Hillary Clinton in NY Senate race, third & final debate

On Education: Teacher testing only for new teachers

Q: Is it true what he says - that you’re for testing new teachers but not teachers who are already in the system?

CLINTON: That’s right. And that’s what the New York law is. You know, I agree that we should be testing new teachers. I believe that we ought to have pay for performance where we evaluate teachers. I think we ought to streamline the due process standards so that teachers that don’t measure up would no longer be in the classroom.

On Education: Arkansas education: improvement against great odds

CLINTON: The work that was done in Arkansas received numerous awards and praise, because we really started something that I’m very proud of. And test scores went up in third grade and sixth grade. High school graduation went up. The work was done against great odds, in a very poor state.

LAZIO: I have a very different perspective on your record in Arkansas. And I would just urge the voters not to rely on what I’m saying, but to look it up.

CLINTON: I’m not here to defend Arkansas. I’m here to run for the Senate to represent New York.

LAZIO: I realize that you don’t want to talk about Arkansas because that experience was a disaster for Arkansas.

CLINTON: I’m happy to talk about it if that’s what you want to spend your time talking about.

LAZIO: That’s your record, Mrs. Clinton. You can’t run away from your record.

On Education: Testing only new teachers respects professionalism

Q: Are you trapped by the teachers unions?

CLINTON: No. In fact I’m very much in line with what I think will work and what experts in the field think. You know, I’m a lawyer. I had to take a bar exam. Mr. Lazio’s a lawyer. He took a bar exam and he wasn’t tested every five years. I think teachers are professionals and should be treated as professionals. That’s why I believe that we should test teachers in the beginning to make sure that when they got their teaching degree, that they’re qualified.

On Education: More teachers, smaller classes, no vouchers

On Government Reform: Lazio received $1M donation from housing industry

LAZIO: If you look at the average donation that I receive, it’s like less than $100. In the House, of course I’ve been very active on housing issues.

Q: But have you gotten heavy contributions from the housing industry?

LAZIO: We’ve gotten contributions from a whole range of people with different interests that are important to the quality of life of New Yorkers

CLINTON: He received a million dollars in contributions from the home-building industry and from the manufacturers of homes. And in return, at least there is an appearance that he did several things. He fought to weaken the safety standards for manufactured housing and in-home building.

LAZIO: That’s absolutely false. And you know it, Mrs. Clinton.

CLINTON: Well, Mr. Lazio, you just referred to The Daily News, which ran an investigative article which made exactly that point.

On Principles & Values: Rejected Independence Party; they include Pat Buchanan

LAZIO: Mrs. Clinton, that’s not totally accurate. Your people were up there working hard for that.

CLINTON: I’ve specifically said publicly that I wouldn’t take it if they nominated Pat Buchanan. It was up to them to decide what to do.

LAZIO: I condemned him and the fact that he has been intolerant.

CLINTON: You know, I can only respond because, you know, as The Forward said when they endorsed me, Jewish voters should reject smear campaigns and inaccurate information.

Q: Did you accept the Independence nomination?

LAZIO: No.

CLINTON: That’s because it wasn’t offered.

LAZIO: No. It wasn’t offered to either one of us, to be fair about that.

On Principles & Values: Supported teacher tests & China women despite unpopularity

CLINTON: Well, I’ll give you two. You know, back in 1983 - when I was probably the first person in the country who said that we should test teachers - that was extremely unpopular, and it caused quite an uproar. But it was the right thing to do, and I still believe today that we should be testing new teachers and raising standards for our teachers. And then in 1995, when I went to China to speak on behalf of women’s rights, there were many people, inside and outside our own government, people literally around the world, who said I shouldn’t go, that I shouldn’t make a speech, that I shouldn’t criticize the Chinese government.

On Principles & Values: Lazio’s a nice young man, but it’s about policy differences

LAZIO: It’s not a matter of personal dislike, [but] to point at the differences between candidates and the philosophy between two candidates.

Q: Do you dislike him?

CLINTON: No. I think that I have no personal animus at all toward Mr. Lazio. He seems like a very nice person.

Q: Well, name three things that you like about him.

CLINTON: Well, it seems like he has a very nice family. And that he has worked very hard. And that he’s an attractive young man.

Q: And you name three things you like about her.

LAZIO: Well, I think you’re an attractive woman. And I think you’ve got a very nice family. I’m sure you’re a very good mother as well.

CLINTON: Thank you very much. But that’s not what this election’s about. And what it is about are the very significant differences between us on everything like education and health care and the economy and the environment and guns and choice and Social Security and the budget surplus.

On War & Peace: Urged President to veto UN condemnation of Israel

Q: Did you urge him to use it?

CLINTON: That was what I urged my husband to do. He made a different decision

On War & Peace: Returned money from organization associated with terrorists

Q: Wait a minute. Didn’t your presidential candidate, George W. Bush, also accept contributions?

LAZIO: It’s absolutely wrong for all. The difference, though, on top of receiving the contributions, is that people who support the Hamas terrorist group, have been invited and courted at the White House, which I think is wrong.

CLINTON: I learned that an organization claimed credit for sponsoring a fund-raiser I attended; an organization whose members have made statements that I find offensive and have condemned. And as soon as I found out the facts, I returned all of the money that was raised because I did not want anyone to have a false impression about my strong support for Israel’s safety and security.

On War & Peace: Focuses on increasing relationship between US and Israel

On War & Peace: Cut off US aid if Palestine declares a state unilaterally

CLINTON: Only as part of a comprehensive peace agreement. That’s always been my position, that [it should] guarantee Israel’s safety and security and the parties should agree at the negotiating table. A unilateral declaration is absolutely unacceptable and it would mean the end of any US aid.

LAZIO: That’s a change of heart for Mrs. Clinton, because back in 1998 you called for a Palestinian state. You undercut the Israeli negotiating position. The people of New York want to have somebody who has a consistent record. For eight years I have been consistent and strong in my support for the security of the state of Israel. Without equivocation. Without a question mark next to my name.

CLINTON: There is no question mark next to me. There’s an exclamation point. I am an emphatic, unwavering supporter of Israel’s safety and security.

On Welfare & Poverty: Lazio weakened housing standards and limited public housing

CLINTON: He fought to weaken the safety standards for manufactured housing and in-home building.

LAZIO: There’s been nobody else in the House who’s stood up for poor people and to provide them with good- quality housing. I’ve been there for the homeless, I’ve been there to provide housing for people with AIDS. I’ve been there for people who rely on Section 8. I’m boosting homeownership for our young families.

CLINTON: In fact, I’ll be meeting with a group of public-housing tenants this evening because what their memory of that fight was, Mr. Lazio, is that you were trying to remove the caps from the limits that would in some way prohibit a lot of people from being able to have the public housing.

On Welfare & Poverty: Lazio fought against FHA on low-interest housing loans

LAZIO: Do you understand that the standards that you’re talking about were endorsed by the administration’s Department of Housing and Urban Development? Do you understand that?

CLINTON: Do you understand that the standards I’m talking about, that you were trying to weaken, were said by the AARP that they would have put people in danger?