Thursday, October 18, 2012

Hofstra Debatte geben

THE ABSURD TIMES






  Die zweite Debatte ging weiter wie geplant, aber Romney war nicht wirklich bereit. Er tat es nicht seine Hausaufgaben.
              Das Wichtigste, was er gefehlt hat, war, dass Obama hatte ein Poster von Mohammed Ali Aufmachungen während der Vorbereitung und Praxis.
              Ich erinnere mich an Ali von Anfang an. Ich habe $ 5, wenn er Liston schlagen. Er kam mit der Zeile "Float like a butterfly, stich wie eine Biene / / Nobody Beats, Mohammed Ali." Ja, Obama bereit war diesmal.
              Ich musste das Spiel wie ein Boxkampf punkten, und obwohl es 11 Fragen, Ich hörte nie von einer geplanten 11 Runden-Kampf, so holte ich sie als 10 Allrounder. Es wurden 10 Runden, 12 Runden und 15 Runden, aber nicht 11.
              Obama gewann 6,3 und 1 sogar.
              Dieses Mal gab es eine Menge bewegen, nicht wie die erste. Obama Basketball gespielt. Er klar ausmanövriert Romney, einmal sogar saugen ihn in, wie er war in den Ecken, dann tut ein doppeltes-fake-und Schwellenländern vor, im Gespräch mit dem Publikum.
              Die Themen? Oh yeah, es gab Probleme. Fox News sagte, sie seien dummen Fragen, was niemand kümmert sich um, Sachen wie gleicher Lohn für Frauen und Sturmgewehre.
              Romney konterte der Ankündigung, dass er ein Bindemittel voller Frauen hatte, als er Gouverneur war, stärkt damit seine Mormon Vergangenheit.
              Er sagte, wir könnten Waffengewalt von immer mehr Menschen zu heiraten, Menschen des anderen Geschlechts natürlich beenden.
              Alle waren sich einig, dass Candy Crowley, der Moderator, der eigentliche Bösewicht des Abends war eigentlich die Einführung Fakten wo natürlich, Fakten nicht erwähnt werden - eine Presidential Debatte.
              Am nächsten Tag verkündete Paul Ryan, dass Romney gewonnen hatte und sein Kind, genannt "bohne", weil es wie eine Bohne aussah, als es ein Fötus war, stimmte zu.
              Weiter Debatte Montag.
              Ich sah, weil ich in zu sehen das erste angeseilt war und freute sich, Chris Matthews ausrasten. Diesmal ging Fox ballistische.
              Romney sagte immer "Candy" und "Candy", und ich erwartete das Lied "Candy, sie sie Zuckerwaren nennen ...", aber es nie so weit gekommen. Romney versucht, sie einzuschüchtern, wie sie Jim Lehrer tat, aber sie war zu groß für ihn.
              Und jetzt für den Rest der Debatte, einschließlich anderer Kandidaten, die nicht in. Ein durften sogar für 8 Stunden mit Handschellen gefesselt:


Wednesday, 17. Oktober 2012

Grünen Kandidaten verhaftet, gefesselt, um Stühle für 8 Stunden nach dem Versuch, Hofstra Debatte geben

Grüne Partei Präsidentschaftskandidaten Jill Stein und Vize-Präsidentschaftskandidatin Cheri Honkala wurden festgenommen Dienstag, wie sie das Gelände der Präsidentschafts-Debatte Website unter Geben Sie versuchten Hofstra University . Wie andere Drittanbieter-Kandidaten, wurde Stein von der Teilnahme an der Debatte von der Kommission am Presidential Debates, die von den republikanischen und demokratischen Parteien kontrolliert wird blockiert. Stein und Honkala wurden für 8 Stunden gehalten, mit Handschellen an Stühlen. Als sie verhaftet wurde, verurteilte Stein, was sie als "diese Mock Debatte, diese Verhöhnung der Demokratie." Nur wenige Stunden nach seiner Freilassung, schließt Stein uns im Democracy Now! Studio. [Beinhaltet Ansturm transcript]
Abgelegt unter    Grüne Partei , Wahl 2012 , Dr. Jill Stein
Gast:
Dr. Jill Stein , Green Party 2012 Präsidentschaftskandidat.

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        Grüne Partei der USA

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AMY Goodman: Präsident Obama und republikanischen Herausforderer Mitt Romney kämpfte gestern Abend in ihrem zweiten von drei Debatten. Die Aussprache fand auf dem Campus der Hofstra University auf Long Island. Third-Party-Kandidaten wurden von der Teilnahme ausgeschlossen.
In einem Moment, werden wir den Ausbau der letzten Nacht Debatte auch Antworten von drei Drittanbieter-Kandidaten die gleichen Fragen an die großen Parteien Kandidaten. Aber wir wollen zu beginnen mit Grünen nominierte Dr. Jill Stein. Am Dienstag wurden sie und ihr running mate, Cheri Honkala, festgenommen, als sie die Debatte vor Ort. Demokratie geben Jetzt versucht! Gab es zum Zeitpunkt ihrer Verhaftung .
DR. JILL STEIN: Wir sind hier bei den vergitterten Toren amerikanischen Debatten zu sagen, dass wir zu eröffnen diese Debatte brauchen, und machen es zu einem vollständigen, fairen und inklusiven Debatte.
CHERI Honkala: Es sollte nicht nur sein, ob du nicht Milliarden von Dollar, die, ob das amerikanische Volk zu Ihrer Plattform zu hören bestimmen haben.
DR. JILL STEIN: Unsere grüne Kampagne ist auf dem Stimmzettel für 85 Prozent der Wähler. Fünfundachtzig Prozent der Wähler verdienen es zu wissen, die ihre Entscheidungen in dieser Wahl sind und was die wirklichen Lösungen sind, dass können die verzweifelten Probleme, die wir vor zu lösen. Die Kommission hat am Presidential Debates ist eine Verhöhnung der Demokratie durch die Durchführung dieser gefälschten und gekünstelt Debatte.
HOFSTRA OFFIZIELLE: Haben Sie Zugangsdaten?
CHERI Honkala: Ja, wir haben Anmeldeinformationen.
HOFSTRA OFFIZIELLE: Kann ich sehen?
CHERI Honkala: Wir haben auf dem Stimmzettel in 85 Prozent des Landes gewesen.
DR. JILL STEIN: Achtzig Prozent der Wähler.
HOFSTRA OFFIZIELLE: Dies ist ein Ereignis. Das ist etwas, Hofstra gesponsert hat. Es ist ein Ereignis, eine lehrreiche Erfahrung für unsere Fakultät, unsere Studenten.
DR. JILL STEIN: Nun, wir denken, es ist mehr als das..
POLICE OFFICER 1: Du musst ausziehen [unverständlich] überfahren von einem Auto.
POLICE OFFICER 2: Wenn du könntest einfach gleiten hier.
POLICE OFFICER 3: Just gleiten über alles, was wir brauchen Sie zu tun, nur für eine Minute, während sie macht [unverständlich]
POLICE OFFICER 1: [unverständlich] ein wenig. Du wirst überfahren.
POLICE OFFICER 2: Sie können hier stehen, nur gleiten.
POLICE OFFICER 1: Bewegen Sie sich mit dem Leitkegel.
POLICE OFFICER 3: Während sie macht phone call [unverständlich].
POLICE OFFICER 2: Just right hier.
POLICE OFFICER 3: Ma'am, bitte.
DR. JILL STEIN: Nun, wir sind hier, um unsere Erde stehen. Wir sind hier, um Boden für die amerikanischen Volk, die systematisch aus diesen Debatten seit Jahrzehnten von der Kommission am Presidential Debates gesperrt stehen. Wir denken, dass diese Kommission ganz illegitim ist, dass, wenn-wenn die Demokratie wirklich durchgesetzt, gäbe es keine solche Kommission sein, dass die Debatten würde immer noch von der League of Women Voters ausgeführt werden, dass die Debatten wären die Kriterien offen, dass die Liga of Women Voters immer verwendet hatte, die war, dass, wenn Sie die Arbeit getan werden, um auf dem Stimmzettel erhalten, wenn Sie auf dem Stimmzettel und könnte tatsächlich gewinnen Electoral College, indem er auf dem Stimmzettel in genügend Staaten, die Sie in es verdienen die Wahl und Sie verdienen, gehört zu werden, und dass das amerikanische Volk eigentlich verdienen, Entscheidungen, die nicht gekauft und bezahlt durch multinationale Konzerne und Wall Street zu hören.
POLICE OFFICER 4: Meine Damen und Herren, Sie behindern das Fahrzeug von Fußgängern und Verkehr. Wenn Sie sich zu bewegen verweigern, unterliegen Sie verhaften.
Entfernen. Bringen sie zurück, sie zu verhaften, bitte.
POLICE OFFICER 5: Komm schon, Ma'am.
POLICE OFFICER 6: Würden Sie intensivieren, bitte? Steh auf, bitte?
POLICE OFFICER 5: Wir helfen. Komm schon. Danke, Ma'am.
POLICE OFFICER 6: Danke, meine Damen.
POLICE OFFICER 5: Sehen Sie sich die Flagge.
POLICE OFFICER 4: Danke, meine Damen.
POLICE OFFICER 5: Danke.
POLICE OFFICER 6: Kommen Sie mit uns.
POLICE OFFICER 5: Nur mit uns kommen.
POLICE OFFICER 6: Danke. Ihr habt hier zu bleiben. Alles klar, alle, werden wir Sie bitten, Umzug zurück bitte.
DR. JILL STEIN: Nun, ich würde sagen, das ist, was Demokratie wie im 21. Jahrhundert aussieht. Ich fürchte, es wird einige-einige der Politik und den Mut hier, um unsere Demokratie wieder zu bekommen. Also, um mehr kommen.
AMY GOODMAN: Grünen Kandidaten Jill Stein und Cheri Honkala wurden für etwa acht Stunden, bevor sie freigelassen. Dr. Stein tritt uns jetzt in unserem Studio als Teil unseres "Der Ausbau der Debatte" Besonderes. Aber bevor wir zu ihm zu gehen, Jill Stein, was ist passiert? Sie wurden verhaftet und für acht Stunden? Wo und wie?
DR. JILL STEIN: Wir waren in einer Anlage statt, vor allem für die Inhaftierung Demonstranten in den Debatten geschaffen. Es schien ein Lager, das speziell war ausgestattet sein. Es war offensichtlich, wissen Sie, sie waren bereit, eine Menge Leute zu behandeln. Sie hatten 13 Offiziere dort und drei Polizisten in Zivil. Für die meisten der Zeit, es war nur Cheri Honkala und ich, doch sie hatte das Bedürfnis, uns in engen Kunststoff Beschränkungen fest an Metallstühle gesichert halten.
AMY GOODMAN: Sie wurden an Stühle gefesselt?
DR. JILL STEIN: Wir wurden Stühle für die gesamte Dauer der unsere Zeit dort gefesselt.
AMY GOODMAN: Wie lange waren Sie an den Stuhl gefesselt?
DR. JILL STEIN: Es war etwa acht Stunden. Und wir waren nur mit Verstößen erhoben, auch nicht mit Vergehen, und doch fühlte sich gezwungen, trotz 13 Offiziere gibt, diese beiden Frauen, Mütter, mit Handschellen an Stühle für den gesamten Zeitraum zu halten.
AMY GOODMAN: Haben Sie bitten, veröffentlicht werden?
DR. JILL STEIN: Ja, ja, und sie sagten, nein, wir konnten nicht freigegeben, weil dann gehen wir vielleicht umher werden. Und wir sagten: "Nun, wie wäre es, wenn wir Ihnen sagen, dass wir in unseren Stühlen zu bleiben?" Und sie sagte: "Nein, das ist nicht OK."
