Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion: The governor defended his belief that abortion should remain legal.
"I believe that it is an issue that is best left to the individual conscience of women," he said, "and in the meantime, as a society, we should do those things that we can to advance the dignity of every human life." Source.
Animals: O'Malley angered the Humane Society over the issue of black bear and mute swan killing in his state: "The HSUS Condemns Maryland Plan to Eradicate Mute Swans from Chesapeake Bay", "Governor O'Malley's Betrayal of Maryland's Black Bears"
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Education: Opposes education vouchers for public or private school. (Aug 2010) Source.
Environment: Maryland League of Conservation Voters endorses Gov. Martin O'Malley Source.
Same Sex Marriage: Gov. Martin O'Malley announced this afternoon that he will lead the charge for gay marriage in Maryland and put his name on a bill that allows same-sex couples to wed.
"Marylanders of all walks of life want their children to live in a loving, stable, committed home protected under the law," O'Malley said. He said it would be one of "a small handful" of legislative priorities.
Source.
Guns: NRA - F Gov. Martin O'Malley on Monday announced broad details of a sweeping four-point proposal to limit gun violence in Maryland, including a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity gun magazines like those used in the Newtown school shooting, as well as some of the nation's strictest gun licensing rules. Source.
Health care: Martin O'Malley believes access to health care should be a right--not a privilege. Supports the goal of affordable health care for all Maryland families and understand that without federal leadership we cannot achieve these goals.
Source.
Immigration: In a debate during the 2010 campaign, O'Malley referred to undocumented immigrants as "new Americans", as he endorsed tougher enforcement against illegal immigration by the federal government.[47] In May 2011, O'Malley signed a law that would make the children of undocumented immigrants eligible for in-state college tuition under certain conditions.[48] The law provides that undocumented immigrants can be eligible for in-state tuition if students have attended a high school in Maryland for three years and if they or their parents have paid state income taxes during that time. Source.
Business & Labor: US Chamber of Commerce rating: 0. AFL-CIO rating: high. US Chamber of Commerce rating: . AFL-CIO rating: . Baltimore Mayor Martin O'Malley's campaign for governor secured an unusually early and lopsided endorsement yesterday from Maryland's largest labor organization. A committee of the Maryland State and D.C. AFL-CIO, which claims nearly 300,000 members, voted 52 to 11 to back O'Malley (D) over Montgomery County Executive Douglas M. Duncan (D), who had lobbied hard for the endorsement. Source.
Minimum Wage: Supports minimum wage laws. His campaign website said: "Martin O'Malley supports Living Wage legislation for all companies doing business with the State. Companies that want Maryland's business must support Maryland's values, and that includes a fair wage for a fair day's work." Source.
Social Security: Moreover, the costs of the big entitlements for the elderly -- Social Security and Medicare -- are growing at rates that will eventually bankrupt them and that could leave little to pay for everything else government does. We can't just spend our way out of the problem; we must find a way to contain future costs. The federal government already spends seven times as much on the elderly as it does on children. To allow that ratio to grow even more imbalanced would be grossly unfair to today's workers and future generations. In addition, Social Security and Medicare need to be modernized to reflect conditions not envisioned when they were created in the 1930s and the 1960s. Social Security, for example, needs a stronger basic benefit to bolster its critical role in reducing poverty in old age. Medicare needs to offer retirees more choices and a modern benefit package that includes prescription drugs. Such changes, however, will only add to the cost of the programs unless they are accompanied by structural reforms that restrain their growth and limit their claim on the working families whose taxes support the programs.
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Marijuana: "[i]s now open to legalizing medical marijuana" O'Malley has in the past been opposed to legalizing marijuana, but telegraphed that he'd support a limited measure that would make it available at academic research centers. "I'm focused on other things this year" he told reporters when he suggested he'd sign such a bill.
Source.
Nuclear Energy: I'm very much in favor of nuclear energy and I believe that the sort of technology that is now being employed in Europe, and by the French in particular, is something that needs to come to the United States. Certainly, over the short term I believe it holds a tremendous amount of promise and I think that we need to catch up. I think we're way behind the ball on nuclear energy and I hope that we'll have a third reactor that's modern and that is safe and is state-of-the-art in the foreseeable future in Maryland.
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Climate Change: "Climate change is not an ideological issue any more than gravity is"... "It is physics, pure and simple"... "Maryland might not be able to change what people in India or China do with respect to climate. We can, however, use the prospect of a carbon constrained world as the means to invent a more prosperous future, and to drive innovation, education, industry, jobs, and growth." Source.
Capital Punishment: O'Malley called capital punishment "inconsistent with a nation that is founded on the belief in the dignity of every human being."
Source.
March 2013, Maryland legislature bans capital punishment--O'Malley signed the bill.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion:
Planned Parenthood, NARAL ratings: 100%.
National Right to Life rating: 0%.
Animals:
Humane Society Legislative Fund ratings: 83%.
Humane Society of the US rating: 75%.
Education:
National Education Association rating: A%.
English First rating: 0%.
Environment:
League of Conservation Voters rating: 100%.
League of Private Property Owners rating: 20%.
Same Sex Marriage: Clinton, who, along with much of the Democratic field, was against gay marriage in her 2008 presidential run, spoke favorably about New York's gay marriage law when it passed in 2011, but has remained quiet on her position since, as other Cabinet members such as Arne Duncan, along with Vice President Joe Biden, have voiced support, and as marriage referenda passed in four states earlier this month%.
Guns:
National Rifle Association rating: 0%.
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence rating: 100%.
Health care:
American Public Health Association rating: 100%.
American Hospital Association rating: 100%.
Immigration:
National Latino Congreso rating: 91%.
Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) rating: 33%.
Minimum Wage: Hillary Clinton is has just proposed a bill - along with Sens. Kennedy, D-Mass., Leahy, D-Vt., Harkin, D-Iowa, and Jeffords, I-Vt., that would tie the federal minimum wage to congressional salaries, so that the min. wage must go up the exact percentage of any congressional pay raise. Source.
Social Security: In her address to the 2000 Democratic National Convention on August 14, 2000, she stressed her support for the social programs such as Social Security and Medicare that were established during the presidencies of Franklin Roosevelt and Lyndon Johnson. "We'll never accomplish what we need to do for our children if we burden them with a debt they didn't create. Franklin Roosevelt said that Americans of his generation had a rendezvous with destiny. It's time to protect the next generation by using our budget surplus to pay down the national debt, save Social Security, modernize Medicare with a prescription drug benefit, and provide targeted tax cuts to the families who need them most."[2] Source.
Taxes:
Citizens Against Gov Waste rating:
Citizens For Tax Justice rating:
National Taxpayers' Union rating: 9%.
Trade:
USA Engage (free trade advocates) rating: 60.
National Foreign Trade Council (free trade advocates) rating: 80.
Marijuana: "I respect those in the region who believe strongly that [U.S. legalization] would end the problem," Clinton said, as reported by Politico. "I am not convinced of that, speaking personally." Source.
Nuclear Energy: I'm agnostic about nuclear power. John is right, that until we figure out what we're going to do with the waste and the cost, it's very hard to see nuclear as a part of our future. But that's where American technology comes in. Let's figure out what we're going to do about the waste and the cost if we think nuclear should be a part of the solution.But this issue of energy and global warming has the promise of creating millions of new jobs in America. Source.
Nuclear Weapons: supports UN sanctions on Iran, and has said that Iran should not be allowed possession of a nuclear weapon. Source.
Climate Change: Clinton supports cap-and-trade, which allows companies to trade carbon credits, seeks an 80% carbon cut by 2050, seeks a 10% national energy reduction by 2020, advocates a zero emission policy for federal buildings by 2030, calls for raising gas mileage standards to 35 m.p.g. within 10 years (having indicated a willingness to use administrative power if Congress fails to act on this), and opposes drilling in the Atlantic. Source.
Capital Punishment: Advocates the death penalty.
