http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/5583889.html
March 1, 2008, 2:48AM
Q&A: Democratic hopefuls answer reader questions
The Houston Chronicle solicited questions from readers in Houston, San Antonio and Beaumont to pose to the presidential candidates. Here are responses from Democrats Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama. Please check chron.com for more questions and answers.
Q: Everyone watches the first 100 days of a presidency, but what can we expect from you in the first 100 hours?
Gwen Parker, San Antonio.
A:
Clinton: One of my first official actions as president will be to convene the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the secretary of defense and the National Security Council and direct them to draw up a clear, viable plan to bring our troops home from Iraq, starting within 60 days. I will immediately review President Bush's executive orders that impact executive authority, and I will rescind those that undermine the Constitution and betray the rule of law.
I will ask Congress to send me bills the president has vetoed, like the expansion of the Children's Health Insurance Program and funding for ethical stem cell research. I will begin a timeout from new agreements in order to review the existing ones and to formulate a comprehensive trade policy for the 21st century. I will issue an executive order ending President Bush's war on science and restoring scientific integrity to government decision-making by, among other things, banning political appointees from interfering with scientific conclusions. I will send out diplomats and prominent Americans from both parties to help restore American leadership in the world.
Obama: In my first 100 hours as president, I will call in the Joint Chiefs of Staff and give them the goal of responsibly ending this war in Iraq. I will have my new attorney general review every executive order that this president has issued and overturn those that are unconstitutional. And I will launch the most sweeping White House ethics reform in history to close the revolving door between the White House and the lobbying firms and begin restoring trust in our government.
Q: From signing statements to asserting that Congress cannot withhold funding for Iraq to an attorney general who says that the president isn't breaking any laws unless he says so, President Bush has aggressively pursued a policy of expanding the powers of the executive branch. What do you plan to do about this?
Charles Kuffner, Houston.
A:
Clinton: As president, I will end the administration's abuse of executive power by restoring the traditional right of habeas corpus and closing the detention center at Guantanamo. ... I will also work to modernize our wiretapping laws so that we can protect Americans from another terrorist attack while respecting the privacy rights of our citizens. And I ... have said unequivocally that torture cannot be American policy, under any circumstances.
I would not use signing statements to disagree on policy grounds with legislation passed by Congress or as an end run around the veto. I will appoint an attorney general who understands and endorses our Founding Fathers' framework of checks and balances.
Obama: The separation of powers works. It has for more than two centuries. As president, I will respect that separation as laid out in the Constitution, and I will end the current administration's use of signing statements as an end run around Congress' legislative intent.
Unlike Alberto Gonzales, my attorney general will understand that his or her job is to be the people's lawyer, not the president's lawyer. ... And we'll end illegal wiretaps, close Guantanamo, restore habeas corpus and reject torture without exception.
Q: With the Vietnam generation getting older and the scandal at Walter Reed fresh in the minds of veterans, what do you plan on doing for the vets and their health care? What do you plan on doing for the new vets coming home from Iraq?
Emilio Arriola, San Antonio.
A:
Clinton: I will restore the (Bill) Clinton-era policy that opened the VA's excellent and cost-effective health care system to all veterans who seek to enroll. I will make a long-term commitment to the VA system to ensure it is adequately funded and has the capacity to avoid backlogs and to handle greater enrollments. And I will provide coverage through my American Health Choices Plan to all veterans who choose not to use the VA system.
I will commit to getting a fair, accurate and timely decision for every veteran filing a disability claim. I will increase the number of qualified VA evaluators to reduce the backlog of claims.
I will provide fast-track training for new claims specialists and expand the Benefits at Discharge Program to smooth the transition from service to discharge for all those who serve their country.
Obama: We'll build a 21st century VA and fully fund the VA medical center. The VA will also be at the cutting edge of my plan for universal health care, with better preventive care, more research and specialty treatment, and more vet centers, particularly in places like the Valley, where our veterans have to travel hours just to get basic care.
I will revamp an overburdened benefits system by hiring additional workers and creating an electronic system that is fully linked up to military records and the VA's health network.
I'll expand housing vouchers, and I'll launch a new supportive services housing program to prevent at-risk veterans and their families from sliding into homelessness ...
Q: How can you credibly argue that America can end its reliance on foreign sources of oil given America's massive energy consumption and current sources?
Neil Aquino, Houston.
A:
Clinton: For our national security and for our environment, we need to develop alternatives to oil ... And though domestic production is important, we're not going to drill our way out of this problem ... I have proposed a Strategic Energy Fund that gives oil companies a choice: Either invest in biofuels and other clean energy technologies or pay a fee out of your profits into a fund. We also need to take back tax breaks that the oil companies don't need. And we will put those funds towards the development and deployment of clean energy technologies like solar, wind, biofuels and advanced vehicles.
Obama:
