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Democrats condemn school ruling during debate
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published June 29, 2007
WASHINGTON - Democratic presidential candidates stood united Thursday night against the Supreme Court and its historic ruling rolling back a half-century of school desegregation laws. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton said the conservative court "turned the clock back" on history. Sen. Barack Obama, the only black candidate in the eight-person field, spoke of civil rights leaders who fought for Brown vs. Board of Education and other precedents curbed by the high court. "If it were not for them, " he said, "I would not be standing here." The 90-minute debate was the third gathering of the Democratic hopefuls in a presidential campaign that has gotten off to an unusually early start. While the first two debates focused on their narrow differences on Iraq, moderator Tavis Smiley promised to steer the candidates to other issues that matter to black America, including health care, education, criminal justice, police accountability, housing and voting rights. The debate was held at Howard University, a historically black school in the nation's capital. Black voters are a large and critical part of the Democratic primary electorate, making the debate a must-attend for candidates seeking the party's presidential nomination. Civil rights activist Al Sharpton and Princeton University scholar Cornel West were among those in the audience. Segregation was not the only issue. In turn, the candidates discussed their hopes to stem poverty, improve the economy and end the war in Iraq. "This issue of poverty is the cause of my life, " said John Edwards, the 2004 vice presidential nominee. All the Democratic candidates in the Senate opposed the nomination of Justice Samuel Alito to the Supreme Court. Clinton, Biden and Obama voted against Chief Justice John Roberts; Sen. Dodd voted for his nomination. The debate was an opportunity for Obama, who got mixed reviews from his first two debate performances, to stand out and share a bond with the audience. He is in a tight contest for the black vote with Clinton, who benefits from good will for her husband among black pople.
[Last modified June 29, 2007, 00:52:03]
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