Vaccinations: Clinton tweeted: "The science is clear: The earth is round, the sky is blue, and #vaccineswork. Let's protect all our kids. #GrandmothersKnowBest"
Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion: Pro-choice; 100% Planned Parenthood score in most recent ratings.
Animals: Joe Biden (D-Del.) has been a stalwart friend of animal welfare advocates in the Senate, and has received high marks year after year on the Humane Scorecard. Biden has not only supported animal protection legislation during his career, but has also led the fight on important issues. He was the co-author with Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) in the 108th Congress on legislation to ban the netting of dolphins by commercial tuna fishermen. He was the lead author of a bill in the 107th Congress to prohibit trophy hunting of captive exotic mammals in fenced enclosures, and he successfully passed the bill through the Senate Judiciary Committee. Source.
Education: Voted against school vouchers. Source
Environment: In most recent evalutions (2005), Biden supported the interests of the American Wilderness Coalition 100 percent, supported the interests of the Defenders of Wildlife Action Fund 100 percent, supported the interests of the League of Conservation Voters 90 percent.
Same Sex Marriage: is for it
Guns: Supports gun control. Gun Owners of America score in most recent ratings. 0%
Health care: Senator Biden supported the interests of the American Public Health Association 90 percent in 2005 (most recent evaluation). APHA states, "All Americans deserve comprehensive health coverage.".
Immigration: Senator Joseph Biden has voted in favor of amnesty for illegal aliens... Senator Joseph Biden has voted for increases in permanent and temporary foreign work visas such as the H1-B. In 2006, Biden supported the interests of the American Immigration Lawyers Association 100 percent, the interests of the U.S. Border Control 8 percent in 2005-2006. Biden supported the interests of the Federation for American Immigration Reform 0 percent in 2005.
Supports amnesty/permanent legalization for illegal aliens and temporary legalization for illegal aiens as guestworkers
Business & Labor: 44% U.S. Chamber of Commerce score & 100% AFL-CIO score in most recent ratings. Sou rce
Minimum Wage: Has has voted for increases in the federal minimum wage.
Marijuana: Then U.S. Senator Joseph Biden (D-DE): "To explain to my 15-year-old daughter or a 12-year old niece that doctors say ... that Marijuana can be used as a medicine, it makes it awful hard for a parent to have a message that says, 'By the way, this is a very bad thing, this Marijuana.' " Nuclear Energy: I see a role for nuclear, but first you've got to deal with the security as well as the safety concerns. I'd be spending a whole hell of a lot of money trying to figure out how to reconfigure the spent fuel into reusable fuel. I would not invest in [growing our nuclear power capacity in its current form], but I would invest in sorting out the storage and waste problems. Source: NEI Nuclear Notes (Nuclear Energy Industry blogspot) , Aug 25, 2008
Climate Change: There is a need -- there is a need to set out a vision for the young people in both our countries that we understand -- we understand. It's a rallying cry that can be a call for a united effort and support in both our countries to deal with global warming. Source.
Capital Punishment: Supports capital punishment. "As the author of two major federal crime laws that extend the availability of the death penalty to sixty additional crimes, I support capital punishment as a crime-fighting technique. But we must implement the death penalty in a way that is consistent with our values as Americans. Just as we would not execute a 12-year-old, I have long argued that we should not execute a mentally retarded person whose mental capacity might be far more limited." Source
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion:
Planned Parenthood, NARAL ratings: 0%.
National Right to Life rating: 100%
Animals:
Humane Society Legislative Fund ratings: 20%.
Education: improve school choice through a Federal corporate income tax credit, Source.
National Education Association rating: F
Environment:
League of Conservation Voters rating: 9
League of Private Property Owners rating:
Same Sex Marriage: RUBIO: In terms of the Bible's interpretation of marriage, what our faith teaches is pretty straightforward. There's not much debate about that. The debate is about what society should tolerate, and what society should allow our laws to be. I believe marriage is a unique and specific institution that is the result of thousands of years of wisdom, which concluded that the ideal - not the only way but certainly the ideal - situation to raise children to become productive and healthy humans is in a home with a father and mother married to each other. Does that mean people who are not in that circumstance cannot be successful? Of course not%.
Guns:
National Rifle Association rating: B+
Health care: We should propose common sense, free-market ideas to make health care more accessible and affordable. Senator Rubio will focus on three goals: repealing and replacing Obamacare; allowing individuals to control their own health care choices; and returning control of health policy to the states. In January 2011, Senator Rubio signed on as an original co-sponsor-his first bill as a co-sponsor-of legislation introduced by U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) to fully repeal the health care bill that President Obama signed into law on March 23, 2010. Source.
Immigration: If you have violated our immigration laws, you'll have two choices: Choice number one, under the current law, is return to your country of birth, wait 10 years and apply for a green card through the regular process. The second choice is if you want to stay here, you have to pass a background check, you'll have to pay taxes, you'll have to pay a significant fine, you'll get a work permit, and then at some point in the future -- when the enforcement mechanisms are in place and some time has elapsed -- you'll have the opportunity to apply for a green card through the regular process, just like anybody else would. Source.
Business & Labor: US Chamber of Commerce rating: high. AFL-CIO rating: 11%.
Minimum Wage: "I support people making more than $9. I want people to make as much as they can. I don't think a minimum wage law works," Rubio told Charlie Rose. "We all support - I certainly do - having more taxpayers, meaning more people who are employed. And I want people to make a lot more than $9 - $9 is not enough. The problem is you can't do that by mandating it in the minimum wage laws. Minimum wage laws have never worked in terms of having the middle class attain more prosperity." What works, he said, is helping the private sector grow." Source.
Social Security:
Alliance for Retired American rating:10%
Taxes: Signed Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge Source.
Trade: We must continue reducing barriers to free and fair trade. We should adopt the free trade agreements that have already been negotiated with Colombia, Panama, South Korea and other nations around the world. We should also insist that other countries reduce their own barriers to trade so that American goods can find new markets.
Source: 20%.10 Senate campaign website, marcorubio.com "Reclaim" , Aug 11, 2010
Marijuana: H.R. 2306 the "Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011?, was introduced by Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts. This legislation seeks to remove marijuana from the list of Schedule I controlled substances. H.R. 2306 has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. There is no companion legislation for H.R. 2306 in the Senate. I cannot support this legislation should it come before the Senate for a vote. Source.
Nuclear Energy: I support a comprehensive energy plan that encourages nuclear energy, exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and environmentally safe leasing of oil and natural gas fields in the outer continental shelf and on federally owned lands with oil shale in the West. As senator, I will stand for policies that make us more energy efficient, less reliant on foreign sources of oil, create jobs and ease the burden on family budgets.
Source: 20%.10 Senate campaign website, www.marcorubio.com, "Issues" , Feb 3, 2010
Climate Change: First of all, the climate is always changing. That's not the fundamental question," Rubio said when asked at a BuzzFeed event if global warming is a threat to Florida. "The fundamental question is whether man-made activity is what's contributing most to it. I understand that people say there is a significant scientific consensus on that issue, but I've actually seen reasonable debate on that principle."
Capital Punishment: Problem: Endless appeals by convicted felons postpone a sense of finality and erode public confidence in the judicial system. Even in the simplest of criminal cases, post-conviction litigation frequently continues for a minimum of 3 years. In death penalty cases the post-conviction process averages 12 years, but in some cases it has consumed up to 20 years before a warrant is signed. With over 370 inmates on death row in Florida, delays of this nature hinder justice for the victims and erode public confidence in Florida's criminal justice system. Very few inmates receive actual relief from the current cumbersome, time-consuming, and expensive process.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion:
Planned Parenthood, NARAL ratings: 0%, 0%.
National Right to Life rating: 100%
Animals:
Humane Society Legislative Fund ratings: 13
Environment:
League of Conservation Voters rating: 20%.
League of Private Property Owners rating: 75%
Guns:
National Rifle Association rating: 92
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence rating: 11%
Health care: I remain committed to controlling Washington's reckless spending spree by rolling back the President's fiscally irresponsible health care law. Source.
