First Democratic presidential primary debate, May 3, 2003, at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. All 9 declared Democratic candidates for the presidency, in a 90-minute debate moderated by George Stephanopoulos.
Click on a participant to pop-up their full list of quotations from Democratic debate in Columbia SC (number of quotes indicated):
Joseph Lieberman (14)
OR click on an issue category below for a subset.
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OnTheIssues.org excerpts: (click on issues for details)
Budget & Economy Bob Graham: Irresponsible to cut $1.2 trillion from budget now.
Bob Graham: Fiscal discipline avoids our grandchildren paying our bills.
Howard Dean: Stand up to Bush for a balanced budget.
Civil Rights Al Sharpton: Equal protection under the law, not racial polarization.
Bob Graham: Put the Civil War behind us: end Confederacy extremism.
Bob Graham: Created jobs as Governor, with focus on minority business.
Carol Moseley-Braun: GLBT right to privacy includes consensual gay sex.
Carol Moseley-Braun: PATRIOT Act violates six Constitutional amendments.
Carol Moseley-Braun: PATRIOT Act violates liberty & won�t yield safety.
John Edwards: PATRIOT Act ok, if watchdogs protect civil liberties.
John Edwards: Affirmative Action needed 40 years ago & still needed today.
John Edwards: Governments don�t belong in bedrooms, including gay bedrooms.
John Edwards: Ashcroft erodes liberties in the name of protecting America.
Joseph Lieberman: Opposes laws against gay sex & sodomy; focus on real crime.
Joseph Lieberman: Better economy helps blacks: Rising tide raises all boats.
Joseph Lieberman: Marched with MLK, fought for voting rights in Mississippi.
Corporations Dennis Kucinich: Cleveland�s bankruptcy was hard decision but right decision.
Education Bob Graham: Fund education fully, to reduce racial inequality.
Dick Gephardt: Join Teacher Corps and we�ll pay your college loans.
Energy & Oil Dick Gephardt: 10-year plan to develop hybrid cars then hydrogen fuel cells.
John Kerry: Led effort to try to raise fuel efficiency standards.
Foreign Policy Joseph Lieberman: Preemptive war policy is foolish and provokes the world.
Free Trade Bob Graham: No economic protectionism; but level the playing field.
Dennis Kucinich: Cancel NAFTA and the WTO.
Dick Gephardt: NAFTA and China PNTR cause a race to the bottom in wages.
John Kerry: Capitalism and democracy go hand in hand.
Joseph Lieberman: Protect manufacturing by federal Buy-American policy.
Government Reform Al Sharpton: Constitutional amendment on voting rights-remove from states.
Bob Graham: National election reform; but leave elections to the states.
Carol Moseley-Braun: End high hurdles to leap for voting.
Carol Moseley-Braun: Rebuild America, both physically and spiritually.
Gun Control Al Sharpton: Supports federal gun licensing & registration.
Joseph Lieberman: Licensing & registration violate fundamental right to guns.
Health Care Bob Graham: 2-year temporary increase in federal share of Medicaid.
Dennis Kucinich: Raise taxes for guaranteed, single payer, universal care.
Dick Gephardt: Bush tax cuts hurt economy; same $ for health helps economy.
Dick Gephardt: Help corporations give people needed health insurance.
Dick Gephardt: $172B over 3 years for state employee health care.
Dick Gephardt: Sharing health costs reduces overall costs & reduces worries.
Dick Gephardt: Get everybody covered with health insurance.
Howard Dean: 96.4% of Vermonters are covered; deliver that to America.
Howard Dean: Subsidize health care for small businesses, not corporations.
John Edwards: Gephardt�s plan gives working people�s money to corporations.
John Edwards: Health care crisis requires fighting big corporations.
John Kerry: Cover more citizens with health plan like Congress gets.
Joseph Lieberman: Return taxes to Clinton-era rates to improve health care.
Joseph Lieberman: No more big-spending health plans.
Joseph Lieberman: Step by step is the way.
Homeland Security Dennis Kucinich: Bush�s foreign policy of preemption is destabilizing.
Howard Dean: Anti-war, but has national security experience as governor.
Joseph Lieberman: 9/11 requires strength abroad to provide security at home.
Principles & Values Al Sharpton: His newly registered voters help other Dems.
Al Sharpton: We don�t just need a new director; we need a new direction.
Bob Graham: Centrist Southern governor is best candidate for presidency.
Bob Graham: I come from the electable wing of the Democratic Party.
Carol Moseley-Braun: It�s time for serious female presidential candidate.
Carol Moseley-Braun: GOP bringing US down wrong road; we can turn this around.
Dennis Kucinich: Grass-roots campaign to take back America for the people.
Dick Gephardt: We�re all tied together in a single garment of destiny.
Dick Gephardt: Not a fresh face, but experienced voice for workers.
Howard Dean: I want to change the Democratic Party, and change America.
Howard Dean: Give people a reason to vote, & we�ll take our country back.
John Edwards: Career spent fighting for the working people.
John Edwards: Give this White House back to the American people.
John Kerry: I�m talking about things that matter to people.
John Kerry: It is time for this country to ask again, why not?
Joseph Lieberman: I know I can beat Bush; I already did.
Joseph Lieberman: Takes on the tough battles throughout his career.
Tax Reform Al Sharpton: Repealing tax cut isn�t raising taxes; it�s saving America.
Dick Gephardt: No Bush Lite: get rid of tax cut and get health care done.
War & Peace Bob Graham: Iraq invasion was about liberating Iraqi people.
Carol Moseley-Braun: Iraq war costs too much when Americans are su