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MPR News Presents

Commonwealth Club: 2020 Democratic presidential candidates Michael Bennet and Tom Steyer.

The presidential podium with the officia
The presidential podium with the official seal of the President. (SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images)
SAUL LOEB/AFP/Getty Images

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Thursday is the third 2020 Democratic presidential candidates debate, being held in Houston, Texas. Minnesota's U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar made the debate stage again, but there are other candidates who didn't.

Colorado U.S. Senator Michael Bennet was on stage for the first two debates, but didn't meet the Democratic National Committee's requirements for the third one. He publicly chastised the DNC, saying, "The DNC's process is stifling debate at a time when we need it most. And it will NOT help us beat Donald Trump."

Billionaire venture capitalist Tom Steyer joined the race late and didn't qualify for the September debate but he has qualified for the October debate. Both men appeared last month at the Commonwealth Club of California for in-depth interviews.

Sen. Bennet was interviewed by Scott Shafer, senior editor for politics and government at KQED public radio.

Bennet is the author of “Land of Flickering Lights: Restoring America in an Age of Broken Politics.”

He bemoans what he calls “the corruption of inaction” and “structural problems in our democracy” including the pernicious influence of money in politics. The title of his book comes from his belief that now “the standard of government is keeping the lights on.” All that does, he says, is “extend the dead hand of the past into the future.”

A former school superintendent, Bennet says it is imperative to build durable coalitions to improve public education, as well as other priorities that require long-term solutions such as climate change and health care.

Businessman Tom Steyer was interviewed by journalist Greg Dalton, host of the Commonwealth Club’s “Climate One” series.

Steyer originally launched an expensive advertising and organizing effort to impeach President Trump, but said he decided recently to run for president because he “couldn’t sleep at night.” He said “we have a broken government.”

On day one, he says, he’d “declare a climate emergency” and said the president has about 150 emergency powers to employ.

Steyer said he wants to renew America’s role in the world, and “get other countries to come along” with America’s leadership on climate change, among other pressing matters.