The Candidates On The Ailing Economy

Katie Couric Asks The Top Candidates How They'd Handle The Economic Slump

(CBS)  For the series “Primary Questions: Character, Leadership & The Candidates,” CBS News anchor Katie Couric asked the leading presidential candidates questions designed to go beyond politics and show what really makes them tick.

For the latest installment, Couric asked the contenders: "What makes you the candidate best able to fix an ailing economy?"

Also, check out the candidates' full responses to the previous questions in our "Primary Questions" video library.

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HILLARY CLINTON
Couric: In our latest poll, 38 percent of Americans say the economy and jobs, they describe that as the most important issue. What makes you better qualified to handle a struggling economy?

Clinton: Well, I've been talking about what we need to do with the economy now for my entire campaign. You know, about a year ago, I said we had to start dealing with this mortgage crisis or we were going to really see the deterioration that unfortunately has happened in the economy.

I would still like to see us have a moratorium on home foreclosures. Let's help people stay in their homes. We need to freeze these interest rates. Otherwise, we're going to lose millions of more people out of their homes.

And I think it's very important that we start generating new jobs. This administration hasn't done a very good job of that. That's why I want to put money into green collar jobs and start putting people to work weatherizing homes and installing solar panels.

You know, there's a lot that I would do starting day one. And I think that, you know, the lessons I learned from the first Clinton administration about how to be a good steward of the economy, I will bring with me into the White House as we look towards the future, so we get this economy working for everybody again.


MIKE HUCKABEE
Couric: In our new CBS News poll, 38 percent of Americans say the economy and jobs, they describe those as the most important issue. Why are you best able to fix an ailing economy?

Huckabee: I was the first person to recognize the economy was in trouble. I got laughed at it by my other Republican colleagues for suggesting that our economy was going south. Truth is I was seeing it before they were because I understood from a governor's perspective and also from growing up - sort of at the bottom of the economy, not the top, that when people are paying more for fuel and healthcare and education it affects folks who drive trucks and who are working on the factory floors and teaching school a whole lot quicker than it affects folks who are at the top of the economy who don't feel the pinch quite as quickly.

But also being a governor. I've steered the canoe through low water and high water. I've taken a deficit and turned it into a surplus. I've led in the creation of jobs. I understand that if you really wanna create jobs you have to produce something, which means you gotta change the tax system so Americans are producing things and actually making things again. That is an important part of having a strong, healthy economy and building the middle class.


MITT ROMNEY
Couric: Thirty-eight percent of respondents in our new CBS News poll said the economy and jobs, they said those were the most important issues facing this country. Why do you think you're in the best position to fix an ailing economy?

Romney: I think people recognize that … to understand the economy, fundamentally, you have to have had a job in the private sector. You … had to have a job where you see jobs come and go. I've done business around the world in over 20 different countries.

I've helped turn around businesses in trouble. I also, as you know, took over the Olympics, when they were in trouble, and helped to get them back on track. In Massachusetts, our state was in a ditch; was going downhill fast, losing money every month and losing jobs every month. It was hard. But we were able, Republicans and Democrats, to work together, to turn that around.

We didn't raise taxes. We rebuilt our economy. And it … continues to come out of … the deep trough it was in. So I believe my record of actually turning things around is quite distinctly different from that of Sen. McCain. He's been, you know, he's been in the Senate for the last 25 years. You gotta have a record, I think, to show that you're able … to actually manage an economy.


JOHN MCCAIN
Couric: In our new CBS News poll, Senator, 38 percent of respondents said the economy and jobs, they cited that as the most important issue facing this country. Why do you think you're best qualified … to help a struggling economy?

McCain: Well, I think because I've been involved in the major economic issues going back to the Reagan revolution when we cut taxes and restrained spending. And put this country back on the path to prosperity. At the time he became president we had ten percent unemployment and 20 percent interest rates.

And we cut taxes. But we restrained spending and the growth of government. And I've been involved in the restrain of spending. I'm called the sheriff … by some of the appropriators. And, by the way, that's I'm not most popular with some of my colleagues in the Senate when I take on their pork barrel projects.

So I've been involved in the major economic issues of the day. I have people who are advising me, like Jack Kemp, and Phil Graham, and so many other noted, economists and conservatives like Senator Tom Coburn. I have the experience and knowledge on economic issues the lead this country based on fundamental conservative economic principles.


BARACK OBAMA
Couric: In fact, Sen. Obama, according to our latest poll, 38 percent of Americans say the economy is the most important issue facing this country. Why do you think you're best qualified of all the candidates to handle a struggling economy?