American Public Health Association rating: 0%.
American Hospital Association rating: 0%.
Immigration:
National Latino Congreso rating: 17
Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) rating: 100%.
The infrastructure - I think you guys were talking about that earlier, that does work, obviously, and we've been planning long this fall for doing our transportation bill. The problem with that is it takes a long time to get it through the pipelines. That's not instant jobs, like some people try to market it. There's a lag time to that. But obviously infrastructure does create jobs. I don't think you can really deny that. Source.
Business & Labor: US Chamber of Commerce rating: 83%. AFL-CIO rating: 28%.
Minimum Wage: I think it's inflationary. I think it actually is counterproductive in many ways. You end up costing job from people who are the bottom rung of the economic ladder. Look, I wish we could just pass a law saying everybody should make more money without any adverse consequences. The problem is you're costing jobs from those who are just trying to get entry level jobs. The goal ought to be is to get people out of entry level jobs into better jobs, better paying jobs. That's better education and a growing economy. Those are some of the things he talked about and I don't think raising minimum wage - and history is very clear about this - doesn't actually accomplish those goals. Source.
Social Security: The President's Fiscal Commission made a positive first step by advancing solutions to ensure the solvency of Social Security.
Taxes: Signed Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge Source.
Trade:
USA Engage (free trade advocates) rating: 60
National Foreign Trade Council (free trade advocates) rating: 50%.
Same Sex Marriage: Paul Ryan told Focus on the Family president Jim Daly that he and Mitt Romney will defend DOMA, the Defense of Marriage Act, in the courts, and attacked President Obama for not. Ryan promised Daly that he and the Romney administration will work hard to oppose any LGBT equality measures. Source.
Marijuana: In an interview with Colorado station KRDO-TV, Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan says he believes it's up to the states to decide whether to legalize medical marijuana.
Nuclear Energy: This legislation, which was introduced by Representative Devin Nunes, promoted an all-of-the-above energy policy that embodies the pillars explained above: it facilitated American-made energy, recognized the importance of alternative energy, streamlined the outdated regulatory process for clean technologies like nuclear power, and avoided hitting our economy with new taxes and mandates. Source.
Climate Change: "[T]he Progressivist leadership in Congress are adding insult to injury by promoting their energy and climate agenda through their Cap and Trade plan. Put aside the fact that there is growing disagreement among scientists about climate change and its causes. This bill is a big mistake for other reasons%.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion: Bush is a staunch opponent of abortion. "Jeb Bush, the governor of Florida and brother of the president, has ignited a fierce new debate on abortion after ordering the appointment of a legal guardian to represent the interests of an unborn foetus being carried by a woman with severe learning disabilities who was raped%.
Education: Favors vouchers for parents who choose to send their kids to private schools. Source.
Environment: Bush was dismissive of his critics, including an environmental group and Democrats in the state Legislature.
"I don't know who the League of Conservation Voters are," Bush said... . Source.
Same Sex Marriage: Marriage is safe in Florida," Gov. Jeb Bush declared on Tuesday, telling a travel industry conference that he will not support civil unions. Gay marriage is already illegal in the state.
Guns: Jeb Bush just signed into law the Florida no-retreat bill, which provides that a person need not retreat from an attack, may "stand his ground" and use deadly force if he reasonably believes he or another person is threatened by death or serious physical injury. Source.
Health care: Asked by CNN Chief Washington Correspondent Jake Tapper about Rick Scott's recent decision to accept the funds, which are included as part of President Barack Obama's sweeping health care law, Bush said he had reservations about the Medicaid expansion, which will be totally funded by the federal government for the first three years. After that, federal funding will be phased down. Source.
Immigration: In Immigration Wars, set to be released this week, Bush argues that people who are in the United States illegally should be given permanent legal status as part of a major immigration overhaul. But he argues the integrity of the country's immigration system would be undermined if illegal immigrants are placed on the citizenship path.
Jobs:
Same Sex Marriage: Marriage is safe in Florida," Gov. Jeb Bush declared on Tuesday, telling a travel industry conference that he will not support civil unions. Gay marriage is already illegal in the state.
Social Security: Jeb Bush made an argument against privatization. "Jeb Bush warns against letting all of the state's pension funds ride on the stock market. Jeb Bush wrote in the April 18 Tallahassee Democrat of his concern that state workers' retirement money was at risk because stock market losses had caused the Florida Retirement Fund to lose about $8 billion in a week -- $4 billion in one day." Source.
Taxes: Signed the Grover Norquist anti-tax pledge, and named one of the Americans for Tax Reform Honors Heroes of the Taxpayer Source.
Trade: Bush's remarks focused on the evolution of global commerce, growth of free trade areas and the emergence of Asian markets. He called the entrepreneurial spirit within the state's Hispanic population growing asset and he championed the continued effort to name Florida the permanent home of the Free Trade Area of the Americas secretariat.
Marijuana: Mandatory prison sentences for drug offenses. (Nov 2001)
Social Security: Jeb Bush made an argument against privatization. "Jeb Bush warns against letting all of the state's pension funds ride on the stock market. Jeb Bush wrote in the April 18 Tallahassee Democrat of his concern that state workers' retirement money was at risk because stock market losses had caused the Florida Retirement Fund to lose about $8 billion in a week -- $4 billion in one day."
Source
Nuclear Energy: Favors it. "There are now 104 nuclear power reactors in the United States that are safely producing 20 percent of the nation's electricity - notably, without producing any of the harmful greenhouse gases some believe to be a major factor in climate change. Americans are beginning to recognize that nuclear energy caters to both our lifestyle and our greening mentality. And it offers the most proven means for our country to achieve much needed energy security." Source.
Climate Change: Do you believe global warming is primarily man-made? "I'm a skeptic. I'm not a scientist. I think the science has been politicized. I would be very wary of hollowing out our industrial base even further... It may be only partially man-made. It may not be warming by the way. The last six years we've actually had mean temperatures that are cooler. I think we need to be very cautious before we dramatically alter who we are as a nation because of it." Source.
Capital Punishment:
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion: Pro-choice NARAL Pro-Choice New York today announced its support for Andrew Cuomo's candidacy for Governor of the State of New York. NARAL Pro-Choice New York President Kelli Conlin was joined by dozens of women in support of Andrew Cuomo to praise his record and commitment to issues of particular importance to women including protecting a woman's right to choose and support of the Reproductive Health Act. Source.
Animals: The HSUS and the New York Humane Association applaud Gov. Andrew Cuomo for signing legislation to strengthen current state laws to combat animal fighting. Source.
Education: Cuomo vetoed a bill in 2011 that would have given school vouchers to special education students. Source.
Environment: The New York League of Conservation Voters, which ... In announcing its support for Mr. Cuomo's candidacy Source.
Same Sex Marriage: As a result of Governor Cuomo's leadership, New York passed the Marriage Equality Act making our state the largest and most influential state in the nation to extend full marriage equality to all its citizens. Source.
Guns: NRA - F Following the December 14, 2012 school shooting in Newton, Connecticut, Gov. Cuomo sought to make gun control a major issue in 2013. To that end, one of the first things the Legislature did in its 2013 session was to pass a tougher assault weapons ban that includes restrictions on ammunition and the sale of guns, as well as provisions to keep guns from the mentally ill who make threats. New York was the first state to pass new laws after the tragedy. Source.
Health care: Cuomo issued an executive order establishing a New York health insurance exchange after state senate Republicans refused to do so. Christie vetoed a bill to allow New Jersey to setup a health insurance exchange under Obamacare.
Immigration: Dream Act: Cuomo is still considering the idea, but is reportedly close to embracing offering in-state tuition to upstanding undocumented New York students. Source.
Business & Labor: US Chamber of Commerce rating: low. AFL-CIO rating: high. Today, the 2 ½ million member New York State AFL-CIO endorsed the candidacy of Andrew Cuomo for Governor of New York State. President Denis Hughes praised the Attorney General's record of fighting for the middle class against monied interests. Source.
