tv Today in Washington CSPAN October 7, 2010 6:00am-7:00am EDT
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>> we provide coverage of politics, public affairs, nonfiction books and american history. it is all available to you on television, radio, online and on social media networking site refine their content any time through the cspan video library. we take cspan on the room with their digital bus local content vehicle, bringing content to your neighborhood. now available in more than 100 million homes, created by cable and created but as a public service. >> this year, florida has a three-way race for the florida senate. republican mark rubio, kendrick me, and charlie crist who is running as an independent met for their first debate last night in orlando. abc news political correspondent and good morning america a host george stephanopoulos hosted the hour- long debate.
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>> "rubio plans to fight the president's agenda. >> i think washington is robert. >> democrat kendrick meek defeated a billionaire to win the nomination but loves being an underdog. >> i will still be comfortable playing david. >> tonight, from orlando, the heart of america's ultra battleground state, we bring you florida's abc news senate debate. >i am coming to you from orlando. we are here for a debate between the three florida senate
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candidates. this is the first prime time debate between the three candidates. welcome to all of you. we have a pretty loose format. each candidate has 60 seconds to respond and the others will have 30 seconds for rebuttal. we will make sure we mix it up and the questions are answered and engage. we will begin with opening statements. governor chris, you go first. >> thank you very much. i am running as an independent. it is abundantly clear that there is the extreme right faction in the republican party and i think that i am the only candidate who can win in
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november and crash the tea party. it is tied to have common sense in our nation's capital to fight for our fellow floridians. i did it as your governor. when the extreme right wanted to punish schoolteachers, i vetoed that bill to stop it for you. -- the extreme right want to change the way women want to change their own life and forced them to get an ultrasound and pay for it and do it and be lectured on it. it was too much to the right. i used the veto pen and i stopped that. i have done it as your governor and i will do it as your senator. when the extreme right said they wanted to raise the age of eligibility and restructure our social security, i said no way. if you want a new voice in washington, if you want a better way, somebody who will fight for you, the people of our state instead of their respective party that my opponents are in, i would ask for your vote on november 2. for the next u.s. senate
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member. >> thank you. i want to thank all abc affiliate's for the work you have done on this debate. my name is kendrick meek and i am ready to be a next states senator. floridians will have to take a stand of the next few weeks. if you want the united states senator that will stand with oil companies and the special interest groups and stand with health care companies and deny you health care, you should vote for marco rubio. if you want someone who is going to stand by and be a very weak united states senator that will not speak up when it is time, you need to vote for governor crist. if you want a candidate and united states senator that will stand with you against oil companies and not allow them to drill off the coast of florida as i have done because i am the only one who has done it or if you want someone who will stand by the decisions that have been done as it relates to health care that insurance companies
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cannot drop you in your greatest time of need, you are looking at the candidate that will stand up for you. if you want to make sure that we create jobs here in florida and work local leaders to make sure we come up with real solutions that will create jobs now and not later, you are looking at your candidate. if you are looking for a united states senator that will stand up for the middle class, making sure that you get tax cuts and not read on to the ideologies that my other two opponents have embraced their entire political career that special interests and the super wealthy in this country, somehow the dollar will trickle down to the middle class, you're looking at a candidate that will stand on behalf of the middle class and create jobs in this state. i look forward to this debate and i hope you'll make a sound decision as we continue to move forward to november 2. >> it has already started. >> thank you. if america is the greatest country in the history of the world and that did not happen by
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accident and that will not continue automatically. every generation of americans before as has confronted and solve the greatest challenges of their time and each generation of american has inherited a better life and a better country. it will not continue automatically that way. we will have to do the same thing. we must confront the challenges of our time. that is what this election is about. the direction that washington is taking us is the wrong one. they are taking us in the direction that will double our national debt in five years and triple it in 10. do you want to stay on that road or do you want to go to a better direction, a direction that will allow us to keep america the greatest country in the history? if you like the way things are going in washington and to support the direction they are taking america, i am probably not your candidate. if you want your next u.s. senator to be someone who will
