CNN 2015 GOP primary debate: on Government Reform


Bobby Jindal: It's time for term limits; fire them all

Q: Can anyone from inside of Washington win this election cycle?

JINDAL: No. And it's not only whether they can win. They shouldn't win this election cycle. One of the things Donald Trump was right about was to say nonsense to the D.C. establishment. It is time to fire all of them. You've got a choice between honest Socialists on the Left, like Bernie Sanders, and lying conservatives on the Right. We have got the majority; what good has it done us? See, they said they were going to stop amnesty. They said they were going to repeal ObamaCare. They didn't do either. Now they're not even willing to fight to defund Planned Parenthood. [Senate GOP leader] McConnell has already waved the white flag of defeat. They are not willing to stand up to fight for the issues that count. I think it is time to have term limits. I think it's time to have part-time citizen legislators. Let's pay them a per diem instead of a six-figure salary, stop them from being seven-figure lobbyists.

Source: 2015 Republican two-tiered primary undercard debate on CNN Sep 16, 2015

Bobby Jindal: I will have lots of litmus tests for Supreme Court justices

You've never had a Democratic judge wake up and say, surprise, I've evolved, I've become a conservative. It's always the Republicans, because we have presidents that try to find judges with no records, no rulings, no writings. I'll tell you, I am going to have a litmus test. I'm going to find judges that are conservative, judges that are going to be pro-life, judges that are going to follow "The Constitution."
Source: 2015 Republican two-tiered primary undercard debate on CNN Sep 16, 2015

Carly Fiorina: 75% of people think current government is corrupt

The truth is 75 percent of the American people think the government is corrupt; 82 percent of the American people think these problems that have festered for 50 years in some cases, 25 years in other cases. The border's been insecure for 25 years; 307,000 veterans have died waiting for health care. These things have gone on for so long because no one will challenge the status quo.
Source: 2015 Republican two-tiered primary debate on CNN Sep 16, 2015

Chris Christie: I've vetoed 400 bills with no overrides

Q [to Christie]: Dr. Ben Carson said campaigning is easier for him, because he's not a politician. He can just tell the truth, therefore, while politicians, "Have their finger in the air to see and do what is politically expedient." Is that a fair description of you?

CHRISTIE: Well, I know Ben wasn't talking about me; I'm sure he was talking about one of the other guys, not me. As far as being an outsider is concerned, let me tell you this, I'm a Republican in New Jersey. I wake up every morning as an outsider. I wake up every morning with a Democratic legislature who trying to beat my head in and fight me because I'm trying to bring conservative change to a state that needed it desperately. I vetoed 400 bills from a crazy liberal Democratic legislature, not one of them has been overridden. I've vetoed more tax increases than any governor in American history. What folks want in this country is somebody to go down there and get the job done. And that's exactly what I'll do.

Source: 2015 Republican two-tiered primary debate on CNN Sep 16, 2015

Donald Trump: I'm not accepting any money from anybody

Q [to Jeb Bush]: Mr. Trump has repeatedly said that the $100 million you've raised for your campaign makes you a puppet for your donors. Are you?

BUSH: No. Absolutely not. The one guy that tried to get me to change my views on something--that was generous and gave me money--was Donald Trump. He wanted casino gambling in Florida.

TRUMP: I promise if I wanted it, I would have gotten it.

BUSH: No way. Believe me.

Q: What about politicians being controlled by donors?

TRUMP: Jeb made the statement, but I'm not only referring to him. A lot of money was raised by a lot of different people that are standing up here. And the donors, the special interests, the lobbyists have very strong power over these people. I am not accepting any money from anybody. Nobody has control of me other than the people of this country. I'm going to do the right thing.

Source: 2015 Republican two-tiered primary debate on CNN Sep 16, 2015

George Pataki: Lifetime ban on elected officials becoming lobbyists

I would propose a law: right now there are over 400 former members of the House and Senate who are registered lobbyists in Washington. I would propose a law on day one, you serve one day in the House or Senate, there's a lifetime ban on you ever being a lobbyist in Washington, D.C. You get elected, you go back home. You don't stay and support the special interests.
Source: 2015 Republican two-tiered primary undercard debate on CNN Sep 16, 2015

Jeb Bush: Fight for Supreme Court nominees who uphold our Constitution

Q:After Chief Justice John Roberts voted to uphold ObamaCare twice, Senator Cruz criticized your brother for appointing John Roberts to the Supreme Court. Did your brother make a mistake?

