Jan. 15 Democratic debate transcript

Russert: In New Hampshire, your polling was much higher than the actual vote result.
Do you believe, in the privacy of the voting booth, people used race as an issue?

Sen. Obama:  No. I think what happened was that Senator Clinton ran a good campaign up in New Hampshire. And, you know, I think that people recognize we've got some terrific candidates who are running vigorous campaigns.

It's going to be close everywhere we go. It's close here in Nevada. It's going to be close in South Carolina.
And, you know, at any given moment, people are going to be making judgments based on who they think is best speaking to them about the urgent problems that they're facing in this country.

Now, the one thing I'm convinced about -- and this was true in Iowa and this was true in New Hampshire, as well -- is that change is going to happen because the American people determine that change is going to happen.

And that's what I draw from Dr. King's legacy. You know, what happens in Washington is important. And we've got to have elected officials that are accountable and serious about moving forward on the goals of opportunity and upward mobility.

But if we don't have an activated people, a unified people, black, white, Latino, Asian, who are all moving in the same direction, demanding that change happens, then Washington, special interests, lobbyists end up dominating the agenda. That's what I want to change.

Russert: Senator Clinton, in terms of accountability, you told me on Sunday morning, "Any time anyone has said anything that I thought was out of bounds, they're gone. I've gotten rid of them."

Shortly thereafter, that same afternoon, Robert Johnson, at your event, said, quote, "When Barack Obama was doing something in the neighborhood, that I won't say what he was doing, but he said it in his book," widely viewed as a reference to Senator Obama's book,"Dreams From My Father" from 1995, where he talked about his drug use as a teenager.

Will you now not allow Robert Johnson to participate in any of your campaign events because of that conduct?

Sen. Clinton:  Well, Bob has put out a statement saying what he was trying to say and what he thought he had said. We accept him on his word on that.

But, clearly, we want to send a very clear message to everybody that this campaign is too important for us to either get diverted or, frankly, get the message of what we want to do for our country subverted by any kind of statements or claims that are just not part of who I am or who Barack or John are.

Because I think what's critical here is that the American people understand clearly what is at stake in this election. The stakes are really high, and there's an urgent need for leadership on a range of issues, you know, some of which are now becoming right here in front of us about whether or not people are going to be able to keep their homes in Nevada, whether they're going to have jobs.

You know, I went door to door in Las Vegas last week and, you know, I've met construction workers who've been laid off. I met a casino employee who's already been laid off.

So what people talk to me about is not what somebody they never heard of said, but what we say, what we're for, what we're standing for, and what we're going to be pushing for.

So I accept what he said, but I think what's important is what I say and what each of us says about the kind of president we intend to be and how we're going to get there.

Russert: Were his comments out of bounds?

Sen. Clinton:  Yes, they were.
And he has said that.

Williams: We're going to continue the questioning now with Natalie Morales.

Natalie Morales: Thank you, Brian.
And this is a question for Senator Edwards. It comes to us from Margaret Wells from San Diego, California.
Senator, she's asking, "The policy differences among the remaining candidates is so slight that we appear to be choosing on the basis of personality and life story. That being said, why should I, as a progressive woman, not resent being forced to choose between the first viable female candidate and the first viable African American candidate?"