feomike/schieffer-2008-10152008-Debate=Transcript

## schieffer-2008-10152008-Debate=Transcript
schieffer-2008-10152008-Debate=Transcript(http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=october-15-2008-debate-transcript)

BOB SCHIEFFER, MODERATOR
[*] SCHIEFFER: Good evening. And welcome to the third and last presidential debate of 2008, sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. I'm Bob Schieffer of CBS News.The rules tonight are simple. The subject is domestic policy. I will divide the next hour-and-a-half into nine-minute segments.I will ask a question at the beginning of each segment. Each candidate will then have two minutes to respond, and then we'll have a discussion.I'll encourage them to ask follow-up questions of each other. If they do not, I will.The audience behind me has promised to be quiet, except at this moment, when we welcome Barack Obama and John McCain.(APPLAUSE)Gentlemen, welcome.By now, we've heard all the talking points, so let's try to tell the people tonight some things that they -- they haven't heard. Let's get to it.Another very bad day on Wall Street, as both of you know. Both of you proposed new plans this week to address the economic crisis.Senator McCain, you proposed a $52 billion plan that includes new tax cuts on capital gains, tax breaks for seniors, write-offs for stock losses, among other things.Senator Obama, you proposed $60 billion in tax cuts for middle- income and lower-income people, more tax breaks to create jobs, new spending for public works projects to create jobs.I will ask both of you: Why is your plan better than his?Senator McCain, you go first.
SCHIEFFER: All right. Senator Obama?
SCHIEFFER: All right. Would you like to ask him a question?
SCHIEFFER: Is that what you want to do?
SCHIEFFER: All right. Let's go to another topic. It's related. So if you have other things you want to say, you can get back to that.
SCHIEFFER: But you're going to have to cut some of these programs, certainly.
SCHIEFFER: Time's up.
SCHIEFFER: But what...
SCHIEFFER: The question was, what are you going to cut?
SCHIEFFER: Which ones?
SCHIEFFER: Time's up.
SCHIEFFER: Time's up.
SCHIEFFER: Do either of you think you can balance the budget in four years? You have said previously you thought you could, Senator McCain.
SCHIEFFER: You can still do that?
SCHIEFFER: In four years?
SCHIEFFER: Barack.
SCHIEFFER: All right...
SCHIEFFER: OK. About 30 seconds.
SCHIEFFER: All right.
SCHIEFFER: All right. We're going to move to another question and the topic is leadership in this campaign. Both of you pledged to take the high road in this campaign yet it has turned very nasty.
SCHIEFFER: Senator Obama, your campaign has used words like "erratic," "out of touch," "lie," "angry," "losing his bearings" to describe Senator McCain.Senator McCain, your commercials have included words like "disrespectful," "dangerous," "dishonorable," "he lied." Your running mate said he "palled around with terrorists."Are each of you tonight willing to sit at this table and say to each other's face what your campaigns and the people in your campaigns have said about each other?And, Senator McCain, you're first.
SCHIEFFER: Time's up. All right.
SCHIEFFER: Go ahead.
SCHIEFFER: (inaudible)
SCHIEFFER: I mean, do you take issue with that?
SCHIEFFER: Short answer, yes, short answer.
SCHIEFFER: All right. I'm going to let you respond and we'll extend this for a moment.
SCHIEFFER: All right. Let's go to the next topic and you -- we may want to get back into some of this during this next discussion. I want to ask both of you about the people that you're going to bring into the government. And our best insight yet is who you have picked as your running mates.
SCHIEFFER: So I'll begin by asking both of you this question, and I'll ask you to answer first, Senator Obama. Why would the country be better off if your running mate became president rather than his running mate?
SCHIEFFER: Senator?
SCHIEFFER: Do you think she's qualified to be president?
SCHIEFFER: Do you think Senator Biden is qualified?
SCHIEFFER: Let's go to -- let's go to a new topic. We're running a little behind.
SCHIEFFER: Climate change, yes -- has said what both of you have said, and, that is, we must reduce our dependence on foreign oil.When Nixon said it, we imported from 17 to 34 percent of our foreign oil. Now, we're importing more than 60 percent.Would each of you give us a number, a specific number of how much you believe we can reduce our foreign oil imports during your first term?And I believe the first question goes to you, Senator McCain. MCCAIN: I believe we can, for all intents and purposes, eliminate our dependence on Middle Eastern oil and Venezuelan oil. Canadian oil is fine.By the way, when Senator Obama said he would unilaterally renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Canadians said, "Yes, and we'll sell our oil to China."You don't tell countries you're going to unilaterally renegotiate agreements with them.We can eliminate our dependence on foreign oil by building 45 new nuclear plants, power plants, right away. We can store and we can reprocess.Senator Obama will tell you, in the -- as the extreme environmentalists do, it has to be safe.Look, we've sailed Navy ships around the world for 60 years with nuclear power plants on them. We can store and reprocess spent nuclear fuel, Senator Obama, no problem.So the point is with nuclear power, with wind, tide, solar, natural gas, with development of flex fuel, hybrid, clean coal technology, clean coal technology is key in the heartland of America that's hurting rather badly.So I think we can easily, within seven, eight, ten years, if we put our minds to it, we can eliminate our dependence on the places in the world that harm our national security if we don't achieve our independence.