BUSH: Well, I'm surprised Senator Cruz would say that since he was as strong supporter of John Roberts at the time. I will talk about what I will do as it relates to appointing Supreme Court Justices. We need to make sure that we have justices that, with a proven experienced record of respect for upholding the constitution. That is what we need. The history in recent past is to appoint people that have no experience so that you can't get attacked. I'm willing to fight for those nominees to make sure that they get passed. You can't do it the politically expedient way anymore.

CRUZ: Yes, it was a mistake when John Roberts was appointed to the Supreme Court. I supported his confirmation. That was a mistake and I regret that

Source: 2015 Republican two-tiered primary debate on CNN Sep 16, 2015

Lindsey Graham: Supreme Court decided gay marriage; it's the law of the land

SANTORUM: What the Supreme Court did [in legalizing same-sex marriage] is against the natural law, it's against God's law and we have every obligation to stand in opposition to it.

PATAKI: We're going to have a president who defies the Supreme Court because they don't agree?

SANTORUM: I hope so. If they're wrong.

PATAKI: Then you don't have the rule of law.

SANTORUM: No, what you have is judicial supremacy. You don't have a rule of law when the court has the final say on everything.

GRAHAM: I wasn't the best law student. But on the first day in law school we reviewed a case called "Marbury v. Madison." The group in our constitutional democracy that interprets the Constitution is the Supreme Court. In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court have ruled that same-sex marriage bans at the state level violate the Fourteenth Amendment's equal protection clause. I don't agree with it, but that is the law of the land.

Source: 2015 Republican two-tiered primary undercard debate on CNN Sep 16, 2015

Lindsey Graham: 2016 election will determine judiciary for decades to come

To the Republicans, the biggest prize on the table in 2017 is the presidency. If it is Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden or Bernie Sanders, they are going to pick people that we will disagree with all the time. Please understand, we have to win this election. The court's at stake. It is the most important reason for us to turn out, to make sure we don't lose the judiciary for decades to come.
Source: 2015 Republican two-tiered primary undercard debate on CNN Sep 16, 2015

Rick Santorum: Oppose Supreme Court when exceeding constitutional authority

We need a president who's going to fight a court that is abusive, that has superseded their authority. Judicial supremacy is not in the Constitution, and we need a president and a Congress to stand up to a court when it exceeds its constitutional authority.
Source: 2015 Republican two-tiered primary undercard debate on CNN Sep 16, 2015

Rick Santorum: I fought for conservative judges & filibustered liberal ones

Justice Roberts had a long, good record. He made a bad decision on ObamaCare but he's made a lot of great decisions, too. I don't regret standing up for John Roberts. I fought when I was in the Senate. We fought, for the first time, to defeat justices and judges that Bill Clinton nominated and I fought with President Bush to defend his nominees. So I have been there on the front line, fighting for judges and conservative justices and I will do so as president like none other.
Source: 2015 Republican two-tiered primary undercard debate on CNN Sep 16, 2015

  • The above quotations are from CNN Two-Tier 2015 GOP primary debate
    First Tier: Eleven candidates by polls
    Second Tier: Four other Republicans    .
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  • Click here for more quotes by Carly Fiorina on Government Reform.
  • Click here for more quotes by Donald Trump on Government Reform.
2016 Presidential contenders on Government Reform:
  Republicans:
Gov.Jeb Bush(FL)
Dr.Ben Carson(MD)
Gov.Chris Christie(NJ)
Sen.Ted Cruz(TX)
Carly Fiorina(CA)
Gov.Jim Gilmore(VA)
Sen.Lindsey Graham(SC)
Gov.Mike Huckabee(AR)
Gov.Bobby Jindal(LA)
Gov.John Kasich(OH)
Gov.Sarah Palin(AK)
Gov.George Pataki(NY)
Sen.Rand Paul(KY)
Gov.Rick Perry(TX)
Sen.Rob Portman(OH)
Sen.Marco Rubio(FL)
Sen.Rick Santorum(PA)
Donald Trump(NY)
Gov.Scott Walker(WI) 		Democrats:
Gov.Lincoln Chafee(RI)
Secy.Hillary Clinton(NY)
V.P.Joe Biden(DE)
Gov.Martin O`Malley(MD)
Sen.Bernie Sanders(VT)
Sen.Elizabeth Warren(MA)
Sen.Jim Webb(VA)

2016 Third Party Candidates:
Gov.Gary Johnson(L-NM)
Roseanne Barr(PF-HI)
Robert Steele(L-NY)
Dr.Jill Stein(G,MA)
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Page last updated: Dec 07, 2018