AMY GOODMAN: Handschellen auf die Stühle-
DR. JILL STEIN: Das ist richtig.
AMY GOODMAN:-für die acht Stunden.
DR. JILL STEIN: Das war ihr Verfahren für den Umgang mit Menschen, die an den Debatten verhaftet wurden.
AMY GOODMAN: Haben Sie die Debatte im Lager sehen?
DR. JILL STEIN: Absolut nicht.
AMY GOODMAN: Und dann veröffentlichten sie Ihnen so bald wie die Debatte über war?
DR. JILL STEIN: Nein, hielten sie uns für etwa eine halbe Stunde, Stunde, und dann werden sie freigesetzt uns, sagen uns, dass unser Auto wurde auf dem Parkplatz warten. Es war eigentlich ein Secret Service Auto, offenbar, das war auf dem Parkplatz warten. Wir didn't, wir durften nicht telefonieren. Es gab kein Telefon, das funktionierte. Sie wouldn't-wir nicht unsere. Wir hatten unsere Handys, um unsere Assistentin gegeben, so war es, wissen Sie, dauerte es ziemlich viel Arbeit in der Lage sein ein Handy von jemandem leihen, einer Tankstelle, wissen Sie, da sind wir in der eisigen Kälte-noch der Lage sein, unsere Mitarbeiter zu finden.
AMY Goodman: Sie wussten nicht geben Ihnen die Möglichkeit, einen Anruf während dieser ganzen Zeit Ihrer Inhaftierung zu machen?
DR. JILL STEIN: Nein, hat sie an einer Stelle. Sie erlaubten mir einen Anruf an unseren Anwalt zurück. Aber zu der Zeit hatten wir nicht wissen, wann wir entlassen würde, so gab es keine Vorkehrungen für eine Abholung gemacht. Und sie tatsächlich gesagt, dass unsere Mitarbeiter, dass sie verhaftet würden, wenn sie vor Ort zu warten, fortgesetzt werden, so mussten sie verlassen.
AMY GOODMAN: Wir werden jetzt gehen unsere "Erweiterung der Debatte." Wir nicht nur durch Dr. Jill Stein, der jetzt veröffentlicht wird verbunden werden, wird sich der Debatte; Justice Party Präsidentschaftskandidaten Rocky Anderson, der ehemalige Bürgermeister von Salt Lake City und in Rocky Mount, Virginia, Constitution Party Präsidentschaftskandidaten Virgil Goode . Wir werden zu ihnen und Mitt Romney und Präsident Obama gehen in einem Augenblick.
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Wednesday, 17. Oktober 2012

Exklusiv: Die Erweiterung der Debatte mit Third-Party-Kandidaten Jill Stein, Virgil Goode, Rocky Anderson

Präsident Obama und republikanischen Herausforderer Mitt Romney kämpfte gestern Abend in ihrem zweiten von drei Debatten. Heute, in einer zweistündigen Spezial, erweitern wir die Debatte, indem die Stimmen der drei Präsidentschaftskandidaten aus dem offiziellen Debatte geschlossen. Wir sind von Jill Stein der Grünen, Constitution Party Nominee Virgil Goode und Gerechtigkeit Kandidat Rocky Anderson verbunden. Wir re-air Teile der letzten Nacht Präsidentschafts-Debatte, blieb das Videoband zu geben Dritter Bewerber eine Chance auf die gleichen Fragen an die großen Parteien Kandidaten reagieren. [Beinhaltet Ansturm transcript]
Gäste:
Dr. Jill Stein , Green Party 2012 Präsidentschaftskandidat.
Rocky Anderson , ehemaliger Bürgermeister von Salt Lake City, Utah. Er ist ein ehemaliger Demokrat, der einmal indossiert Mitt Romney zum Gouverneur von Massachusetts, sondern läuft nun gegen ihn zum Präsidenten auf der Justice Party Ticket.
Virgil Goode , Constitution Party 2012 Präsidentschaftskandidat. Er ist ein ehemaliger sechs-term Virginia Kongressabgeordneten. Er wurde zuerst als Demokrat gewählt, später Wechsel zur Republikanischen Partei.

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Links

        Grüne Partei der USA
        Justice Party
        Constitution Party

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AMY Goodman: Dies ist Democracy Now, democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report!. Ich bin Amy Goodman, wie wir unsere "Erweiterung der Debate"-Serie fort. Als Präsident Obama und Mitt Romney diskutierten an der Hofstra University auf Long Island, werden wir nun die Stimmen der drei Präsidentschaftskandidaten der letzten Nacht die Debatte geschlossen sind: Dr. Jill Stein der Grünen, Rocky Anderson von der Partei für Gerechtigkeit und Virgil Goode der Constitution Party. Wir beginnen an der Hofstra Universität mit der Debatte Moderator, Candy Crowley von CNN.
CANDY CROWLEY: Gouverneur Romney, wie Sie wissen, Sie haben gewonnen die Münze werfen, so die erste Frage wird Ihnen gehen. Und ich möchte zu einem erstmaligen Wähler, Jeremy Epstein, die eine Frage für Sie hat einzuschalten.
JEREMY EPSTEIN: Herr Präsident, Gouverneur Romney, als 20-jährige College-Student, ist alles, was ich höre von Professoren, Nachbarn und andere, dass, wenn ich Absolvent, werde ich kaum eine Chance bekommen Beschäftigung . Was soll man sagen zu beruhigen mich aber noch wichtiger ist, meine Eltern, dass ich in der Lage sein, ausreichend unterstützt mich nach meinem Abschluss?
MITT ROMNEY: Danke, Jeremy. Ich schätze Ihre-Ihre Frage, und ich danke Ihnen für Ihre Anwesenheit heute Abend. Und an alle, die von Nassau County hier, dass gekommen, ich danke Ihnen für Ihre Zeit. Wir danken Ihnen, Hofstra University und Candy Crowley für die Organisation und Leitung dieser-Veranstaltung. Vielen Dank, Herr Präsident, auch zum Teil dieser-Debatte.
Yours Frage-Frage ist eine, die durch College-Kids überall in diesem Land ist gefragt.
Ich war in Pennsylvania mit jemandem, der gerade absolviert hatte. Dies war in Philadelphia, und sie sagte: "I-Ich habe mein Studium. Ich kann nicht einen Job zu finden . Ich habe drei Teilzeitstellen. Sie sind gerade noch genug, um für mein Essen bezahlen und bezahlen Sie für eine Wohnung. Ich kann gar nicht zurück zu zahlen meine Studenten Darlehen. "
Also, was wir tun müssen, ist zwei Dinge: Wir müssen sicherstellen, dass wir es einfacher für Kinder aufs College leisten und auch dafür sorgen, dass, wenn sie aus der Schule, es ist ein Job zu machen.
Wenn ich Gouverneur von Massachusetts war, um eine High-School-Abschluss zu bekommen, musste man eine Prüfung ablegen. Wenn Sie im oberen Viertel der Klasse absolvierte, haben wir Ihnen einen John und Abigail Adams Scholarship, vier Jahre gebührenfreie der Hochschule Ihrer Wahl in Massachusetts. Es ist eine öffentliche Einrichtung. Ich möchte sicherstellen, dass wir halten, was wir Pell-Pell Grant-Programm wächst. Wir werden auch unsere Kredit-Programm haben, so dass Menschen in der Lage die Schule leisten können.
Aber das Wichtigste ist, um sicherzustellen, dass Sie einen Job bekommen, wenn Sie aus der Schule zu bekommen. Und was ist in den letzten vier Jahren passiert war sehr, sehr hart für junge Menschen in Amerika. Ich möchte in der Lage sein, einen Job zu bekommen. Ich weiß, was es heißt, bekomme Wirtschaft in Schwung bringt. Mit der Hälfte von College-Kids Abschluss in diesem Jahr ohne einen College-oder entschuldigen Sie mich, ohne Job und ohne College-Level-Job, das ist einfach nicht akzeptabel. Und ebenso, hast du mehr und mehr Schulden auf dem Rücken. So mehr Schulden und weniger Arbeitsplätze.
Ich werde das ändern. Ich weiß, was es ist, gute Arbeitsplätze neu erstellen dauert. Ich weiß, was es heißt, stellen Sie sicher, dass Sie die Art von Gelegenheit, die Sie verdient haben nimmt. Und Kinder in diesem Land gehen, um zu erkennen bringen wir wieder eine Wirtschaft. Es ist nicht wie in den letzten vier Jahren. Die Mittelschicht hat sich in den letzten vier Jahren gebrochen, und Arbeitsplätze waren zu knapp. Ich weiß, was es heißt, sie wieder findet, und ich werde tun, und stellen Sie sicher, wenn Sie Diplom-, wenn Sie promovieren?
2014. Wenn Sie aus in 2014-Ich nehme an, ich werde Präsident-Ich werde sicherstellen, dass Sie einen Job zu bekommen sein. Danke, Jeremy. Ja, setzen Sie.
CANDY CROWLEY: Herr Präsident.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: Jeremy, vor allem ist Ihre Zukunft hell, und die Tatsache, dass Sie eine Investition in Hochschulbildung ist von entscheidender Bedeutung, nicht nur für Sie, sondern für die gesamte Nation.
Jetzt ist das Wichtigste, was wir tun können, um sicherzustellen, dass wir die Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen in diesem Land, aber nicht nur Arbeitsplätze, gut bezahlte Arbeitsplätze, diejenigen, die eine Familie ernähren kann. Und was ich tun möchte, ist bauen auf den fünf Millionen Arbeitsplätze, die wir in den letzten 30 Monaten in den Privatsektor allein erstellt. Und es gibt eine Reihe von Dingen, die wir tun, um sicherzustellen, dass Ihre Zukunft ist hell können.
Die Nummer eins, ich will Arbeitsplätze in der Produktion in diesem Land wieder aufzubauen. Wissen Sie, wenn Gouverneur Romney sagte, wir sollten lassen Detroit bankrott gehen, sagte ich, wir gehen auf die amerikanischen Arbeiter und die amerikanische Autoindustrie setzen, und es ist gekommen wogenden Rücken. Ich möchte, dass in Branchen, nicht nur in Detroit, sondern im ganzen Land zu tun. Und das bedeutet, wir ändern unsere Steuer-Code, so geben wir Anreize sind für Unternehmen, die investieren hier in den Vereinigten Staaten und die Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen hier. Es bedeutet auch, wir helfen ihnen und kleine Unternehmen auf der ganzen Welt in neue Märkte zu exportieren.
Nummer zwei, wir müssen sicherstellen, dass wir das beste Bildungssystem der Welt zu haben. Und die Tatsache, dass du aufs College gehen ist groß, aber ich will, dass jeder eine tolle Ausbildung zu bekommen. Und wir haben hart um sicherzustellen, dass Darlehen für Studierende zur Verfügung für Leute wie Sie sind tätig, aber ich möchte auch sicherstellen, dass Community Colleges bieten Steckplätze für Arbeitnehmer, für die Arbeitsplätze, die es gibt umgeschult bekommen jetzt und die Arbeitsplätze von die Zukunft.
Nummer drei, haben wir unsere eigene Energie zu kontrollieren, wissen Sie, nicht nur Erdöl und Erdgas, die wir in been investieren, aber auch wir müssen sicherstellen, dass wir den Bau der Energieträger der Zukunft , nicht nur darüber nachzudenken, im nächsten Jahr, aber 10 Jahre ab jetzt, 20 Jahre ab jetzt. Deshalb haben wir in Solar-und Windenergie und Biokraftstoffe, energieeffiziente Autos investiert haben.
