>>> THIS REMINDS EVERYBODY OF WHAT THEY CANNOT STAND ABOUT
WASHINGTON, SCORING POINTS
AGAINST EACH OTHER, POKING EACH
OTHER AND TELLING EACH OTHER MY
PLAN, YOUR PLAN.
LOOK --
LOOK -- >> THAT’S CALLED A DEMOCRATIC
PRIMARY.
PRIMARY. >> THE IMMUTABLE LAW OF
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN DEBATES IS
THE MORE YOU KNOW ABOUT
GOVERNMENT AND POLICY, THE LESS
SATISFYING THE DEBATE IS.
MANY OF THE LINES THAT GET THE
BIGGEST REACTION IN PRESIDENTIAL
DEBATES ARE DECLARATIONS OF HOPE
ON MATTERS THAT ARE COMPLETELY
UNDER THE CONTROL OF CONGRESS.
THE MOST STIRRING LINE IN LAST
NIGHT’S DEBATE WAS ONE OF THOSE.
>> IN ODESSA, I MET THE MOTHER
OF A 15-YEAR-OLD WHO WAS SHOT BY
AN AR15.
AN AR15. THAT MOTHER WATCHED HER BLEED TO
DEATH BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE
WERE SHOT BY THAT AR15, THERE
WEREN’T ENOUGH AMBULANCES TO GET
TO THEM IN TIME HELL YES, WE’RE
GOING TO TAKE YOUR AR15, YOUR
AK-47.
AK-47. THEY’RE NOT GOING TO BE ALLOWED
TO BE USED AGAINST FELLOW
AMERICANS ANYMORE.
AMERICANS ANYMORE. >> THE HEALTH CARE SECTION OF
THE DEBATE WAS THE LONGEST AND
MOST CONTENTIOUS PART OF THE
DEBATE AS IT VEERED OUT OF
CONTROL WITH CONFUSING POLICY
POINTS AND INTERRUPTIONS AND
INSULTS.
INSULTS. SENATOR KAMALA HARRIS SAID THE
MOST IMPORTANT THING, THAT
VOTERS HAVE TO KNOW ABOUT HEALTH
CARE POLICY RIGHT NOW IN
AMERICA.
AMERICA. >> EVERYBODY ON THIS STAGE I DO
BELIEVE IS WELL INTENDING AND
WANTS THAT ALL AMERICANS HAVE
COVERAGE AND RECOGNIZES THAT
RIGHT NOW 30 MILLION AMERICANS
DON’T HAVE COVERAGE BUT AT LEAST
FIVE PEOPLE HAVE TALKED SOME
REPEATEDLY ON THIS SUBJECT, AND
NOT ONCE HAVE WE TALKED ABOUT
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. SO LET’S TALK ABOUT THE FACT
THAT DONALD TRUMP CAME INTO
OFFICE AND SPENT ALMOST THE
ENTIRE FIRST YEAR OF HIS TERM
TRYING TO GET RID OF THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.
WE ALL FOUGHT AGAINST IT, AND
THEN THE LATE GREAT JOHN McCAIN
AT THAT MOMENT AT 2:00 IN THE
MORNING KILLED HIS ATTEMPT TO
TAKE HEALTH CARE FROM MILLIONS
OF PEOPLE IN THIS COUNTRY.
FAST FORWARD TO TODAY AND WHAT
IS HAPPENING?
IS HAPPENING? DONALD TRUMP’S DEPARTMENT OF
JUSTICE IS TRYING TO GET RID OF
THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT.
DONALD TRUMP’S ADMINISTRATION IS
TRYING TO GET RID OF THE BAN
THAT WE PLACED ON DENYING PEOPLE
WHO HAVE PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS
COVERED.
COVERED. OUR KIDS UP TO THE AGE OF 26 CAN
NO LONGER BE ON OUR PLANS.
AND, FRANKLY, I THINK THIS
DISCUSSION IS GIVING THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC A HEADACHE.
WHAT THEY WANT TO KNOW IS
THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE HEALTH
CARE AND COSTS WILL NOT BE A
BARRIER TO GETTING IT.
LET’S FOCUS ON THE END GOAL.
IF WE DO NOT GET DONALD TRUMP
OUT OF OFFICE, HE’S GOING TO GET
RID OF ALL OF IT.
>> 15 SECONDS.
>>> AND YES, A REPUBLICAN
SENATOR JOHN McCAIN, GOT
APPLAUSE RIGHT THERE IN THE
MIDDLE OF THE DEMOCRATS’ HEALTH
CARE DEBATE.
CARE DEBATE. YOU CAN IGNORE EVERYTHING ELSE
THAT THE CANDIDATES SAY ABOUT
HEALTH CARE POLICY IN THE
DEBATES BECAUSE EVERYTHING ELSE
THEY SAY IS ENTIRELY UNDER THE
CONTROL OF CONGRESS.
AS PRESIDENT, EACH ONE OF THEM
WILL SIGN WHATEVER DEMOCRATS IN
CONGRESS MANAGE TO PASS.
IN 2008, HILLARY CLINTON AND
BARACK OBAMA ARGUED ENDLESSLY
ABOUT HEALTH CARE POLICY, THE
CHIEF DIFFERENCE THAT HILLARY
CLINTON WAS IN FAVOR OF AN
INDIVIDUAL MANDATE AND BARACK
OBAMA WAS OPPOSED.
IN THE END PRESIDENT OBAMA
SIGNED THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT
WITH AN INDIVIDUAL MANDATE,
PROVING THAT BARACK OBAMA AND
HILLARY CLINTON’S DISAGREEMENTS
WERE COMPLETELY IGNORABLE.
EACH OF THEM WAS GOING TO SIGN
WHATEVER VERSION CONGRESS
MANAGED TO PASS.
NO ONE ON THAT STAGE LAST NIGHT
KNOWS WHAT CONGRESS IS CAPABLE
OF PASSING ON HEALTH CARE.
AND THE MODERATORS DIDN’T ASK.
THE ONLY POWER THE PRESIDENT HAS
IN RELATION IS TO SIGN OR VETO
IT.
IT. SO THE RELEVANT QUESTION, THAT
COULD SHORTEN THAT SECTION OF
THE DEBATE, YOU COULD ASK FOR A
SHOW OF HANDS ON THE QUESTION OF
WILL YOU SIGN WHATEVER HEALTH
CARE BILL A DEMOCRATIC HOUSE AND
DEMOCRATIC SENATE MANAGES TO
PASS?
PASS? AND THE REAL ANSWER IS, EVERY
ONE OF THEM WILL SIGN WHATEVER A
DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS CAN PASS.
IF THAT’S MEDICARE FOR ALL, JOE
BIDEN’S GOING TO SIGN IT.
IF IT’S STRENGTHENING THE
AFFORDABLE CARE ACT, PRESIDENT
BERNIE SANDERS IS GOING TO SIGN
IT.
IT. HERE IS THE RIGHT WAY, THE RIGHT
WAY TO ASK A PRESIDENTIAL
CANDIDATE A QUESTION.
>> THERE’S BEEN THE DEBATE
AROUND REPARATIONS FOR DESCENTS
OF AFRICAN SLAVES.
IF YOU ARE ELECTED PRESIDENT,
SHEILA JACKSON, MEMBER OF
CONGRESS, HAS A BILL CALLING FOR
A COMMISSION TO STUDY
REPARATIONS.
REPARATIONS. IF THAT BILL WERE TO PASS AND
COME TO YOUR DESK, WOULD YOU
SIGN IT?
SIGN IT? >> IF THE HOUSE AND SENATE
PASSED IT, OF COURSE I WOULD
SIGN.
SIGN. >> IT IF THE HOUSE AND SENATE
PASSED THAT BILL, OF COURSE I
WOULD SIGN IT.
WHAT OTHER ANSWER IS THERE?
AL SHARPTON’S QUESTION FORCED A
CANDIDATE ADMITTING THAT
LEGISLATING IS REALLY UP TO THE
HOUSE AND SENATE.
HERE’S A SAMPLE OF THE
CANDIDATES REMEMBERING WHO THEY
ARE REALLY RUNNING AGAINST.
>> YOU KNOW, WHEN I FIRST GOT
INTO THIS RACE, I REMEMBER
PRESIDENT TRUMP SCOFFED AND SAID
HE’D LIKE TO SEE ME MAKING A
DEAL WITH XI JINPING.
I’D LIKE TO SEE HIM MAKING A
DEAL WITH XI JINPING.
>> WE HAVE A GUY THERE THAT IS
LITERALLY RUNNING OUR COUNTRY
LIKE A GAME SHOW.
>> WE HAVE A WHITE SUPREMACIST
IN THE WHITE HOUSE, AND HE POSES
A MORTAL THREAT TO PEOPLE OF
COLOR ALL ACROSS THIS COUNTRY.
>> WE MUST AND WILL DEFEAT
TRUMP, THE MOST DANGEROUS
PRESIDENT IN THE HISTORY OF THIS
COUNTRY.
COUNTRY. >> THERE’S ENORMOUS, ENORMOUS
OPPORTUNITIES ONCE WE GET RID OF
DONALD TRUMP.
DONALD TRUMP. >> AND NOW PRESIDENT TRUMP, YOU