Oct. 30 Democratic debate transcript

Clinton: Absolutely. But I do not -- and I don't think any of us do -- oppose the brave young men and women who have fought this war with such distinction and heroism.

You know, I have said, repeatedly, that I will begin to bring our troops home as soon as I am president, because it is abundantly clear that President Bush does not intend to end the war while he is still president.

In order to do that, we're doing to have to get the Joint Chiefs and my secretary of defense and advisers together to start the planning to move as quickly as possible, because I don't believe that the planning has been sufficiently undertaken in the Pentagon under this administration.

But we've got to do more. We have to try to get the Iraqi government to understand its obligations, because there is no military solutions. And they have, thus far, failed to do so.

And, finally, we need to engage in diplomacy, with respect to Iraq. You know, we have a big diplomatic apparatus. This president doesn't use it. He relies on a very small group of people. I think that's a terrible mistake.

In addition to the foreign service officers, I would bring in a lot of other distinguished Americans who have experience -- people, you know, like my colleagues, Bill and Joe and Chris. We need a lot of Americans trying to fan out across the world following President Bush, because he's going to leave so many problems.

His policies have alienated our friends and emboldened our enemies. And Iraq and Iran are tinder boxes -- the Middle East, Pakistan.

I agree with Joe -- the Afghanistan situation.

Everywhere you look in the world we've got work to do, and I think we've got to do more than just send our young men and women out. That is not an appropriate use of their power.

Williams: Senator Obama, was Senator Clinton's answer to the opposition of the Iraq war question consistent, in your view?

Obama: I don't think it's consistent with the Iran resolution, for example, which specifically stated that we should structure our forces in Iraq with an eye toward blunting Iranian influence. It is yet another rationale for what we're doing in Iraq, and I think that's a mistake.

Now, I agree that we've got to focus on diplomacy. The president has to lead that diplomacy, which is why I've said I would convene a meeting of Muslim leaders upon taking office because I think we have to send a strong signal that we are willing to listen and not just talk, and certainly not just dictate or engage in military action.

But the real key for the next president is someone who has the credibility of not having been one of the co-authors of this engagement in Iraq.

I think I am in a strong position to be able to say I thought this was a bad idea in the first place. We now have to fix it. We have to be as careful getting out as we were careless getting in. But we nevertheless have to take steps that are not only engaging Iraqis -- the Shia, the Sunni and the Kurds -- but also engaging Iran, Syria and other powers in the region.

Williams: Senator Edwards, same question.

Edwards: Well, here's what I want. I want to make certain that voters in Iowa and New Hampshire and all across America, Democrats and Independents, understand that you have choices in this election, very clear choices.

If you believe that combat missions should be continued in Iraq over the long term, if you believe that combat troops should remain stationed in Iraq, and if you believe there should be no actual timetable for withdrawal, then Senator Clinton is your candidate.

Edwards: I don't. I think that we need to end combat missions; we need to get combat troops out of Iraq. As president of the United States, I will do that. I think it's a requirement of leadership, as president. And I will do it in my first year in office: combat missions ended, combat troops out of Iraq, period.

So there's a very clear choice here between the candidates.

And the second thing that I want to make certain that voters are aware of, when we talk -- we've had a long discussion about Iran. And Barack just made the connection to Iran, and there is a very clear connection.

Because we need to learn from the past. And what we've learned from the past is you cannot trust this president. And what I worry about is, if Bush invades Iran six months from now, I mean, are we going to hear: "If only I had known then what I know now?"

Well, we know enough now to know we have to stand up to this president.

And the second point I would make is, I was surprised by Senator Clinton's vote. I'll be honest about that. And then I saw an explanation of it in The New York Times for her vote which basically said she was moving from primary mode to general election mode.

I think that our responsibility as presidential candidates is to be in "tell the truth" mode all the time. We should not be saying something different in the primary than we say in the general election. I think that's what Americans have been hearing from George Bush, and I think they're looking for something different and voters have a choice in this election.

Williams: Senator Clinton, 30-second rebuttal.

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