Chris Dodd in Univision

On Foreign Policy: We spend $500B in Iraq; add some to $1.6B in Latin America

On Foreign Policy: Expand the Peace Corps

On Foreign Policy: We’ve neglected Latin America; need to re-engage

A: We have neglected Latin America for these last six years here. I’m old enough to remember when Richard Nixon’s car was stoned in Caracas, Venezuela, in the late 1950s. And then, two years later, we elected an American president whose photograph still hangs in many huts and hovels from the Rio Grande to Tierra del Fuego. We need to re-engage once again here. We’re spending $1.6 billion for all of Latin America in terms of aid and assistance, a fraction of what we’re spending in Iraq, the $500 billion we’ve spent there. We need to engage with the hopes and aspirations of people in this part of the world.

On Foreign Policy: Cuba embargo hasn’t worked for 50 years; unravel the embargo

A: Well, a very important one, and the transition is already occurring. You don’t have to wait for it to happen. The question is whether or not we’re going to sit on the sidelines or be a part of this transition here. Certainly what we’ve done over the last 50 years I don’t think has worked. Fifty years of this policy, of the embargo has basically left the same man in power, the same repressive politics, an economy that’s been failing in the country. He has been using that as an excuse for his own failures. As president, I would begin to unravel that embargo. I would lift travel restrictions, so Cuban Americans can go visit their families. I would be lifting the restrictions on remissions. We need to understand that the hopes and aspirations of the Cuban people are as important as anything to us. We need safety and security; we need not fear Fidel Castro.

On Health Care: Include undocumented workers in healthcare plan

A: Well, it has to be. This is again a matter of just basic rights in my view here. Not to provide health care for undocumented workers is not only wrong for them. It’s dangerous for the country as well. And so my plans include the undocumented workers as part of health care. I also ban discrimination against pre- existing conditions. It’s universal.

On Immigration: Teach more Spanish, but not as a second national language

A: Certainly [we should be] promoting greater understanding in language in this country. It’s a source of some collective embarrassment that we Americans don’t speak enough languages, that we always think the rest of the world has to understand English. I’m proud of the fact that [I speak Spanish]. I understand that we need to encourage more language training in the country. [However], I believe that the common language of our country is English, but that we ought to encourage and support those who are not English speakers to be able to enjoy the benefits and opportunities of these country.

On Immigration: Mexico is a neighbor and ally, but supported border wall

A: Obviously, any debate about immigration has to include security here. The American people feel strongly about it. But I would argue that while there may be a place periodically to have security along that border that include some fence, it’s also important that we understand the underlying reason why people emigrate, and we’re not focusing enough attention on that. We need to be dealing with our neighbor, Mexico, far more cooperatively. For 26 years, I’ve co-chaired the interparliamentary meeting with Mexico. This is an ally, this is a friend, this is a neighbor. We need to have trading agreements and economic agreements that can lift people up, with working conditions that would allow them to live in their countries not have to emigrate to this country.

On War & Peace: Having troops in Iraq makes US less safe

A: Well, first of all, I think in this debate about the forces in Iraq--what time they come out, how many come out, and when they come out-- the underlying question is the safety and security of our country. We’re running for the presidency of the US. The first obligation and job of an American president is to keep this country safe and secure. I would argue that today presently our troops in Iraq are doing just the opposite of that. We’re more vulnerable, less safe, more insecure today as a result of the presence there because we’ve turned Iraq into an incubator for jihadists and terrorists. And I’ll strongly support in the coming days efforts here to terminate that participation based on firm deadlines. Then we ought to be taking those resources and putting them into Afghanistan here so that you have a serious effort here to go after Osama bin Laden.