| ISSUE HOMEPAGES |
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SUMMARY PAGE |
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INTERNATIONAL | |
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ECONOMIC | |
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DOMESTIC | |
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SOCIAL | |
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POLITICAL | |
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CANDIDATE QUALITIES | |
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 BARACK OBAMA |
 JOHN MCCAIN |
MY BALLOT |
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- Withdraw all combat brigades during first 16 months in office
- Temporarily keep a much smaller "residual" force there to fight terrorists, but no permanent bases
- Opposed going to war with Iraq in 2002
- Opposed the troop surge
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- Withdrawal if Iraq is secure, no timetables
- Would support a long-term non-combat troop presence in Iraq, unless Iraqis want us to leave
- Supported going to war with Iraq in 2002
- Believes our initial strategy in Iraq was a failure, but that the troop surge is succeeding
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- Increase U.S. involvement in U.N. and NATO
- Talk to any head of state without preconditions
- Work toward world without nuclear weapons
- China is a competitor, do not expel Russia from G8
- Lift restrictions on family travel to Cuba
- Pressure U.N. to deploy peacekeepers to Darfur
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- Create a "League of Democracies"
- Use pressure, not talks, to deal with some nations
- Reduce nukes, but keep enough to deter attacks
- China is a competitor, expel Russia from G8
- Keep embargo and travel restrictions on Cuba
- Pressure U.N. to deploy peacekeepers to Darfur
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- No torture, same standards for CIA and military
- Shut down Gitmo, try detainees in civilian courts
- Opposes Bush wiretapping, pro-FISA compromise
- Supports cross-border strikes into Pakistan
- Add 7,000 U.S. troops to Afghanistan by moving some out of Iraq
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- No torture, but let CIA use harsher techniques
- Shut down Guantanamo, try detainees in military courts
- Bush warrantless wiretapping program was legal
- Only strike in Pakistan with gov't approval
- NATO should send more troops to Afghanistan
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- Would order air strikes to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons
- Supports sanctions on Iran, also positive incentives
- Would meet directly with Iranian leaders
- Opposed Kyl-Lieberman, called it belligerent
- Supports aid to Israel and to Palestinians
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- Would attack, possibly invade, to prevent Iran from getting nuclear weapons
- Supports economic sanctions on Iran
- Would not meet with Iranian leaders
- Defends Kyl-Lieberman amendment
- Supports more aid to Israel
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- Economy and tax code too skewed toward wealthy
- New stimulus package with rebate checks and aid to local governments
- Extend and expand unemployment insurance
- Government-backed mortgage relief for some subprime mortgage-holders
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- Believes tax cuts will best strengthen the economy
- Stimulate economy with tax cuts for businesses
- Create personal accounts for unemployment insurance
- Government-backed mortgage relief for some subprime mortgage-holders
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- Several tax increases for earners above $250K/year
- Tax cuts for low- and middle- income earners and many other specific groups
- 5-minute filing for taxpayers who do not itemize
- Has not pledged to balance budget
- Spending increases for healthcare, energy, military
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- No tax increases, make Bush cuts permanent
- Further tax cuts for people with dependents, businesses, estates
- Create an optional flat income tax
- Balance the budget by 2013
- Cut earmarks, subsidies, other unspecified areas
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- "Fast-track authority" with labor and environmental standards
- Renegotiate NAFTA to include those standards
- Trade adjustment aid, tax cuts for businesses keeping American jobs
- Only give agricultural subsidies to small farms
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- Give president "fast-track authority" for trade deals
- Supports NAFTA and other trade deals
- Unemployment insurance program should retrain displaced workers
- Opposes most tariffs and subsidies
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- Supports Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac bailout
- Revamp regulation for financial markets
- Supports Employee Free Choice Act
- Index minimum wage to inflation
- Expand period during which women can file claims of pay discrimination
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- New financial market regulations necessary
- Supports Fannie Mae & Freddie Mac bailout
- Lower corporate tax rate from 35% to 25%
- Opposes Employee Free Choice Act
- Would not expand period during which women can file claims of pay discrimination
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- Subsidized, voluntary National Health Plan for those without employer-based or existing coverage
- Regulate private and public plans -- all plans must guarantee eligibility at the same rate
- Mandate that all children have insurance
- Invest in technology, regulate drug companies
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- End tax exemption for employer-based insurance
- Create $5K per family tax credit to help people pay for private or employer-based insurance
- Allow people to buy out-of-state insurance
- Thinks individual responsibility will lower costs
- Work with state governments to cover uninsured