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stand up to the direction washington is taking our country and offer a clear alternative, that will allow us to leave our children with what they deserve, i am the only one running that will do that and that is why i know i am asking for your avoca pimmit thank you very much. let's begin the questions. if >> one in six floridians are on social security. governor crist put out a tough advertisement yesterday about recalculating the social security to make people work harder for their money on the backs of seniors. >> this is blatantly untrue. every idea i have advocated for social security would not affect one single senior in florida. no one over 65 would be impacted by any ideas i put forth. my mother is 80 years old. she depends on social security
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and it is her primary source of income. for you to think that i would advocate anything that would affect her income is a lot. so security is a lot of trouble. social security is already paying out more than it takes every year, the congress goes in and takes the surplus and raises it and uses it to pay for other things. as more people retire and there are less workers to pay for, we will run into a big problem. there has to the answer to that problem. they have better ideas -- if they have better ideas how to save social security, they should tell us. >> he called you a liar 3 *. >> he talks about raising the age of eligibility and said it was on the table. he said it would restructure how social security is delivered to our people and privatization. he has been all over the map. it may not like what he said before and he is trying to run away from about the facts are
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facts. he said to the people of florida these things. when he had not achieve the nomination, he had this hard stuff you want to talk about and now he has changed course because we have 26 days to go in this election. i stand by the ad. it is truthful and straightforward and honest. the people of florida have a right to know what marco rubio would do. he would put raising the age of eligibility on the table and privatizing social security on the table. i am the only one in this race who has said i will protect and preserve social security as we know it today. my other upon the said he wants to point to a commission. we know what happens when you put it to the commission. they raise the age of social security and change how it is delivered. this was a promise that was made to seniors in our state and throughout the country, a promise i believe needs to be honored and respected. if i am elected to the senate, i
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will do just that for you. >> who is right here? >> i was the first one to put out an ad saying that i and the only one who fought against the privatization of social security. marco rubio talk about privatization in january and charlie crist talked about it when george bush talked about it and when he ran in 1998 against senator gramm saying we should privatize some of social security. i'm the only one that fought against george w. bush when he wants to privatize social security. i am the only one who has stood against it here. it is important when we look at this issue of social security who is telling the truth here. this whole private account discussion has come and gone but marco rivera signed petitions that says he is willing to privatize social security.
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charlie crist as a funding source that is bizarre, saying that we will legalize folks and pay for social security trust fund through that effort. i am saying let's expand middle- class work force so we can pay into social security that will result putting already and back to work and make sure seniors and those under 55 or what ever the magic number is, that we don't change the game on them. i think it is important to know that there is only one candidate here that has a track record of standing up for social security. if they want to change social security, they will have to go through may. i am 6 foot 3, a former state trooper, and a former football player. >> let's try to wrap this up and move on to the next question. on the question of
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privatization, you have raised charges and i want a yes or no answer, is it still on the table? >> no, it is not. i said to the wall street journal. the governor has mischaracterized my position. there is not one single senior watching this program that would be impacted by the changes i propose. >> let's be perfectly clear about what marco rubio has said about social security. he has said that he would raise the age of eligibility. he said that. he said everything should be on the table. if he wants to deny it, so be it. those are the facts. i am the only one who said we need to protect and preserve it as it is today. >> for clarification purposes, marco rubio has said he is open to privatization, charlie crist said he is open to privatization, both have plans to do so. i am the only candidate here who is saying no to privatization.
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>> we still have not heard an idea about how to save the system. i think folks want jobs created. they don't want political talk. >> is supported and $800 billion stimulus package. >> we have got to move on. we will get to these. you have 10 seconds. >> i think it is important that we realize we're social security is today. report after report says it is solvent until 200037 or 2041. i know they cannot -- economy will continue to improve but i offered a plan that is supported
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by the secretary of labor. it is straightforward and simple. there are 11 million people that are not american citizens today not participating in the american economy. if we can find a pathway to earn sufficient chips for those 11 million people that would pay into this system and when 2041 comes if social security is still being challenged, we have another way to pay for that provides jobs in a legal sense. it is compassionate to emigrant to come to our country. >> we have to move on. >> the citizens for responsibility and the ethics in america named the most corrupt politicians in america and all three of you made a list. do either one of your opponents deserve to be ranked were considered among america's most corrupt? >> i beg you have to look at the facts.
