DON LEMON, CNN:
It’s Super Tuesday. How are you feeling? Are you strong?
I’m feeling good, but it really depends upon whose come out to vote. We’re in a critical point in this election and I hope all of our listeners in the Super Tuesday states will come out to vote. We’ve gotta protect President Obama’s progress; there’s so much at sake. That’s why Democrats need to be out there in strength. Even I find what the Republicans are saying absolutely frightening. We’ve got to elect a Democratic president, right?
You seem to have stopped talking about Sanders on the campaign trial. Are you so confident that you’re going to win that you’re now focused on the general election?
No, I do still draw contrasts. I did four rallies yesterday, two in Massachusetts and two in Virginia, and I draw contrasts on things like college affordability and my plan to support Black colleges and universities. Some of the differences we have on healthcare – I’m going to defend the progress we’ve made under President Obama and I don’t think its wise to start another debate as my opponent has suggested.
But here’s the deal – every day that goes by hearing what the Republicans say as they engage in this insult-fest that has become their campaign, especially what you hear from Donald Trump, just says to me that stakes could not be higher. If I’m fortunate enough to be the Democratic nominee, the sooner the better, because the sooner we can turn our attention to what the Republicans stand for and what they’re saying and their bigotry, we’ve gotta get into it and we’ve gotta make sure that we don’t let that happen to our country.
JACQUE REID
From the violent, aggressive and too often deadly action of police toward African-Americans, to the negligence that lead the Flint water crisis, the incarceration pandemic, the lack of diversity and inclusiveness of #OscarsSoWhite, what’s going on at MSNBC, this nation has a race problem.
Despite clear efforts, President Obama is criticized for not doing enough for African-Americans, especially as an African-American, but many say his hands were tied by politics. You acknowledge that there’s a huge race problem in this country. You say you want to right the wrongs but how will you get around the politics to fix it?
I believe that the country has to confront the systemic racism that still is such a part of daily life for African-Americans. I spoke to that in a speech I gave in Harlem two weeks ago and laid out a lot of what I think has to be done. And it cuts across so many issues. There’s health care disparities. We’ve got to tackle those. African-Americans are more likely to be diabetic and die from breast cancer and HIV/AIDS and more likely to have asthma than white kids. Blacks are three times as more likely to be denied a mortgage.
There are things I can do to direct attention and action on that. We have to do more to direct resources to communities that have been left out and left behind. I want to build on some of the successful programs that my husband pioneered – [like] the New Market tax credit. I was in Sumter, South Carolina – they got a new factory because of the New Market tax credit that now employs a thousand people. We’ve got to get incomes rising and that means raising the minimum wage and making sure women get equal pay for the work they do.
Respectfully, people applaud and are excited about what you want to do, but will you be able to do it given the politics in Washington?
Yes, absolutely. Everything I just said about healthcare, about using the tools we already have, to go out and focus on communities that need extra investment, I can do that as president. I can also use some of the laws we already have on education to better focus resources on school districts that are predominantly serving low-income kids; kids of color who are not getting the education they need. There’s a lot we can do within the confines of presidential powers and executive orders, which I think President Obama has used very well.
I intend to use every tool at my disposal. Rich people, affluent people, successful people, don’t need a president as much as everyone else does. I want to be a president for the struggling and the striving, not just the successful. I’m going to have, as soon as I can get the Democratic nomination, if that is possible, I’m going to meet with people that can tear these barriers down. I had an excellent meeting – Rev. Sharpton was there, (former NAACP head) Marc Morial hosted, and we are going to look at the ideas that others have put forth, some of which require legislation and some that don’t, and we are going to put forth a concerted strategy to break down those barriers that hold people back.
SYBIL WILKES, TJMS: What is going to be the biggest difference between a Hillary Clinton administration and a Bill Clinton administration?
I think we’ve learned a lot since the 90’s and lessons from what doesn’t work. I’m not running for my husband’s third term and I’m not running for President Obama’s third term. But I deeply respect what both of those leaders did for our country. I’m going to try to do what I can to get jobs growing and incomes rising, as occurred in the 90’s.
I’m going to defend the Affordable Health Care Act and make sure it works for everybody to provide quality affordable healthcare and we also can try to break down the barriers to get a good education that President Obama has focused on, so we’re going to build on what works.
I want to knock down all the barriers that stand in the way of both America achieving its potential and individuals from achieving their potential. I’m anxious to get to work and roll up my sleeves and work in partnership with people who share my view that we’ve got to create more opportunities for people.
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EXCLUSIVE: Hillary Clinton Says She Has A Plan To Get Black Women Entrepreneurs Capital, Talks Differences In Husband’s Campaign was originally published on blackamericaweb.com
