Amy Klobuchar in 2006 Minnesota Senate Debate

On Budget & Economy: Budget & Economy

I was ready for that line. During the campaign, I had laid out a plan to reduce the debt that included both spending cuts and a proposal to roll back the Bush tax cuts for the top 1 percent of the nation's earners. Kennedy would not agree to any changes in the tax rates, even for the very wealthy.

I hit back. Noting that I had just visited the State Fair's beer garden, where I'd heard one student tell another that the beer they'd been drinking was "all foam and no beer," I turned to Kennedy and said, "That's your economic plan, Congressman. It's all foam and no beer."

That got the crowd going, and the line played almost constantly on radio and TV for the next 24 hours.

On Environment: I don't think manure is toxic waste

As the Owatonna People's Press reported: "Kennedy came out swinging first, telling the crowd that Klobuchar is supported by an special interest group--the League of Conservation Voters, which he never named from the stage--that considers manure a toxic waste."

"I don't want to get into the manure here," I shot back, "but I don't think manure is a toxic waste." After the debate, I quipped: "If he wants to go down into the manure, I will go down with him."

The media couldn't help but take it from there. "Politicians spread manure at Farmfest," the headline in the Mankato Free Press reported after the debate. "Kennedy's manure spin just doesn't pass the smell test," Willmar's West Central Tribune chimed in. I couldn't have said it better myself.

On War & Peace: 2006: turn over governance of Iraq to the Iraqis

On Budget & Economy: Cut discretionary spending like “bridge to nowhere”

KLOBUCHAR: We have had a 50% increase in discretionary spending. The Cato Institute identified that.

Q: What specifically?

KLOBUCHAR: Let’s start with the Rep. Kennedy voted for, the bridges to nowhere, the rain forest in Iowa, the waterless urinals in Michigan.

Q: Will you go after Medicare and pensions?

KLOBUCHAR: I believe that if we can shore up this deficit and balance the budget, that we can then start shoring up Social Security.

On Foreign Policy: When North Korea crosses line, there have to be consequences

KLOBUCHAR: As a prosecutor, I know that when people cross a line, there’s got to be consequences. And in foreign affairs, it’s the same thing. I believe these sanctions are incredibly important; we can’t have North Korea begin to be some kind of weapons factory.

Q: If the North Koreans ignore the sanctions, what do we do?

KLOBUCHAR: We have to keep ratcheting things up. We have to keep working with our partners. But one of the things that went wrong here is that these multilateral discussions broke down, North Korea walked away from the table, and I believe we have to keep talking. It’s good that China’s part of this, but if it’s moving in the right direction and if we believe it’s in our national security interests, we should be talking to them directly. I mean, even during the Cold War we kept talking to Russia. And so the discussions are important, and we need to keep the diplomatic pressure on.

On Homeland Security: I supported the Patriot Act

KLOBUCHAR: I support winning this war on terror by being smart, I supported the Patriot Act.

On Homeland Security: Patriot Act provides necessary surveillance tools

KLOBUCHAR: I believe that the people on the front line have to have the tools to wire-tap, they have to have the tools to do the surveillance that we need. I supported the Patriot Act. I did support some of the changes that were later made to the Patriot Act with library books, library records and things like that.

On Homeland Security: Detainee bill will not meet constitutional muster

KLOBUCHAR: We should have gotten that detainee bill right, something like what was originally passed out at the Senate Armed Services Committee. The Supreme Court gave this Congress a duty to “get this right.” Instead, they passed a very broad bill that I don’t believe will meet constitutional muster. They were putting their short-term political gain in front of the bigger quest of winning the war against terror so that they could go on Sunday morning talk shows like this one and claim that their opponents were weak on security and weak on terror. I think Democrats should welcome this debate on security. And we’re having it in our state, and the people are listening.

On Immigration: Opposes Social Security for illegal immigrants

KLOBUCHAR: Yes, I do.

KENNEDY: If you look at the record, she said she would support the Senate immigration bill, that would give benefits to 12 million people that didn’t have benefits. $5 billion cost to Social Security. If you included Medicare and Medicaid, that’d be $50 billion.

On Social Security: No raising retirement age; no cost of living increase

KLOBUCHAR: I believe that if we can shore up this deficit and balance the budget, that we can then start shoring up Social Security. This Congress has raided $925 billion from Social Security. And you go back to the Clinton administration.

Q: Would you raise the retirement age?

KLOBUCHAR: I don’t believe that is the solution.

Q: Cost of living increase?

KLOBUCHAR: I don’t believe that’s the solution. If we can get that balanced budget in place, we’re going to be able to secure Social Security for the future [as we had under Clinton]

Q: With no changes in the system?

KLOBUCHAR: We can have a bipartisan commission look at those changes. They should be options to be looked at, but it would be a hard sell on me because I believe our priority should be to balance the budget. There is a better way to do this by being fiscally responsible instead of giving billions of dollars in oil giveaways.

On Tax Reform: Reduce $250B deficit by rolling back capital gains & top 1%

KLOBUCHAR: Our debt is approaching $9 trillion. This administration and this Congress took a $200 billion surplus and turned it into $250 billion deficit. One out of 12 of the federal tax dollars that Minnesotans are paying goes to interest on this debt. And this is my solution: First of all, let’s look at those $70 billion that’s being sheltered in the Cayman Islands and Bermuda for multi-millionaires. Get rid of those shelters. Next, look at capital gains. Not changing the rate, but having a third-party validator like brokerage houses post those because there’s underpayment. That brings in $17 billion. Roll back the tax cuts to the Clinton levels, to the top 1%. That brings another $56 billion in. Get rid of the no-bid contracts so we have competitive bidding, $10 billion.

On War & Peace: Solution in Iraq is diplomatic, not just military

On War & Peace: Transition to Iraqi governance; no permanent military bases

KLOBUCHAR: I have never been one to say “Bring them all home tomorrow.” Despite my opposition to the war from the beginning, we have to be responsible about how we bring our troops home.

KENNEDY: She’s also come out against a bill funding body armor for our troops that a majority of Democrats join me in supporting.

KLOBUCHAR: Of course I support body armor for our troops, I support winning this war on terror by being smart. We need to transition to Iraqi governance, we need to send the clear message that they have to take control of their own government, and that means no permanent military bases. The congressman & I differ on this. This means not saying 2010 we’re going to have the same number of troops. We need to be more accountable for the help that we’re giving Iraq.

On War & Peace: Bring the troops home in a responsible manner

KLOBUCHAR: The best way that we can protect our troops is to get this policy right, and I believe that that means changing course in Iraq. Clearly, at this late date in mid-October, we can’t bring a significant number home. We have to be reasonable. I have never been one to say “Bring them all home tomorrow.” I have never subscribed to one of those mandatory dates, because I understand that, despite my opposition to the war from the beginning, that we have to be responsible about how we bring our troops home.

Q: So you’re saying now that’s probably not doable. What about a “vast majority in 2007,” which is what you said also?

KLOBUCHAR: These predictions were built on the promises and the predictions of progress from this administration, and we simply haven’t seen that. So you have to be reasonable in what you’re going to do here.

On War & Peace: Iraq war has cost $300B and fomented more terrorism

KENNEDY: Let’s talk about what the 16 agencies said. They said that we are clearly activating terrorists in Iraq, having taken the challenge to them. But they also said we have to prevail. If we don’t prevail, it will greatly mushroom this threat, let it grow in size, and come to face our future generations. They said that if we, if we lose, that’s what will happen; if we win, we will greatly degrade what’s happening on the other side.