Jan. 15 Democratic debate transcript

Williams: Two bits of housekeeping at this point. I've been asked to remind our candidates that we have a system of lights that they can plainly see.

The yellow one starts flashing... The yellow one starts flashing when they're starting to run out of time... and the red one starts flashing when they are out of time. And another reminder that only seven feet separates us from the candidates.

Now to that segment we promised earlier. We asked the candidates and their campaigns to come here tonight prepared with two questions, one for each of their opposition candidates.

It's not our intention that these be novelty or, at all, throwaway questions but that they be real questions. And we should know, right away, here, whether this was a good or a very bad idea.

Senator Edwards, I would like to start with you. A question for Senator Obama and a question for Senator Clinton?

Former Sen. Edwards:  I get to do both, to begin with?

Williams: Sure.

Edwards: OK. Well, let me start this question. This is about campaign finances. And let me start it by saying the obvious, which is, all three of us have raised a great deal of money in this campaign.

And so this is not preachy or holier than thou in any possible way. What we know is that all three of us want to do something about health care in this country. And we also know that until recently, Senator Clinton had raised more money from drug companies and insurance companies than any candidate, Democrat or Republican.

Until you passed her, Senator Obama, recently to go to number one. My question is, do you think these people expect something for this money? Why do they give it? Do they think that it's for good government? Why do they do it?

Sen. Obama:  Well, let's be clear, John. I just want to make sure that we understand: I don't take money from federal lobbyists. I don't take money from PACs.

Former Sen. Edwards:  As I don't, either.

Sen. Obama:  As you don't, either. What happens is, is that you've got -- if you've got a mid-level executive at a drug company or an insurance company who is inspired by my message of change, and they send me money, then that's recorded as money from the drug or the insurance industry, even though it's not organized, coordinated or in any way subject to the problems that you see when lobbyists are given money.

And I'm proud of the fact that I've raised more money from small donors than anybody else, and that we're getting $25, $50, $100 donations, and we've done very well doing it that way.

Now, what I'm also proud of is the fact that in reducing special interest lobbying, I, alone of the candidates here, have actually taken away the power of the lobbyists.

Part of the reason that you know whose bundling money for various candidates is because of a law I passed this year, which says: Lobbyists, if you are taking money from anybody and putting it together and then giving it to a member of Congress, that has to be disclosed.

Ultimately, what I'd like to see is a system of public financing of campaigns, and I'm a cosponsor of the proposal that's in the Senate right now. That's what we have to fight for. In the meantime, what I'm very proud of is to make sure that we continue to make progress at the federal level to push back the influence that lobbyists have right now, and that's something that I'm going to continue to work on.

Williams: Now, I've been told in midstream here, Senator Edwards, I have to take away one of your options. We were -- we apparently told the campaigns bring one question for an opponent, which now brings us to you, Senator Clinton.

So you get your choice on either side.

Sen. Clinton:  Well, I want to ask Senator Obama to join me in doing something.
You know, we both very much want to convince President Bush, which is not easy to do, in the remaining year to end the war in Iraq, to change direction.

It appears that not only is he refusing to do that, but that he has continued to say he can enter into an agreement with the Iraqi government, without bringing it for approval to the United States Congress, that would continue America's presence in Iraq, long after President Bush leaves office.

I find that absolutely unacceptable. And I think we have to do everything we can to prevent President Bush from binding the hands of the next president.

So I've introduced legislation that clearly requires President Bush to come to the United States Congress. It is not enough, as he claims, to go to the Iraqi parliament, but to come to the United States Congress to get anything that he's trying to do, including permanent bases, numbers of troops, all the other commitments he's talking about as he's traveling in that region.

And I want to ask Senator Obama if you will co-sponsor my legislation to try to rein in President Bush so that he doesn't commit this country to his policy in Iraq, which both of us are committed to end.