Wir müssen unser Defizit zu reduzieren, aber wir haben es in ausgewogener Weise zu tun, fragen die Reichen ein wenig mehr zu zahlen, zusammen mit Schnitten, so dass wir in der Ausbildung wie die Ihre zu investieren. Und lassen Sie uns das Geld, das wir auf den Krieg verbracht Laufe des letzten Jahrzehnts nach Amerika Straßen, Brücken, Schulen wieder aufzubauen. Wir haben diese Dinge, nicht nur Ihre Zukunft sein wird hell, aber die Zukunft Amerikas wird hell sein, wie gut.
AMY GOODMAN: Dr. Jill Stein, Grüne Partei Präsidentschaftskandidat Ihre Antwort?
DR. JILL STEIN: Also, zunächst, um sicherzustellen, dass unsere Studenten eine starke, sichere wirtschaftliche Zukunft haben, wie etwa wir retten die Schüler statt der Rettung der Banken zum vierten Mal? Die Federal Reserve soeben angekündigt, seine neueste quantitative easing, wo sie verbringen werden 40 Milliarden Dollar Monate zur Rettung der Banken für das, was effektiv die vierte Rettungsaktion, aber wir haben wirklich nirgends mit diesen Rettungsaktionen gegangen. Es ist Zeit, zur Rettung der Studierenden statt, so dass wie Schüler können in ihrer beruflichen Leben, ihre Karriere, ohne die tiefe Schuldenlast, die sie derzeit haben jetzt geben.
Während wir gerade dabei sind, machen wir öffentliche Hochschulen kostenlos. Wir schulden es unseren jungen Menschen, um ihnen einen guten, starken Start ins Leben, um die Sicherheit, dass ein Hochschulabschluss bietet haben. Wir stellten einen Hochschulabschluss im 20. Jahrhundert, aber in der 21., ist ein Hochschulabschluss Voraussetzung für diese Sicherheit. Und wir wissen das zahlt sich aus dem GI Bill, in dem jeder Dollar Steuergelder in studentischen öffentlichen Hochschulen investiert, $ 7 wurde in wirtschaftliche Vorteile für die Wirtschaft zurückgegeben.
Und wie für Arbeitsplätze, wir tatsächlich Forderung nach einem Programm, das eine Erfolgsbilanz der tatsächlich die Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen, das heißt, ein Green New Deal für Amerika. Wir wollen direkt Arbeitsplätze schaffen, nicht einfach bieten Steuererleichterungen für Konzerne oder Steuererleichterungen für die Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen, um ihre Arbeitsplätze nach China oder Indien zu bewegen. Der Green New Deal schaffen 25 Mio. Arbeitsplätze. Wir werden ein Ende der Arbeitslosigkeit gelegt, und wir Starthilfe die grüne Wirtschaft. Und das bedeutet, Putting einen Halt an den Klimawandel als auch für bereits Kriege um Öl überholt. Und der Green New Deal bringt nationalen Ressourcen, nationalen Förderorganisationen in die Hände der Gemeinden, so dass sie entscheiden können, welche Arten von Jobs, die sie nachhaltig zu gestalten wirtschaftlich, sozial und ökologisch müssen. So umfasst ein Spektrum von Arbeitsplätzen in der grünen Branche sowie Arbeitsplätze, die unsere sozialen Bedürfnissen gerecht zu werden, und diese sind öffentliche Dienste und öffentliche Arbeiten, wie während des New Deal, die uns stieg aus der Depression. Und das sind Jobs, die Sie, indem Sie sich nicht zu einem Arbeitsamt zu bekommen, kann aber zu einem Arbeitsamt, und tatsächlich einen Job zu bekommen, als auch kleine Unternehmen und Arbeitnehmer-prozentige Genossenschaften.
AMY GOODMAN: Virgil Goode der Constitution Party in Rocky Mount-in Rocky Mount, Virginia.
VIRGIL GOODE JR:. Alles klar, Dankeschön thank you very much, Amy Goodman.
Um Arbeitsplätze in Amerika zu bekommen, sind weder Präsident Obama noch Gouverneur Romney auf einige der wichtigsten Fragen konzentrieren. Erste Ausgabe, müssen wir die illegale Einwanderung zu beseitigen, halten Illegalen kommen in dieses Land, die Jobs von amerikanischen Bürgern. Zweitens brauchen wir eine nahezu vollständige Moratorium für grüne Karte Eintritte zu diesem Land haben, bis die Arbeitslosigkeit unter 5 Prozent. Wir geben Hunderttausende von Green Cards pro Jahr auf Personen im erwerbsfähigen Alter, die in die Vereinigten Staaten kommen, nehmen Sie gut bezahlter Arbeitsplätze von Studenten, die gerade abgeschlossen hatte, wie Jeremy. Wir müssen Arbeitsplätze in Amerika für amerikanische Bürger erster bewahren, und keiner der anderen Präsidentschaftskandidaten-adressieren dieses Problem. Es ist politisch nicht korrekt, aber es ist etwas, was wir sofort tun könnte, um Arbeitsplätze in Amerika für amerikanische Bürger zuerst.
Ich würde auch zu beenden "Obamacare", die eine echte Zurückhaltung auf die Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen bei den kleinen Unternehmen ist. Sie haben Angst der Geldbußen, die Steuern und auch die Vorschriften, die gehen auf sie im Rahmen dieses verhängt werden ist. Wir können mehr Arbeitsplätze in kleinen Unternehmen, wenn "Obamacare" entfällt.
Bin ich für mehr Energie Wachstum in allen Bereichen in diesem Land-Ölbohrungen, Bohren nach Erdgas, Nutzung Kohle. Und Ich mag Alternativen, auch, aber wir müssen Energie unabhängig produzieren mehr Energie in diesem Land, ein Exporteur sein, wie Kanada und Russland geworden. Das hat die Wirtschaft geholfen und zur Verfügung gestellt Tausende und Abertausende von Arbeitsplätzen in diesen Ländern. Dies sind die Dinge, die wir tun können, dass die Jeremys Arbeitsplätze haben, wenn sie ihren Abschluss.
AMY GOODMAN: Rocky Anderson, Präsidentschaftskandidat der Partei für Gerechtigkeit.
ROCKY ANDERSON: Es war für mich erstaunlich, zu sehen, dass das Thema Nummer eins auf den Köpfen der Menschen in diesem Land, wie die erste Frage in dieser Debatte aufgeworfen letzte Nacht, und keiner der großen Parteien Kandidaten antwortete sie. Die wir aus Mitt Romney ist er sagte: "Ich weiß, wie die Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen," das aus einem Mann, der kein Problem, er hat schon gesagt, er liebt die Menschen zu schießen. Hatten Er hatte kein Problem Übernahme von Unternehmen, Auswringen all dem Geld er konnte, und das Brennen Menschen. Und dann Präsident Obama, er hat unserer Nation Rekord für die meisten Monate in einem Zeitraum von vier Jahren von über 8 Prozent Arbeitslosigkeit gesetzt. Er hat nie sogar vorgeschlagen Neuverhandlung der Handelsabkommen, die verantwortlich für das Senden so viele Millionen von Arbeitsplätzen im Ausland sind. Wir brauchen Führung in diesem Land, mit Menschen, die über diejenigen, die kämpfen, egal, über junge Leute, die so über ihre Zukunft besorgt sind.
Und ich absolut zustimmen, dürfen wir nicht zulassen, Menschen aus der Schule mit dieser überwältigenden Studiengebühren Schulden. Zum ersten Mal in der Geschichte unserer Nation, es gibt noch mehr Verschuldung der Studierenden als es Kreditkarten-Schulden. Es ist mehr als eine Billion Dollar. Es dauert jetzt Studenten 2.000 Stunden im Durchschnitt um ihre Studiengebühren zu bezahlen. Als ich aufs College gehen, es dauerte etwa 200 Stunden, für seine Studiengebühren zu bezahlen.
Also müssen wir unsere Handelsabkommen verhandeln, so dass wir nicht mehr senden sind diese Millionen von Arbeitsplätzen in Übersee und wir bringen sie zurück. Wir müssen die Art der Anreize, so dass es eine gleiche Spielplatz für jene Arbeitgeber, die Vereinigten Staaten Arbeitskräfte einzustellen und stellen die Arten von guten Arbeitsplätzen wird, dass unsere jungen Leute sollten gespannt sein.
Präsident Obama spricht über seine Genesung und all die neuen Arbeitsplätze. Tatsache ist, dass, wenn wir alle diese Arbeitsplätze verloren im Jahr 2008 und 2009, 60 Prozent von ihnen Mitte-skill, Mitte bezahlte Arbeitsplätze, und nur 22 Prozent der Arbeitsplätze in der sogenannten Recovery waren, sind dieser Ebene. Die meisten von ihnen sind schlecht bezahlte, gering qualifizierte Arbeitsplätze. Wir brauchen auch eine WPA-like-Projekt, wo wir den Aufbau sind unserer Nation Infrastruktur und beschäftigt Millionen von Menschen. Wir können dies tun, aber nicht mit diesen Sparprogramme, die von sowohl Republikaner und Demokraten vorgeschlagen.
AMY GOODMAN: Let Rückkehr Moderator Süßigkeit Crowley debattieren.
CANDY CROWLEY: Lassen Sie mich Ihnen für eine sofortige Antwort, beginnend mit Mr. Romley [sic]. Nur schnell, was können Sie tun-wir suchen in einer Situation, wo 40 Prozent der Arbeitslosen arbeitslos waren für sechs Monate oder mehr. Sie haben nicht die zwei Jahre, dass Jeremy hat. Was ist mit denen Langzeitarbeitslose, die einen Job brauchen gerade jetzt?
MITT ROMNEY: Nun, was du in diesem Land erleben, ist 23 Millionen Menschen kämpfen, um einen Job zu finden, und viele von ihnen, wie Sie sagen, Candy, haben aus der Arbeit für eine lange, lange, lange Zeit. Die Politik des Präsidenten haben sich in den letzten vier Jahren ausgeübt worden, und sie haben nicht gebracht Amerikaner wieder an die Arbeit. Wir haben weniger Menschen arbeiten heute als wir, wenn der Präsident die Amtsgeschäfte übernommen hatte. Wenn das-die Arbeitslosenquote lag bei 7,8 Prozent, wenn er sein Amt antrat, es ist 7,8 Prozent jetzt. Aber wenn berechnet, dass Arbeitslosigkeit Rücknahme der Menschen, die aus der Belegschaft sank, wäre es 10,7 Prozent sein. Wir haben nicht die Fortschritte, die wir treffen müssen, um Menschen setzen wieder auf Arbeit gemacht.
Das ist, warum ich legte einen Fünf-Punkte-Plan, Amerika 12 Millionen neue Arbeitsplätze erhält in vier Jahren und steigende Nettolohn. Es wird helfen, Jeremy einen Job zu bekommen, wenn er kommt aus der Schule. Es wird Menschen im ganzen Land, die arbeitslos sind jetzt helfen.
Und eine Sache, dass die-sagte der Präsident, die ich sicher, dass wir verstehen wollen, sagte er, dass ich sagte, wir sollten Detroit Bankrott zu nehmen, und, und das ist richtig. Mein Plan war es, das Unternehmen durch Konkurs gehen wie 7-Eleven tat und Macys und und Continental Airlines und gestärkt aus ihr hervorzugehen. Und, und ich weiß, dass er immer wieder sagt, "Du wolltest Detroit Bankrott zu nehmen." Nun habe der Präsident Detroit bankrott. Sie nahm General Motors bankrott. Sie nahm Chrysler bankrott. Also, wenn Sie sagen, dass ich die Autoindustrie Konkurs nehmen wollte, die Sie tatsächlich tat. Und, und ich denke, es ist wichtig zu wissen, dass dies ein Prozess, der die betreffenden Unternehmen wieder auf die Beine zu bekommen war, war, so konnten sie beginnen die Einstellung von mehr Menschen. Das war genau das, was ich empfohlen und schließlich, was passiert ist.