SCHIEFFER: All right. Can we reduce our dependence on foreign oil and by how much in the first term, in four years?
SCHIEFFER: Senator?
SCHIEFFER: All right, let's go to a new topic, health care. Given the current economic situation, would either of you now favor controlling health care costs over expanding health care coverage? The question is first to Senator Obama.
SCHIEFFER: All right.
SCHIEFFER: So that's your objective?
SCHIEFFER: What about that?
SCHIEFFER: All right. A short response.
SCHIEFFER: All right. Let's stop there and go to another question. And this one goes to Senator McCain. Senator McCain, you believe Roe v. Wade should be overturned. Senator Obama, you believe it shouldn't.Could either of you ever nominate someone to the Supreme Court who disagrees with you on this issue? Senator McCain?
SCHIEFFER: But you don't want Roe v. Wade to be overturned?
SCHIEFFER: But even if it was someone -- even someone who had a history of being for abortion rights, you would consider them?
SCHIEFFER: All right.
SCHIEFFER: Time's up.
SCHIEFFER: Response?
SCHIEFFER: Let's give Senator McCain a short response...
SCHIEFFER: ... and then...
SCHIEFFER: Let's stop there, because I want to get in a question on education and I'm afraid this is going to have to be our last question, gentlemen.
SCHIEFFER: Senator McCain?
SCHIEFFER: Do you think the federal government should play a larger role in the schools? And I mean, more federal money?
SCHIEFFER: What about that, Senator?
SCHIEFFER: All right.
SCHIEFFER: All right.Gentlemen, we have come to the close. Before I ask both of you for your closing statements tonight, I'd like to invite our viewers and listeners to go to MyDebates.org, where you will find this evening's debates and the three that preceded tonight's debate.Now, for the final statements, by a coin toss, Senator McCain goes first.
SCHIEFFER: Senator?
SCHIEFFER: Senator Obama, Senator McCain, thank you very much.This concludes the final debate. I'm Bob Schieffer of CBS News, and I will leave you tonight with what my mother always said -- go vote now. It will make you feel big and strong. Good night, everyone.
	schieffer-2008-10152008-Debate=Transcript(http://www.debates.org/index.php?page=october-15-2008-debate-transcript)

	BOB SCHIEFFER, MODERATOR
	[*] SCHIEFFER: Good evening. And welcome to the third and last presidential debate of 2008, sponsored by the Commission on Presidential Debates. I'm Bob Schieffer of CBS News.The rules tonight are simple. The subject is domestic policy. I will divide the next hour-and-a-half into nine-minute segments.I will ask a question at the beginning of each segment. Each candidate will then have two minutes to respond, and then we'll have a discussion.I'll encourage them to ask follow-up questions of each other. If they do not, I will.The audience behind me has promised to be quiet, except at this moment, when we welcome Barack Obama and John McCain.(APPLAUSE)Gentlemen, welcome.By now, we've heard all the talking points, so let's try to tell the people tonight some things that they -- they haven't heard. Let's get to it.Another very bad day on Wall Street, as both of you know. Both of you proposed new plans this week to address the economic crisis.Senator McCain, you proposed a $52 billion plan that includes new tax cuts on capital gains, tax breaks for seniors, write-offs for stock losses, among other things.Senator Obama, you proposed $60 billion in tax cuts for middle- income and lower-income people, more tax breaks to create jobs, new spending for public works projects to create jobs.I will ask both of you: Why is your plan better than his?Senator McCain, you go first.
	SCHIEFFER: All right. Senator Obama?
	SCHIEFFER: All right. Would you like to ask him a question?
	SCHIEFFER: Is that what you want to do?
	SCHIEFFER: All right. Let's go to another topic. It's related. So if you have other things you want to say, you can get back to that.
	SCHIEFFER: But you're going to have to cut some of these programs, certainly.
	SCHIEFFER: Time's up.
	SCHIEFFER: But what...
	SCHIEFFER: The question was, what are you going to cut?
	SCHIEFFER: Which ones?
	SCHIEFFER: Time's up.
	SCHIEFFER: Time's up.
	SCHIEFFER: Do either of you think you can balance the budget in four years? You have said previously you thought you could, Senator McCain.
	SCHIEFFER: You can still do that?
	SCHIEFFER: In four years?
	SCHIEFFER: Barack.
	SCHIEFFER: All right...
	SCHIEFFER: OK. About 30 seconds.
	SCHIEFFER: All right.
	SCHIEFFER: All right. We're going to move to another question and the topic is leadership in this campaign. Both of you pledged to take the high road in this campaign yet it has turned very nasty.
