The February 21st Democratic Debate - Part One

Are you planning to watch the democratic debate tonight? It is set to begin at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time and is being televised on CNN.

Having won 11 straight contests in a row, Senator Obama is on a roll - and Senator Clinton is on a mission!

Comments?

It could be a long night! Here's a bit of summary:

Regarding whether or not to engage in talks with Raoul Castro, Senator Clinton said: I agree absolutely that we should be willing to have diplomatic processes with anyone. I'm open to opening up diplomatic processes with Iran. But there has been this difference regarding when and whether the president should offer a meeting with those with whom we don't have diplomatic relations. The era of arrogance is over.

Senator Obama said: Preparation is absolutely critical in any meeting. Either of us would step back from the Bush unilateralism that's caused so much damage. The president should take a more active diplomatic role than might have been true 30 years ago. Saying that meeting with the president of the U.S. has to be earned keeps us in a more arrogant place.

On the Economy John King asked: How are you different from your opponent?

Obama said: First, you don't need an economist or the Federal Reserve to tell the people the economy is in trouble. This has to be a priority of the next president. We have to restore a sense of fairness and balance to the economy. Stop giving tax breaks to companies who move overseas, end the Bush tax breaks to wealthy, give tax breaks to those making $75,000 or less, seniors making less than $50,000. You shouldn't have to pay tax on social security. Trade deals should be viewed not just through Wall Street but through Main Street. Environmental and safety standards should be taken into account. We need to create a green economy, cap greenhouses gases, and invest in solar, wind and biodiesel.

We agree on many of these issues. The question to ask is: How do we get it done? We must be able to form a working coalition for change. The special interests will resist and we have to overcome the dominance by special interest groups to bring about economic change. This is where we [Senators Clinton and Obama] may have a slight difference.

Clinton: I would agree with a lot that Obama just said. We're going to rid of the tax code loopholes and giveaways. We're going to get the tax code to reflect middle-class needs. The wealthy have had a president the last seven years; it's time for a president to work for you. Trade agreements need environmental standards - we need a trade prosecutor to enforce apolicies, tougher standards and enforcement.  I would immediately crack down on foreclosure-related abuses by lenders, enact a 90-day moratorium on home foreclosures and freeze interest rates for 5 years. There are three ways to jump start the economy: clean, green jobs; invest in infrastructure; and end George Bush's war on science.

Jorge Ramos asked whether the candidates would consider stopping immigration raids.

Clinton: I'd consider stopping that. We need comprehensive immigration reform. We need more federal help for communities like Laredo and Austin. We need a path to legalization for immigrants - a fine, the payment of back taxes over time, and learning English. Criminals would be deported.

Obama: Comprehensive immigration reform died in the House this year because it was used as a political football. Adding to what Clinton said, it is critical that we tone down the rhetoric. Hate crimes have skyrocketed in the wake of debate and that is unacceptable. We are a nation of laws and a nation of immigrants. These two things can be reconciled. We need stronger border security, to crack down on employers who are taking advantage of workers (in a way that doesn't lead to discrimination), require workers to pay a fine and back taxes, learn English - and to go to the back of the line. It is important that we fix the LEGAL immigration system, too. We keep increasing the fees, which is discriminatory against people who don't have the money but do have the character. We have to improve our relationship with Mexico so their economy is producing jobs on that side of the border. Bush has dropped the ball.

John King asked about finishing the border fence:

Clinton: We both voted for the fence as part of the immigration debate. Having been along the border, there is a smart way and a dumb way to protect our borders. I learned last night that the University of TX would have part of its campus cut off. This is the absurdity we're getting from this administration. What I've said is wait a minute - we need to review this. There may be places where a border is feasible. The Bush administration has gone off the deep end - their plan is counterproductive. I would listen to people who live along the border.

There's a lot we've learned about technology and smart fencing. We may not need a physical barrier but perhaps more personnel. There may be limited places where a fence would work, but technology and personnel might work better.

Obama: This is an area where Clinton and I almost entirely agree. Consultations are needed and the Bush administration is not good at listening well. Obama would reverse the decision to fence, although there may be areas where it's feasible after studying the issue and listening to people. If we want to provide opportunity for the undocumented workers who are here, we need bring order to the process. The American people want fairness - deporting 12 million people would be ridiculous. Comprehensive reform is important. Something we can do immediately is to pass the Dream Act - which allows children who grew up here access to education.

Jorge Ramos asked if there was a downside to the U.S. becoming bilingual

Clinton: As many Americans as possible should learn another language and be bilingual. English should remain our common, unifying language. It's not appropriate to make English "the official language." We shouldn't discriminate against people who don't use English, but it is an important part of the American experience.

Obama: It is important that everyone learns English - that we have that process of binding ourselves together as a country. But, every student should be learning a second language. English speaking children should be learning a second language as well. We have fallen behind on this. NCLB is narrowly focused on standardized test that has pushed out the opportunities to learn foreign languages.

Read Part Two

Read Part Three

(Disclaimer: The context of this article is not meant to be an exact verbatim transcript but is substantially accurate.)