CANDY CROWLEY: Lassen Sie mich lassen Sie mich dem Präsidenten eine Chance. Go ahead.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: * Candy, was Gouverneur Romney sagte ist einfach nicht wahr. Er wollte sie in den Bankrott zu nehmen, ohne ihnen einen Weg zu bleiben offen, und wir würden eine Million Arbeitsplätze verloren haben. Und das-nicht mein Wort für sie, nehmen die Verantwortlichen bei GM und Chrysler, von denen einige Republikaner sind, vielleicht sogar unterstützt Gouverneur Romney. Aber sie werden Ihnen sagen, sein Rezept nicht zur Arbeit gehen.
Und Gouverneur Romney sagt er einen Fünf-Punkte-Plan steckt. Gouverneur Romney nicht haben einen Fünf-Punkte-Plan, er hat einen ein-Punkte-Plan. Und dieser Plan ist, um sicherzustellen, dass die Leute an der Spitze spielen mit einem anderen Satz von Regeln. Das ist schon seine Philosophie in der Privatwirtschaft, das ist schon seine Philosophie als Gouverneur, das ist schon seine Philosophie als Präsidentschaftskandidat. Sie können eine Menge Geld und zahlen niedrigere Steuersätze als jemand, der viel weniger macht. Sie können Arbeitsplätze ins Ausland versenden und erhalten Steuervergünstigungen für sie. Sie können in ein Unternehmen zu investieren, ruiniert sie, entlassen die Arbeiter, abstreifen ihre Renten, und Sie immer noch Geld verdienen.
Das ist genau die Philosophie, dass wir an Ort und Stelle für den letzten zehn Jahren gesehen. Das ist, was wurde Quetschen Mittelklasse-Familien. Und wir haben wieder für vier Jahre gekämpft, um aus diesem Schlamassel. Das letzte, was wir tun müssen, ist zu gehen zurück zu den gleichen Bedingungen, die uns dort ankam.
AMY GOODMAN: Rocky Anderson von der Justice Party, eine Minute.
ROCKY ANDERSON: Präsident Obama versprochen, vor vier Jahren, dass er für eine Erhöhung des Mindestlohns auf neun-und-ein-halb-Dollar bis zum Jahr 2011 zu drücken. He-das ist eine von vielen seiner gebrochenen Versprechen arbeitenden Menschen in diesem Land. Die besten Jobmaschinen arbeiten Leute, die Geld in der Tasche haben, wer zu verbringen. Einer der großen Vorteile der Erhöhung des Mindestlohns wäre für mehr Verbraucher-Ausgaben, um mehr Arbeitsplätze zu bauen und kleine Unternehmen in diesem Land helfen. Um das Jahr 1968 zurück Mindestlohn, wäre es erforderlich einen Mindestlohn von 10,55 $. Es ist Zeit, dass wir den Mindestlohn zu erhöhen, und es wäre ein großer Dominoeffekt beeinträchtigen die Löhne von rund 30 Millionen Menschen in diesem Land sein.
AMY GOODMAN: Virgil Goode der Constitution Party.
VIRGIL GOODE JR:. Vielen Dank. Bürgermeister Anderson in seinem vorherigen Antwort war direkt am Ziel über diese Freihandelsabkommen. Als ich im Kongress war, habe ich dagegen gestimmt, konsequent, diese Vereinbarungen, die Kosten so viele amerikanische Arbeitsplätze haben in diesem in den Vereinigten Staaten. Sie müssen in der, wie er sagte, neu verhandelt, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf bringen Arbeitsplätze in diesem Land, anstatt sie in Übersee.
Was wir haben, sind einige der großen politischen Spendern hinter dem Super-PACs, sind groß über die Förderung dieser Handelsabkommen, die uns Arbeitsplätze kosten-ein weiterer Grund, dass wir politische Aktionskomitees enden muss, und nur einzelne Spenden mit ihren Spenden vollständig offengelegt mit Namen und Adressen und andere Informationen. Das würde unsere Wirtschaft indirekt zu erhöhen, weil wir nicht tun würde, so viele Dinge, die ein paar und nicht die Mehrheit der Menschen, die Arbeitsplätze in Amerika will für US-Bürger profitieren.
AMY GOODMAN: Dr. Jill Stein der Grünen.
DR. JILL STEIN: Also, die Frage ist wirklich, was an dieses Arbeitsplätze Not, vor allem für Arbeitslose, und es gibt-für chronisch arbeitslos. Es gibt etwa drei bis vier Millionen Menschen, die in dieser Kategorie sind. Und das ist eines der wunderbaren Dinge über unsere Green New Deal Plan. Sie finden alle Details darüber auf jillstein.org auf unserer Internetseite. Aber eines der Dinge, die es tun würde, wäre, Menschen setzen wieder auf einem Notfall zu arbeiten und würden die Leute in öffentliche Bau-und Dienstleistungen, die, wie wir wissen aus dem New Deal, Millionen von Arbeitsplätzen in einer Angelegenheit können mieten von Monaten. Also, das ist eine der Möglichkeiten, den Menschen sehr schnell arbeiten in einem Notprogramm zur weatherize und unsere Häuser, öffentliche Gebäude, Schulen und Unternehmen zu isolieren. Und dies zu tun, können wir setzen Menschen zu arbeiten, vor allem mit geringem Einkommen und Menschen, die nicht mehr als-nicht einmal einen Highschool-Abschluss. So können wir direkt die Schaffung von Arbeitsplätzen und zur gleichen Zeit treffen sich das Klima Ausnahmezustand, der muss auch wirklich dramatisch, schnelle Lösungen.
AMY GOODMAN : We're going to break, then come back to this "Expanding the Debate" special, with Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party, Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party, Virgil Goode of the Constitution Party, Mitt Romney of the Republican Party, and President Barack Obama of the Democratic Party. This is Democracy Now! Back in a minute.
[break]
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now! 's "Expanding the Debate" special. I'm Amy Goodman. We're joined by three third-party candidates shut out of last night's presidential debate at Hofstra University on Long Island. Here in New York, we have Green Party presidential nominee Dr. Jill Stein—she was arrested as she attempted to go to the debate last night; Justice Party nominee Rocky Anderson, the former mayor of Salt Lake City. And in Rocky Mount, Virginia, Constitution Party nominee Virgil Goode, he is the former six-term congressman who was first elected as a Democrat and later switched to the Republican Party. We're re-airing parts of last night's presidential debate, pausing the videotape to give third-party candidates a chance to respond to the same questions put to Republican Mitt Romney and Democrat President Barack Obama. We return to debate moderator Candy Crowley of CNN .
CANDY CROWLEY : Lorraine Osario has a question for you about a topic we have not heard—
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : This is for Governor Romney?
CANDY CROWLEY : Yes, this is for Governor Romney, and we'll be right with you, Mr. President. Thanks.
MITT ROMNEY : Is it Lorena?
LORRAINE OSARIO : Lorraine.
MITT ROMNEY : Lorraine?
LORRAINE OSARIO : Yeah, Lorraine, yeah.
MITT ROMNEY : Lorraine.
LORRAINE OSARIO : How you doing?
MITT ROMNEY : Good, thanks.
LORRAINE OSARIO : President—Romney, what do you plan on doing with immigrants without their green card that are currently living here as productive members of society?
MITT ROMNEY : Thank you, Lorraine. Did I get that right? Good. Thank you for your question. And let me step back and tell you what I'd like to do with our immigration policy broadly and include an answer to your—your question.
First of all, this is a nation of immigrants. We welcome people coming to this country as immigrants. My dad was born in Mexico of American parents. Ann's dad was born in Wales and is a first-generation American. We welcome legal immigrants into this country.
I want our legal system to work better. I want it to be streamlined, I want it to be clearer. I don't think you have to—shouldn't have to hire a lawyer to figure out how to get into this country legally. I also think that we should give visas to people—green cards, rather, to people who graduate with skills that we need, people around the world with accredited degrees in—in science and math, get a green card stapled to their diploma, come to the US of A. We should make sure that our legal system works.
Number two, we're going to have to stop illegal immigration. There are four million people who are waiting in line to get here legally. Those who've come here illegally take their place. So I will not grant amnesty to those who've come here illegally.
What I will do is I'll put in place an employment verification system and make sure that employers that hire people who have come here illegally are sanctioned for doing so. I won't put in place magnets for people coming here illegally, so, for instance, I would not give driver's licenses to those that have come here illegally, as the—as the president would.
The kids of—of those that came here illegally, those kids I think should have a pathway to become a—a permanent resident of the United States. And military service, for instance, is one way they would have that kind of pathway to become a permanent resident.
Now, when the president ran for office, he said that he'd put in place, in his first year, a piece of legislation—he'd file a bill in his first year that would reform our—our immigration system, protect legal immigration, stop illegal immigration. He didn't do it. He had a Democrat House and Democrat Senate, supermajority in both houses. Why did he fail to even promote legislation that would have provided an answer for those that want to come here legally and for those that are here illegally today? That's a question I think the—the president will have a chance to answer right now.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : Good. I look forward to it. Was it Lorena? Lorraine.
We are a nation of immigrants. I mean, we're just a few miles away from Ellis Island. We all understand what this country has become because talent from all around the world wants to come here, people who are willing to take risks, people who want to build on their dreams and make sure their kids have an—even bigger dreams than they have.
But we're also a nation of laws. So what I've said is, we need to fix a broken immigration system. And I've done everything that I can on my own and sought cooperation from Congress to make sure that we fix this system.
First thing we did was to streamline the legal immigration system to reduce the backlog, make it easier, simpler and cheaper for people who are waiting in line, obeying the law, to make sure that they can come here and contribute to our country. And that's good for our economic growth. They'll start new businesses. They'll make things happen to create jobs here in the United States.
Number two, we do have to deal with our border. So we've put more Border Patrol on than any time in history, and the flow of undocumented workers across the border is actually lower than it's been in 40 years.
What I've also said is, if we're going to go after folks who are here illegally, we should do it smartly and go after folks who are criminals, gangbangers, people who are hurting the community, not after students, not after folks who are here just because they're trying to figure out how to feed their families. And that's what we've done.
And what I've also said is, for young people who come here, brought here oftentimes by their parents, have gone to school here, pledged allegiance to the flag, think of this as their country, understand themselves as Americans in every way except having papers, then we should make sure that we give them a pathway to citizenship. And that's what I've done administratively.
Now, Governor Romney just said that, you know, he wants to help those young people, too. But during the Republican primary, he said, "I will veto the DREAM Act," that would allow these young people to have access. His main strategy during the Republican primary was to say, "We're going to encourage self-deportation," making life so miserable on folks that they'll leave. He called the Arizona law a model for the nation. Part of the Arizona law said that law enforcement officers could stop folks because they suspected maybe they looked like they might be undocumented workers and check their papers. And you know what? If my daughter or yours looks to somebody like they're not a citizen, I don't want—I don't want to empower somebody like that.
So, we can fix this system in a comprehensive way. And when Governor Romney says the challenge is, well, Obama didn't try, that's not true. I sat down with Democrats and Republicans at the beginning of my term, and I said, "Let's fix this system," including senators previously who had supported it on the Republican side. But it's very hard for Republicans in Congress to support comprehensive immigration reform if their standard-bearer has said that this is not something I'm interested in supporting.
AMY GOODMAN : Virgil Goode of the Constitution Party, your response? You have less than two minutes.
VIRGIL GOODE JR.: Thank you. We need to totally end illegal immigration, rewarding persons who come here with jobs, which the questioner asked about is the wrong way to do it. If you are in this country illegally, stealing a job from an American citizen, I'm going to do all I can to put an American citizen in that job and not somebody that has crossed our border, come into the country and violated our laws. Jobs in America should be for US citizens first.
