Summary of the Democratic Debate:Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKdAYQFpDEABlitzer: As we wrap up our post game coverage of this very critical debate between the 3 remaining Democratic Candidates: Hilary Clinton, Donald Trump and Russ Feingold we want to show you some of the key moments of this debate.
Important Moment 1:Woodruff: A Top concern for voters all across the country heading into Super Tuesday has been the economy. So what would your plans be to help speeden up the economic recovery in this nation. Senator Clinton you go first
Clinton: Well the first thing we need to do to help our economy grow is to pass a real stimulus plan which invests in our nation's infrastructure, in research and development and gives relief to people in this hard time. Doing that will allow consumer demand to go up to the necessary level it needs to see robust economic growth but we just cannot stop there as we also need to create an economy that works better for all Americans. It is why I will push for laws that will tie the minimum wage to the rate of inflation, demand equal pay for equal work laws and ensure that ordinary Americas are treated better in the workplace.
Trump: The fact is if we want our economy to do well in the long run again, we have to start winning on issues like trade again. For decades we have seen politicans of both parties make bad trade deals which has seen our factories here at home close while the rich and powerful benefited from shipping their jobs overseas. These policies were aided and abbetted by your Husband Hillary would signed one of the worst if not the worst trade deals ever in NAFTA which believe me we are gonna renegotiate cause it’s not working .
Your husband also allowed China into the WTO and since then it’s been nothing but an absolute disaster for us . Millions of jobs have been shipped over seas and many of our great towns are dying because of your policies . The fact is they are a huge part of the reason why we no longer win on trade and If I’m elected president I would immediately change that by ripping up all these bad agreements and renegotiating them .
Clinton : I want people to remember while Mr.Trump is now trying to act like he is some progressive champion he spent the entire 1980s and most of the 1990s shilling for the failed Republican economic policies of that era that resulted in our jobs being shipped over seas . The fact is Donald actually went to the Republican convention in 1988 to endorse the Republican candidate for president who by the way was the sitting Vice President for Ronald Reagan the most right wing president in our lifetimes who Mr.Trump was a huge fan of through his entire presidency . So this idea that he is a progressive champion is a joke
Trump : Listen the fact is during the 1980s I was in business not politics and acted like good businessmen do . By the way If people remember I was not a fan of Reagan at all on trade either and thought he did a terrible job on it , and tell you what I will post on Facebook later today videos of me going after Reagan . What matters though is I won while you guys surrendered to the Republicans on everything
Woodruff: Senator Feingold
Feingold: Well my plan would be one to rebuild labor unions in this country. The fact is workers in thsi country do the best when unions are strongest and when workers do the best that means they will have more money to spend on the economy which in place will grow it. I also plan to implement a new new deal where we can get millions of Americans to work to help create the greatest infrastructure in the world , develop new technology and help us deal with the issue of global warming as well.
To pay for this yes I will repeal all of The President's tax cuts on corporate America and ask the wealthy to pay a little more in taxes so we can fund this program which will benefit our economy. Doing so will not be easy but I unlike my opponents have the most comphrensive plan to help working class Americans all across the country and that is what I will run on
Trump: The fact is you were in politics for a long time and failed so why should we trust failures like you
Feingold: I was only a freshman senator when our party lost the majority and since then the Republicans would never ever have let such an agenda even be debated let alone passed. That is why its imperative we not only win the white house but win both houses of congress this November as well.
Woodruff : Moving on
Important Moment 2:Suarez : Another important issue to Democratic voters is the issue of healthcare. So if you are elected president what will each one of you do on this issue. Senator Feingold you first
Feingold: My answer is that we need to pass a single payer Medicare for all system to ensure all Americans regardless of income can have access to basic healthcare. A Single Payer system has been implemented in countries like the UK and Canada and its so popular that multiple conservative governments in those places over the decades have not dared touched it as its proven to work. Heck for American Seniors the healthcare system is also a single payer system and guess what it is the most popular program in our entire country so the fact is imo it is a must.
