Cross-post on education (Hill's Group)

I figure I'll post this here before it gets hidden on GD-P (and maybe here too):

1) First of all, the "mint" was a throat lozenge. Her throat was drying up during her entire response and she coughed a few times.

2) She didn't steal Sanders' plan. And her response isn't new. Here is her from August unveiling this plan:

http://www.politico.com/story/2015/08/hillary-clintons-350-billion-plan-to-kill-college-debt-121210

3) Here she was brief, because her question was not on free college (that was Bernie's question). Her question was different and about existing debt:

QUESTION (through translator): We just heard about free tuition from Senator Sanders, but right now there are millions of students who can't afford to pay their loans. Maria Martinez is 20 years old and she's a major of political science at Miami-Dade College.

(UNKNOWN): Secretary Clinton, she said she wants to go to grad school and get a PhD. What are you going to do to help her achieve that goal and pay off her student debt?

CLINTON: Well, congratulations on your education. And also on your plans for the future. And here's what I will do. We're going to refinance everyone's existing student debt, 40 million Americans have student debt.

(APPLAUSE)

CLINTON: And right now, I go around asking people at my events if they know what their interest rate is and the interest rates literally go from like 8 percent to 14 percent. It's outrageous that at a time when interest rates have been historically low, people borrowing money to invest in their education are paying some of the highest interest rates around.

And you can refinance your house to get a lower interest rate. You can refinance your car. Corporations can refinance their debt. Under my plan, you will be able to also lower your debt, move into a program to pay it back as a percentage of your income and more than that, my plan for debt-free tuition at public colleges and universities will eventually eliminate any student debt.

But for people who have it, I'm going to put a date certain that after a certain number of years, you no longer have to pay anything. The government has to quit making money off of lending money to young people to get their education.

(APPLAUSE) (UNKNOWN): Karen, let's go back to you.

SANDERS: I think what Secretary Clinton just said is absolutely right. I think I said it many months before she said it, but thanks for copying a very good idea.

Sanders and Clinton don't have the same plan, and no Hillary didn't copy him.

Bernie's a politician, not everything he says is true, either.

-Bernie's plan is to make public colleges and universities free for everyone. He's very clear on that, admirably so, even point out that Clinton and Trumps' grandchildren would be able to attend for free.

-Hillary's plan is to means test students, and if they can't afford to college, to cover the difference provided that colleges bring down the cost of tuition. A meet in the middle type deal.

That's why Hillary says "debt free tuition" vs. Bernie saying "free tuition."

This has been her plan all along, she's said it a million times, and I have no idea why Bernie accused her of copying when it's not the same plan and something she's said repeatedly.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/12511460330#post11