Minimum Wage: Cuomo proposed in his 2013 State of the State that New York raise its minimum wage to $8.75 per hour. Source. March 2013: Supports $9 minimum wage. Social Security: Position unknown.
Taxes: In 2011, Cuomo signed a deal to raise rates on those earning more than $2 million annually. The measure allowed New York to reduce rates for middle class workers. Source.
Trade:
Marijuana: Andrew Cuomo is asking state legislators to decriminalize possession of small amounts of marijuana that are in public view. Saying the aim was to avoid unnecessary misdemeanor charges against thousands of New Yorkers--"disproportionately black and Hispanic youth," according to a statement from the governor's office--the legislation "brings consistency and fairness" to New York's marijuana laws.
Nuclear Energy: New York is home to some of the greatest natural resources in the world. We need to protect our environment to make sure that we leave our State clean and inhabitable for generations to come. As Governor, Andrew Cuomo will continue to be an environmental champion, by pushing to find alternative sources of energy generation to replace Indian Point nuclear facility because it is too dangerous to continue operating.
Source: 20%.10 gubernatorial campaign website, andrewcuomo.com , Nov 1, 2010 Source.
Climate Change: Cuomo's New York, along with Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont, continues to work to cap and reduce CO2 emissions in the power sector. Source.
Capital Punishment: "I am against the death penalty" Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion: Christie opposes a woman's right to choose. At a 2011 rally opposing the U.S. Supreme Court's landmark Roe v. Wade decision, he said eliminating abortion was "an issue whose time has come." He also cut state funding to Planned Parenthood. Source.
Animals: The HSUS applauds New Jersey Governor Chris Christie for signing A.2023, a bill that prohibits the slaughter of horses and sale of horse flesh for human consumption, bans the sale of horse meat or products derived from slaughtered horses and bans the transport of horse meat or live horses for the purpose of slaughter. Source.
Education: Christie has pushed for private school vouchers, which would take public education money and siphon it off to private and parochial schools. Source.
Environment: NJLCV did not endorce Christie Source.
Same Sex Marriage: Christie used his veto power to block marriage equality in New Jersey, saying marriage equality is not about "gay rights." Instead, he proposed marriage equality should be subject to a harmful and expensive public referendum. Source.
Guns: Christie opposed New Jersey's one-gun-a-month limit and has been strongly critical of President Obama's approach, calling instead for "violence control." Source.
Health care: Christie vetoed a bill to allow New Jersey to setup a health insurance exchange under Obamacare. Source.
Immigration: Dream Act: Christie has opposed offering in-state tuition for undocumented college students whose parents brought them to the United States as children. He said, "I do not believe that, for the people who came here illegally, that we should be subsidizing, with taxpayer money, through in-state tuition, their education." Source.
Business & Labor: US Chamber of Commerce rating: high. AFL-CIO rating: low. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, in the same breath as praising the "greatest generation" who built factories, farms and taught our nation's children, attacked those workers' right to join together to improve their workplaces and those they serve during his Republican National Convention (RNC) speech last night.
Christie decided to bash teachers' unions and public sector workers, instead of offering positive solutions to strengthen the U.S. economy. Source.
Minimum Wage: Chris Christie vetoed bills to raise minimum wage. Source
Social Security: Christie said the retirement age of Social Security needs to be raised and Medicaid drastically overhauled, adding that politicians have been fearful of going after the "third rail of politics" for year. "Oh, I just said that, and I'm still standing here. I didn't vaporize," Christie said, drawing laughter from the room and adding later that lightning had not come through the window to strike him. Source
Taxes: Did not sign Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge Source.
Trade:
Marijuana: Gov. Chris Christie Friday vowed to veto a bill up for a vote Monday that would decriminalize the possession of small amounts of marijuana. Source.
Nuclear Energy: Gov. Chris Christie signaled support today for building a new nuclear power plant Source.
Climate Change: Though Christie claims to believe climate change is real, he pulled New Jersey out of a regional compact aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Animals:
"Huckabee was the state's chief executive for more than a decade, and was largely viewed by animal advocates as an impediment to moderate reforms, or at the very least, someone who never lifted a finger to advance animal welfare. The governor's record on animal issues was further tarnished in 1998 when the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reported that Huckabee's 17-year-old son, David, was fired from his job as a Boy Scout camp counselor because he and another teen allegedly killed a stray dog." - Michael Markarian, President of the Humane Society Legislative Fund Source Voter Registration: "[W]hen you make [voting] so easy, with mail-in ballots, same-day registration and no ID, just the possibility for fraud undermines confidence in the American electoral process." - Mike Huckabee Source Climate Change:
Mike Huckabee mocked the notion that climate change is a major threat to Americans in a speech to conservative activists Saturday. Source
Nuclear Energy:
We will explore, we will conserve, and we will pursue all types of alternative energy: nuclear, wind, solar, ethanol, hydrogen, clean coal, biomass, and biodiesel. Source
Foreign policy and war issues:
"Rather than wait for the next strike, I prefer to cut to the chase by going after al Qaeda's safe havens in Pakistan. As commander in chief, the U.S. president must balance threats and risks in calculating how best to protect the American people. We are living on borrowed time. The threat of an attack on us is far graver than the risk that a quick and limited strike against al Qaeda would bring extremists to power in Pakistan."
Source Security/liberties:
"I think it is important to have very thorough surveillance capabilities, but they also need to be monitored by Congress. With technology being what it is today, we have new tools that have never been available before, things that our founding fathers never envisioned when the Bill of Rights was crafted. And so it is uncharted territory. Two things we need to remember--one, the first job of the president is to keep this country safe. He should use everything at his disposal to do so. But it is also the job of Congress to make sure that the executive branch does not overstep its boundaries in terms of power. That is why we have the balance of power. And I think there is a healthy tension that was designed into our system."
Source
Social Security: Maintain long-term solvency of Social Security and Medicare. (Aug 2001)
Maintain federal funding of Social Services Block Grants. (Sep 1999)
Source
Stem cell research: Opposes federally funded stem cell research. Source
Same sex issues: Respect gay couples but don't change institution of marriage. (Jan 2007)
Signed legislation outlawing same-sex marriage in Arkansas. (Dec 2006)
No civil unions; only one-man-one-woman marriage. (Nov 2002)
Source
Trade issues: Governor Huckabee's record on trade is limited, but positive. In 2003, he pushed for free trade with Mexico, calling for a "strong market of the Americas" and supporting NAFTA (AP 10/03/03). In 2006, he signed an agreement between Arkansas and a South Korea trade group, calling for increased commerce between the southern state and South Korea (AP 06/23/06).
Source
Budget issues: He is a self-described fiscal conservative who favors a flat tax. However the CATO Institute in their Fiscal Policy Report Card on America's Governors: 2006 gave Huckabee an "F".
Source. Opposes the Obama initiated Stimulus Package Source.
Business & labor issues: Views not known at this time.
Abortion issues: Abortion should be legal when the life of the woman is endangered. Eliminate public funding for abortions and public funding of organizations that advocate or perform abortions
Source
Capital punishment: Supports the death penalty.
Source
Marijuana: Would not decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
Source
Gun control: Supports the positions of the NRA.
Source
Minimum wage: As governor, he supported the $1.10-per-hour minimum wage increase as a safeguard against a proposed constitutional amendment that would have increased the minimum wage yearly for inflation.
Source
Health care: Supports the concept that the goverment should ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state funded care where necessary.
Source
Prescription drugs: Views not known at this time.
Environmental issues: Views not known at this time.
Immigration issues: We shouldn't have amnesty where we just say, "Fine, everybody's good, we're going to let it go." We should have a process where people can pay the penalties, step up and accept responsibility for not being here legally. But here's the point. The objective is not to be punitive. The objective is to make things right. Right for us. Right for them. And what I have objected to in the past is when we are punishing the children for the laws that maybe their parents have broken. I do have a problem with that.
Source
Education issues: Does not support government-funded vouchers to send their children to any participating school (public, private, religious).
Source
Net Neutrality: Maybe.
