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ABC political consultant and pundit Donna Brazile spent some time in Mid-Michigan today.
This afternoon, she spoke to a packed house at Mott Community College's Ballenger Field House.
Those in the audience paid $25 to hear Brazile speak. The proceeds will benefit Mott's Women in Education Fund.
Brazile spoke on everything from education to the nation's economy, to her favorite gumbo recipe.
ABC12's Kelley Dickens had the chance to ask her a few questions about some hot-button topics.
We started with one topic closely watched in Mid-Michigan. The Congressional debate over extending unemployment benefits.
CONGRESS VOTING ON UNEMPLOYMENT TODAY
Brazile: I think it's very important that Congress act on this important piece of legislation to give Americans a lifeline to ensure they will be able to make ends meet until the economy comes back. We know that one of the most important indicators of any economic recovery is the employment rate. And because so many of our fellow citizens, one out of 10, are currently out of work, I would hope that Congress would react quickly to ensure that no American loses their unemployment benefits.
ON THE AUTO INDUSTRY
Brazile: What we now know about the bailout - in helping to revive our auto industry - is that it's also helping to revive our economy.
Cash for Clunkers was a huge success. But we need to go beyond just Cash for Clunkers. We need to ensure that the auto industry is healthy, that we're able to revive it and that we're able to compete with other automakers across the globe.
ON MICHIGAN
Brazile: I know the president is deeply concerned about the state of Michigan. He's working very hard to ensure that we rebuild this infrastructure, and I know that he'll be back soon to talk about what's next, in terms of the economic stimulus.
We also spoke briefly about health care.
Brazile says she supports the reform efforts, including hotly-contested public option. She says it should not be a deal-breaker, though.
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