Clinton Vs. Dole: A Question Of Money

(CBS)  In the latest in a series of two-minute debates for the CBS News magazine 60 Minutes, former President Bill Clinton and former Senate Majority Leader Bob Dole consider domestic spending—on Iraq after the war and in the U.S. now. Following is a transcript of their debate:

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PRESIDENT CLINTON: Universal health care. Rebuilding the nation's schools. Repair of the road and rail networks. Sounds like a Democratic domestic agenda, right? Actually, it's the Bush administration's plan for the re-construction of Iraq. Now, I'm all for rebuilding Iraq when Saddam's gone. But it's ironic that Republicans don't have plans to stop the rise of Americans without health care. They're not funding the "leave-no-child-behind" education bill. They want to cut 500,000 kids out of after-school programs. They've already eliminated school-repair funding and the program to put 100,000 more teachers in our schools. Let's invest in Iraq and America. We can't be strong abroad if we're not strong at home.

SENATOR DOLE: As far as I am concerned, Mr. President, the one who should be worried about his health care is Saddam Hussein. It amazes me that at the very time the country is uniting behind our troops overseas, you are suggesting ways to divide us at home. You can't have it both ways. This week, you say President Bush is not spending enough on domestic programs. Next week you'll be all over him on the deficit. There will be plenty of time this year to debate Medicare reform, tax cuts, and our energy strategy that your friends in Congress continue to block. For the moment though, our country's focus should be on Iraq, not Amtrak, on POWs, not HMOs. The education Americans care about most right now is how fast we can educate Iraqi soldiers to say 'I surrender.' Hey, maybe there is a role for the French after all.

PRESIDENT CLINTON: Senator, unlike some of your Republican friends during Kosovo, I support our troops in Iraq and our President. But your party is for better schools for Iraqi children and kicking half a million poor American children out of after-school programs. They even want to eliminate the program to put more police on the streets, our first responders in the war against terror. Debate on domestic issues isn't divisive. It's democracy.

SENATOR DOLE: Democracy is about choices, and playing politics now is the wrong choice. Mr. President, this is a real war. We have troops on the ground. While we're talking, they're fighting. They need our patience and our prayers.