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i work with marco rubio when he was speaker. he put fourth things in the budget that i thought were questionable and that why -- and that's why i used the veto. he put in $800,000 for an astroturf field for a flag football field that he plays on in miami. he put in millions of dollars that he steered toward university and got a high-paying job there and millions to a hospital that ended up hiring him as a consultant. is that corrupt and wrong? it is clearly wrong in my view. he put in things for a friend of his that want to get business on the turnpike. i had to veto it three different times in the budget. people want public servants to serve you. that is how i have always conducted myself as governor, as attorney general, and as commissioner of education. that is how i will comport myself as united states senator.
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>> let's set the record straight -- these things are not true. i had nothing to do with the flag football field. >> you put $800,000 in the budget i had to veto a theme that is not true. he says i steered money and these things are false allegations. the florida house consistently offered leaner budgets than the office and senate offer. if you want a leaner budget, you should have lined up behind our budget. this stuff about corruption and name calling is old school politics. that is interesting that the governor says he wants to go to washington and get rid of the rancor and ugly talk and politics and yet he is participating fully. this should be about the future of america. these gentlemen support the direction washington is taking our country. we heard the governor say he supported amnesty for illegal aliens. there is not a single serious
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public policy maker in the country who supports that solution. i hope we had can have a debate tonight about the issues that matter to people at home. >> i think it is important to look at the political discourse that has taken place in this campaign. the airwaves are full of a tax on family members. you have many folks that have said different things about different candidates in this race. i can't tell you that the bottom line is how do we get people back to work. when you start talking about middle class work force, is important we expand middle-class jobs. it doesn't need to be trivialized. >> i didn't say it was travail. >> -- i didn't say it was trivial. >> we need to create jobs and incentives for local communities to move forward. you said you would vote against
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health care. you said you would vote against projects that could be supported by the office of the united states senator in helping local communities such as orlando-jacksonville-tampa, helping local communities meet the needs of individuals who need jobs right now. you are saying you believe in many things that you say no to. i say we should say yes and expanding middle class opportunities in this state and that is important. if you want to be elected, i am on board the train of trying to resolve the issues here in florida. >> the stimulus is a massive failure. they have borrowed and spent >> which part do you like? you say you like certain parts. teachers shouldn't have lost
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their jobs in this state. >> the bill was not passed as a bailout of government. governor crist supported you and you said the stimulus would create jobs. unemployment in florida is still at 11.5%. this is one example of the clear choice that voters have in this election. if people think the stimulus worked, you have to vote for one of these guys. if you understand as i do that the stimulus has been a massive failure and the only thing is stimulated is the national debt, i am the only one running who would have voted against the stimulus. >> i have to let governor crist dead every bottle in. >> these two guys are going after each other. there are good things that both parties can present to the future of our country.
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i accepted the stimulus. it saved over 20,000 educators in the state of florida. i don't know how you can look them in the eye and say you don't care about them are in there were 60,000 more individuals whose jobs were saved because of that stimulus. it is important to cut taxes. we need to have a tax cut that helps middle class and bridges across and extend the tax cuts to those who are small business owners. that will produce jobs for our people. i am the only one who can tell you that republicans have good ideas about reducing spending and cutting taxes and democrats have good ideas about investing in clean energy. if you want someone to cut through the red tape, i am the guy. >> your former house colleague, robert wexler, recently endorsed your opponent charlie crist as did the state senator.
