Hotmail
Sept. 26 Democratic debate transcript
Russert: Thank you, Governor.
Senator Edwards, the exception?
Edwards: The only thing I would -- I agree with what's been said. The only thing I would add is the problem is much bigger than this specific hypothetical illustrates. Because what's happened is, what America is has been undermined over the last seven years. And torture is a component of that, or the condoning of torture is a component of it. But it is only one component.
In addition to the torture, we need to be ending this war in Iraq. I will close Guantanamo, which I think is a national embarrassment. The idea that the United States of America would hold anybody without a right to a hearing undermines everything that we represent.
No more secret prisons. Not when I'm president of the United States.
And not only no more secret prisons; I will, the first day that I'm president, end the illegal spying on the American people.
Biden: Question, Tim, did you say pardon, as well?
I'd pardon the son of a gun, if I got an atom bomb.
Russert: That was -- that was the scenario that President Clinton laid out.
Biden: OK. Well, I would pardon -- I would not torture, but if I thought I'd get the hydrogen bomb this guy had planted, I'd say, "Man, you're out." And then I'd figure out how he got taken care of later. But I would...
(Laughter)
... I would pardon him.
Russert: So you would be in favor of...
Biden: I'd pardon him, not torture. Not torture.
Russert: No. It would be pardoning the person who...
Biden: Oh, did the torture. No, no, no.
Russert: Fair enough. All right.
(Laughter)
Real fast -- 30 seconds.
Biden: I thought you meant pardon the...
Kucinich: Thirty seconds -- you're on my time.
The metaphor that we're using here is one that relates to, really, 9/11 and the terror that followed, and the politicization of fear which occurred in this society.
A Kucinich administration will be about strength through peace. No unilateralism, no preemption, no first-strike, using -- and a rejection of war as an instrument of policy.
So of course you'd use a pardon, but we have to remember, this Constitution has to be redeemed and this administration has took us down a -- really, a (inaudible). I will not only restore the Constitution, but I want a new national security doctrine, strength through peace, that will make us safer, because the neo kind approach has made America less safe and more vulnerable.
Russert: I want to turn to politics and money. Senator Clinton, as you all know, you had to turn back $850,000 in contributions from Norman Hsu because of his rather checkered past.
Again, President Clinton said this, "Now, we don't have to publish all our donors for the Clinton Foundation, but if Hillary became president, I think there would questions about whether people would try to win favor by giving money to me."
In light of that, do you believe that the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton library should publish all the donors who give contributions to those two entities?
Clinton: Well, Tim, I actually co-sponsored legislation that would have sitting presidents reveal any donation to their presidential library, and I think that's a good policy.
Russert: And the foundation?
Clinton: Well, it would be the same, because that's where the library comes from.
Russert: Until such legislation, would they voluntarily, the Clinton library and Clinton Foundation, make their donors public?
Clinton: Well, you'll have to ask them.
Russert: What's your recommendation?
Clinton: Well, I don't talk about my private conversations with my husband, but I'm sure he'd be happy to consider that.
Russert: Is there anyone here who doesn't believe that presidential libraries and presidential foundations should make public all their donors?
Obama: I just want to amplify on this issue. Because I think it's important not only that all this information is disclosed, but I also think that we need to have a situation in which we are disclosing the funneling of large donors.
And that is something that we were able to successfully do. I pushed it with Russ Feingold to make sure that large funnelers who were lobbyists were disclosed.
We are now in the process of presenting a bill where any large bundler has to disclose who they're bundling money from and who are they funneling it to. And I think that should be passed right away.
Russert: Senator Edwards, you mentioned candor with the candidate -- president with the American people. Your campaign has hit some obstacles with revelations about $400 haircuts, $500,000 for working for a hedge fund, $800,000 from Rupert Murdoch.
Do you wish you hadn't taken money in all those cases or hadn't made that kind of expenditure for a haircut?
Edwards: Well, first of all, I think if you look at my entire life, I am proud of what I've spent my life doing. I'm not perfect. There's not a single person on this stage who's perfect, but I came from a family.
I was born into nothing. I was brought home to a two-room house in a mill village. I have spent my entire life fighting for the kind of people that I grew up with. They worked in the mill with my father. And I don't apologize for the fact that I have worked hard and built a life which I hope will make life easier for my children. I'm proud of that. I'm not ashamed of that.
And I am proud of having stood up for the people that I grew up with. It's what I have done my entire life. I did it for 20 years as lawyer. It's what I've done every minute that I've been in public life.
It is the reason that I've been going around the country helping organize workers into unions. It is the reason we started a College for Everyone program for low-income kids. It is the reason Elizabeth and I started an after-school program for kids who otherwise would have no chance to go to an after-school program, having access to technology.
I'm proud of what I've done with my life, and I do not apologize for it.
And I do not apologize for it.
|
- Discuss Story On Newsvine
- Instant Message
Sponsored links
Resource guide