Heartland Presidential Forum Live Thread- Obama

by: Adam Bink

Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 17:26

Obama: Absolutely. I have been a community organizer my whole life.

Question: What will you do in re health insurance industry?

Obama: Everyone will have coverage as good as me. We will do more for prevention and I will address the public/private relationship.

Question: Why don't we expand Medicare/Medicaid/S-CHIP and not reward the private industry?

Obama: I've seen trouble w/pre-existing conditions with my mother and her insurance problems. I will expand S-CHIP, I'm vague on expanding government health insurance programs. Don't eliminate private market because 50% of everyone gets it there, but we will give them a choice.

Question: What will you do to help us deal with  the gap between rich and poor?

Obama: I will roll back the Bush tax cuts, close the tax loopholes for companies operating overseas. First $15K of payroll tax will be exempted. Homeowners who don't itemize on their tax forms will be given a deduction to deal with this housing crisis. Low-income senior citizens will be exempt from income tax.

Question: Will you pressure lenders to convert adjustible rate mortgages to fixed rates, what will you do to provide homeowner relief?

Obama: Pressure on banks and find homeowners who have been deceived to offer relief. Interest rates need to be fully disclosured to potential homeowners and we need to end fraud. Credit card deceptive practices is a problem we need to address as well.

Question: Meet with us?

Obama: Yes, you will help me shape the agenda. He's the last candidate to go up.

Thoughts?

Heartland Presidential Forum Live Thread- Dodd

by: Adam Bink

Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 16:51

Dodd: Yep. I joined the Peace Corps. You understand such values when you travel to do community organizing. I authored FMLA which took years and 3 Presidents. I authored a bill on birth pre-screening because I understood community values and how they are similar all over the world.

Question: I came here illegally. I have followed all the rules after that. How can people be treated in such a way?

Dodd: I support the Dream Act. Rhetoric is cheap, that's what separates me from the other candidates. Families shouldn't be divided and separated. Illegal immigrants should be allowed to stay. We should lessen waiting times for people to come.

Question: Would you reject enforcement-only policies and offer a path to legalization in the first 100 days in your Admin?

Dodd: Yep. You should look at who's gotten work done instead of talked. I've led on FMLA, Head Start.

Question: I have seen poverty and high student loan debt. What will you do to ensure young people don't live in debt?

Dodd: I'm one of the only candidates who voted against the bankruptcy bill. My legislation says no one goes into bankruptcy because of a health crisis or student loan debt. You should never lose your home in a bankruptcy crisis.

Question: What will you do to reduce poverty?

Dodd: Expand the child tax credit and EITC. I will strengthen unionization. I will only pass trade agreements with good labor standards.

Question: Meet with us?

Dodd: I'll meet with you the week after the election.

Heartland Presidential Forum Live Thread- Clinton

by: Adam Bink

Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 16:25

Question: Would you make sure we live up to our community values?

Clinton: Yes I will. (ha)

Question: The private health insurance industry sucks and has failed us. Do you think the gov't needs to increase its support of us when the private sector has failed?

Clinton: We need better health care that is most cost-effective. We need to lower the cost so people can afford prevention. I propose a universal health care plan that says you keep what you have if you want to. If your insurance is terrible or you have a pre-existing condition, you have access to the Congressional plan. We will limit total costs of health care to a % of your income to compete with private insurance. Private companies must guarantee coverage to everyone, cover prevention. Moderator cuts her off.

Question: Your health care plan is flawed in preserving private/public insurance mix. The private industry has large admin costs and avoids enrollment of those who need insurance the most. Why not expand public insurance instead of helping expand the private industry?

Clinton: My plan provides for public option to compete. It regulates the insurance companies unless they change their policies of what they charge/cover. I will make Medicare more efficient and expand Medicaid.

Question: Why can't immigrants integrate into our communities to have good-paying jobs?

Clinton: I support comprehensive immigration reform. (confused by this silly policy of asking several questions from different people before candidate response)

Question: Rahm Emanuel told his candidates to be anti-undocumented immigrant. Will you support a path to citizenship in your first 100 days?

Clinton: I support a path to citizenship, have voted for it. It will be a high priority for me. You have to get the Congress to pass the legislation, I will work as hard as I can.

Question: Will you meet with us?

Clinton: Of course.

Heartland Presidential Forum Live Thread- Kucinich

by: Adam Bink

Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 16:03

Question: What will you do to ensure that we live up to our community values?