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our recent poll shows that charlie crist is drawing more democratic support then you are. how you explain the democrats' soft support for your candidacy and embrace the man who a few months ago declared him to be the true republican in the race? >> recent polls have shown that the governor and i are neck and neck in this race. the goal is to be the next united states senator. we cannot allow marco rubio to be federalized to represent this state. he does not carry the values that this state needs in the united states senate to put people back to work. robert wexler is a personal friend and left office in the middle of his term, came back to florida to endorse the governor. i have a lot of democratic supporters and independent supporters. this race is far from over. the governor says he is the
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only one and marco rivera says he wants to bring about change. i am the only one sitting here at this table that is willing to stand up to special interests and have a track record to prove it. the democratic and independent and republican voters will look at me and know that i am the candidate that qualifies and stood up for educators in this state by bringing about smaller class sizes that both of these individuals were against when they were in the state legislature. i stood up for the increase in the minimum wage in this state. my other two opponents were against it. when you think about the middle class and democratic voters, i am the pro-choice candidate. i am the pro-environment candidate 100%. it is very important through these debates and i cannot tell you how much i appreciate sitting here at this table so that we can get this issues on
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the tables and floridians can say the truth. >> it is important that the viewers understand what we are talking about here. it is significantly important that i am proud that robert wexler endorsed my campaign for the united states senate. he has been a friend for a long time and is a great public servant who has served the people well. he understands the issue of israel very well. the first trade mission i took as your governor was to the state of israel because i understand the unique bond between not only the state of israel but our country. i actually married a nice jewish girl. not only did robert wexler endorse our campaign for the united states senate, i also supported by robert dole. it illustrates to the people at home the kind of candidacy i am putting forward. there is a better way for the
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people to bring the bipartisanship together to try to fight for the people of florida. this is supposed to be of the people, by the people, and for the people. this partisanship gridlock going on in washington, in his farewell address, george washington was the first and last independent president of the united states. in his address he said if we continue to have this partisanship and make the parties get stronger and stronger, we may literally cripple the country we have just created. we are there. washington is crippled. they cannot get anything done they can't get anything done on tax cuts for a democratic president of united states has proposed tax cuts and the republicans won't do it. >> we will get to that. >> first of all, my values are pretty straightforward. jobs are not created by politicians. they are graded by everyday people. the job of government is to make it easier for them to do that
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and not harder and washington is making it harder. i believe the federal government should not spend more money than it takes in. both of these gentlemen have supported policies that do that. i think people deserve a senator that can go to washington, d.c. and stand up to them and take them in a different direction. >> let's get to the next round and a big issue is health care. marco rubio has accused of taking six different positions on health care. you originally opposed the measure. you call for -- you called for its repeal and now your position is that it should not be
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repealed. clear this up, would do repealed this or how would you fix it? >> i am against it and i think we need to fix the part of their parts that are good and parts that need to be changed. the parts that should remain are the fact that they take away what i would call the health insurance co. discriminatory policy. if you have a pre-existing condition, you don't get coverage. another good thing in the bill is the fact that allows young people up to the age of 26 to be able to be covered by the parents policy. the things that i don't like about the bill that need to be fixed are the fact that it takes about $500 billion out of medicare advantage. in a state like florida that is bad. i think the bill as too much mandates and taxes and that that leads to the conclusion that must be fixed and done right. marco rubio talks about the fact that we need to repeal it.
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he has also talked about women's rights. this is a health issue, too. he has talked about not being pro-life unless you want to repeal roe vs. wade. you would not have that choice anymore. i am pro-like but i am pro- women. i think that as an extremist view. once upon it -- punish teachers and women and seniors by raising the age of eligibility, you have been drinking too much t and that is wrong. we have to do what is right for the people. >> you are misrepresenting my position again. let's talk about the health care bill. i think the health care bill is a disaster. we have learned that the child only policies are being dropped. we learned that will low-wage a part-time workers will be dropped. we have learned that premiums will go up.
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this has broken every promise that was made when kendrick meek and charlie crist supported it. this said it would not raise premiums on everybody and that is not true. they said it would help save medicare and that is not true. they said would lower the cost of health care and that is not true. this bill is a disaster and cannot be said. it must be repealed and replaced with common-sense ideas that allow individual americans to buy insurance across state lines that will allow individuals to have the same tax benefit their employers have. it will allow small companies to pull together with others to provide insurance for their members. they are, -- these are common- sense ideas. this would not have a disastrous impact that this bill has. >> i voted for it and i will vote for it again. i think it is important that you pay attention to what marco rubio is saying.
