Full Interview: Sen. Hillary Clinton
Katie Couric Interviews Clinton About The Primaries, The Gas Tax And What The Voters Are Asking
-
Play CBS Video
Video
Eye To Eye: Hillary Clinton
Hillary Clinton talks with Katie Couric about her proposed "gas tax holiday," which critics say is politically motivated, and the upcoming primaries in Indiana and North Carolina.
-
Video
Hillary Clinton Speaks Out
Katie Couric speaks candidly with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton, who defends her proposal to suspend the federal gas tax during the upcoming summer months.
-
Video
Clinton And The Working Class
Hillary Clinton is tailoring her stump speeches in Indiana and North Carolina to her base, working class voters. Jim Axelrod reports.
-
Photo
Hillary Clinton speaks with Katie Couric via satellite from Merrillville, Ind., May 5, 2008. (CBS)
-
Interactive
Campaign 2008
Profiles of the candidates, polls, fund-raising, blogs, video and more.
KATIE COURIC: So let me start by by asking you, Senator Clinton, you dismissed opposition to your tax gas holiday by economists as elitist, but a new CBS poll finds that about half of all voters also think it's a bad idea. And many think it's politically motivated. Do you think this proposal will end up hurting you more than helping you?
HILLARY CLINTON: No, not at all. In fact, a lot of people don't understand that I'm not proposing that we don't replace the revenues that would be lost. That's Senator McCain's position. In fact, I'm saying we should make the oil companies pay the gas tax this summer out of their record profits so that we don't make the deficit bigger. We don't deplete the highway trust fund.
But all across Indiana and North Carolina people are responding because they're living with it. You know, they're looking at their own economic situation, they're their personal economist, and they're saying, "you know, we just can't deal with this."
If they're truckers, if they commute long distances, if they have to use their truck or their vehicles for their job, like farmers do, it's really a burden. And there is no contradiction between providing immediate relief by trying to give folks, on average, it would be $70 - for a lot of people it would be a lot more, because they drive more - while at the same time we try to get a president who's actually going to declare energy independence and start us on a path to get off our dependence on foreign oil.
COURIC: But, Senator Clinton, a lot of people say it would be a lot less money than $70 for those three months, and Senator Obama said earlier today your plan's a gimmick. It's phony, and rather than helping consumers it will just lead oil companies to raise prices. And, by the way, it would never pass in Congress.
CLINTON: Well, number one, I think we've gotta start going after the oil companies. Senator Obama supported a gas tax holiday without paying for it three times when he was in the state senate. So I'm really focusing on what we can do to give people immediate relief, Katie.
I don't see this false choice that Senator Obama and others set up between, oh, we've gotta wait for the long term. Get a president in January. Oil hit $120.21 a barrel today, I'm convinced that energy traders are manipulating the market.
I would launch an investigation by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission. I would close what's called the Enron loophole which leaves these traders totally unregulated. So there's a lot that I would do.
But providing this direct relief, number one, according to the Department of Energy, would be about $70. But, number two, let's start standing up for the vast majority of Americans again, when the Federal Reserve and the Treasury bailed out their (unintel) to the tune of $30 billion I didn't hear all this hand wringing.
You know, there were folks who were basically being, you know, given an opportunity to avoid the consequences of what they had done, which caused a lot of trouble for everybody else. The people I'm talking to who drive every day for a living, they're just looking for a little help. Because gas is up, groceries are up. They feel really squeezed. and I think they need a president, and they need advocates in public life, who are gonna take on the big interests like oil companies.
COURIC: Yesterday you said we should move on from Reverend Wright, but your campaign continues to raise this issue with superdelegates. So are you telling the public one thing and superdelegates something else?
CLINTON: No, that's just not the case. Our campaign responds to questions and concerns of those that talk to us, voters. A lot of voters on rope lines raise it. I say, "let's talk about the economy, let's talk about healthcare, let's talk about education."
COURIC: You have a lot of superdelegates raising it?
CLINTON: Well, well, it's not, you know, the press has done a pretty good job keeping this in the news for more than a week. Let's talk about, how this is on the minds of a lot of people. It's something that is in the atmosphere. But I have consistently said that I want to run a campaign on the specific proposals that I have put forth.