Source
Link to voting records and special interest group ratings. (If available). Campaign website
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Amimals:
"The Humane Society Legislative Fund's president writes that the group has never before endorsed a presidential candidate, but Sarah Palin simply poses too great of a threat to animals." Source Climate Change:
Climate change is to this century what eugenics was to the last century. It's hysteria and a lot of it's junk science. And when it's as discredited as eugenics, you know a lot of people are going to look very foolish and heartless.
Source
Nuclear Energy:
Palin favors nuclear energy "every state can consider the possibility of nuclear energy". Source
Foreign policy and war issues:
Statements on a two-state solution to Israeli/Palestinian conflict not found. However the GOP platform "support the vision of two democratic states".
Source Security/liberties: Terrorists in Iraq are the biggest threat to Americans today. (Oct 2008)
Pakistani people & leaders want to get rid of terrorists. (Sep 2008)
Fight terrorism to spread democratic ideals in world. (Sep 2008)
Source
Social Security: Supported her running mate McCain's plan to allow people younger than age 58 to put some money into personal accounts.
Source
Fund the Seniors Longevity Bonus Program. (Nov 2006)
Home-based assistance more cost-effective than institutions. (Nov 2006)
Source
In an ABC News interview with Charlie Gibson, the topic turned to the economy, the budget and spending.
GIBSON: Do you talk about entitlement reform? Is there money you can save in Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid?
PALIN: I am sure that there are efficiencies that are going to be found in all of these agencies. I'm confident in that.
GIBSON: The agencies are not involved in entitlements. Basically, discretionary spending is 18 percent of the budget.
Source
Stem cell research: [H]ere again, with a Pro-life position, and its interesting that so many questions revolve around this centeredness I have of respecting life and the potential of every human life, but no, stem-cell research would ultimately end in destruction of life. I couldn't support (it).'"
Source
Same sex issues: In January 2007, Palin spoke out against a state supreme court ruling granting domestic partnership benefits to same-sex partners of state employees. She later vetoed a bill passed by the legislature to overturn the ruling; while she agreed with the bill's intent, she argued that it violated separation of powers (as it represented an attempt by the legislature to overturn a supreme court ruling by simple majority). She has stated firm opposition to same-sex marriage, and supported a 1998 constitutional amendment banning it in Alaska.
Source
Trade issues: "I am a conservative Republican, a firm believer in free market capitalism. A free market system allows all parties to compete, which ensures the best and most competitive project emerges, and ensures a fair, democratic process."
Source
Asked if she had ever been involved in any negotiations with the Russians, she said: "We have trade missions back and forth, we do."
Source
Budget issues: Gov. Sarah Palin is opposing the federal economic stimulus package pushed by her former campaign adversary, President Barack Obama. "I agree with the decision of Senator (Lisa) Murkowski and Congressman (Don) Young to vote NO on the package," Palin said in a written statement.
Source
Business & labor issues: Palin shares pro-business views, typical of Republicans.
Source
Executive president of the Alaska AFL-CIO, Vince Beltrami said that organized labor has had a generally good relationship with Palin, but that doesn't change the fact that labor has to support the candidate who best supports working families. Source
Abortion issues: Palin, a member of Feminists for Life, supports overturning Roe v. Wade (1973), and the enactment of a full federal ban on the procedure with no exceptions for rape, incest, or a woman's health.
Source
Capital punishment: Palin has regularly asked for the reinstatement of the death penalty in Alaska, which abolished capital punishment in 1957.
Source
Marijuana: Palin has said she smoked marijuana but didn't enjoy it and doesn't smoke anymore. At the time, marijuana was legal under Alaska's liberal drug laws. Palin has said she doesn't support legalizing the drug, fearing the message it would send to her five children.
Source
Gun control: Palin received an A+ rating from the National Rifle Association (NRA) when she ran for governor in 2006.
Source
Minimum wage: Palin has been criticized for remaining silent on a proposal to raise the state's minimum wage.
Source
Health care:
Does not support any universal health care plans. Favors affordable health care via private enterprise competition.
Source
Prescription drugs: Views not known at this time.
Environmental issues: She consistently opposes the views of mainstream environmentalists. "Our main concern with Sarah Palin's positions are that they are based on doing what is best for the oil industry, and not what is best for Americans," says David Willett, national press secretary for the Sierra Club.
Source
Palin has been on the wrong side of every important environmental issue, whatever well rehearsed half truths she's spouting on the campaign trail. Source
Immigration issues: According to About.com: U.S. Conservative Politics guide Justin Quinn, Sarah Palin told right-wing talk radio host Laura Ingraham that she opposes comprehensive immigration reform proposals, including McCain's. "{S}he's not for comprehensive reform, I can tell you that right now," Ingraham said. "She's sick to death of this immigration nonsense in the United States."
Source
Education issues: Support charters & home schools; not private school vouchers. (Oct 2006)
Teach creationism alongside evolution in schools. (Aug 2008)
Source
Link to voting records and special interest group ratings. (If available).
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion:
Planned Parenthood, NARAL ratings: 33%, 0%.
National Right to Life rating: 100%
Animals:
Humane Society Legislative Fund ratings: 20%.
"The Founding Fathers warned of a Federal Government bent on usurping the power, rights, and privacy of its States and citizens. In the last nine years, the Federal Government has expanded the scope of its power at an alarming rate, while blatantly ignoring the Constitution." Source.
Education: "As the Federal Government has increased the size and budget of the Department of Education, test scores and scholastic performance have markedly dropped. More money, more bureaucracy, and more government intervention are eroding this nation's educational standards. " Source.
National Education Association rating:
Environment: In a campaign speech in Grayson county (7:00 into speech), Dr. Paul stated the unconstitutionality of an unelected government agency (EPA) enforcing a law that doesn't exist by stating that it would regulate greenhouse gases without a law. Source.
Same Sex Marriage: Paul personally opposes same-sex marriage, but believes the issue should be left to the States to decide. Source.
Guns:
National Rifle Association rating: A
"There are many in Washington who give lip service to the Second Amendment, but vote to restrict gun ownership once they begin serving in public office. Gun control laws only restrict access to responsible gun ownership. High risk individuals will still be able to acquire firearms even with an increase in prevention. I do not support any proposed gun control law which would limit the right to gun ownership by those who are responsible, law-abiding citizens." Source.
Health care: "During the 111th Congress, the Congress passed and President Obama signed into law the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) - commonly known as "Obamacare" (P.L. 111-148). This legislation rapidly expanded the powers of government into the health care system. Since the implementation of Obamacare, many states have filed Constitutional challenges based upon the mandatory purchase of insurance policies, and several courts have rules the law unconstitutional." Source.
Immigration: "I do not support amnesty, I support legal immigration and recognize that the country has been enriched by those who seek the freedom to make a life for themselves. However, millions of illegal immigrants are crossing our border without our knowledge and causing a clear threat to our national security. I want to work in the Senate to secure our border immediately. In addition, I support the creation of a border fence and increased border patrol capabilities." Source.
Business & Labor: US Chamber of Commerce rating: high. AFL-CIO rating: 11%.
Minimum Wage: As Paul told ABC's George Stephanopoulos back in May, "It's not a question of whether (the federal government) can or cannot. I think that's decided. I think the question you have to ask is whether or not when you set the minimum wage it may cause unemployment." Source.
Social Security: "As a physician, I understand that millions of Americans depend on Social Security and Medicare, and we must keep our promises to them. We must also recognize that wasteful spending by decades of career politicians in Washington has drained the Social Security and Medicare trust funds, and something must be done to make these programs sustainable for the future." Source.
Taxes: Signed Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge Source.
Citizens Against Gov Waste rating:
Citizens For Tax Justice rating:
National Taxpayers' Union rating:
Trade: Paul is a Free Trader Source.