And unlike Obama and Romney—Romney clarified what he said about the Arizona legislation. He was only saying that E-Verify was a model for the country. I say the whole bill in Arizona was a model for the country, and if I'm elected president, my attorney general is going to be supporting Arizona. We will also be supporting Alabama. We're going to stop illegal immigration and stop the coddling and catering that is exhibited by the Obama administration and that will be followed through by Romney.
I am the only candidate that will not be in favor of attaching a green card to a foreign student's graduation diploma. We need to have US citizens first in our American institutions. I've got stacks of recommendations and requests for students in high school level to go to colleges that had been rejected and replaced with foreign students. We need to preserve US college admissions for US citizens first, instead of trying to bring in everyone from every country around the world. It's time for a president to put citizenship first, and I will.
AMY GOODMAN : Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party.
ROCKY ANDERSON : We need to recognize that for decades our government and the corporate sector have acted in collusion, giving a wink and a nod to millions of people to come into this country without legal documentation so that they could fill jobs in certain sectors of our economy. And most of the people, the vast majority, have been hard-working people with great family values, contributing to their communities, investing in their communities, paying taxes, paying toward Social Security that they'll never take out of the system. And we owe it to everyone involved never to make these people live in the shadows any longer.
We need a compassionate approach, a reasonable approach, not one that calls for the deportation of 12 to 14 million people or to criminalize what they're doing. Those who have lived here legally, otherwise, other than under the immigration laws, need to be given a pathway toward permanent residency and, ultimately, citizenship. And then we need to make sure that our practices conform to our laws and our laws conform to our practices. This is the only way that we can move forward. President Obama promised four years ago major reform of our immigration laws. He's failed to do that. Instead, he's deported more people than any other president in a four-year period.
AMY GOODMAN : Dr. Jill Stein, less than two minutes, of the Green Party.
DR. JILL STEIN : So, first, let's be clear that our jobs took a nosedive because Wall Street crashed the economy, because of Wall Street waste, fraud and abuse. And our jobs went overseas due to NAFTA and other free trade agreements, which Barack Obama has expanded. So, in fact, you know, it's not immigrants that have caused problems in our economy; it's, rather, this predatory economic policies fostered by an economic and political elite.
In fact, immigrants did not come to this country lured by jobs. The spike in undocumented immigrants occurred, massively spiked, after NAFTA basically put millions of small farmers out of business, and people were forced to migrate here as economic refugees in order to feed their families.
So, we actually want to provide a welcoming and legal path to the immigrants who have always been the backbone of our economy, the backbone of the diversity that makes this country great. And while the president took a very small step forward, this is a very inadequate step to simply provide two-year worker permits to the DREAMers, and basically they run into a brick wall at age 30. We need to actually provide a welcoming path and legal path to citizenship for the undocumented Americans, who are critical parts of our economy and of our communities.
AMY GOODMAN : I want to end this hour on Libya and last month's deadly attack on the US embassy in Benghazi. This is Mitt Romney's response to the question.
MITT ROMNEY : I think it's interesting the president just said something, which—which is that on the day after the attack, he went in the Rose Garden and said that this was an act of terror.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : That's what I said.
MITT ROMNEY : You said in the Rose Garden, the day after the attack, it was an act of terror. It was not a spontaneous demonstration.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : Please proceed.
MITT ROMNEY : Is that what you're saying?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : Please proceed, Governor.
MITT ROMNEY : I want to make sure we get that for the record, because it took the president 14 days before he called the attack in Benghazi an act of terror.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : Get the transcript.
CANDY CROWLEY : He did, in fact, sir. So let me—let me—call it an act of terror in the Rose Garden, used the word.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : Can you say that a little louder, Candy?
CANDY CROWLEY : He did call it an act of terror. It did, as well, take—it did, as well, take two weeks or so for the whole idea of there being a riot out there about this tape to come out. You're correct about that.
AMY GOODMAN : Justice Party's Rocky Anderson, you have 45 seconds.
ROCKY ANDERSON : I think the important issue here is that we went into Libya, joined with our allies, without any authorization from Congress. This—this is the real long-term question that ought to be addressed, is: do we allow one person to act as a dictator and determine whether our country goes to war, or do we, in compliance with the War Powers Clause of the United States Constitution, seek a determination from Congress that there is reason for our country to engage in acts of war? And this is an ongoing problem with the drone attacks, creating more hatred, more hostility toward the United States in sovereign nations. We need to get back to the fundamentals. This is the important question that we should all be addressing, and Congress needs to live up to its constitutional responsibility.
AMY GOODMAN : Virgil Goode of the Constitution Party.
VIRGIL GOODE JR.: If I were president, we wouldn't have had the ambassador and that group in Libya. We would not be there, unless Congress, as provided in the US Constitution, made a declaration of war. We would not be dictated and suggested to by the United Nations and other countries of the world. We need to follow the constitutional process. The constitutional process would be for Congress to make a declaration. So if I'd have been president, then the incident would never have happened, and you wouldn't be in an argument of how much the State Department knew and when and whether they provided sufficient security. If they weren't there, they wouldn't have been killed.
AMY GOODMAN : And Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party.
DR. JILL STEIN : The tragedy in Libya, I think, is a very good case in point that really shows how this "get tough" international policy has really been extremely unproductive, has really produced the opposite effect of what was intended. And we're seeing this now not only in Libya, but in the demonstrations against US embassies across the Middle East, in the fact that the Afghanistan army is shooting at US soldiers. The war effort really is not being turned over to an Afghan army. The Afghan army itself has a very high desertion rate. We need a foreign policy based not on "tough guy" militarism, but on international law and respect for human rights, not on wars for oil.
AMY GOODMAN : I want to urge you to stay tuned for hour two for our "Expanding the Debate" special. If your station isn't carrying the second hour, you can watch live at democracynow.org. I'll be speaking at St. Cloud State University tonight at 7:00 and tomorrow night at Nevada City in California.
[end of hour one]
AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now! 's "Expanding the Debate" special. I'm Amy Goodman. We're joined by three third-party guests shut out of the second presidential debate last night at Hofstra University. Here in New York, we have Green Party presidential nominee Dr. Jill Stein, who was arrested last night as she tried to enter the debate grounds. Justice Party nominee Rocky Anderson, the former mayor of Salt Lake City, is also with us. And in Rocky Mount, Virginia, Constitution Party nominee Virgil Goode, former six-term congressman who was first elected as a Democrat and later switched to the Republican Party. We invited Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico; he declined our invitation. He is the candidate for the Libertarian Party.
We are re-airing parts of last night's presidential debate, pausing the videotape to give third-party candidates a chance to respond to the same questions put to the major-party candidates. We now go back to the debate moderator, Candy Crowley of CNN .
CANDY CROWLEY : And it's Katherine Fenton who has a question for you.
KATHERINE FENTON : In what new ways do you intend to rectify the inequalities in the workplace, specifically regarding females making only 72 percent of what their male counterparts earn?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : Well, Katherine, this is a great question. And, you know, I was raised by a single mom who had to put herself through school while looking after two kids. And she worked hard every day and made a lot of sacrifices to make sure we got everything we needed. And my grandmother, she started off as a secretary in a bank. She never got a college education, even though she was smart as a whip. And she worked her way up to become a vice president at a local bank. But she hit the glass ceiling. She trained people who would end up becoming her bosses during the course of her career. She didn't complain; that's not what you did in that generation.
And this is one of the reasons why one of the first—the first bill I signed was something called the Lilly Ledbetter bill. And this is named after this amazing woman who had been doing the same job as a man for years, found out that she was getting paid less, and the Supreme Court said that she couldn't bring suit because she should have found out about it earlier, when she had no way of finding out about it. So we fixed that. And that's an example of the kind of advocacy that we need, because women are increasingly the breadwinners in the family. This is not just a women's issue. This is a family issue. This is a middle-class issue. And that's why we've got to fight for it.
It also means that we've got to make sure that young people like yourself are able to afford a college education. Earlier, Governor Romney talked about he wants to make Pell Grants and other education accessible for young people. Well, the truth of the matter is, is that that's exactly what we've done. We've expanded Pell Grants for millions of people, including millions of young women, all across the country. We did it by taking $60 billion that was going to banks and lenders as middlemen for the student loan program, and we said, let's just cut out the middleman, let's give the money directly to students. And as a consequence, we've seen millions of young people be able to afford college, and that's going to make sure that young women are going to be able to compete in that marketplace.
But we've got to enforce the laws, which is what we are doing. And we've also got to make sure that in every walk of life we do not tolerate discrimination. That's been one of the hallmarks of my administration. I'm going to continue to push on this issue for the next four years.
CANDY CROWLEY : Governor Romney, pay equity for women.
MITT ROMNEY : Thank you. And important topic, and one which I learned a great deal about, particularly as I was serving as governor of my state, because I had the chance to pull together a cabinet, and all the applicants seemed to be men. And I—and I went to my staff, and I said, "How come all the people for these jobs are—are all men." They said, "Well, these are the people that have the qualifications." And I said, "Well, gosh, can't we—can't we find some—some women that are also qualified?"
And—and so we—we took a concerted effort to go out and find women who had backgrounds that could be qualified to become members of our cabinet. I went to a number of women's groups and said, "Can you help us find folks?" And they brought us whole binders full of women. I was proud of the fact that after I staffed my cabinet and my senior staff, that the University of New York in Albany did a survey of all 50 states and concluded that mine had more women in senior leadership positions than any other state in America.
Now, one of the reasons I was able to get so many good women to be part of that team was because of our recruiting effort, but number two, because I recognized that if you're going to have women in the workforce, that sometimes they need to be more flexible. My chief of staff, for instance, had two kids that were still in school. She said, "I can't be here until 7:00 or 8:00 at night. I need to be able to get home at 5:00 so I can be there for making dinner for my kids and being with them when they get home from school." So we said, "Fine. Let's have a flexible schedule so you can have hours that work for you."
We're going to have to have employers in the new economy, in the economy I'm going to bring to play, that are going to be so anxious to get good workers, they're going to be anxious to hire women. In the—in the last four years, women have lost 580,000 jobs. That's the net of what's happened in the last four years. We're still down 580,000 jobs. I mentioned three-and-a-half million women more now in poverty than four years ago.
What we can do to help young women and women of all ages is to have a strong economy, so strong that employers that are looking to find good employees and bringing them into their workforce and adapting to a flexible work schedule that gives women the opportunities that—that they would otherwise not be able to afford.
This is what I've done. It's what I look forward to doing. And I know what it takes to make an economy work, and I know what a working economy looks like. And an economy with 7.8 percent unemployment is not a real strong economy. An economy that—that has 23 million people looking for work is not a strong economy. An economy with 50 percent of kids graduating from college that can't find a job or a college-level job, that's not what we have to have.
CANDY CROWLEY : Governor?
MITT ROMNEY : I'm going to help women in America get good work by getting a stronger economy and by supporting women in the workforce.
CANDY CROWLEY : Mr. President, why don't you get in on this quickly, please?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : Katherine, I just want to point out that when Governor Romney's campaign was asked about the Lilly Ledbetter bill, whether he supported it, he said, "I'll get back to you." And that's not the kind of advocacy that women need in any economy.
Now, there are some other issues that have a bearing on how women succeed in the workplace. For example, their healthcare. You know, a major difference in this campaign is that Governor Romney feels comfortable having politicians in Washington decide the healthcare choices that women are making. I think that's a mistake. In my healthcare bill, I said insurance companies need to provide contraceptive coverage to everybody who's insured, because this is not just a health issue, it's an economic issue for women. It makes a difference. This is money out of that family's pocket. Governor Romney not only opposed it, he suggested that in fact employers should be able to make the decision as to whether or not a woman gets contraception through her insurance coverage. That's not the kind of advocacy that women need.