	SCHIEFFER: Senator Obama, your campaign has used words like "erratic," "out of touch," "lie," "angry," "losing his bearings" to describe Senator McCain.Senator McCain, your commercials have included words like "disrespectful," "dangerous," "dishonorable," "he lied." Your running mate said he "palled around with terrorists."Are each of you tonight willing to sit at this table and say to each other's face what your campaigns and the people in your campaigns have said about each other?And, Senator McCain, you're first.
	SCHIEFFER: Time's up. All right.
	SCHIEFFER: Go ahead.
	SCHIEFFER: (inaudible)
	SCHIEFFER: I mean, do you take issue with that?
	SCHIEFFER: Short answer, yes, short answer.
	SCHIEFFER: All right. I'm going to let you respond and we'll extend this for a moment.
	SCHIEFFER: All right. Let's go to the next topic and you -- we may want to get back into some of this during this next discussion. I want to ask both of you about the people that you're going to bring into the government. And our best insight yet is who you have picked as your running mates.
	SCHIEFFER: So I'll begin by asking both of you this question, and I'll ask you to answer first, Senator Obama. Why would the country be better off if your running mate became president rather than his running mate?
	SCHIEFFER: Senator?
	SCHIEFFER: Do you think she's qualified to be president?
	SCHIEFFER: Do you think Senator Biden is qualified?
	SCHIEFFER: Let's go to -- let's go to a new topic. We're running a little behind.
	SCHIEFFER: Climate change, yes -- has said what both of you have said, and, that is, we must reduce our dependence on foreign oil.When Nixon said it, we imported from 17 to 34 percent of our foreign oil. Now, we're importing more than 60 percent.Would each of you give us a number, a specific number of how much you believe we can reduce our foreign oil imports during your first term?And I believe the first question goes to you, Senator McCain. MCCAIN: I believe we can, for all intents and purposes, eliminate our dependence on Middle Eastern oil and Venezuelan oil. Canadian oil is fine.By the way, when Senator Obama said he would unilaterally renegotiate the North American Free Trade Agreement, the Canadians said, "Yes, and we'll sell our oil to China."You don't tell countries you're going to unilaterally renegotiate agreements with them.We can eliminate our dependence on foreign oil by building 45 new nuclear plants, power plants, right away. We can store and we can reprocess.Senator Obama will tell you, in the -- as the extreme environmentalists do, it has to be safe.Look, we've sailed Navy ships around the world for 60 years with nuclear power plants on them. We can store and reprocess spent nuclear fuel, Senator Obama, no problem.So the point is with nuclear power, with wind, tide, solar, natural gas, with development of flex fuel, hybrid, clean coal technology, clean coal technology is key in the heartland of America that's hurting rather badly.So I think we can easily, within seven, eight, ten years, if we put our minds to it, we can eliminate our dependence on the places in the world that harm our national security if we don't achieve our independence.
	SCHIEFFER: All right. Can we reduce our dependence on foreign oil and by how much in the first term, in four years?
	SCHIEFFER: Senator?
	SCHIEFFER: All right, let's go to a new topic, health care. Given the current economic situation, would either of you now favor controlling health care costs over expanding health care coverage? The question is first to Senator Obama.
	SCHIEFFER: All right.
	SCHIEFFER: So that's your objective?
	SCHIEFFER: What about that?
	SCHIEFFER: All right. A short response.
	SCHIEFFER: All right. Let's stop there and go to another question. And this one goes to Senator McCain. Senator McCain, you believe Roe v. Wade should be overturned. Senator Obama, you believe it shouldn't.Could either of you ever nominate someone to the Supreme Court who disagrees with you on this issue? Senator McCain?
	SCHIEFFER: But you don't want Roe v. Wade to be overturned?
	SCHIEFFER: But even if it was someone -- even someone who had a history of being for abortion rights, you would consider them?
	SCHIEFFER: All right.
	SCHIEFFER: Time's up.
	SCHIEFFER: Response?
	SCHIEFFER: Let's give Senator McCain a short response...
	SCHIEFFER: ... and then...
	SCHIEFFER: Let's stop there, because I want to get in a question on education and I'm afraid this is going to have to be our last question, gentlemen.
	SCHIEFFER: Senator McCain?
	SCHIEFFER: Do you think the federal government should play a larger role in the schools? And I mean, more federal money?
	SCHIEFFER: What about that, Senator?
	SCHIEFFER: All right.
	SCHIEFFER: All right.Gentlemen, we have come to the close. Before I ask both of you for your closing statements tonight, I'd like to invite our viewers and listeners to go to MyDebates.org, where you will find this evening's debates and the three that preceded tonight's debate.Now, for the final statements, by a coin toss, Senator McCain goes first.
	SCHIEFFER: Senator?
	SCHIEFFER: Senator Obama, Senator McCain, thank you very much.This concludes the final debate. I'm Bob Schieffer of CBS News, and I will leave you tonight with what my mother always said -- go vote now. It will make you feel big and strong. Good night, everyone.