Marijuana: Paul believes the issue of medical marijuana is a states' rights issue and that the federal government should not interfere.[160] In August, the Associated Press reported that Paul said he was opposed to the legalization of marijuana for medicinal purposes,[161] but the Paul campaign says he was misquoted.[160] Though Paul describes himself as a "social conservative," he was nonetheless described by the AP reporter as holding "libertarian leanings on drugs" and believing some drug sentences were too harsh.[161] He announced plans to propose eliminating mandatory minimum sentences for marijuana possession in November 2012.[162] Source.
Nuclear Energy: "The debates in Washington are often about whether we should be subsidizing solar or ethanol. About whether we should prohibit nuclear energy or coal. To stop the Washington bureaucrats from limiting our energy choices and waging their war against affordable and abundant forms of energy like coal, I have co-sponsored S. 468 the Mining Jobs Protection Act along with Senate Republican Leader, and fellow Kentuckian, Mitch McConnell."
Source. Climate Change: "In the victory speech for the 2010 Senate primary, Dr. Paul spoke about his belief that the global warming scare is really about ending capitalism as Hugo Chavez and others have stated (about 3:30 into clip). He states that by going to Copenhagen to attend a climate change conference, President Obama lends credence to the idea of global warming." Source.
Capital Punishment: Anti-death penalty Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion:
Planned Parenthood, NARAL ratings: 0%, 0%.
National Right to Life rating: 100%
Animals:
Humane Society Legislative Fund ratings: 20%.
Education:
National Education Association rating: F
Environment:
League of Conservation Voters rating: 13
Guns:
National Rifle Association rating: A+
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence rating: 0%.
Health care:
American Public Health Association rating: 14
American Hospital Association rating: 67%
Immigration:
National Latino Congreso rating: 0%.
Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) rating: 100%.
Business & Labor: US Chamber of Commerce rating: 100%. AFL-CIO rating: 16%.
Minimum Wage: Voted YES on increasing minimum wage to $7.25. (Feb 2007)
Voted NO on raising the minimum wage to $7.25 rather than $6.25. (Mar 2005) Source.
Same Sex Marriage: Voted YES on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage.
Marijuana: Thune believe marijuana should remain illegal. He voted no on allowing the legal use of marijuana for medical purposes. Source. No to medicinal and legalizing marijuana Source.
Nuclear Energy: Sen. John Thune (R-SD) says the United States needs to wait and see all the facts before jumping to conclusions and creating legislation. He says the situation in Japan is an unusual circumstance and wouldn't write off nuclear power, just like people don't stop flying after one plane crash. Source
Climate Change: Opposes efforts to reduce CO2 emissions "When you analyze all the data, there is a warming trend according to science," he said. "But the jury is out on the degree of how much is manmade." [Columbus Dispatch, 7/25/10] Source.
Capital Punishment: Senator John Thune did not support to the Federal Death Penalty Abolition Act. Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion:
Planned Parenthood, NARAL ratings: 0%.
National Right to Life rating: 100%.
Animals:
Humane Society Legislative Fund ratings: 20%.
Humane Society of the US rating: 11%
Same Sex Marriage: He supported a constitutional amendment to prevent Same Sex Marriage. Source.
Guns:
National Rifle Association rating: A
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence rating: 13%
Health care:
American Public Health Association rating: 663
Immigration:
National Latino Congreso rating:
Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) rating: 56%
Business & Labor: US Chamber of Commerce rating: 100%. AFL-CIO rating: 11%.
Social Security:
Alliance for Retired American rating:0%
Taxes: Signed Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge Source.
Citizens Against Gov Waste rating:
Citizens For Tax Justice rating:
National Taxpayers' Union rating: 60%
Trade:
USA Engage (free trade advocates) rating: 60%
Marijuana: When in Congress he co-sponsored the Drug Importer Death Penalty Act of 1997 (HR 41), which allowed courts to sentence to death individuals who traffic large amounts of illegal drugs%.
Source. (11/22/2010) Source.
Nuclear Energy: "Ohio can play a key role in that plan by recognizing and harnessing the power of Ohio's natural resources - including natural gas, coal, solar, wind, hydro, nuclear, oil, and bio-mass..." Source.
Climate Change:
Capital Punishment: Rob has consistently supported the death penalty as punishment for violent crimes.
Source. (11/22/2010) Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion:
Planned Parenthood, NARAL ratings: 0%.
National Right to Life rating: 100%.
Animals:
Humane Society Legislative Fund ratings: 0%.
Humane Society of the US rating: 17%
Same Sex Marriage: "Marriage between a man and a woman is the most enduring human institution. Marriage was ordained by God, confirmed by law, and is the glue of the American family." Source.
Guns:
National Rifle Association rating: A
Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence rating: 0%.
Health care:
American Public Health Association rating: 0%.
American Hospital Association rating: 0%.
Immigration:
National Latino Congreso rating: 0%.
Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) rating: 100%.
Business & Labor: US Chamber of Commerce rating: 81%. AFL-CIO rating: 0%.
Marijuana: "Gov.-elect Pence opposes the decriminalization of marijuana, and he will base his decisions about the leadership of his administration on a broad range of qualifications rather than a stance on one issue," Pence spokeswoman Christy Denault said. Source.
Nuclear Energy: Republican Mike Pence said Tuesday that Indiana's future energy supply must come from a variety of sources that will likely include nuclear power, an idea his Democratic opponent's campaign called too risky. Source.
Climate Change: Votes against Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion: Jindal has a 100% pro-life voting record according to the National Right to Life Committee. He opposes all abortions without exception, but does not condemn medical procedures aimed at saving the life of the mother that indirectly result in the loss of the unborn child. Source.
Planned Parenthood, NARAL ratings: 0%, 0%.
National Right to Life rating: 100%
Animals:
Humane Society Legislative Fund ratings: 42
Jindal opposes the Fairness Doctrine on the grounds that it is a violation of the Constitution's guarantee of free speech and vowed protection of property rights. Jindal voted to extend the PATRIOT Act, voted in favor of the Military Commissions Act of 2006, supported a constitutional amendment banning flag burning Source.
ACLU rating: 5
Open Doors rating:
He also scolded conservatives for being distracted with what he described as "government sideshows in Washington," like the sequester%.
Education: Jindal has proposed budgets that impose cuts on higher education funding in Louisiana, leading to protests from students and education advocates. Jindal has created controversial education reform proposals that have drawn opponents from all party affiliates. Jindal's proposed education reforms include vouchers for low income students in public schools to attend private schools using Minimum Foundation Program funds. Source.
National Education Association rating: 0%.
English First rating: 100%.
Environment: Governor Jindal has issued an executive order increasing office recycling programs, reducing solid waste and promoting paperless practices, offering tax credit for hybrid fuel vehicles, increasing average fuel economy goals by 2010, as well as increasing energy efficiency goals and standards for the state. Source.
League of Conservation Voters rating: 8
League of Private Property Owners rating: 100%.
Same Sex Marriage: Jindal opposes the legalization of same-sex marriage. He has voted for the Federal Marriage Amendment to restrict marriage to a union between one man and one woman. In December 2008, Jindal announced the formation of the Louisiana Commission on Marriage and Family Source.
Guns: Jindal has stated his support of the Second Amendment's right to bear arms. He has opposed efforts to restrict gun rights and has received an endorsement from the National Rifle Association. Jindal earned an A rating from Gun Owners of America while he was in Congress. Source.
Health care: He opposes a federal government-run, single-payer system, but supports state efforts to reduce the uninsured population. He has also supported expanding services for autistic children, and has promoted a national childhood cancer database. Source.
American Public Health Association rating: 12
American Hospital Association rating: 0%.
Immigration: As a son of immigrants, Jindal has stated that legal immigration brings many benefits to the United States. He has, however, criticized illegal immigration as a drain on the economy, as well as being unfair to those who entered the country by legal means. He has voted to build a fence along the Mexican border and opposes granting amnesty for illegal aliens. Source.
National Latino Congreso rating:
Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) rating: 82%
Business & Labor: US Chamber of Commerce rating: 100%. AFL-CIO rating: 21%.
Minimum Wage: Voted YES on increasing minimum wage to $7.25. (Jan 2007) Source
Social Security:
Alliance for Retired American rating:10%
Taxes: Did not sign Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge Source.
