A: I don't think it has. In the debates that we've had, education is an afterthought. But when I go out and campaign all over the country, it's really on the minds of people. And I've outlined a very vigorous education agenda starting with universal prekindergarten, changing No Child Left Behind, making college affordable, finding programs for training and apprenticeship for kids who don't go to college.
Q: Why has education not come along as fast as other societal changes?
A: I think it's a combination of a lot of factors. Everybody is an expert on education because we all went to school. And therefore, local control means that there are millions upon millions of opinions in America about what we should do. I don't think we have reached a consensus that reflects the reality today. Our public school system worked so well for America for so long. We've got to make sure it works as well for our future.
A: I believe in accountability. In 1983, I led the effort in Arkansas to improve our schools, and I do think there is a place for testing. But we should not look at our children as though they are little, walking tests, and we've gone way overboard. So I would like to see us do assessments, but understand we need a broad, rich curriculum that honors the spark of learning in every child.
A: Well, I've been at the gate and out of it for 14 years, and you know when we weren't successful with the overall reform, I moved ahead and was one of the people responsible for the children's health-insurance program and trying to make sure drugs were safe for kids, and dealing with aftereffects the Gulf War veterans suffered. So, I've stayed consistently focused on health care and am engaged right now in this battle with the president over his threatened veto of the children's health-insurance program. But I learned, among other things, that we've got to build a consensus. A plan is necessary but not sufficient. We've got to have a political consensus in order to withstand the enormous opposition from those interests that will have something to lose in a really reformed health-care system.
A: Well, I can't say how you prevent people who have legitimate businesses in America from participating in the political process. It's somewhat silly to suggest that talking to people is somehow out of bounds. My coverage plan dramatically reins in the influence of the insurance companies, because frankly I think that they have worked to the detriment of our economy & our healthcare system.
Q: Because of your long history, do you take contributions from insurance companies?
A: Well, I take from executives or people that work for them, just like I do from every part of the economy. What's important here is, can you put together a strong enough political coalition to withstand their understandable efforts? In American democracy, everybody gets to express an opinion, and some unfortunately have a disproportionate opinion, and that's why it takes a lot of strength & experience to stand up to them. And I think I have proven that.
Pataki said, "Clinton put an unsecure server, in her home. We have no doubt that that was hacked, and that state secrets are out there to the Iranians, the Russians, the Chinese and others."
It is true that Clinton had a personal email account on a private server. It is also true that some emails contained unmarked classified information. But was Clinton's server "hacked"? And did the Iranians, Russians and Chinese obtain "state secrets"? That's all speculation.
Pataki is referring to reports of hacking attempts that may or may not have been successful. Investigations have found that some hacking attempts originated from Russia, China, South Korea and Germany--but no evidence that any were successful.
A: Well, I think he became the spokesman for the president's failed policy. The president will announce that he's going to withdraw 30,000 troops by next summer. That would have happened anyway, because we have to start withdrawing the so-called surge troops and get back to the pre-surge number. Then, I'm afraid, based on what we've heard from the general, that's where it's going to sit under this president until he leaves office.
Q: You said yesterday it required a willing suspension of disbelief. Meaning that you questioned either his veracity or his judgment in what he said.
A: No, what I said was meant to convey my very strong feeling that no matter how flat the pancake, there' always two sides. The problem is that what the administration's report intended to do was to take anecdotal evidence and actually gild the lily once again, making it seem as though there had been much more progress than I think you can actually justify.
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The above quotations are from Columns and news articles on the Huffington Post blog.
Click here for other excerpts from Columns and news articles on the Huffington Post blog. Click here for other excerpts by Hillary Clinton. Click here for a profile of Hillary Clinton.
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