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Part 2 of 11. Keith Olbermann hosts the Democratic Presidential Candidates' debate in Iowa, 8/7/07 Candidates speaking in this portion of the debate are Dennis Kucinich, Barack Obama, Bill Richardson, Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden. Transcript: OLBERMANN: But to continue on infrastructure, Congressman Kucinich, we are here to night in this beautifully and recently renovated Soldier Field, partially renovated due to about $400 million in taxpayer money. Should state and local—and in some cases, by proxy anyway— federal governments subsidize private businesses like sports teams by building them stadiums, when perhaps that choice is being made at the expense of infrastructure and bridges? KUCINICH: I have actually involved in that for many years. Here is what I said in Cleveland. Instead of spending $400 million or more for a stadium, why don't we just buy the team? (LAUGHTER) (APPLAUSE) I mean, really, you know, that's where the money is. So I think that we ought to be talking about an approach that gets people a return for their investment. Now, with respect to infrastructure, for the third time I have introduced a bill. This time it is H.R. 3400. It is a bipartisan bill. Congressman LaTourette of Ohio is with me on it. Here is what it will do. It will create millions of new jobs rebuilding America's infrastructure, rebuilding roads, water systems, sewer systems, bridges. I have been on this for many years. It will create jobs for laborers, for iron workers, for carpenters, for people who are involved in infrastructure—millions of new jobs, and create a Federal Bank of Infrastructure Modernization. Now, the time to talk about infrastructure is a little bit late after Katrina. It is a little bit late after the bridge has fallen in Minneapolis. But I've been there and I understand the implication. Why do you need an infrastructure? You need an infrastructure so you can create a basis for jobs. I want a new American manufacturing policy where the maintenance of steel, automotive, aerospace and shipping is seen as vital to our national security. KUCINICH: And I want to see America take a new direction in trade as part of this, and that means it's time to get out of NAFTA and the WTO... (APPLAUSE) ... and have trade that's based on workers' rights: the right to organize, the right to collective bargaining, the right to strike... OLBERMANN: Congressman? KUCINICH: ... the right to decent wages and benefits, and on and on. I'm here as the workers' candidate. Thank you. OLBERMANN: Thank you, Congressman. And please—and once again, we appreciate the applause and we appreciate the sincerity of your emotions, but the less applause we have, the more questions we can get in. And, in this case, I'm going to take one of my discretionary follow-up questions and ask Senator Obama particularly about this stadium. You were in the Illinois Legislature when Soldier Field was funded. You voted for it although you seemed reluctant at the time. Was it the right call? And give me your answer in 30 seconds. OBAMA: Absolutely it was the right call because it put a whole bunch of Illinois folks to work, strong labor jobs were creating in this stadium and, at the same time, we created an enormous opportunity for economic growth throughout the city of Chicago. And that's good for the state of Illinois. OLBERMANN: Thank you, Senator. Governor Richardson, there is a push in some parts of this country to take the next step that we've seen in so many other parts of government business: sell the toll roads to private companies. Would that be a better way to fix this problem? Can we really outsource it, farm it out? RICHARDSON: No, privatization is not the answer. But let me just say to all the union members here, I am proud to have gotten your support: financial and workers in my campaigns. I am here as a congressman, as a governor, as an elected official because of you. And I thank you and I will continue taking your financial support. (LAUGHTER) Here's one way that I believe we can finance our infrastructure in this country. I would start out by the Congress eliminating the $23 billion they put forth for congressional earmarks. RICHARDSON: I would also ensure that corporate welfare, $73 billion worth, is eliminated as a way to reduce the debt. But we have to invest in our power grid. We have to invest in our bridges, in our highways. I was able to do that as governor of New Mexico, $1.5 billion worth of highway construction to repair our bridges, to repair our highways, to bring commuter rail. We have to start thinking about new infrastructure in America. We have to start thinking about making sure we have strong land use policies, smart growth. The government should be a partner with the states and localities in