Obama: Well, a couple of reasons. No. 1, I think we've been ahead of the curve. I'll just give you an example on the economic stimulus package that has been needed, you know? The agreement that's been negotiated by President Bush in Congress largely follows the contours of something we put up very early, which says let's get tax rebates into the pockets of Americans quickly.

Let's extend unemployment insurance so that the jobless that are more likely to be long-term unemployed at twice the rate of the previous recession that they're getting some relief. I've shown I think the judgment to anticipate some of the problems that we've had.

More importantly, I've spent 20 years, Katie, trying to make sure that our economy is prospering from the bottom up and not just the top down. And so my economic program that includes tax cuts for the middle class, $1,000 per family to offset the payroll tax, relief for seniors who don't make a lot of money so they don't have to pay income tax, providing additional tax breaks for homeowners on their interest rates.

All those things are designed to strengthen the purchasing power of the middle class, strengthen the economy. And if you combine it with my plan to improve education and to have a sensible energy policy that invests in clean energy - like solar and wind and biodiesel - I think that's the package that will move us forward in the right direction.

[bizzzz-2009]

REPUBLICAN VOTERS WERE COMPLETELY RIPPED OFF DUE TO RAMPANT VOTER REGISTRATION FRAUD IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA. THOUSANDS OF REGISTERED REPUBLICANS WERE ILLEGALLY SWITCHED TO INDEPENDANTS, THEREFORE COULD NOT VOTE.
WE ARE NOW LIVING IN AN SOCIALIST OPPRESSIVE NATION WHERE OURS RIGHTS ARE CLEARLY BEING VIOLATED.

[jack3213]

Such selected memories and narrow views of those who only want to hear or see what they want. You want fair and balanced read and listen to the whole story. Go back in time, ask ''''''''''''''''Where are the Clinton papers?''''''''''''''''Ask about all the illegal activites that should have landed them in jail. Fighting to defend your country is noble, running from terrorists is cowardly. We have no choice, or do you think we do? Wake up and grow up. Experiance and leadership counts. The first priority is the war not the economy. I would much rather have someone who fought in a war than someone who slept next to an adulterer and a liar and claim experiance that way!

[rmeng65]

TRUTHWORD,
Of course we believe that Jesus christ is the Lord and savior of the world. Joseph Smith was a Prophet just like the prophets of the old testiment. We continue to have prophets today and they teach about Jesus Christ. Just as the Prophets of old. If you would click on the link that posted you can hear for yourself and educate yourself on what we believe.

[truthword08]

Don''t Mormons believe that Christ was "created", and not that He has always been as the Bible indicates?

Just curious.

[truthword08]

RMeng65,

I am curious. Do Mormons believe that Jesus Christ is Lord? The Lord of all as the Bible says, or do they just consider Him a mere mortal man and a prophet? Isn''t believing in Joseph Smith also a requirement of the Mormon faith?

Just curious...

[rmeng65]

You can also click on this link to hear what we teach:

http://homepage.mac.com/rymeng65/

[rmeng65]

I am a Mormon. I believe and except Jesus Christ as my personal savior. Just like 14 million other members of my faith. Please stop posting that we are not Christians because we are. We talk of Christ, We rejoice in Christ, We teach of Christ so that our children my know where to look for a remission of their sins. If you want to learn what we believe find the church''s website and we will tell you.

[lonewolf9203]

My humble opinion, being and uneployed worker, is that we need to stop the bleeding of jobs to everywhere else in the wolrd and get those jobs back here in the US. I have seen far to many jobs leave this country all in the name of greed. We call ourselves the richest nation in the world, but we cannot take care of those who need us the most. It is a total abboration, in my opinion. We have healthcare that is out of control, a congress who has done nothing but sit there, CEO''s of companies taking millions of dollars in bonuses and to many other things to count. And a middle class that is dwindling every single day. Now tell me are we really the richest country in the world or is it all just smoke and mirrors now??

[tibu987]

Vote against politics as usual.
Vote against members of Washingtons "good ole boys"
club.
Vote for change.
Vote for Obama.

72 year old white veteran.

[homespunlady]

So what does that have to do with the NEXT President?
this MIGHT give a hint:
NYT
Published: December 15, 2007

"The increase in incomes of the top 1 percent of Americans from 2003 to 2005 exceeded the total income of the poorest 20 percent of Americans, data in a new report by the Congressional Budget Office shows.

The poorest fifth of households had total income of $383.4 billion in 2005, while just the increase in income for the top 1 percent came to $524.8 billion, a figure 37 percent higher.

The total income of the top 1.1 million households was $1.8 trillion, or 18.1 percent of the total income of all Americans, up from 14.3 percent of all income in 2003. The total 2005 income of the three million individual Americans at the top was roughly equal to that of the bottom 166 million Americans, analysis of the report showed.

Earlier reports, based on tax returns, showed that in 2005 the top 10 percent, top 1 percent and fractions of the top 1 percent enjoyed their greatest share of income since 1928 and 1929."

MORE of the SAME GREED and SELF-INTEREST by our CORPORATE CONTROLLED narcissistic "leaders" WILL take us down a road even the wealth wannabees and delusionists won''t want to travel.

[homespunlady]

Here''s another REASON to ADD to the mounting evidence of SERIOUS economic problems from the AP concerning those "service sector jobs" that were SUPPOSED to be the FUTURE of the American economy:

"A reading above 50 indicates expansion, while below 50 indicates contraction. It was the first time the service sector reading has contracted since March 2003.

The consensus among survey respondents was that the services sector, which accounts for about two-thirds of the economy, has "come to the end of a long-term period of growth," said Anthony Nieves, chairman of the Institute for Supply Management''s non-manufacturing business survey committee.

Gault said that in March 2001, the beginning of the last recession, the index had a break-even reading of 50 and during that recession, the index hung around 48 or 49 %u2014 several points higher than January''s reading.

"This is a very bad report," Gault said, in terms of convincing economists that we may be in or headed for recession. "I think it will be tipping plenty of people over the edge."

What is this about - the READING is at 44.6 - READ BELOW 50 - the 2001 RECESSION was only down to 48-49!

[homespunlady]

hmm...DOW DOWN 240 points...ANYBODY paying attention??
I Don''t have stock investments but the economy is my entertainment today. Silly fools don''t see how the ECONOMY DRIVES everything else.
NO money-NO war.
But the BLIND ostriches McCain, Romney and even Huckabee all CAN''T see beyond their war profiteering CORPORATE LOBBYISTS.
The only GOP that sees the forest - NOT the personal profit tree is Ron Paul.

Good JOKE if today goes down as the TIPPING point to the Depression.

OSAMA said his AIM was to BANKRUPT the American Economy.
Whoda thunk GEORGE W. would carry out OSAMA''s plan!

[homespunlady]

oops, in the time it took me to write that it went to DOWN 221 points

[homespunlady]

For those of you DIVERTED from the Most important topic - the ECONOMY ...Just to let you know while you''re debating the BEAUTY CONTEST the DOW is DOWN 218 so far. GO RON PAUL.

[antoniof123]

Posted by MCVet at 06:37 AM : Feb 05, 2008

MCVet the neo cons see their rein of terror ending and they will never let a simple thing like the truth stand in their way. I work with some of them and have found they believe that Obama is a muslim and the the Christan Church he attends is racist.

I tell them to go to factcheck.org they did a write up on it and it is a pure lie.

But hey the neo cons don''t really care about the truth, America, or others as long as the Republicans stay in power. Oh wait they aren''t in power in longer and can''t make stupid laws than no one but they want.

[pacific_c]

Factcheck.org has new information.

AND

Dare to compare the current congress for voting records.

Senator Clinton has missed 105 votes (23.5%) during the current Congress.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/c001041/

Senator Obama has missed 168 votes (37.7%) during the current Congress.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/o000167/

Senator McCain has missed 251 votes (56.3%) during the current Congress.
http://projects.washingtonpost.com/congress/members/m000303/

[hypnotoad72]

Sorry to be so scatterbrained this AM. I also liked what Mitt Romney had to say. We do need to rebuild. Not simply raise taxes; but we certainly cannot lower them. We all need to do our part.

[hypnotoad72]

BTW: The rights of any fringe group mean nothing to me. There are far more pressing issues that affect EVERYBODY: The economy and foreign policy.

BTW: "Restrained spending" is a misnomer. During the Reagan era, that''s how the US amassed $4 TRILLION of debt. Apart from spending, with Reagan signing, how could such debt be accumulated?

[hypnotoad72]

I really like Hillary and Barack''s approaches...

McCain speaks of Reagan, but most who lived back in the 80s and didn''t dope up know the job market was pishy. Indeed, "Desperate Times" (Sung by Olivia Newton-John, circa 1985) feels sadly relevant today. Now if McCain spoke of Eisenhower...

Nor can we cut taxes, and I say that of EVERY candidate. How else does the national debt get paid back? Who would bail out the US? We need to show responsibility. Not beg like broken paupers.

Except we all have to beg in the end; all the jobs are going offshore. The only reason being money; their cost of living builds their middle classes at the wages being offered. People cannot live on the same wages in America.

[truthspeake2]

OBAMA 2008...