Citizens Against Gov Waste rating:
Citizens For Tax Justice rating: 0%.
National Taxpayers' Union rating: 62%
Trade: He tends to vote against free trade agreements like CAFTA Source.
Marijuana: Rated -10 by NORML, indicating a "hard-on-drugs" stance. (Dec 2006) Source.
Nuclear Energy: Republicans seem instinctively to oppose cultivating energy sources favored by the environmental movement, such as solar and wind power. Likewise, Democrats often stridently oppose the expansion of traditional energy sources such as oil, coal, and nuclear power. Here's an idea: how about we do it all? That's not a Republican or Democrat solution. That's an American solution. Source.
Climate Change: "Governor Jindal has made it clear he believes that the House passed cap and trade bill punishes the American energy industry and that's the last thing we need to do when we are trying to become more energy independent. The legislation will make it harder to create new manufacturing jobs in the US, and the Governor opposes it." Source.
Capital Punishment: Supports the death penalty. Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion: Perry is pro-life and opposes government funding for elective abortions.
Animals: The Humane Society of the United States applauds Texas lawmakers and Gov. Rick Perry for enacting several important measures to strengthen Texas's protections for animals. The new laws signed by the governor strengthen the Texas statutes to crack down on cockfighting, provide standards for large-scale dog breeding operations, and upgrade the animal cruelty laws.
Education: As lieutenant governor, he sponsored a school voucher bill.
Environment: Rick Perry is on the inaugural list of "Dirty Dozen" statewide lawmakers and governors in the country as picked by the League of Conservation Voters.
Guns: In 2010 National Rifle Association gave Governor Perry a grade of A+, in its scorecard for candidates seeking office in 2010.
Business & Labor: US Chamber of Commerce rating: high. AFL-CIO rating: low. AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka suggests that there are deep flaws in the Texas job-creation model touted by Gov. Rick Perry, a GOP presidential candidate. Source
Immigrants: "I fully recognize and support a state's right and obligation to protect its citizens, but I have concerns with portions of the [immigration law SB 1070] passed in Arizona and believe it would not be the right direction for Texas," Perry said in a written statement. "For example, some aspects of the law turn law enforcement officers into immigration officials by requiring them to determine immigration status during any lawful contact with a suspected alien, taking them away from their existing law enforcement duties, which are critical to keeping citizens safe."
Source
Minimum wage: In his book, he suggests that courts went too far when they used the Commerce Clause to justify "federal laws regulating the environment, regulating guns, protecting civil rights, establishing the massive programs and Medicare and Medicaid, creating national minimum wage laws, [and] establishing national labor laws." Source Regarding the future of Social Security, Perry denounced the program as an unconstitutional "Ponzi scheme". Source
Taxes: Rick Perry has a big fan in Grover Norquist. Appearing at a POLITICO breakfast event this morning, the Americans for Tax Reform president and author of the GOP's anti-tax "pledge" praised Perry's "tremendous track record of success in Texas" and suggested that the governor could be a viable presidential candidate in 2016. Source
Same Sex Marriage: He supports defining marriage as between one man and one woman and has expressed opposition to gay marriage. He condemned the United States Supreme Court decision in Lawrence vs. Texas, which struck down sodomy laws which made it a crime for two gay men or women to engage in private, adult consensual sexual activity and he called Texas' last such law "appropriate."
Climate Change: I think there are a substantial number of scientists who have manipulated data so that they will have dollars rolling in to their projects. I think we're seeing it almost weekly or even daily, scientists who are coming forward and questioning the original idea that man-made global warming is what is causing the climate to change.
- Campaign stop in New Hampshire, Aug. 17, 2011
Death Penalty: Perry supports the death penalty. Texas carried out hundreds of executions since Perry assumed the office.
Marijuana: "The Governor does not support legalizing any drug. The Governor supports federal drug laws where appropriate. And while the Governor is personally opposed to legalizing the use of medical marijuana, if states want to allow doctor prescribed medical marijuana, it seems to him that under the 10th amendment, they have the right to do so." Source
Nuclear Energy: Not opposed to nuclear energy. "If you eliminate the Department of Energy, what do you do with the nuclear weapons?" Mr. Pelley asked. Governor Perry answered by saying, "There are plenty of places in our government that can have oversight over nuclear energy." Source
Voter ID Laws: Gov. Rick Perry signs the voter ID bill in May 2011. Three federal judges in Washington have concluded that, if allowed to take effect, the state law would discriminate against minority voters. The state plans to appeal the ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. Source
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion: Identifying as pro-life, McDonnell campaigned as an opponent of elective abortion. He has not favored standard exceptions on abortion in cases of rape and incest. As a state legislator, he was the lead sponsor for legislation that would have banned partial birth abortions, as well as legislation requiring parental consent before a minor has an abortion and informed consent for women seeking an abortion. He opposed state and federal government funding for elective abortions. He initially supported a vaginal probe clause that would have required women to undergo a vaginal ultrasound examination before having an abortion. After a national public outcry he withdrew his support for the clause minutes before it was to be debated by the Virginia House of Delegates. The adopted state measure still requires doctors to perform an ultrasound examination (minus vaginal probe) before performing an abortion and for women to wait 24 hours after the ultrasound to have the abortion. Source.
Planned Parenthood, NARAL ratings: 0, 0
Animals: RICHMOND- The Humane Society Legislative Fund announced yesterday it has endorsed Bob McDonnell, Republican gubernatorial nominee and former Attorney General of Virginia, in his campaign for governor%.
Environment: McDonnell advocated making Virginia the energy capital of the East Coast. He supported drilling for oil off of the coast of Virginia while simultaneously developing new technologies for wind, solar, biomass, and other renewable energy resources. He intends to expand investments in renewable energy sources and incentivize green job creation Source.
Same Sex Marriage: McDonnell opposes gay marriage. He has advocated for a state constitutional amendment defining marriage as between one man and one woman. Source.
Guns: McDonnell campaigned as a gun rights advocate. He holds an "A" rating from the NRA Political Victory Fund and won their endorsement in his 2009 campaign for Governor. Source.
National Rifle Association rating:
Health care: McDonnell supports Virginia's legal challenge to the Constitutionality of the final Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Source.
American Public Health Association rating:
Immigration: Sen. Mark R. Warner, D-Va., said today that he has joined a group of 10 U.S. senators in both parties to introduce a bill that reforms immigration laws for highly skilled immigrants working in science and technology%.
Business & Labor: The US Chamber of Commerce was the fourth largest overall donor to McDonnell's campaign. Virginia AFL-CIO rating: 24%. Source
Social Security: Gov. Bob McDonnell is advocating an increase in the eligibility age for Social Security benefits and possible cuts in defense spending. Source
Taxes: Did not sign Grover Norquist's anti-tax pledge Source. Another would be would be McDonnell's focus in his thesis on tax policy, as he calls for the repeal of the estate tax and for a modified "flat tax." Source.
Trade: No information.
Marijuana: No information.
Nuclear Energy: Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) said Tuesday that it would be "foolhardy" to abandon the construction of nuclear reactors in Virginia and elsewhere in the United States because of the unfolding nuclear crisis at earthquake and tsunami-damaged plants in Japan.
In an interview, McDonnell, a longtime supporter of nuclear power, characterized the problems in Japan as the result of "historic" and "cataclysmic" events. He said nuclear science has advanced to make such plants safe, and Virginia would not need to fear similar crises, in part because it is not earthquake-prone and its plants are far from the coast. Source
Climate Change: No information.
Capital Punishment: Supports use of the death penalty Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion:
Planned Parenthood, NARAL ratings: 0%, 0%.
National Right to Life rating: 100%.
Animals:
Humane Society Legislative Fund ratings: 13%.
Education: Gov. John Kasich now wants to put millions more into vouchers as part of a plan that supporters say would give more students access to a private education and would give families the right to choose how and where students learn. Opponents say it could take money from already-struggling public schools while sending more kids into a system that does not follow the same rules and accountability standards. Source.
