Quotes From the Democratic Debate

Thursday, January 31, 2008

By The Associated Press

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Quotes from the Democratic debate between New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama on Thursday in Los Angeles.

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CLINTON

_On giving illegal immigrants driver's licenses: "I do not think that it is either appropriate to give a driver's license to someone who is here undocumented, putting them, frankly, at risk, because that is clear evidence that they are not here legally, and I believe it is a diversion from what should be the focus at creating a political coalition with the courage to stand up and change the immigration system."

_On voting for the Iraq war resolution: "Some people now think that this was a very clear, open-and-shut case. We bombed them for days in 1998 because Saddam Hussein threw out inspectors. We had evidence that they had a lot of bad stuff for a very long time which we discovered after the first Gulf War. Knowing that he was a megalomaniac, knowing he would not want to compete for attention with Osama bin Laden, there were legitimate concerns about what he might do. So, I think I made a reasoned judgment. Unfortunately, the person who actually got to execute the policy did not."

_On Sen. Edward M. Kennedy and Caroline Kennedy endorsing Obama and arguing that the country is ready for a new generation of leaders: "We're going to have change. I think having the first woman president would be a huge change for America and the world. But, of course, despite the enthusiasm of our supporters or our endorsers _ and we're both proud of everyone who has come to be part of our campaign _ this is about the two of us. You have to, as voters, determine who you think can be the best president, to tackle all those problems on day one, waiting in the Oval Office, who can be the best nominee for the Democratic Party to be able to withstand whatever they decide to do on the other side of the aisle, and come out victorious."

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OBAMA

_On Republicans calling him a tax-and-spend liberal Democrat: "I don't think the Republicans are going to be in a real strong position to argue fiscal responsibility, when they have added $4 trillion or $5 trillion ... worth of national debt. I am happy to have that argument. If John McCain, for example, is the nominee, I respect that John McCain, in the first two rounds of Bush tax cuts, said it is irresponsible that we have never before cut taxes at the same time as we're going into war. And somewhere along the line, the straight talk express lost some wheels and now he is in favor of extending Bush tax cuts that went to some of the wealthiest Americans who don't need them and were not even asking for them."

_On the possibility of an Obama-Clinton or Clinton-Obama ticket for the White House: "I think it's premature for either of us to start speculating about vice presidents, et cetera. I think it would be premature and presumptuous. I can say this about _about who I want not just as vice president but as a cabinet member. Part of what I would like to do is restore a sense of what is possible in government. And that means having people of the greatest excellence and competence. It means people with integrity. It means people with independence, who are willing to say no to me so, so that, you know, no more yes-men or -women in the White House. Because I'm not going to be right on every single issue."

_On Iraq: "I welcome the progress. This notion that Democrats don't want to see progress in Iraq is ridiculous. I have to hug mothers in rope lines during town hall meetings as they weep over their fallen sons and daughters. I want to get our troops home safely, and I want us as a country to have this mission completed honorably. But the notion that somehow we have succeeded as a consequence of the recent reductions in violence means that we have set the bar so low it's buried in the sand at this point."