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the insurance companies did this one year ago and the year before that and they are using the health-care bill as an excuse to do what they have always done. they are running scared now. the fact that 85% of the medicare dollar goes to patient care and the fact that prescription drug companies have discount drugs for seniors and the fact that we have small businesses that are getting a tax cut right now. when you hear marco rubio and charlie crist talk about what they like as though they were in a breakfast bar and pick to the raisins out of the raisin bran, i think you half -- that everyone has to understand this issue. when you have a family member in the hospital looking at the ceiling and they are sick and the insurance company cuts their coverage, you need a united states center that will stand in the gap.
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charlie christian talk about being tough but i will not take any advice from anyone who bailed out of the republican primary and did not face up to marco rubio. he wants to run a primary all over again. it is important that you have a united states senator that will be there for you in a time of need. both of these candidates are willing to roll back something we worked very hard from. or. i am the only one here that understands that 3500 floridians lose their insurance every week. that is not fiction. when they talk about going back, they both have insurance. >> we introduced a plant called cover florida. that says that if you don't have insurance or you have recently lost her job, you can get coverage that is less expensive than it would have been before.
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before it would cost $700 per month. after cover florida, it is down to about $150. we did with no government mandates, no tax increases, we negotiate hard with insurance companies. that is what you need in a good government official, somebody who looks out for you and not for the party first. to get a better deal. >> this is another example of me being the only candidate that will stand up to washington and offer a clear alternative. if i was in washington, would not have voted for this bill. a more radical one was voted for that would have created a public auction. --option. i would have voted for an alternative that would have helped more people.
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>> mr. meek, want to speak to acquire about ronald reagan. ronald reagan called for a leaner and more effective government. that is a quote for barack obama. did ronald reagan have the right message to them? >> we should have a leaner and meaner government right now. i think it is important to know that we did have a years of administration that both of these gentlemen are fighting to bring back dick cheney and others in decided to give the trickle-down economics that would help the middle class. the facts are that middle-class families are earning less, 5% less than they earned since the days bush policies have been in place. marco rubio and charlie crist are advocating these policies.
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this is standing up for the middle class. it is important to know when we look at this issue of health care, marco rivera has been called a radical, you have to look at what is happening in rural florida. people don't have insurance. charlie crist talks about cover florida and it does everything but that. less than 10,000 and rolling -- enrolling is not good enough. we have a crisis now in the state of florida and the country and we need leaders who will stand up for the everyday people who punch in and punch out every day. when we look at this, george, we have to look at it from the standpoint as to who wants to go to the senate and make it work? i am leaving a state house seat to run for the united states senate because i am frustrated with the filibuster is and all the things going on in the
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senate that has this country on lockdown and has families suffering right now. i think is important that we look at the facts obverses fiction. we can spend this around all we want to but in the final analysis, it comes down to who has health insurance and who doesn't and it will expand middle-class opportunities. >> i believe both parties are to blame. when i got into this race one year ago, i was 30 points down in the poll. i believe both parties are to blame and i will go up there not to repeat the mistakes of the past but to stand up to the direction washington is taking us an offer an alternative. on the health care bill, the facts are built. it has broken every promise it was made -- it has made to the american people. they have borrowed and spent
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$150,000 for jobs they have claimed -- they have saved or created. this is grown our national debt by $800 billion and our children and grandchildren will work their whole life to pay it off. 200,000 jobs lost in florida alone. this is an example of if you like this stimulus plan or the health care bill, you can vote for the other candidates. the wonder united states senator to stand up to these things, i am the only one running that will. >> let's look at the facts. marco rubio talked about the fact that when he ran the republican primary that he did not get much support. things changed. i want to explain why i am running as an independent. i think both parties are to blame that is why i am running as an independent. my former party said such
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extreme things like overturning roe vs. wade, hurting senior citizens with the social security program, not supporting public school teachers. that is extreme, radical, and wrong. i could not be comfortable and more and it was not honest to stay in that party so i left the building. i am happy to be running as an independent because my only allegiance is to you. i think that is the kind of leadership people want. >> mr. rubio, you have called for the extension of the tax cuts. even though experts have said that eliminating the tax breaks for the highest income earners would reduce our deficit by up to 1/4. why are you willing to essentially borrow hundreds of billions of dollars to provide