Doing so also will free up working people's pocketbook's more which will let them spend more on other stuff which will also stimulate the economy
Suarez: One follow up and that is will unions members who currently have better insurance be forced to give it up for single payer
Feingold: No they wont as my policy would be to offer basic healthcare coverage for all and let private or union insurance offer higher quality plans than what we offer but they will not be allowed to offer the same basic plan.
Clinton: My plan would number 1 allow every American to buy into the same healthcare plan we in congress get as we in congress should not be getting better healthcare than the public does. Number two we will require larger employees to cover their employees or pay into a fund that will make it easier to help Americans who cant afford healthcare to get it themselves
Number three we will expand Medicaid to cover more Americans and number four we will reduce the Medicare age too fifty five as doing so will cover Americans who are most likely to need healthcare today and then lower healthcare costs for everyone else given the overall risk level now has gone down. This is a plan I believe will cover every American in the country and I believe can pass as well.
Trump: The fact is Senator Clinton's plan does not guarantee healthcare for all Americans and is very similar to the plan they tried to pass in the 1990s and failed. As a businessman let me tell you that you do not win by following the same strategy that led you to lose before and that is exactly what you are doing. Senator Feingold plan again takes away choice from Americans as my belief is that the government yes should cover anyone who cannot afford healthcare but if people dont want it they should not be forced to buy healthcare.
Feingold: So what is your plan
Trump: My plan is simple, we will cover any Americans who wants to be covered under Medicare to be covered but if they dont want to then they can get private insurance. Second the main thing is you need to be willing to fight to get this passed and believe me I unlike my opponents love a fight. The fact is the Republicans will attempt to bully all of us the difference is I just cannot be bullied and that is why I will win on healthcare.
Clinton: There are differences between my plan today than there were in the 1990s and times have changed as well too. Today small business are far more in favor of supporting health insurance reform and my plan exempts them from these regulations.
Trump : Then your plan will leave many workers without healthcare which is unacceptable
Clinton : Again that is wrong as small business tax credits will be used to fund it
Suarez : Moving on
Important Moment 3:Woodruff: Many international experts believe that Iran and Syria could be the next great challenge ik the Middle East . So if elected what would be your solution to deal with it , Mr. Trump you go first
Trump : it’s pretty simple and that is we need to make deals . I will tell the Iranians and Syrians that we can drop the sanctions if you sell us oil for cheap and stop funding terrorism. I will end this idiotic policy of wasting billions and billions of dollars in the Middle East for nothing and even ask the government of Iraq , if you want us to stay then pay us or else we will withdraw . The mission has long been accomplished and it is time we stop wasting billions of dollars defending other countries and in enforcing sanctions on other countries when we can make good deals with them
Clinton: Well my approach would be a trust but verify along with a stick and carrot approach . We will be willing to drop sanctions on Iran and Syria in exchange for them stopping funding Terrorism and ending their nuclear programs . On the other hand if they don’t then the sanctions will be increased so the governments of both nations have choice , either work with the international community in this global war on terrorism and ending your nuclear program or face even more sanctions .
We will also keep strengthening our relations with Iraq as a strong power in the Middle East that is a democracy will incentive other nations in the region to make democratic reforms too .
Feingold: Well I think we need to sit down and be willing to talk to both nations about how we can lower tensions . Doing so will require us to make concessions but I believe doing that is a better solution then escalating tensions that can lead to war . The fact is In economic times like this we need to spend our resources here at home and the only way we can do that is by de escalating tensions elsewhere .
I do not think the solution of either of my opponents is good though . Senator Clinton’s strategy will put them in a no win solution which only increases the chances of war and Mr.Trump’s position will break decades of well established norms worldwide .
Trump : All I have to say is times change and we have to adjust to the times and as a businessman I know if a business doendt adapt they die . I as president will make significant changes to our foreign policy but we need significant change to win again .
