Nov. 15 Democratic debate transcript

Blitzer: Senator Obama, we're going to have a lot more on health care. Go ahead. Go ahead.

Obama: I will be very brief on this issue. Hillary states that she wants -- she states that she wants to mandate health care coverage, but she is not garnishing people's wages to make sure that they have it.

Blitzer: OK, please.

Go ahead.

Obama: She is not -- she is not enforcing this mandate. And I don't think that the problem with the American people is that they are not being forced to get health care. The problem is they can't afford it. And that is why my plan provides  the mechanism to make sure that they can.

Blitzer: All right. We're going to get back on health care shortly. Because we have a lot more to talk about.

Dennis Kucinich: But wait. The American people are entitled to a debate here...

Blitzer: I want Senator Edwards to weigh in. Because you have spoken about the politics of parsing in your criticism of Senator Clinton. I want you to explain what that means.

John Edwards: Well, can I say, first, nobody on this stage is perfect, and that certainly includes me. And I don't claim perfection; far from it.

What I would say is, that the issue is whether we can have a president that can restore trust for the American people, in the president of the United States.

Because I think this president has destroyed that trust. And I think there are fair questions to be asked of all us, including Senator Clinton.

Senator Clinton says she will end the war. She also says she will continue to keep combat troops in Iraq and continue combat missions in Iraq.

She says she will turn up the heat on George Bush and the Republicans, but when the crucial vote came on stopping Bush, Cheney and the neocons, on Iran, she voted with Bush and Cheney.

On the issue of Social Security - on the issue of Social Security, she said, standing beside me on the stage, that she would not do anything about the cap on Social Security taxes, and she has said privately to people, because it's been reported in the press, that in fact she would consider raising that cap.

And the most important issue is she says she will bring change to Washington, while she continues to defend a system that does not work, that is broken, that is rigged and is corrupt; corrupted against the interest of most Americans and corrupted...

Blitzer: All right...

Edwards: ... and corrupted for a very small, very powerful, very well-financed group.

Blitzer: We're going to...

Edwards: So we have fundamental differences.

Blitzer: We're going to get to all of these issues, including energy and Iran and everything else.

Clinton: Well, Wolf, I've just been personally attacked again, and I...

Blitzer: Senator Clinton, I'll let you respond because there was a direct charge made against you.

Clinton: Thank you.

Blitzer: Then we're going to bring in everybody. Everyone's going to get time tonight; don't worry, we got a lot of time.

Go ahead.

Clinton: Well, you know, I respect all of my colleagues on this stage.  And, you know, we're Democrats and we're trying to nominate the very best person we can to win.

And I don't mind taking hits on my record on issues, but when somebody starts throwing mud, at least we can hope that it's both accurate and right out of the Republican playbook.

Because what I believe is important is that we put forth what we stand for. I have been active for 35 years. The American people know where I stand.

You know, Senator Edwards raised health care again -- when Senator Edwards ran in 2004, he wasn't for universal health care. I'm glad he is now.

But for him to be throwing this mud and making these charges I think really detracts from what we're trying to do here tonight. We need to put forth a positive agenda for America...

Blitzer: All right.

Clinton: ... telling people what we're going to do when we get the chance to go back to the White House.