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- Could support offshore oil drilling as compromise, would subsidize clean coal research
- Subsidize corn ethanol, tax sugar ethanol imports
- Large subsidies for renewable energy research
- Consider constructing more nuclear plants
- Double fuel economy standards within 18 years
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- More domestic oil drilling, subsidize clean coal
- Don't subsidize corn ethanol or tax ethanol imports
- Supports stable tax breaks for wind and solar but has not yet voted for them
- Subsidize construction of 45 new nuclear plants
- Enforce existing fuel economy standards
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- Cap-and-trade plan to reduce emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2050
- Auction off all emissions credits, limit the use of offsets
- U.S. must take first step in emissions reduction, but all countries must join in
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- Cap-and-trade plan to reduce emissions 60% below 1990 levels by 2050
- Give away many emissions permits to industries, allow unlimited use of offsets
- U.S. must take first step in emissions reduction, but all countries must join in
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- Increase border security, including some fencing
- Create a path to citizenship for most illegal immigrants here now who meet certain conditions
- Mixed feelings about guest worker programs
- Do not increase job-based immigration at expense of family reunification
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- Increase border security before other reforms
- Then, create a path to citizenship for most illegal immigrants here now who meet certain conditions
- Supports guest worker programs
- More job-based immigration, less family-based immigration
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- More funding to help schools meet testing standards
- More pay for teachers who mentor & perform well
- Supports charter schools, but not vouchers
- Tuition tax credit for all college students
- Allow race-based affirmative action for colleges
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- Let parents move kids out of failing schools
- Accountability in teacher pay: more for good performance, less for bad
- Supports charter schools and vouchers
- Target federal financial aid to needy students
- Opposes race-based affirmative action for colleges
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- Social Security funding problem is real but manageable
- Fund by adding a payroll tax of between 2% and 4% to all income above $250,000 per year
- Opposes personal accounts and privatization
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- Current Social Security system is broken and unsustainable
- Do not reduce benefits for current retirees, reduce future benefit growth to fund system
- Add voluntary personal accounts with which young workers can invest money
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- Supports Roe v. Wade & Freedom of Choice Act
- Allow partial-birth abortion bans with expanded exemptions for health of mother
- Pregnancy prevention through contraceptives and comprehensive sex ed
- Federally fund embryonic stem cell research
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- Amend constitution to ban abortion except in cases of rape, incest, and risk to mother's life
- Ban partial-birth abortion
- Pregnancy prevention through adoption and abstinence-only sex ed
- Federally fund embryonic stem cell research
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- Some restrictions on certain types of guns
- Supports death penalty in more limited circumstances
- Ease some drug sentencing requirements
- Undecided on medical marijuana
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- Do not restrict guns for law-abiding adults
- Keep death penalty as it is now used
- Tough drug sentencing except for first-time users
- No medical marijuana
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- Do not reverse state court decisions that legalize gay marriage
- Supports national civil union legislation
- End "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
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- State voters, not courts, should decide on gay marriage
- Leave decisions on civil unions to states
- Continue "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"
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- Proposes several government initiatives to create jobs
- Renew support for faith-based initiatives office
- Create an Affordable Housing Trust Fund
- Expand Earned Income Tax Credit and index minimum wage to inflation
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- Favors tax measures to encourage small businesses
- Wants charities and community groups to play big anti-poverty role, in place of government
- Create task force on unfair lending practices
- Double the tax exemption for dependents, lowering taxes for all, especially the low-income
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- Appoint judges with empathy for the disadvantaged
- Judges should defend the interests of the powerless
- Opposed Roberts and Alito nominations
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- Appoint strict constructionist judges
- Judges should only enforce existing law
- Supported Roberts and Alito nominations
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- Supports expanding public financing and applying it to Congressional races
- Declined public financing for general election
- Sponsored reform to make lobbying and earmarks transparent
- Refuses lobbyist and PAC campaign contributions
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- Longtime advocate of campaign-finance reform
- Expected to use public financing in the general election
- Thinks that ethics reform starts with ban on earmarks
- Accepts lobbyist and PAC campaign contributions
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MY BALLOT |
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