When Governor Romney says that we should eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood—there are millions of women all across the country who rely on Planned Parenthood for not just contraceptive care, they rely on it for mammograms, for cervical cancer screenings. That's a pocketbook issue for women and families all across the country. And it makes a difference in terms of how well and effectively women are able to work. When we talk about child care and the credits that we're providing, that makes a difference in terms of whether they can go out there and earn a living for their family.
These are not just women's issues. These are family issues. These are economic issues. And one of the things that makes us grow as an economy is when everybody participates and women are getting the same fair deal as men are.
CANDY CROWLEY : Mr. President—
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : And I've got two daughters, and I want to make sure that they have the same opportunities that anybody's sons have. That's part of what I'm fighting for as president of the United States.
MITT ROMNEY : I'd just note that I don't believe that bureaucrats in Washington should tell someone whether they can use contraceptives or not. And I don't believe employers should tell someone whether they could have contraceptive care of not. Every woman in America should have access to contraceptives. And—and the—and the president's statement on my policy is completely and totally wrong.
AMY GOODMAN : Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party, you have two minutes.
DR. JILL STEIN : Well, we basically just heard Mitt Romney say, "Trust me. You know, I'm a CEO that likes to invest my money offshore, that likes to fire people, and that supports free trade agreements and Bain Capital-type investments that move our jobs overseas." So, this doesn't sound exactly reassuring for providing work equity for women.
And Barack Obama points to many programs that he says have made the difference, but clearly they haven't made the difference. Women are still being paid far less. Women-headed households have a 40 percent poverty rate relative to the 15 percent poverty rate among the general population. So, we have a critical problem.
That's why our Green New Deal insures that everyone will have a job, and a job paying living wages. The Green New Deal will put 23 million people back to work, will end unemployment. We will provide jump-start grants, zero-interest loans to small businesses and worker co-operatives, and we'll provide the public works and public services that enable you to go down to an employment office, rather than an unemployment office, and actually get a job.
We are also advocating for free public higher education, as I mentioned before. The president points to support for Pell Grants, coming from banks as middlemen who are getting $60 billion. Well, now banks are getting a $40 billion every month as a part of the latest quantitative easing. Again, we need to quantitatively ease student debt, not bank debt, again, for the third time, their fourth consecutive bailout.
And likewise on healthcare, it is every woman and every man's right to have complete healthcare through a Medicare-for-all plan, which is the only way that we can actually get to complete coverage. It provides comprehensive care, so that it's not up to your boss, as the president basically validated by agreeing to relieve business—businesses where employers objected on religious grounds to the coverage of birth control. In fact, birth control should not be up to your employer, nor should vaccinations or blood transfusions or any other aspect of healthcare that might be objected to on religious grounds. Healthcare is a human right. We should be providing it now for everyone. It will also save us trillions of dollars over the coming decade.
AMY GOODMAN : Justice Party presidential candidate Rocky Anderson.
ROCKY ANDERSON : Inequity in the workplace is just part of a larger picture of inequity systemically in this country that impacts women in so many ways. Lilly Ledbetter was a great beginning, but you don't just leave everybody to their own devices, say, "OK, you've got the tools now to go out and sue if you're not being paid equally for equal work." We need good enforcement by those in government charged with enforcement.
And with these two corporate candidates, we'll never be able to trust in that, any more than we've seen good enforcement against those who committed massive fraud on Wall Street. The Obama administration hasn't prosecuted one person on Wall Street for that financial fraud.
So, we've seen in the last 25 years a doubling of maternal mortality in this country. We see African-American women dying as a result of pregnancy or childbirth at a rate of more than three times as many as white women. The impacts on women in the workplace are still so evident, and yet we don't see the kind of enforcement that we need from those charged with enforcement in government. So we need that kind of leadership. We need the kinds of examples.
When I was practicing law, I know how difficult it is for private plaintiffs to bring these cases. You need the help of government. I also served two different terms on the board of Planned Parenthood in Utah, and I know the huge difference that good family planning, education and services makes for everybody, men and women together. And contraceptive services need to be comprehensively provided, and without charge. It pays off great dividends over the long haul.
AMY GOODMAN : Virgil Goode of the Constitution Party.
VIRGIL GOODE JR.: Thank you. I am opposed to discrimination in wages and in the employment place. There should be equal pay for equal work, regardless of sex, regardless of race, regardless of religion, regardless of national origin.
I would point out, of all the candidates running for president, I am the only one that has consistently opposed free trade agreements, in opposition to some in the Democratic leadership and many in the Republican leadership, because I recognized most of these agreements were shifting jobs to foreign countries. The jobs should be in the United States first, not transferred to foreign countries, where the really big money backers of the super PACs that are supporting Obama and Romney benefit from having so much manufacturing overseas.
And I am the only candidate that stands up for the Katherine Fentons, who are US citizens wanting jobs in this country. The big money people that are behind Obama and Romney want to bring in more foreign workers, give them more green cards, because it drives down wages. I'm for standing up for the US citizen, for jobs in this country first. And I'll help Katherine Fenton more than any other candidate, because I recognize that problem and am willing to say it and talk about it and do something about it.
AMY GOODMAN : Let's return to the debate moderator, Candy Crowley of CNN .
CANDY CROWLEY : I want to ask Carol Goldberg to stand up, because she gets to a question that both these men have been passionate about. It's for Governor Romney.
CAROL GOLDBERG : The outsourcing of American jobs overseas has taken a toll on our economy. What plans do you have to put back and keep jobs here in the United States?
MITT ROMNEY : Boy, great question and important question, because you're absolutely right. And the place where we've seen manufacturing go has been China. China is now the largest manufacturer in the world—used to be the United States of America. A lot of good people have lost jobs. A half-a-million manufacturing jobs have been lost in the last four years. That's total over the last four years. One of the reasons for that is that people think it's more attractive in some cases to go offshore than to—than to stay here. We have made it less attractive for enterprises to stay here than to go offshore from time to time. What I will do as president is make sure it's more attractive to come to America again.
This is the way we're going to create jobs in this country. It's not by trickle-down government, saying we're going to take more money from people and hire more government workers, raise more taxes, put in place more regulations. Trickle-down government has never worked here, has never worked anywhere. I want to make America the most attractive place in the world for entrepreneurs, for small business, for big business, to invest and grow in America.
Now, we're going to have—
AMY GOODMAN : We have a slight glitch, and we're going to take this opportunity to go to a break, and we'll come back to this "Expanding the Debate" discussion, the debate being held at Hofstra University in Long Island. You can visit the web at democracynow.org. We are going to three presidential debates. On Monday, we will be expanding the final debate. Let's go to break and come back. This is Democracy Now!
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AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now! , democracynow.org, The War and Peace Report . We are expanding the debate, breaking the sound barrier by bringing in three third-party candidates to participate in the second presidential debate. As we return now to Hofstra University, where President Obama and Mitt Romney sparred on Tuesday night, we'll return to Republican nominee Mitt Romney.
MITT ROMNEY : [Now, we're going to have to make sure that as we trade with other nations] that they play by the rules. And China hasn't. One of the reasons—or one of the ways they don't play by the rules is artificially holding down the value of their currency, because if they put their currency down low, that means their prices on their goods are low. And that makes them advantageous in the marketplace. We lose sales, and manufacturers here in the US making the same products can't compete. China has been a currency manipulator for years and years and years. And the president has a regular opportunity to—to label them as a—as a currency manipulator but refuses to do so. On day one, I will label China a currency manipulator, which will allow me as president to be able to put in place, if necessary, tariffs where I believe that they are taking unfair advantage of our manufacturers. So we're going to make sure that people we trade with around the world play by the rules.
But let me—let me not just stop there. Don't forget, what's key to bringing back jobs here is not just finding someone else to punish—and I'm going to be strict with people who we trade with to make sure they—they follow the law and play by the rules—but it's also to make America the most attractive place in the world for businesses of all kinds. That's why I want to down the tax rates on small employers, big employers, so they want to be here. Canada's tax rate on companies is now 15 percent. Ours is 35 percent. So if you're starting a business, where would you rather start it? We have to be competitive if we're going to create more jobs here.
Regulations have quadrupled. The rate of regulations quadrupled under this president. I talk to small businesses across the country. They say, "We feel like we're under attack from our own government." I want to make sure that regulators see their job as encouraging small business, not crushing it. And there's no question but that "Obamacare" has been an extraordinary deterrent to enterprises of all kinds hiring people.
My priority is making sure that we get more people hired. If we have more people hired, if we get back manufacturing jobs, if we get back all kinds of jobs into this country, then you're going to see rising incomes again. The reason incomes are down is because unemployment is so high. I know what it takes to get this to happen, and my plan will do that, and one part of it is to make sure that we keep China playing by the rules.
AMY GOODMAN : We go to Virgil Goode of the Constitution Party.
VIRGIL GOODE JR.: President Obama claims to be for jobs in America, yet, under his administration, continuing the tradition in the Bush administration, they bring in approximately 1.2 million people every year and give them green cards. Of that 1.2 million, about three-fourths are working-age persons stealing jobs from US citizens. The jobs in America should go first to US citizens. With unemployment, to use Obama's numbers, at 7.8 percent, we need to have a near-complete moratorium on green card issuances. Mr. Obama's title should be, "bring 'em in from other countries."
Then you go to Mr. Romney on the issue. When he was with Bain Capital, they sent all kinds of jobs to China and other foreign countries because of lower wages, no employment commission restrictions, no Department of Labor restrictions. If I were president, our trade measures would be totally renegotiated in favor of manufacturing and more jobs in this country, instead of seeing how many we could send overseas that benefit many of those behind the super PACs that are pouring so much money into the Obama and Romney ads. Virgil Goode will stand up for jobs in the United States for US citizens first.
AMY GOODMAN : Rocky Anderson?
ROCKY ANDERSON : For 35 years, we had a thriving middle class in this country. People were doing well. That doesn't mean there weren't people on the margins, but there were good jobs. Wages were being raised. We had a strong union movement, which contributed a great deal to that thriving middle class. And now we're seeing a return to the Gilded Age with a disparity in income and wealth unparalleled since the 1920s. We can do so much better providing good jobs, but having a strong labor movement in this country is crucial to that.
President Obama promised that he would support the Employee Free Choice Act, and he did almost nothing to see that that was done, yet another promise betrayed by President Obama for the middle class while he was serving the interests of Wall Street. So we can bring those jobs back. We can renegotiate those trade agreements, put in place a WPA -like project, and raise wages, including the minimum wage, which will have that rippling effect and helping out everybody along the way.
AMY GOODMAN : Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party.
DR. JILL STEIN : So, if the question is how to stop the outsourcing of our jobs, you know, it's very clear we need to stop expanding the free trade agreements that send our jobs overseas and which also undermine wages here at home by effectively threatening workers that if they don't drop their wages and their benefits, that their jobs are gone.
So, we saw the first free trade agreement, NAFTA , enacted under Bill Clinton, a Democrat. We saw it carried out under George Bush, but then we saw Barack Obama expand three free trade agreements and is now negotiating a secret free trade agreement, the Trans-Pacific Partnership, that will continue to offshore jobs, undermine wages, and, as well, this time compromise American sovereignty with an international corporate board that can rule on our laws and regulations and say whether or not they pass muster. This is an absolute outrage against American sovereignty, democracy and our economy.
We need to turn the free trade agreements into fair trade agreements. And again, the Green New Deal will create the community-based jobs we need here, supporting small businesses, worker co-operatives, and public services and worker—and public works to put people back to work right now, for the cost—less than the cost of the first stimulus package.
AMY GOODMAN : Let's return to debate moderator Candy Crowley.
