way, then we should pursue it.  If we can't, we should not.

But there is no magic bullet on energy.  We're going to have to look at all the various options to reduce greenhouse gases and to put us on a path to energy independence.

Russert: Congressman?

Kucinich: Well, first of all, you know, I know a little bit about this because I actually blocked a nuclear dump in Ohio.  And I was one of the few up here who actually spoke against having a nuclear dump in Nevada.

The truth of the matter is that nuclear power is very expensive, Tim.

They never factored in the cost of storage, which continues forever.

I want to keep utility rates low by having a Works Green Administration, emphasis on solar and wind, drive down this energy curve of hydrocarbon consumption.

And, finally, no more war as an instrument of policy.  No more resource wars.  We've got to make the transition away from oil, and that's what a Kucinich administration would do.

Russert: Nuclear power?

Gravel: Not at all.  The solution obviously is wind power.  If we manufactured 5 million of these 2.5 meg windmills across the country, we could electrify the entire nation -- the entire nation. I'm talking about our transportation system.

Why don't we do that?  We know the -- this is technology off the shelf.  That's why I kept saying, we can get off of gasoline in five years; we can get off of carbon in 10 years.

All we've got to want is to do it.  And it will take the American people, because they can't get that through the Congress.

Russert: Senator Clinton, would you rule out expanding nuclear power?

Clinton: No, but it would not be one of the options that I favor, unless, number one, the cost can get down for the construction and operation; number two, that we have a viable solution for the nuclear waste.

I voted against Yucca Mountain.  I've spoken out against Yucca Mountain.  I think that recently the discovery -- there's an earthquake fault going under the proposed site at Yucca Mountain -- certainly validates my opposition.

So there are a lot of very difficult questions.

But we're going to have to look at the entire energy profile, in order to determine how we're going to move away from our dependence upon carbon-based fuels.  And I will look at everything, but there are some tough questions you'd have to answer with respect to nuclear.

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