I've been going across this country talking about solutions. I want to be a problem solver. I think I'm the best candidate. I believe I'd be a better candidate to beat John McCain, and I think when voters, superdelegates, anybody really looks at what's at stake at this election, they should vote for somebody who would be commander-in-chief on day one and end the war in Iraq...
COURIC: But…
CLINTON: …and be the president who turns the economy around, that's what I'm offering.
COURIC: But, Senator Clinton, are superdelegates raising the issue of Reverend Wright with your campaign?
CLINTON: Katie, I know the people across America have thought about this, like they think about everything else that comes into the atmosphere. So, of course, people talk about that. They talk about a lot of things, but what people talk to me about are gas prices and grocery prices and jobs, and trying to make sure that their kids have as good a future as they've had.
COURIC: After tomorrow there will be more superdelegates up for grabs than elected delegates. You need the vast majority of these remaining superdelegates to become the nominee and yet, even since your victory in Pennsylvania, Senator Obama has picked up 22 new ones. You've only gotten 13. Why is that?
CLINTON: Well, I think we're making a lot of progress and many people are waiting to see what happens in the remaining contest. Which I think is a, you know, smart idea. I now have more people who have voted for me, if you include Michigan and Florida, and those were legally officially certified elections, so I sure include them.
Two point three million people voted in those elections, so more people have voted for me. The delegate race is very tight. Neither of us can get to the nomination without getting a lot of delegates, but I think people are going to ask themselves, number one, who'd be the best president, who has the ability to beat John McCain, and I think they'll look at, you know, where we stand when it comes to the votes of - those who actually cast them over the course of the last month.
COURIC: But, Senator Clinton, in fairness, Senator Obama's name wasn't even on the ballot in Michigan.
CLINTON: That was his choice. Nobody made him take - cross his name from the ballot. I kept it on because I happen to think the people of Michigan deserved a chance to have their voices heard and their votes counted. We agreed only that we wouldn't campaign, and I didn't campaign, and in both cases, the voters said, wait a minute, we want to be part of this process. It's a very significant election. We want to be on record as saying who we think should be the nominee and the president. And I think the Democratic party has to come to terms with the fact that two of our biggest, most important states that Democrats sure have to try to win in the fall, deserve to have their votes translated into delegates. And I'm hoping that that happens soon.
COURIC: And, finally, Senator Clinton, when I spoke with Senator Obama earlier today, he said that your argument about attracting working class white voters is the only argument you have left. And that he has won these voters in critical states like Iowa, Wisconsin and Virginia, so have you really cornered that market?
CLINTON: Well, I think it's always important to look at the facts, and to look at this, at the states that I've won. If we had the same rules as the Republicans, which keep their eye on the prize, which started its electoral college in November, I would already be the nominee, because I have won a majority of the delegates from those big states.
That's not the rule, we're playing by the rules, but I want Democrats to really focus on who is best able to win, and I have a very broad coalition of women and working people - people who get up every day and work hard, who we have to try to win back from the Republicans - hispanic voters, young voters in a lot of states where I did better. So, you know, I think that I can make a much stronger case that I go into the race against John McCain much better positioned to actually win in November. That's what we're gonna be talking about, and that's what eventually will have to decide after we finish all of these elections.
COURIC: Will you stay in the game no matter what happens tomorrow?
CLINTON: Well, I never make predictions. We're gonna wait and see how the people of Indiana and North Carolina decide. I started out so far behind in both of these states, they're really must-win states for Senator Obama. He has told other, everybody for several months that he would win both of these states. We've waged vigorous campaigns. We've, I think, made up some ground. We're gonna see what happens tomorrow.
COURIC: Senator Hillary Clinton. Senator, thank you.
CLINTON: Thank you.
© MMVIII, CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Video and Galleries from CBS Evening News
- Latest in CBS Evening News
- A Dealership at the Heart of a Town
- Rethinking Strategy in Afghanistan
- Complex Kidney Exchange Offers Hope



http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/04/opinion/04rich.html?hp
When are the American people going to realize that the same people who own the Military/industrial complex now own the media and use it to brain-wash the poor gullible people of this United States of Amnesia. Wake up people it''s a new day with the same old ***! Remember Billy loved NAFTA, so does Hillary. The current Dunce-in Chief recently tried to lay part of the blame for high food prices on the fact that India has had a huge increase in their middle-class population. Guess who sent their middle-class jobs over there? Duh-bya
Shame on you the vehicle of misinformation but American people understand your games.