building commuter rail, light rail, new forms of transportation that—besides repairing our highways and our bridges. OLBERMANN: Governor, thank you. Let's move on to another important topic for this audience in particular, the subject of trade. Senator Edwards had touched on this, Senator Clinton. Over the weekend, this past weekend, you expressed some disappointment that NAFTA, in your words, did not realize the benefits that it was promised—it promised, rather. How would you fix it? CLINTON: Well, I have said that for many years, that, you know, NAFTA and the way it's been implemented has hurt a lot of American workers. In fact, I did a study in New York looking at the impact of NAFTA on business people, workers and farmers, who couldn't get their products into Canada despite NAFTA. CLINTON: So clearly we have to have a broad reform in how we approach trade. NAFTA's a piece of it, but it's not the only piece of it. I believe in smart trade. I've said that for years. Pro-American trade; trade that has labor and environmental standards; that's not a race to the bottom, but tries to lift up not only American workers but also workers around the world. It's important that we enforce the agreements we have. That's why I've called for a trade prosecutor to make sure that we do enforce them. The Bush administration has been totally missing in action. They haven't been enforcing the trade agreements, at all. It's important that we have good information to make judgments. And when I looked at some of the trade agreements that the Bush administration sent our way—I voted against CAFTA. I don't want to give fast track authority to this president. So we've got to have a better approach to what we're going to do when it comes to trade around the world. CLINTON: And it's important that we have an idea of how to maximize the benefits from the global economy, while minimizing the impact on American workers. That includes things like real trade adjustment assistance and other support. But finally, Keith, we've got to have a source of new jobs. That's why we've got to invest in energy. We can create millions of new jobs if we go toward renewable energy. Those are not jobs that will be outsourced. Those are jobs that will actually save us money and create jobs right here in America. OLBERMANN: All right. Thank you, Senator. We're going to... (APPLAUSE) On a couple of occasions tonight, we want everyone on the record on a particular issue. So let me do this in 30 seconds, and literally go left to right, with Senator Clinton having already established her stance on this. Would you scrap NAFTA or fix it? Governor Richardson, 30 seconds. RICHARDSON: We should never have another trade agreement unless it enforces labor protection, environmental standards and job safety. RICHARDSON: What we need to do is say that from now on America will adhere to all international labor standards in any trade agreement. No child labor; no slave labor; freedom of association; collective bargaining, that is critically important; making sure that no wage disparity exists. Something else that I will also do. My first day as president I will get rid of all the union-busting attorneys at the Department of Labor and OSHA and all our agencies. (APPLAUSE) OLBERMANN: Governor Richardson, thank you. We're not going to contain the applause, I'm afraid. It's going to come out of my time, I know. As we continue, scrap NAFTA, Senator Obama, or fix it? OBAMA: I would immediately call the president of Mexico, the president of Canada, to try to amend NAFTA, because I think that we can get labor agreements in that agreement right now. OBAMA: And it should reflect the basic principle that our trade agreements should not just be good for Wall Street; it should also be good for Main Street. And the problem that we've had is that we've had corporate lobbyists; oftentimes, involved in negotiating these trade agreements. But the AFL-CIO hasn't been involved. Ordinary working people have not been involved. And we've got to make sure that our agreements are good for everybody, because globalization right now is creating winners and losers, but the problem is it's the same winners and the same losers each and every time. And we've got to mix it up. And that does mean, by the way, that you've got to have a president in the White House who is not subject simply to the whims of corporate lobbyists. And that issue is going to be something that I think should be important throughout this campaign: Are we going to make certain that you have a voice in Washington and not just those who are paying the big money in Washington to have that opportunity to negotiate? OLBERMANN: All right. To continue with this in a 30-second fashion, Senator Biden, scrap NAFTA or fix it? BIDEN: I hope that red light is going to malfunction for me too.