Hillary Clinton in 2007 Democratic Primary Debate in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nov.15, 2007

On Education: Get more teachers into hard-to-serve areas

I support school-based merit pay. We need to get more teachers to go into hard-to-serve areas. We’ve got to get them into underserved urban areas, underserved rural areas. The school is a team, and it’s important that we reward that collaboration. A child who moves from kindergarten to sixth grade in the same school, every one of those teachers is going to affect that child. You need to weed out the teachers not doing a good job. That’s the bottom line. They should not be teaching our children. Source: 2007 Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Nevada Nov 15, 2007

On Health Care: Health care tax credit ensures affordability

I helped to create the children’s health insurance program back in 1997. I am totally committed to making sure every single child is covered. I provide a health care tax credit under my American Health Choices Plan so that every American will be able to afford the health care. I open up the congressional plan, but there is a big difference between Obama and me. He starts from the premise of not reaching universal health care. Source: 2007 Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Nevada Nov 15, 2007

On Homeland Security: National security is more important than human rights

Q: What is more important, human rights or national security?

A: The first obligation of the president of the US is to protect and defend the US. That doesn’t mean that it is to the exclusion of other interests. After 9/11, Bush had a chance to chart a different course, both in Pakistan and in Afghanistan, and could have been very clear about what our expectations were. We are now in a bind. It is not completely, but partly, a result of the failed policies of the Bush administration. Where we are today means that we have to say to Musharraf, “Look, this is not in your interest either; this is not in the interest of the US. It is not in your interest to either stay in power or stay alive.” When I was meeting with him earlier this year I asked him if he would accept a high-level presidential envoy to begin to negotiate some of these issues. He said yes. I called the White House, I asked them to send such a high-level envoy. They did not do it. They’re going to send one now.

Source: 2007 Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Nevada Nov 15, 2007

On Immigration: Oppose granting driver’s licenses to illegal immigrants

Q: In the absence of comprehensive immigration reform, do you support driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants?

A: No.

Source: 2007 Democratic debate in Las Vegas, Nevada Nov 15, 2007

On Social Security: FactCheck: Yes, removing $97,500 cap affects middle-class

Clinton called Obama’s proposal to raise Social Security taxes on annual earnings over $97,500 “a trillion-dollar increase on middle class families.” Obama defended his proposal: “Only 6% of Americans make more than $97,000--so 6% is not the middle class --it’s the upper class.” Clinton responded that some of her constituents would still find the increase burdensome. “I represent firefighters. I represent school supervisors,” she said.

The base pay of an NYC firefighter is $68,475 after 5 years on the job. So Clinton is being misleading to suggest that a rank-&-file firefighter would be affected. On the other hand, FDNY captains make $140,173 with overtime. For them, Obama’s proposal could amount to a $2,646 tax increase. As for school administrators, in NY state there are few that make less than $100,000 a year.

Obama may be correct to say that only the top 6.5% of earners would be affected. But we judge that Obama is being misleading to say that his proposal would tax only the “upper class.”

Source: FactCheck on 2007 Democratic debate in Las Vegas Nov 15, 2007

The above quotations are from 2007 Democratic Primary Debate in Las Vegas, Nevada, Nov.15, 2007. Click here for main summary page. Click here for a profile of Hillary Clinton. Click here for Hillary Clinton on all issues.
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