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these tax cuts to the wealthiest 3% of americans? >> the bush tax cuts or the current tax cuts. what i and a number of democrats have said is it is a bad idea to raise taxes on anybody at this time in an economic downturn. the gubernatorial candidate says that durin. the bottom line is that our debt problem going forward is not because the american people are not paying enough taxes. it is because washington cannot control spending. at this rate now, within the next five years, the deficit will double and we will trigger a deficit in our bond rating. by 2015, our annual deficit could be $2.10 trillion and $900 billion of that would be
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interest. that is outrageous. >> i am not sure what the justification is. >> we have to do two things at the same time. we have to grow our economy and the way you do that is by creating a stable and affordable tax code. that is what the current tax code does and that is why it should be an extended period i have advocated. washington has not done both of the eggs. >> i think it is important to pay close attention to what it was just being said. marco rubio is willing to give billionaires' and millionaires and even companies that ship jobs overseas tax breaks. this takes away from u.s. workers. it is oak -- it is ok to put $700 billion additional on the middle class according to him.
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their children have to pay that back. the bush tax cuts for the super wealthy came about as an errant insert to a bill 18 years ago. it was not something the george w. bush ran on. it was something that just happen. billionaires' were not holding signs and asking for a tax cut. they got through the kind of ideology that marco rubio represents and charlie crist endorses. there is only one candidate sitting here that is willing to stand up for the middle class. we need to level the playing field. all school politics dictates that if you write a big check, you get accountability i am the only person willing to stand up and take a responsible role. i am the only one who have voted for a pay go bill.
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>> where you stand on this question of extending tax cuts for the wealthy? >> i support it. this is the wrong time to raise taxes on anybody. i have never voted for a new tax and mike entire career. marco rubio voted to raise property taxes. in florida, we have live within our means. we have a constitution that requires this. as governor, reduce the budget by over $7.4 billion. i signed into law as your governor the single largest tax cut in the history of florida. i understand what it means to be tough earmarks. i had to do it to speaker rubio. there was $500 million in earmarks that i had to veto. marcon't have to send rubio to washington.
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he has already gone in washington. we need fiscal discipline and make sure we send somebody to washington that appreciates the value of the dollar of the hard- working people. >> on the question a earmarks. >> he broke a pledge never to raise taxes. he raised taxes in florida by $2,000,000,000.10 year ago. my budget was leaner than yours. you should have endorsed our budget. congressman makes, these taxes are on small businesses. one small business said he would not hire more people until he is sure that congress will not raise his taxes. >> only 2%-3% of the tax break
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create jobs. i am willing to look at that. you want us to take back to dick cheney days. we cannot afford it or pay for it. you want to drive the car back into the ditch and make sure the special interest groups get their tax cuts. people are paying a lot of taxes in this state and it is important that we have leaders that are willing to stand up to those individuals in this state and i am one of those individuals -- >> these baker said he did not put the earmark items into the budget. are you telling me that you did not put $800,000 into a bill for flag football field? >> an independent journalist studied the issue and said i had nothing to do with putting that
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in there. the budgets that i propose spend less money than the budget you proposed as governor. why didn't you sign onto our budget? >> i had to cut $500 million out of the pork you sent made them our budget did not have that in their. >> you have gone washington. >> let's move on to foreign policy. do you think the war in afghanistan can be one? how do claimed victory and do you believe president obama should get the troops out next july even of victory has not been achieved? >> there is a discussion going on now to find truth between the taliban and the afghans. this should be a part of this discussion. going after osama bin laden is important. the need to be captured, killed, what have you. the intelligence on the ground is important the redeployment of
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our men and women into the middle of next year is pivotal. >> even if there is no victory? >> the question is, is defining victory killing osama bin laden? do we need to capture all the taliban? that is a slippery slope. we have military families that are here that live within florida that meet their loved ones back, and what their fathers and mothers back,. no one thinks about them in this process. since january of 2009, i have encountered many military families. they are breathing individuals and they are concerned about the fact that we clap for them as they walk for the airport but who is clapping when these guys are sitting in va centers in
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florida waiting for care. ? >> just to be clear, read the poem begins next july regardless of conditions -- redeployment begins next july regardless of conditions on the ground. >> we need to congratulate our troops and express our gratitude. these of the bravest and finest young women that our country has. my brother was special forces during vietnam. we know the strain that puts a family through. the war in afghanistan is important that we be successful. we define success by providing a level on to -- of security on the ground which i think the president and general petraeus will be successful in doing. this is of the afghan people can establish themselves a government that functions and create a civil society that works.