February 20, 2005
MR. RUSSERT: Yesterday, Senators Hillary Clinton and John McCain were on the ground in Iraq, and we spoke to them from Baghdad.
MR. RUSSERT: Then you would disagree with any call for immediate withdrawal of some troops or a specific timetable?
SEN. CLINTON: Well, Tim, I understand the feelings behind that call. I mean, there is a lot of reason when we''re back at home to argue about this policy. But at this point in time, I think that would be a mistake.
We don''t want to send a signal to the insurgents, to the terrorists that we are going to be out of here at some, you know, date certain. I think that would be like a green light to go ahead and just bide your time. We want to send a message of solidarity.
February 20, 2005
Mr. SCHIEFFER: Well, what do you mean `long time''? Do you mean years?
Sen. CLINTON: If I could just add to what Senator Graham said, because I think it''s really important we underscore this.
Senator McCain made the point earlier today, which I agree
with, and that is, it''s not so much a question of time when it comes to American military presence for the average American; I include myself in this.
We''ve been in South Korea for 50-plus years. We''ve been in Europe for 50-plus. We''re still in Okinawa with respect to protection there coming out of World War II.
You know, we have been in places for very long periods of time.
But so is our understanding that if we were to artificially set a deadline of some sort, that would be like a green light to the terrorists, and we can''t afford to do that.
This is an issue that should be faced now instead of later.
With Obama getting 92% of the Black vote, any win by him will be perceived as being the result of Racism.
IS IT REASONABLE to simply assume that the majority of America will accept a President who won as the result of Racism??
hrc''08
Worth repeating, wells said!
AS for the Iraq issue, Sen. Clinton made the right decision for this nation to go into Iraq. First, we need their oil in order to prosper; second, Iraq had biological weapons and could have gotten nuclear weapons from Pakistan easily, then they could have easily given these things to terrorist. I think at the beginning of Iraq war, everyone also wanted the war mainly for these two reasons. However, now, everyone is condemning the war and everyone associated with the war since everything is not going well in Iraq. But if the war went well everyone would be happy with the war in Iraq. The main point is Sen. Clinton made the right choice. However, President Bush and his generals have messed up fighting the war in Iraq. Pres. Bush try to put in an American controlled President in Iraq and take control of all Iraq oil. This is what is causing all the problems. So the problems in Iraq are Pres. Bush fault and not Sen. Clinton. All Sen. Clinton has to do when she becomes President is put a legitimate government in Iraq, withdraw, and give support to Iraq to make them a healthy nation. Then all this problem will be solved. No dead American soldiers, no spending money in Iraq to fight war, and we will have a friendly nation in Iraq who will be willing to give us all the oil we want.
1) Hillary voted AGAINST the Vitter amendment which PREVENTS the government from confiscating guns from law abiding citizens during emergencies or martial law. Interestingly Obama voted for it and for the rights of gun owners.
2) The Clintons recently revealed on their tax returns that they had amassed fortunes of 109 million dollars.
3) Hillary was instrumental in pushing FOR and getting NAFTA passed which has been a disaster for American workers. According to documents released by the National Archives, Hillary in 1993 attended at least 5 meetings that were used to win approval of NAFTA by Congress and these documents detailed her role in promoting NAFTA while she was first lady.
4) Hillary along with the Republicans voted for the Iraq War which have taken billions of our tax paying dollars out of our pockets and put them into the pockets of oil companies and defense contractors.
LOOK AT HILLARYS WIG SLIPPING OFF HER HEAD, AND(!)
SHE HAS A 5 O''''CLOCK MUSTACHE SHADOW!!
THESE GW BUSH PHOTO OPS ARE GETTING DOWN RIGHT CREEPY! SHE CAN LIE HER WAY OUT OF HER CONTINUOUS LIES. SHE-MAN BUTCH LESBIAN LOOKING TO POUNCE ON THE SAME YOUNG GIRL PAGES OL SLICK WILLY HAD GIVING HIM K N O B J O B S!