Kucinich: As Mayor of Cleveland, I worked to save the public electric utility, community hospitals. I'm the only one running who wants a non-profit, single-payer system. I'm the author of Medicare for All. Health care is a right, not a privilege.

Story: Gov't authorities raid factories with illegal immigrants in them and divide families on Dec 12, 2006, Lady of Guadalupe day.

Question: Tyson Foods pays me $9.30/hour. They try to divide workers of different races. What would you to do improve such conditions?

Kucinich: I'm wearing a watch with the Lady of Guadalupe on it from El Paso. I stand up for immigrants. There are no illegal human beings. I will cancel NAFTA and CAFTA. I support the Dream Act. I support a living wage.

Question: What else would you do to ensure a living wage/safe working conditions/right to organize?

Kucinich: My program will have a full employment economy. Non-profit health care. Education for all, age 3-college, fully paid. Manufacturing policy based on renegotiation of all trade agreements.

Story: Another factory farm hog shit/smell declaration. Amazing.

Question: Oil and gas companies spew methane and contaminated drilling fluids. They cause birth defects and cancer and have exemptions from the government to hide their work. How can these companies operate like this? How would you lessen big corporations' power?

Kucinich: Take away those companies' right to drill. Lead us to a carbon/nuclear-free economy.

Question: Do you support public funding for elections?

Kucinich: Yup. Constitutional amendment to overturn Buckley v. Valeo. Our gov't should stand for us.

Question: Would you agree to meet with our community groups?

Kucinich: You can sleep in the Lincoln Bedroom. Si se puede.

Heartland Presidential Forum Live Thread- Edwards

by: Adam Bink

Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 15:40

Edwards is up first with Cathy Hughes from Radio One, the largest African-American-owned station in the country, hosting.

Question: If elected President, would you be willing to make the hard decisions to ensure we live up to community values?

Edwards: Yup. Special interests have taken over the gov't, they suck. They are the cause of all the disenfranchised voices in D.C. like the poor. I'm with you in taking them on. BTW, community activists like you rock.

Story: 5th largest corporate factory farm tried to come into our neighborhood last year. Now I have 10,000 hogs spreading their shit close to people's  property (ew). What happened to clean air/water?

Question: Corporations are too powerful. Do you agree? (What kind of a softball is that?)

Edwards: Yup. Predatory lending, big drug/insurance/gas companies suck. They ruin our land/environment. I spent 20 years as a lawyer fighting for you.

Question: In Harden county, we have more factory farms than anywhere in the state. How are you going to place a moratorium on factory farms?

Edwards: We need to stand up to big corporations. I will enforce enviro laws. I will use my Justice dept. to enforce anti-trust laws against big corps.

Question: Latinos predominantly breathe polluted air, drink polluted water. Don't we deserve a healthy environment?

Edwards (grinning at such questions): Dirty air, water mostly affects the poor. People are entitled to a healthy environment. Yada yada yada. Also, racial profiling should be stopped. I will close Guantanamo. No more secret prisons. No more illegal wiretaps. No torture.

Question: Over 2 million people in prison, mostly POC's. What would you do to end racial profiling?

Edwards: We will end racial profiling. Mandatory minimum sentences are wrong... the problem is one of equality and empowering the poor. Min wage should be $9.50/hour. I want to strengthen the right to organize.

Question: Would you meet with Camp for Comm Values as Pres?

Edwards: Duh. In the first week.

Closing: I believe in moral responsibility to end suffering of the poor. It is the moral test of our generation. CCC rocks.

Heartland Presidential Forum Open Thread

by: Adam Bink

Sat Dec 01, 2007 at 14:51

TV One's "Wait until we load" playlist opened with some nice salsa music, followed by "Everyday People" by Sly and the Family Stone, and "City of Immigrants" by Steve Earle. What a playlist.

Obama may still keep my vote: Politics of Fear

by: bluethunder

Wed Oct 31, 2007 at 06:50

And he has fallen in my view as of late, and I have said he is now in a 3 way tie with Edwards, and Dodd for my vote.

But there were several points last night during the debate in which I was reminded of why I have endorsed him up to this point.

I want to give one example and analysis over the jump.

Dem Debate Open Thread

by: Adam Bink

Wed Sep 26, 2007 at 21:24

Gravel's both comical and occasionally useful, all at the same time.