AFL-CIO debate liveblog Part One

Question One: Infrastructure in the wake of Utah and Minneapolis tragedy:

Dodd: Invest, creating jobs

Clinton: Invest, create jobs, create virtual infrastructure for security

Obama: Unrelated anti-war speech

Biden: Long history of infrastructure emphasis, putting America back to work at prevailing wage, no more commissions (veiled shot at Hillary who just introduced bill to create commission to review infrastructure problems), Republicans have been irresponsible.

Edwards (asked how to convince Americans inconvenience would be worth it): Given recent events, Americans understand how serious it is, want something done about infrastructure, goes into standard change, no insider for insider speech. Give power back to workers. No to insider lobbyist money.

Kucinich (should govt's subsidize private biz, such as sports teams stadiums, instead of infrastructure): We should just buy the teams, better return on investment (a joke). Bipartisan bill to rebuild infrastructure and create jobs. A little bit late after tragedies. New trade policies, get out of NAFTA and WTO.

Obama is asked about his stadium vote while in Illinois legislature: Absolutely right idea, created jobs and economic development.

Richardson (should we privatize roads etc): Shot at Edwards about union financial support. Fund infrastructure by eliminating earmarks and corporate welfare. Need to invest in power grid, bridges, highways, commuter rail, did it in NM.

Two: NAFTA and Trade

Clinton: NAFTA and the way it has been implemented hurt American workers, study in NY looking at impact on people who couldn't get products into Canada. She believes in smart trade (wasn't that Edwards' theme yesterday) with pro-worker provisions, enforce agreements with trade prosecutor. Real TAA and other support, source of new jobs, invest in energy.

Scrap NAFTA or fix it

Richardson: Never have another trade agreement unless it enforces labor, environment standards, get rid of labor dept union busting attorneys.

Obama: Amend it to put in protections, insiders are involved in making them, make them good for everybody, globalization is creating winners and losers, same every time.

Biden: President should create jobs, not export them, need to take leaders of Canada, Mexico to the mat. Made fun of allowing long winded speakers to go.

Dodd: Need to stop exporting jobs still here, long history of standing for American worker.

Edwards: Needs to be fixed. NAFTA is perfect example of bigger problem, negotiated by insiders, its cost us a million jobs, need protections, prosecution. You'll never see a picture of me on Fortune Magazine saying you're business's favorite candidate (BIG SHOT at Hillary).

Clinton in response: Saying other campaigns have been using her name a lot, she wants to change America, not fight with Democrats, wants Dems to win, she has fought against right wing machine for 15 years

Kucinich: Withdraw, no one else would, pumps up crowd.

Q3 How do you convince to buy American

Obama: People won't want to pay less if it costs them a job. We should expand trade, it's a question of who the president is negotiating. Don't reward companies for taking jobs overseas

Q4 China: Ally or Adversary

Richardson: Stop abuses of human rights and trade. Put pressure on Sudan, stop playing with currency. We have to have a realistic relationship

Obama: Competitor, but don't have to be an enemy. We'll both negotiate for our own advantages. Don't run up deficits and have them finance them.

Biden: Neither, but they hold the mortgage on our house, bad investments like war and tax cuts put us in a billion dollars in debt to them

Clinton: Balanced budget 6.5 years ago, huge deficit, fiscal responsibility to take back debt, tough standards on imports

Dodd: Getting close to adversary, they're working on their military. Bill to fight currency manipulation, access to their marketplaces.

Edwards: Competitor, huge human rights abuses, trade safety; 2 million toys in the US from china that have to be recalled, no food origin labels, President who enforces that, trade commission looking out for children

Kucinich: Criticized MFN status. Dig a hole deep enough and you get to China; we're there. Whole new direction.