JEEPERS CREEPERS, WHERE DID YOU GET THOSE MANLY LOOKING PEEPERS? RIGHT MS SHE-MAN MASCULINE LESBIAN PRESIDENT: A FIRST OF FIRSTS, WITH ROSIE ODONELL AS VP!!
Those U.N. protocols would make U.S. law on issues ranging from the 2nd Amendment to energy usage and parental rights all subservient to United Nations whims.
Kincaid also reported Jeffrey Sachs, who runs the "Millennium Project," confirms a U.N. plan to force the U.S. to pay 0.7 percent of GNP would add about $65 billion a year to what the U.S. already donates overseas.
And the only way to raise that funding, Sachs confirms, "is through a global tax, preferably on carbon-emitting fossil fuels," Kincaid writes.
On the forum run by Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, one writer reported estimates of taxes from 35 cents to $1 dollar a gallon on gasoline would be needed.
"This is disgusting, sickening and angers me to the depths of my soul," the forum author wrote. "Obama wants us to support the world. I wonder how they intend to eliminate poverty. Most of the money always winds up in some dictator hands and in the U.N. coffers."
So Mr. Obama wants to commit us to another $.35 to $1.00 federal gasoline tax! HILARIOUS!
"Billy"
"And what is your question, Billy?"
I have three questions First - whatever happened to your medical health care plan? Second - why would you run for President after your husband shamed the office? and Third - whatever happened to all those things you took when you left the White House?"
Just then the bell rings for recess. Hillary Clinton informs the
kiddies that they will continue after recess.
When they resume Hillary says, "Okay where were we? Oh, that''s right, question time. Who has a question?"
A different little boy puts his hand up; Hillary points him out and asks him what his name is.
"Larry"
"And what is your question?" "I have five questions.
First - whatever happened to your medical health care plan? Second - why would you run for President after your husband shamed the office? Third - whatever happened to all those things you took when you left the White House? Fourth - why did the recess bell go off 20 minutes early? and Fifth - what happened to Billy?"
The trouble is not she got the problem wrong, but she got it wrong purposely to fool the voters.
150 Economists, including 3 Nobel Prize Winners, issued an open letter May 2 opposing suspension of gas tax for the summer and called it a bad public policy. The letter says "Signers of this letter are Democrats, Republicans and Independents.%u201D
Link for the open letter here:
http://www.politico.com/static/PPM43_080502_list_gastax.html
1 - Where is your outrage at the state political bosses - they made the decision to move away from a lawful election even though they knew the consequences. They are all still in power to my knowledge, how about a little accountabilty on their end.
2 - Those states should assess each of the other primaries. With small exceptions (mostly due to the negativity spewed by the Clintons) Obama has increased his numbers as he campaigned in each state - the fact that Florida didn''t vote largely for him nor Michigan (although he wasn''t even on the ballott) can be directly attributed to the fact that he didn''t have an opportunity to get his message out to the voting public - in fact Florida mirrors the original Clinton lead nationally that has now disappeared into a shortfall. Had campaigning occurred in Fla/Mich it is highly likely that the voting would have been quite.
3 - Why no outrage at Hillary. She agreed to not have the primary acknowledged (albeit when she had a huge lead and it was advantageous for her to minimize opportunities for others to catch her) then makes an about face when she needs to close the huge lead by Obama. Why no concern over that?
You have bought into another Clinton Style political game - she sold you down the river when she didn''t need you - then twists things so you feel grateful that she is "speaking up for you" - get a grip Michigan and Florida - your being played.
Well, I''ll go over it again with you.
TO DENY THE VOTE TO THE PEOPLE OF MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA OR ANY OTHER STATE FOR ANY REASON AT ALL GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING THIS COUNTRY STANDS FOR.
Obama or anyone running for President should know that. Of course they probably don''t teach American History in Indonesia. And evidently they don''t teach it here anymore along with Government and Civics. No wonder younger people think its perfectly ok to "punish" people by taking away their vote. My God People....That''s Communism!!!!!!!!
