Despite recent buzz about a potential Hillary Clinton presidential bid in 2016, Bill Clinton derided such speculations as he took the stage with Bill Gates Tuesday. Both Clinton and Gates were questioned by attendees of the Peter G. Peterson Foundation's 2013 Fiscal Summit that took place in Washington.
"Women are clamoring at the edge of our seats wondering what is next. we know that she's dynamic -- her leadership is unmatched. her voice for women, the poor, families, so I have to ask it: Mr. Gates, when is Melinda jumping into politics?" moderator Tamron Hall asked.
After Gates shut down a possibility of his wife entering politics, Clinton did the same, stating that Hillary never mentioned a potential to run to him.
He called the quick jump from one presidential election to another "frustrating," and asked that Americans stay focused on the road ahead.
"She's taking a role in the foundation, she's writing books, she's having a little fun being a private citizen for the first time in 20 years," the former president said. "We need to be worried about the work at hand. All of us do. So whoever the next president is has an easier set of choices."
Aside from Hillary's potential run, Clinton and Gates discussed immigration, namely a comprehensive bill penned by a bipartisan group penned by the "Gang of 8" that will soon go before the Senate.
He chided the Heritage Foundation for its study on immigration, which declared amnesty a risky, costly move that would ultimately see no real reward in the long term. Critics of the study said that the researchers' methods were questionable and slanted toward trying to find cost-related downsides with immigration and left out much of the positive benefits, a sentiment that Clinton agreed with.
"For one thing, it shows only the down sides and the worst-case, downside scenarios with none of the upsides for immigrants," Clinton said. "Think about everybody who ever came to this country as immigrants and started a company or took a good job and built a family and became middle-class taxpayers; sent their kids to college."
Gates said the economic benefits were clear and has often advocated for an immigration that attracts high-talent system in order to introduce skilled labor into the work force.
Heritage Foundation president and former U.S. Senator Jim DeMint continued to support his group's study, maintaining that amnesty would hurt the country economically.
"No sensible thinking person could read this study and conclude that over 50 years, that this could possibly have a positive economic impact," he said.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