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we don't want afghanistan to become a base of operations for the taliban or any terrorist. afghanistan could become a base of operations to destabilize pakistan pakistan is a nuclear power and the notion that pakistan could fall into that hands of a taliban-like regime is unacceptable. that is why it is important we succeed in afghanistan. >> we can all agree that we have a deep and abiding respect for the people who serve in the military. florida has a significant number of military installations, more than 20. i am very proud that leroy collins served before he was killed. it is important to realize what the question is. what is happening in afghanistan? is it successful? is it appropriate to remove the troops next summer? i think all of us agree that general petraeus is an excellent
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military leader. i know him personally. i knew him when he was based in tampa. it was the right move for the president to put him in place after general, crystal left. it is important that success is defined by security and safety. the first line of our constitution is the duty of government is to ensure domestic tranquillity. that is what is being talked about here. we have to make sure that nuclear weaponry does not expand around the globe. we have to make sure that does not happen in iran with mahmoud ahmadinejad. he is a madman and our duty to israel makes it incumbent upon us to keep our attention on it and monitor the situation there. >> use a redeployed begins next july. >> we have the redeployment in the beginning of the second quarter of next year. security is very, very important theme you say reassess at that
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time? >> i think it undermines our mission. if the enemy knows when you will leave, how can you win? >> i think is appropriate for the commander in chief to let the american people understand when he wants to achieve success. if at that time in concert with the counsel of general petraeus, they feel it is right to come home, they should do that. >> mr.rubio, as you know we are developing a high-speed rail that would clearly create jobs. you want to cut discretionary spending back to levels of two years ago. how can we possibly have both? >> there is no shortage of good programs you can spend money on
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there are worthy projects but nothing is more important than dealing with the long-term debt issue. it is simply unsustainable. that is the president's advisers are saying that the long-term debt problem that we face is unsustainable. that takes priority over virtually everything our country faces. the national debt is not only a domestic issue. even hillary clinton says the national debt has a significant national security compound in. -- component. this national debt issue has to be confronted and salt. -- and solve the pared. washington will borrow money that we do not have and lee iou to eric -- and leave the iou to our children and grandchildren.
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if you think washington is pointing us in the right direction, you will probably not a vote for me. you should vote for congressmeeks whose record is similar to nancy pelosi. if you want someone to stand up against the national debt issue, i am the only one running that will do that. >> when you are the governor of a state the size of florida, the fourth largest state in the union, a couple of years ago the economy fell off a cliff, you have to lead and strike a balance. that is leadership. when the president came to fort myers, i was brought to go there and welcome him to my state for the first time since he had been sworn in we needed the funds that were allocated to keep us from losing jobs. 20,000 educators are in their state would not have jobs it that had not happened. 60,000 additional floridians tonight would not have a paycheck coming to their home.