Of course that fits right into Obama''s way of thinking...He thinks MalcolmX was great. Yeh, a great Marxist/Communist along with his Rev. Wright. They are all by the way into the Black Liberation Theology taught all over the world that Whites still own Blacks and Blacks should kill the Whites to get there freedom. Listen closely because if Obama get the nomination, this is all you''ll be hearing from the Republicans!!
I''LL BE DAMNED IF I''M GOING TO JUST STAND BY AND LET PEOPLE WHO DON''T EVEN DESERVE TO BE IN THIS COUNTRY DESTROY IT.
That reminds me, when Obama flipped Hillary the finger after the last debate.....Is that the kind of president this country wants? What kind of a man is he? Even though I know the opportunity will
never arise, nothing would bring me more satisfaction than breaking that finger of his into a million pieces.
Well, I''''ll go over it again with you.
TO DENY THE VOTE TO THE PEOPLE OF MICHIGAN AND FLORIDA OR ANY OTHER STATE FOR ANY REASON AT ALL GOES AGAINST EVERYTHING THIS COUNTRY STANDS FOR.
Obama or anyone running for President should know that. Of course they probably don''''t teach American History in Indonesia. And evidently they don''''t teach it here anymore along with Government and Civics. No wonder younger people think its perfectly ok to "punish" people by taking away their vote. My God People....That''''s Communism!!!!!!!!
Of course that fits right into Obama''''s way of thinking...He thinks MalcolmX was great. Yeh, a great Marxist/Communist along with his Rev. Wright. They are all by the way into the Black Liberation Theology taught all over the world that Whites still own Blacks and Blacks should kill the Whites to get there freedom. Listen closely because if Obama get the nomination, this is all you''''ll be hearing from the Republicans!!
Posted by truthyness at 08:50 AM : May 06, 2008
WOW - and you lay all this on Obama because.....?
Hillary agreed you shouldn''t count, she sold you down the river, she didn''t give a hoot about you or your vote - until she needed you - she is a sham, its time you realized that
Is Hillary really for the common man and woman?
1) Hillary voted AGAINST the Vitter amendment which PREVENTS the government from confiscating guns from law abiding citizens during emergencies or martial law. Interestingly Obama voted for it and for the rights of gun owners.
2) The Clintons recently revealed on their tax returns that they had amassed fortunes of 109 million dollars.
3) Hillary was instrumental in pushing FOR and getting NAFTA passed which has been a disaster for American workers. According to documents released by the National Archives, Hillary in 1993 attended at least 5 meetings that were used to win approval of NAFTA by Congress and these documents detailed her role in promoting NAFTA while she was first lady.
4) Hillary along with the Republicans voted for the Iraq War which have taken billions of our tax paying dollars out of our pockets and put them into the pockets of oil companies and defense contractors.
Obama also voted for Cheney''''s oil and energy plan allowing US oil companies access to oil on federal lands with basically NO royalties paid to the government for the oil!
THEN he proposes we give $845 billion EXTRA to the Global Poverty ACT, which will have to be paid for with a $.35 to $1.00 additional federal gas tax increase!
Not only that, The Global Policy Act requires that participants ban small weapons, subverting our 2nd Amendment rights!
Obama is a FOOL if he excepts to have any CREDIBILITY WHATSOEVER!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by RowdyTexan2 at 02:28 PM : May 06, 2008
She is the ultimate say/do anything politican to capture a vote - hopefully the people of Indiana and NC are smart enough to see throough her ruse.
Bill, Chelsae, Rendell & the Campaign Committee really won. They got paid up front. Millionaires many times over.
After all she is still there for us. That is, for all the Fund Raisers. 35 years experience has PAID off for the Clintons. ITS ALL ABOUT ME. Wheeeeeee this is FUND time. I''''m just warming up.
"Don''t forget the Superdelegates are on my side and their not happy that Obama doesn''t know his place." Soooooo Sad what the Clintons & the Old Guard Demos have done to the Democratic Party & its not over yet.
-
by wolfi101
May 7, 2008 4:47 PM PDT
- Hillary was an absentee landlord here in NY. She promised us in Western NY 200,000 jobs --- then promptly ignored us. ( We''ve probably lost at least that many since then. )
-
Reply to this comment
-
See all 40 CommentsAnd I have to say, that I often laugh disturbingly to myself, when the main proponent of NAFTA calls herself the workers'' candidate.