CANDY CROWLEY : I want to introduce you to Nina Gonzalez, who brought up a question that we hear a lot, both over the internet and from this crowd.
NINA GONZALEZ : President Obama, during the Democratic National Convention in 2008, you stated you wanted to keep AK-47s out of the hands of criminals. What has your administration done or plan to do to limit the availability of assault weapons?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : We're a nation that believes in the Second Amendment, and I believe in the Second Amendment. We've got a long tradition of hunting and sportsmen and people who want to make sure they can protect themselves.
But there have been too many instances during the course of my presidency where I've had to comfort families who have lost somebody, most recently out in Aurora. You know, just a couple of weeks ago—actually, probably about a month—I saw a mother, who I had met at the bedside of her son, who had been shot in that theater. And her son had been shot through the head. And we spent some time, and we said a prayer. And remarkably, about two months later, this young man and his mom showed up, and he looked unbelievable, good as new. But there were a lot of families who didn't have that good fortune and whose sons or daughters or husbands didn't survive.
So, my belief is that, A, we have to enforce the laws we've already got, make sure that we're keeping guns out of the hands of criminals, those who are mentally ill. We've done a much better job in terms of background checks, but we've got more to do when it comes to enforcement.
But I also share your belief that weapons that were designed for soldiers in war theaters don't belong on our streets. And so, what I'm trying to do is to get a broader conversation about how do we reduce the violence generally. Part of it is seeing if we can get an assault weapons ban reintroduced. But part of it is also looking at other sources of the violence, because, frankly, in my home town of Chicago, there's an awful lot of violence, and they're not using AK-47s, they're using cheap hand guns.
And so, what can we do to intervene to make sure that young people have opportunity; that our schools are working; that if there's violence on the streets, that working with faith groups and law enforcement, we can catch it before it gets out of control?
And so, what I want is a—is a comprehensive strategy. Part of it is seeing if we can get automatic weapons that kill folks in amazing numbers out of the hands of criminals and the mentally ill. But part of it is also going deeper and seeing if we can get into these communities and making sure we catch violent impulses before they occur.
CANDY CROWLEY : Governor Romney, the question is about assault weapons, AK-47s.
MITT ROMNEY : Yeah, I'm not in favor of new pieces of legislation on—on guns and taking guns away or making certain guns illegal. We of course don't want to have automatic weapons, and that's already illegal in this country, to have automatic weapons. What I believe is we have to do as the president mentioned towards the end of his remarks there, which is to make enormous efforts to enforce the gun laws that we have and to change the culture of violence we have.
And you ask, how are we going to do that? And there are a number of things. He mentioned good schools. I totally agree. We were able to drive our schools to be number one in the nation in my state. And I believe if we do a better job in education, we'll—we'll give people the—the hope and opportunity they deserve, and perhaps less violence from that.
But let me mention another thing. And that is parents. We need moms and dads helping raise kids. Wherever possible, the benefit of having two parents in the home—and that's not always possible. A lot of great single moms, single dads. But gosh, to tell our kids that before they have babies they ought to think about getting married to someone, that's a great idea, because if there's a two-parent family, the prospect of living in poverty goes down dramatically. The opportunities that the child will—will be able to achieve increase dramatically. So, we can make changes in the way our culture works to help bring people away from violence and give them opportunity and bring them in the American system.
The greatest failure we've had with regards to—to gun violence, in some respects, is what—what is known as Fast and Furious, which was a program under this administration. And how it worked exactly, I think we don't know precisely, but where thousands of automatic and AK-47-type weapons were—were given to people that ultimately gave them to—to drug lords. They used those weapons against—against their own citizens and killed Americans with them. And this was a—this was a program of the government. For what purpose it was put in place, I can't imagine. But it's one of the great tragedies related to violence in our society which has occurred during this administration, which I think the American people would like to understand fully. It's been investigated to a degree, but—but the administration has—has carried out executive privilege to prevent all of the information from coming out. I'd like to understand who it was that did this, what the idea was behind it, why it led to the violence, thousands of guns going to Mexican drug lords.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : Candy?
CANDY CROWLEY : Governor—Governor, if I could, the question was about these assault weapons that once were banned and are no longer banned. I know that you signed an assault weapons ban when you were in Massachusetts. Obviously, with this question, you no longer do support that. Why is that, given the kind of violence that we see, sometimes with these mass killings? Why is it that you've changed your mind?
MITT ROMNEY : Well, Candy, actually, in my state, the pro-gun folks and the anti-gun folks came together and put together a piece of legislation. And it's referred to as a—as an assault weapon ban, but it had—at the signing of the bill, both the pro-gun and the anti-gun people came together, because it provided opportunities for both that both wanted. There were hunting opportunities, for instance, that hadn't previously been available and so forth. So it was a mutually agreed-upon piece of legislation. That's what we need more of, Candy. What we have right now in Washington is a place that's—that's gridlocked.
CANDY CROWLEY : So if I could—
MITT ROMNEY : We haven't had—
CANDY CROWLEY : If you could get people to agree to it, you'd be for it?
MITT ROMNEY : We haven't—we haven't had—we haven't had the—
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : Candy?
MITT ROMNEY : We haven't had the leadership in Washington to work on a bipartisan basis. I was able to do that in my state and bring these two together.
CANDY CROWLEY : Quickly, Mr. President.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : The—first of all, I think Governor Romney was for an assault weapons ban before he was against it. And he said that the reason he changed his mind was, in part, because he was seeking the endorsement of the National Rifle Association. So, that's on the record.
But I think that one area we agree on is the importance of parents and the importance of schools, because I do believe that if our young people have opportunity, then they're less likely to engage in these kind of violent acts. We're not going to eliminate everybody who is mentally disturbed, and we've got to make sure they don't get weapons. But we can make a difference in terms of ensuring that every young person in America, regardless of where they come from and what they look like, have a chance to succeed.
And Candy, we haven't had a chance to talk about education much, but I think it is very important to understand that the reforms we've put in place, working with 46 governors around the country, are seeing schools that are some of the ones that are the toughest for kids starting to succeed. We're starting to see gains in math and science. When it comes to community colleges, we are setting up programs, including with Nassau Community College, to retrain workers, including young people who may have dropped out of school but now are getting another chance, training them for the jobs that exist right now. And, in fact, employers are looking for skilled workers, and so we're matching them up, giving them access to higher education. As I said, we have made sure that millions of young people are able to get an education that they weren't able to get before. Now—
CANDY CROWLEY : Mr. President, I have to—
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : But—
CANDY CROWLEY : I have to move you along here.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : But—
CANDY CROWLEY : You said you wanted to hear this question, so we need to do it here.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : It'll be just—just one second.
CANDY CROWLEY : One—
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : Because—because this is important. This is part of the choice in this election. And when Governor Romney was asked whether teachers—hiring more teachers was important to growing our economy, Governor Romney said, "That doesn't grow our economy."
CANDY CROWLEY : The question, of course—
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : When he was asked, was class size—
CANDY CROWLEY : —Mr. President, was guns here, so I need to move us along.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : I understand.
CANDY CROWLEY : You know the question was guns. So let me—let me—
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : But this will make a difference—
CANDY CROWLEY : —bring in another—
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : —in terms of whether or not we can move this economy forward for these young people—
CANDY CROWLEY : I understand.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : —and reduce our violence.
CANDY CROWLEY : OK, thank you so much.
AMY GOODMAN : Rocky Anderson of the Justice Party, your response?
ROCKY ANDERSON : We've seen just another instance of Mitt Romney completely flip-flopping on where he stood as governor of Massachusetts and what he's doing now to please the likes of the National Rifle Association. We need to end the stranglehold of the National Rifle Association on our government. There's one reason for assault weapons, and that is to kill as many people as quickly as possible. And there was a federal ban on assault weapons. It expired in 2004. President Obama promised four years ago to support the permanent reinstatement of that ban. That would have been the right thing to do, but he hasn't done it. Neither of these candidates will do the right thing when it comes to ending the influence of the National Rifle Association and, once and for all, getting assault weapons off the streets of this country.
AMY GOODMAN : Virgil Goode of the Constitution Party.
VIRGIL GOODE JR.: Unlike Mitt Romney, I have always been an opponent of banning so-called assault weapons, which includes such things as a 30-ought-6 [.30-06], which is favored by many deer hunters. If I'm president, I'll veto any ban on assault weapons. And if I were governor of Massachusetts, I would not have issued a press release bragging on how the general assembly of Massachusetts passed an assault weapon ban and I signed it into law. Mayor Anderson is correct: this is an example of another Romney flip-flop. If you think you can trust Romney with your guns in the future, go ahead and vote for him.
But there's only one candidate in this race that has had consistent and solid top ratings by the Gun Owners of America, NRA , Citizens Defense League, Second Amendment groups, and that's Virgil Goode, a longtime supporter of the Second Amendment, the—a proponent and co-sponsor of legislation to repeal the DC gun ban, which was thankfully overturned when the court recognized that the Second Amendment is an individual right. I will stand up for your Second Amendment rights, unlike Romney, Obama or any of the others.
AMY GOODMAN : Dr. Jill Stein?
DR. JILL STEIN : We certainly need an assault weapons ban, but we need more than that. There are some 260 people every day who are injured or killed by gun violence, so it's very important that we ban assault weapons, for starters, but there are other steps that need to be taken quickly. Local communities need to be able to regulate guns, as needed, to deal with their violence. So, we need to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. We need background checks, so that the mentally ill are not possessing and using guns. And we need to end the gun show loopholes, as well, because there's far too much violence from guns, which is not needed.
But in addition, we have to address the other drivers of community violence. That includes ensuring that mental health services are available to everyone. Mental health services have been cut back in a major way with all the cuts to healthcare. And providing Medicare for all, that covers everyone, including mental health services, would go a long way to ensure that very unstable and troubled individuals are not getting into possession of guns and then using them.
But in addition, we need to end the culture of drug violence, which also is a major driver of gun violence. So that means legalizing marijuana, because it is a substance which is dangerous because it is illegal, but it's actually far less dangerous than other legal substances. And to legalize it will go a long way to put an end to the violence surrounding the drug culture.
AMY GOODMAN : We're going to go to a break and then come back to this "Expanding the Debate" special, as we break the sound barrier including third-party presidential candidates in the second of the three presidential debates. On Monday, we will do the same at night when the final presidential debate takes place in Boca Raton. We will do it live, in real time, pausing the tape to include candidates who have been locked out. This is Democracy Now! Back in a minute.
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AMY GOODMAN : This is Democracy Now! 's "Expanding the Debate" special. I'm Amy Goodman. We're joined by three third-party guests shut out of last night's presidential debate at Hofstra University. Here in New York, we have Green Party presidential nominee Dr. Jill Stein. She tried to get into the debate last night with her running mate, Cheri Honkala. She and Cheri Honkala were arrested. They were detained for more than eight hours. In fact, they were handcuffed to chairs for that time. Justice Party nominee Rocky Anderson is the former mayor of Salt Lake City. And in Rocky Mount, Virginia, we're joined by Constitution Party nominee Virgil Goode, former six-term congressman who was first elected as a Democrat, later switched to the Republican Party. We did invite Gary Johnson, the former New Mexico governor, on—he's the Libertarian presidential nominee—but he declined our invitation. We're re-airing parts of Tuesday night's second presidential debate, pausing the videotape to give third-party candidates a chance to respond to the same questions put to the major-party candidates. We return to debate moderator Candy Crowley of CNN .
CANDY CROWLEY : I want to move us along here to Susan Katz, who has a question. And, Governor, it's for you.
SUSAN KATZ : Governor Romney, I am an undecided voter, because I'm disappointed with the lack of progress I've seen in the last four years. However, I do attribute much of America's economic and international problems to the failings and missteps of the Bush administration. Since both you and President Bush are Republicans, I fear a return to the policies of those years should you win this election. What is the biggest difference between you and George W. Bush, and how do you differentiate yourself from George W. Bush?