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the high-speed rail we worked very hard on in the administration. three different times i called a special session to get a time -- to get it done the third time was a tcharm. i fought to get the dollars back here to approve our transportation. every time $1 billion is spent on infrastructure, the infrastructure is that it will create 28,000 jobs for people. it is all about jobs, jobs, jobs. you have to have a blend of these things to do what is right and that is leadership. >> i'm glad we're having this debate tonight so floridians can see who stands on solid ground. i think mr.rubio means what he says to make sure that people from tampa to orlando to go to into south florida sit in traffic for the next 20 years. he wants to make sure that he stands up on behalf of the right
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wing ideology that he stands on. charlie crist stance on a wet paper box as it relates to the issues. he did not provide the leadership to bring those resources backyard. i am the only candidate that stood up and voted for the stimulus to make sure that we did not go into a depression, to stop the recession. i think it is very, very important that we understand that high-speed rail will create over 20,000 jobs in this state. marco rubio just said he would stand with dick cheney d editorement and these right-wing members of -- and sat dement. -- and senator dement. he will not stand on comprehensive immigration reform varian.
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>> we have to get to the final round. >> we are one of the few states and florida that has a ban on gay adoption. you supported that ban saying that you believe traditional mother and father adopting is best. the appeals court recently found that to be unconstitutional. you called that decision great ant. would you clarify for the voters what your position is on gay adoption in florida and "don't ask, don't tell"policy in the armed forces? >> you are talking about individuals' lives. some people in washington want to tell people who they should love and who they shouldn't. dement was raised by congress meek. he talked about who should teach
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our children based on their sexual orientation that is where he is coming from. that extreme radical right part of the party is where he is coming from. we need to have common sense and what is right for the child. when i said it was not appropriate for the adoption, that was dull lot in our state. i was the attorney general and i understand enforcing below. when the court changed it, they changed it by a district court of appeals, a three-judge panel unanimously change dead and said that is unconstitutional. that is in line with what i talked about when i ran for governor even in the republican primary that i am a live and let live kind of guy. i'm a fiscal conservative and a social moderate. i believe in less government and more freedom. i do not want to impose my will on other people. even though i am pro-life, i
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vetoed that bill that encouraged ultrasound -- that required ultrasound. >> it is interesting to hear the governor attack may four positions he held six months ago. the governor talks about leadership. virtually everything in florida is worse off than it was four years ago when you took over part o. flora was once one of the strongest economies in the country and now only california and nevada or worse operated broker pledge never to raise taxes. those are the facts. all this discussion brings to light is the dramatic choice we have in florida. for every problem that america is facing, the solution that my opponents propose is a government spending solution or
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a tax increase. i don't stand for that. you can go for one of them if you believe in that. >> i think it is important to note that i am the only candidate sitting at this table that is endorsed by the pro- choice community because i protest choice politician. i am the only candidate that has stood up for the middle-class and will continue to do so. the reason i will read -- win this race is that every day floridians can identify with me. it is beyond an explanation for the governor to stand here and do more than a potomac two-step. governor george wallace is who he is like when it comes down to gay adoption. he said he thought it was inappropriate. when he ran in 2006, he said
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that jim davis did not have the values he possessed. that is not in the state statute. that is his opinion. you want a leader that can stand on behalf of the people in a time of need, not when it is politically convenient. marco rubio is willing to go along with the tea party and everyone else on the radical right on issues verses standing with floridians. >> we have less than one minute left he just called to governor wallace. you have 15 seconds to respond. >> nobody has fought hard for minorities in the state that i have. i've fought for civil rights change. >> this is the issue of gay adoption and now you want to be the biggest cheerleader. >> if you want somebody on the far right, you get marco rubio,
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on the far left kendrickmeek. >> we could go on all night. we have 15 seconds left, thank you all very much thank you to my colleagues as well. we will see you later. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions copyright national cable satellite corp. 2010] >> coming up next, "washington journal" is live with your phone calls. later we have retirement security and the ability to pay for retirement. >> in about 45 minutes, we will talk with margie phelps and timothy nieman who argued snyder vs phelps. and ilyse hogue on the rolef
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