Clinton : Senator Feingold , how is what I’m saying gonna put them in a wall . All we are asking them to do is to stop funding terrorism and stop their plans to get a nuclear weapon. That is completely a reasonable deal and if they aren’t willing to accept even that then yes there should be some consequences to incentive them to do so.
Feingold : Well every decision you make on foreign policy will require some concessions, and yes while sometimes risking escalation is better then giving in but you have to admit that then senator Clinton . Also the fact is if we spend more against Iran and Syria we have less money here at home and I’m not willing to make that choice.
Woodruff: Moving on
Important Moment 4:
Suarez : According to a poll of many undecided democrats , what they are mostly looking for is to know which candidate would give their party the best chance to take back the White House this November. So why would each of you be the most electable candidate the Democrats can nominate
Clinton: Ray, it is because I unlike my opponents on my stage have actually gone up against the entire republican machine , the entire conservative media landscape and survived their decades long onslaught against me. The fact is the Republican operatives are extremely ruthless and if it looks like they are on the verge of losing power, they will unleash their entire adrenal of attacks against you and it is important we nominate someone with the experience and temperament to deal with this. We cannot afford to nominate someone who loses personal control every time they are attacked cause that is exactly what the Republicans hope to see when they unleash their attacks and of course we have to make sure we can win moderates as well to take the White House.
I also believe I have the ability to compete in every region of the country: North East, The South, The Midwest and The West and that will also be critical in our party taking the White House.
Trump: Well the fact is I do nothing but win and am ready to fight as hard as it takes to win. Listen I know the Republicans will unleash everything against me but I am ready to go to battle agaisnt them and we will crush them in that head to head battle. Unlike the Clintons who in their time of the White House surrendered on all the issues from NAFTA to the Crime Bill to selling out on gay rights I will be ready to fight the Republicans on all these issues. I will not let George W Bush who wants to bring a Christian version of Sharia Law to this country set the agenda on these types of issues as I not only want to beat him but destroy all those absolutely horrible and evil ideas he represents. With me our party will have a nominee who is willing to fight for working class Americans who have seen their jobs overseen, young people who havent had their voice heard, and gay Americans whose rights George W Bush seeks to destroy and we will win this election.
The fact is it is time for a change and I will deliver that message and yes we will truly take our country back.
Feingold: Well the reason is I have the clearest policy agenda of everyone on this stage. I am the only one who has a proposal that will expand healthcare to everyone , a plan that will invest more in our economy than any candidate, a plan to rebuild our unions to make the economy fair for working Americans again and a record of fighting for equal rights as well. The fact is Republicans yes will try to use their standard talking points of me being a tax and spend democrat who is weak on defense but I can tell you that when Americans get a clear choice of our parties agenda in the fall they will vote for us if we present them with that choice.
Listen we not only need to attack the Republicans on their policies like my two opponents on the stage can do but present a clear alternative as well to give the Americans the option to give us a chance to govern. Also Senator Clinton what you said implied about me not being able to appeal to moderates is just not true. I have a record of working across the isle on multiple issues , such as on campaign finance reform along with President McCain back when he was a Republican member of the senate and it eventually did pass.
Clinton: I too have a record of working across the isle to get important legislation passed such as CHIP. The fact is though Senator Feingold polls show you right now as the candidate who has the least appeal among moderate voters which is why I made the point I made and stand by it.
Feingold: Well thats cause at this stage we havent been able to take our platform and campaign against them so commonly held narratives are much stronger than they will be in the fall when the people get to see what we are all really oferring
Trump; The fact is both Senator Clinton and Senator Feingold have been in Washington for a long time and not accomplished much at all. It is an attack the Republicans will not be able to use on me cause I have been very successful in what I wanted to do
Clinton: Running a Government is not the same as running a Business as your main goal in running the government is not to make a profit but to help the people and I have the most experiance in doing that.
Trump: If we ran it like a business , we would make good deals which would let us have the money to spend on the economy
Poll