MITT ROMNEY : President Bush and I are—are different people, and these are different times. And that's why my five-point plan is so different than what he would have done.
I mean, for instance, we can now, by virtue of new technology, actually get all the energy we need in North America without having to go to the—the Arabs or the Venezuelans or anyone else. That wasn't true in his time. That's why my policy starts with a very robust policy to get all that energy in North America, become energy secure.
Number two, trade. I'll crack down on China. President Bush didn't. I'm also going to dramatically expand trade in Latin America. It's been growing about 12 percent per year over a long period of time. I want to add more free trade agreements so we'll have more trade.
Number three, I'm going to get us to a balanced budget. President Bush didn't. President Obama was right. He said that that was outrageous to have deficits as high as half-a-trillion dollars under the Bush years. He was right. But then he put in place deficits twice that size for every one of his four years. And his forecast for the next four years is more deficits, almost that large. So that's the next area I'm different than President Bush.
And then let's take the last one, championing small business. Our party has been focused on big business too long. I came through small business. I understand how hard it is to start a small business. That's why everything I'll do is designed to help small businesses grow and add jobs. I want to keep their taxes down, on small business. I want regulators to see their job as encouraging small enterprise, not crushing it.
And the thing I find most troubling about "Obamacare" —   well, it's a long list, but one of the things I find most troubling is that when you go out and talk to small businesses and ask them what they think about it, they tell you it keeps them from hiring more people.
My priority is jobs. I know how to make that happen. And President Bush had a very different path for a very different time. My path is designed in getting small businesses to grow and hire people.
CANDY CROWLEY : Thanks, Governor. Mr. President?
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : Well, first of all, I think it's important to tell you that we did come in during some tough times. We were losing 800,000 jobs a month when I started. But we have been digging our way out of policies that were misplaced and focused on the top doing very well and middle class folks not doing well. Now we've seen 30 consecutive—31 consecutive months of job growth, 5.2 million new jobs created. And the plans that I talked about will create even more.
But when Governor Romney says that he has a very different economic plan, the centerpiece of his economic plan are tax cuts. That's what took us from surplus to deficit. When he talks about getting tough on China, keep in mind that Governor Romney invested in companies that were pioneers of outsourcing to China, and is currently investing in countries—in companies that are building surveillance equipment for China to spy on its own folks. That's—Governor, you're the last person who's going to get tough on China.
And what we've done when it comes to trade is not only sign three trade deals to open up new markets, but we've also set up a task force for trade that goes after anybody who is taking advantage of American workers or businesses and not creating a level playing field. We've brought twice as many cases against unfair trading practices than the previous administration, and we've won every single one that's been decided. When I said that we had to make sure that China was not flooding our domestic market with cheap tires, Governor Romney said I was being protectionist, that it wouldn't be helpful to American workers. Well, in fact, we saved a thousand jobs. And that's the kind of tough trade actions that are required.
But the last point I want to make is this. You know, there are some things where Governor Romney is different from George Bush. George Bush didn't propose turning Medicare into a voucher. George Bush embraced comprehensive immigration reform; he didn't call for self-deportation. George Bush never suggested that we eliminate funding for Planned Parenthood. So, there are differences between Governor Romney and George Bush, but they're not on economic policy. In some ways, he's gone to a more extreme place when it comes to social policy. And I think that's a mistake. That's not how we're going to move our economy forward.
AMY GOODMAN : Back to Dr. Jill Stein of the Green Party.
DR. JILL STEIN : Well, I just want to note that the lines get very blurred when you try to distinguish between even the policies of George Bush and Barack Obama on so many key areas, not to mention, you know, that the distinctions are very hard to find between Mitt Romney and George Bush. There's been enormous bipartisan collaboration on deregulation, on tax breaks for the very wealthy, and on the explosion of dirty energy as supposedly the route to a new economy. So, we've gotten ourselves into great crises under both parties. And in many ways, Barack Obama expanded the bad policies of George Bush, with Wall Street bailouts that went ballistic, the continued offshoring of our jobs, the skyrocketing of student debt and home foreclosures, the expansion of the war, the attack on our civil liberties. The list goes on.
What's very different in my policies and in Green Party policies is that we support a Green New Deal, which will put everyone back to work at the same time that it puts a halt to climate change and it makes wars for oil obsolete. And as a medical doctor, I want to note that what is good for the economy and for the planet is also good for our health. So it really creates the infrastructure for real health with a local, sustainable food system; with fresh food; with public and active transportation that allows you to get your exercise on the way to school; and with clean, renewable energy that provides, effectively, pollution prevention. So we can get healthy and save an enormous amount of money, as well, by preventing, what, 75 percent of our expenditures under what's really a sick care system, not a healthcare system. We move to the fundamentals of health, as well, through the Green New Deal.
AMY GOODMAN : Constitution Party presidential candidate, Virgil Goode.
VIRGIL GOODE JR.: Thank you. Dr. Jill Stein is correct in so many areas. Not much difference between Obama, Romney and Bush. I'll give you a few specifics. Romney, Obama and Bush will do nothing to control the increasing number of green card—well, 1.2 million green card holders admitted to the United States every year. Three-fourths of that number are taking US jobs. Obama is no on my position, Romney is no on my position, and Bush was no on my position. We need a moratorium on bringing in so many foreign workers until unemployment is under 5 percent, and giving them green cards.
Troubled Asset Relief Program, bailout for the—otherwise known as bailout for the big banks and Wall Street—Obama voted yes; Bush was the big pusher of that.
Free trade—Obama, Romney and Bush, big promoters of that. I was a consistent opponent of CAFTA , NAFTA , and PNTR with China.
In the area of education, you had Bush pushing No Child Left Behind and Obama going along with it afterwards. I voted no on No Child Left Behind, because I recognize the federal government should not be the controller and dictator of public education. That should be at the state and local level.
AMY GOODMAN : Rocky Anderson.
VIRGIL GOODE JR.: Big difference between me—
AMY GOODMAN : We're going to have to leave it there. Rocky Anderson?
ROCKY ANDERSON : Bipartisan corporatism and militarism is what now defines both the Republican and Democratic parties. Barack Obama was partially correct when he said our debt problem is due to these massive Bush budget-busting tax cuts, but what he left out was the military budget, the wars and the cost of cleaning up after the economic disaster facing this country starting in 2008. And they still haven't done anything to make sure that we don't face that kind of economic meltdown again.
We need significant regulation of Wall Street and the financial industry. That's not happening under President Obama. It certainly isn't going to happen under President—if there is a President Romney. They're—nobody is talking about breaking up the banks that are too big to fail. Nobody is talking about enforcement. There hasn't been one prosecution for the massive fraud on Wall Street during the Obama administration. So we're getting set up again, because these folks are serving the interests of Wall Street rather than serving the public interest. We need to get back to leadership like we had under FDR , like we cleaned up after the Depression, putting people to work and putting the people of this country first.
AMY GOODMAN : We go to the final question, which was about misperceptions you want to correct, and Mitt Romney answered it.
MITT ROMNEY : Thank you, and that's an opportunity for me, and I appreciate it.
In the nature of a campaign, it seems that some campaigns are focused on attacking a person rather than prescribing their own future and the things they'd like to do. In the course of that, I think the president's campaign has tried to characterize me as—as someone who's very different than who I am.
I care about 100 percent of the American people. I want 100 percent of the American people to have a bright and prosperous future. I care about our kids. I understand what it takes to—to make a bright and prosperous future for America again. I spent my life in the private sector, not in government. I'm a guy who wants to help, with the experience I have, the American people.
My—my passion probably flows from the fact that I believe in God. And I believe we're all children of the same god. I believe we have a responsibility to care for one another. I—I served as a missionary for my church. I served as a pastor in my congregation for about 10 years. I've sat across the table from people who were out of work, and worked with them to try and find new work or to help them through tough times.
I went to the Olympics when they were in trouble to try and get them on track. And as governor of my state, I was able to get 100 percent of my people insured, all my kids, about 98 percent of the adults. I was able also to get our schools ranked number one in the nation, so 100 percent of our kids would have a bright opportunity for a future.
I understand that I can get this country on track again. We don't have to settle for what we're going through. We don't have to settle for gasoline at four bucks. We don't have to settle for unemployment at a chronically high level. We don't have to settle for 47 million people on food stamps. We don't have to settle for 50 percent of kids coming out of college not able to get work. We don't have to settle for 23 million people struggling to find a good job.
If I become president, I'll get America working again. I will get us on track to a balanced budget. The president hasn't. Das werde ich. I'll make sure we can reform Medicare and Social Security to preserve them for coming—coming generations. The president said he would. He didn't.
CANDY CROWLEY : Governor—
MITT ROMNEY : I'll get our incomes up. And by the way, I've done these things. I served as governor and showed I could get them done.
CANDY CROWLEY : Mr. President, last two minutes belong to you.
PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA : Barry, I think a lot of this campaign, maybe over the last four years, has been devoted to this notion that I think government creates jobs, that that somehow is the answer. That's not what I believe. I believe that the free enterprise system is the greatest engine of prosperity the world's ever known. I believe in self-reliance and individual initiative and risk takers being rewarded. But I also believe that everybody should have a fair shot, and everybody should do their fair share, and everybody should play by the same rules, because that's how our economy is grown. That's how we built the world's greatest middle class. And—and that is part of what's at stake in this election. There's a fundamentally different vision about how we move our country forward.
I believe Governor Romney is a good man, loves his family, cares about his faith. But I also believe that when he said behind closed doors that 47 percent of the country considered themselves victims who refuse personal responsibility, think about who he was talking about: folks on Social Security who have worked all their lives; veterans, who've sacrificed for this country; students, who are out there trying to hopefully advance their own dreams, but also this country's dreams; soldiers who are overseas fighting for us right now; people who are working hard every day, paying payroll tax, gas taxes, but don't make enough income. And I want to fight for them. That's what I've been doing for the last four years, because if they succeed, I believe the country succeeds.
And when my grandfather fought in World War II and he came back and he got a GI Bill and that allowed him to go to college, that wasn't a handout. That was something that advanced the entire country. And I want to make sure that the next generation has those same opportunities. That's why I'm asking for your vote, and that's why I'm asking for another four years.
AMY GOODMAN : Constitution Party's presidential candidate Virgil Goode, less than 30 seconds, final comment.
VIRGIL GOODE JR.: Thank you. Virgil Goode is the candidate for you. I'm pro-life, pro-traditional marriage. Balance the budget now, not 10 years down the road. Jobs in America for American citizens first. Quit bringing in so many foreign workers. Stop the super PACs from controlling our federal election, and have term limits. The right way for America.
AMY GOODMAN : Rocky Anderson.
ROCKY ANDERSON : What hasn't been discussed during these debates, nobody is talking about what's going to impact future generations the very most, and that is the climate crisis. We have to address this if we're going to really show that we care about our children and future generations. Poverty doesn't—that word doesn't even escape the lips of either of these candidates. This is a major problem in this country, greater poverty rates than since 1965. There is so much more work to be done.
AMY GOODMAN : Dr. Jill Stein.
DR. JILL STEIN : I think the biggest misperception in this race is that there are only two candidates in this race and that there's only one choice, which is for a corporate- and Wall Street-sponsored future. In fact, there are many other candidates. I urge people to go to my website, jillstein.org , find out more. You can sign a petition there to open up the debates so that everyone can actually hear that they have real choices. And my campaign is providing that choice for a Green New Deal, for jobs, for ending unemployment, for healthcare and education and housing—
AMY GOODMAN : We have to leave it there.
DR. JILL STEIN : —as a human right.
AMY GOODMAN : And it's good to see you unhandcuffed.
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