South Carolina Democratic Primary Debate

by Christian Grantham - 6:55 am January 22, 2008

Last night’s debate was awesome. Here is a video clip showing when the sparks started to fly. In this clip, Hillary Clinton argued that the candidates’ record matters and preceded to go through Obama’s record. Obama fired back, for the record, that Clinton was a corporate board member for Wal-Mart when Obama saw people’s jobs go overseas. Clinton responded saying while she worked for America, Obama represented slum lords as a lawyer in Chicago.

I didn’t have time to make the other clips, but on health care, Clinton and Edwards both challenged Obama’s proclaimation that his plan is universal health care, demonstrating Obama doesn’t seem to really understand what universal health is or means. In another clip both Clinton and Edwards raised Obama’s voting record in IL where he voted “present” over 100 times to avoid making tough decisions.

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| related: 2008 Presidential

6 Comments » | RSS for these comments TrackBack URL

1. Comment by Rob — January 22, 2008 @ 8:57 am

   This is one of those unusual moments in politics when both candidates are right. Hillary is correct that Obama shouldn’t be President, and Obama is correct that Hillary shouldn’t be President. And of course everybody agrees that Edwards shouldn’t be President. Heaven save us from any of these poseurs.

   
   
   

2. Comment by Sean Braisted — January 22, 2008 @ 9:06 am

   Christian,

   Do you have the HRC talking points beamed into your head every morning? Seriously.

   As per Health Care: Car insurance is mandated…how many people do you think drive on the road w/out car insurance? Quite a few. The question becomes enforcement, and I have yet to hear Hillary say how she will do that.

   So, does Obama’s plan cover everyone that wants to be covered, yes…in the same way that Hillary and Edwards’ do.

   Edwards raised Obama’s voting record in IL where he voted “present” over 100 times to avoid making tough decisions.

   Actually, in many of those “present votes,” Obama was the only person to stand up defend the constitution. For instance, on a bill mandating that aborted fetus’ be given health care, Obama voted present, because while the principle behind it was good, the bill itself had constitutional issues that could’ve been addressed, but the Republicans refused to do so.

   In Illinois, they have the ability to vote ‘Present’ where the US Congress does not. Its a perfectly legitimate way to vote on bills that are good in principle, but not sound legally. Nearly ever legislator in Illinois has a record of “present” votes…Obama is not alone.

   
   
   

3. Comment by Christian — January 22, 2008 @ 9:44 am

   Sean, I don’t get talking points. I worked on domestic policy forums in the second term of the Clinton Administration and understand where Hillary is coming from and where she wants to take our country. A lot of people remember the historic economic prosperity and record surpluses that resulted from fiscal discipline and sound domestic policy under an administration that understood how to drive the nation’s agenda.

   I don’t know how much you pay a year for your mandated car insurance, but if mandating health coverage brings the price anywhere near it I’d very very happy.

   When Obama said that not voting 100+ times was his strategy for getting things done for the people of IL, that just took the cake for me.

   
   
   

4. Comment by Sean Braisted — January 22, 2008 @ 2:05 pm

   I don’t know how much you pay a year for your mandated car insurance, but if mandating health coverage brings the price anywhere near it I’d very very happy.

   What does price have anything to do with it? Obama’s plan still offers lower health care costs, a prohibition against discriminating against pre-existing conditions, and the option to buy into a Federal Health Care plan if it works better.

   How will Hillary mandate insurance? I have yet to hear.

   
   
   

5. Comment by Christian — January 23, 2008 @ 11:56 am

   Sorry for the delay. My tinfoil hat didn’t download today’s talking points

   Price is likely why health care is a top domestic policy issue with most Americans. Universal Health care brings down the cost of care. Two of the Democratic candidates for President offer that plan in line with core Democratic principles and one does not.

   In the end, how we get to mandated coverage will be worked out by both parties under the Administrations of either Hillary Clinton or John Edwards. An Obama Administration would never try, and Obama said so in the last debate. That’s the choice we have to make before working with Congress to make it happen.

   
   
   

6. Comment by Christian — January 23, 2008 @ 2:49 pm

   I just came across this quote by Obama from a February DNC meeting that I think sums up what makes him different from Clinton/Edwards and their plans to bring back the kind of historic economic prosperity we had in the 1990s.

   “There are those who don’t believe in talking about hope. They say, ‘Well, we want specifics, we want details, and we want white papers, and we want plans.’ We’ve had a lot of plans, Democrats. What we’ve had is a shortage of hope. And over the next year, over the next two years, that will be my call to you.”

   Well, except when your opponents are clobbering you with the hope of universal health care.

   
   
   

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