Same Sex Marriage: "The governor's position is unchanged," Kasich's spokesman Rob Nichols said Thursday in a statement to reporters. "He opposes gay marriage and opposes changing Ohio's constitution to allow for civil unions."
Source.
Guns:
National Rifle Association rating: B%.
Health care:
American Public Health Association rating: 0%.
Immigration:
National Latino Congreso rating:
Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) rating: 67%.
Business & Labor: US Chamber of Commerce rating: high. AFL-CIO rating: 0%.
AFL-CIO rating: 0%.
Minimum Wage: "The real concern about just raising it is do you put your unskilled people out of work," Kasich said. "Because when businesses take a look at the total amount of money they have for salary, who loses if those costs go up?" Source
Marijuana: In the event a medical marijuana issue makes its way to Ohio's ballot, Gov. John Kasich won't be on board.
"If somebody asks me, I'm not for it," Kasich said today. "Physicians tell me we don't need that, there's a better way to help people in pain. I'm sympathetic to people who are in pain." Source.
Nuclear Energy: He also thinks nuclear energy is key to the mix - a view shared with Kasich - and said his administration is working with the Southern Ohio Clean Energy Park Alliance, an effort led by Duke Energy and others, to build a nuclear power facility in Piketon at a redeveloped former U.S. Department of Energy uranium enrichment plant. Source
Climate Change: "This isn't popular to always say, but I believe there is a problem with climates, climate change in the atmosphere," he said Thursday, according to the Columbus Dispatch. "I believe it. I don't know how much there is, but I also know the good Lord wants us to be good stewards of his creation. And so, at the end of the day, if we can find these breakthroughs to help us have a cleaner environment, I'm all for it."
Source.
Social Security: Rep. John Kasich is proposing a plan that would reduce future Social Security benefits but allow workers to try to recoup those losses in the stock market. Source
Capital Punishment: Does not oppose hte death penalty. Kasich has denied at least one condemned man clemency. Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion: Believes that abortions should be legal only when the pregnancy resulted from incest or rape, or when the life of the woman is endangered. "I support the prohibition on partial-birth abortion."
Source
Animals: No information.
Education: Opposes the idea of allowing parents to use vouchers to send their children to any private or religious school.
Source
Environment: "Despite intensifying pressure from environmentalists and lawmakers in neighboring states, Gov. Mitch Daniels on Wednesday declared Indiana will not retreat from its decision to allow the BP oil refinery in Whiting to release more pollutants into Lake Michigan... The new discharge permit, which BP says is needed to proceed with a $3 billion plant expansion, allows the refinery to increase daily ammonia output 54 percent and release 35 percent more suspended solids -- silty materials leftover after wastewater is treated and filtered. While significantly greater than current levels, the increased discharges still fall within federal limits."
Source Foreign Policy: "As White House Budget Director, Mitch Daniels brashly predicted that the Iraq War would not only be 'an affordable endeavor,' he had the audacity to tell the world the Iraqis 'would not require sustained aid.' Sitting in the comfort of his kitchen at his Geist Reservoir mansion, Mitch Daniels insisted by phone to a reporter for the New York Times on December 31, 2002, that the Iraq War costs 'will be in the range of $50 to $60 billion.'" -Bob Woodward, "All the President's Men"
Source Same Sex Marriage: Answered "no" to the following questions: "Should Indiana recognize civil unions between same-sex couples?" and "Should same-sex couples be allowed to marry?"
Source
Guns: His views are consistent with those of the NRA.
Source
Health care: Said he does not support the principle that would "Ensure that citizens have access to basic health care through managed care, insurance reforms, or state-funded care where necessary."Source
Daniels has expressed a desire to repeal the Health care Reform bill passed by Congress in 2010, seeing the Indiana plan as a better model that individual states could follow as opposed to a national system of health care.
Source
Immigration: "You won't find this on my priority list. But we'll see what the Legislature does." The bills would establish escalating penalties on businesses for each time they hire an illegal immigrant. The state Chamber of Commerce opposed the bill last year, and may do so again if similar legislation is passed. -GOP12.com
Source Jobs: Opposed increasing his state's minimum wage.
Source
"Gov. Mitch Daniels said Tuesday he generally supports a federal stimulus package that would include some money for Indiana and other states, particularly for infrastructure projects such as highways and bridges.Daniels was among about 40 governors who met with President-elect Barack Obama in Philadelphia to discuss the impact the faltering economy is having on states."
Source "Gov. Mitch Daniels on Jan. 11 rescinded the collective bargaining rights and contracts of 23,000 state employees, including 14,000 workers represented by the Unity Team, a joint local of the AFT and the United Auto Workers."
Source
Minimum Wage: "I don't have a specific number in mind," Daniels said, "but it's been where it is for years now - and so some increase at least to keep up with inflation makes sense. "If $5.15 made sense in '97, then something higher makes sense today. I have no problem with it." Added Daniels: "You have to be careful: There is a point at which you're costing people jobs. But I don't think we're near that now." Source
Social Security: "I don't think any of this is very helpful," Mr. Daniels said. "If there's a problem with 'Ponzi scheme,' it is that it's too frank, not that it's wrong. But by stopping there, he might be unnecessarily scaring people." Source
Taxes:
Trade: Governor Mitch Daniels and Lt. Governor Becky Skillman have made trade a top priority and have led eight trade missions either fully or partially-focused on agriculture, including visits to Panama and Korea. Recently negotiated free trade agreements with those countries will allow Indiana to build on the business relationships that were founded during our earlier trade missions. Entering new markets just opened under free trade agreements with countries like Colombia and Peru, will open the door for future Indiana exports. Source
Marijuana:
Would not decriminalize the possession of marijuana.
Source Nuclear Energy: Daniels laments that "We have shut down the expansion of the nuclear power industry, pollution-free and carbon-free for those who obsess about these matters." Keeping the Republic, by Mitch Daniels, p.225 , Sep 20, 2011 Source
Climate Change: Laments policies that promote an America that is "carbon-free for those who obsess about these matters."
Capital Punishment: Supports the death penalty.
Source
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion: "Ted Cruz, Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate in Texas, announced today the endorsements of two leading pro-¬-life groups, the National Right to Life Committee (NRLC) and the Texas Alliance for Life (TAL)." Source.
Animals: Position unknown.
Education: "Second, there is not a shred of evidence that school-choice programs harm public schools...Indeed, the majority of the data demonstrates that school choice improves the public schools." Source.
On gun rights, he is an absolutist, rejecting any qualification of the constitutional right to bear arms.
Source.
Health care: Opposed and "filibustered" against the Affordable Health Care Act.
Immigration: On illegal immigration, Cruz is just as tough, promising a laserlikefocus on border security. "I believe we should use every tool atour disposal to secure our borders so that illegal immigration dropsto zero"-fences, walls, helicopters, drones, and, most important,people. "I intend to introduce a bill to triple the size of the U.S.Border Patrol," Cruz says. Source.
Business & Labor: Mr. Cruz us in the unique position of having aliented both the business community and organized labor. Social Security: Supports redirecting Social Security taxes into personal retirement accounts.
Trade: A free trader. His wife, Heidi, wrote a Thank You, President Bush chapter, "Expanding Opportunity Through Free Trade."
Source.
Voter registration: Ted Cruz didn't wait long to mount a legislative response to the Supreme Court's ruling against Arizona's voter registration rule. An amendment submitted by [Cruz] to the Senate's immigration bill would "permit states to require proof of citizenship for registration to vote in elections for federal office." Cruz's measure would amend the National Voter Registration Act. Source.
Minimum Wage: He opposes hiking the minimum wage, for example, but on grounds that it would be harmful to "young people, African Americans, Hispanics, single women." Source.
Same Sex Marriage: "Ted Cruz has worked hard in defense of traditional marriage, including his intervention in
a case protecting Texas marriage laws. In addition, he has fought on the federal level to
defend marriage between one man and one woman as the fundamental building block of
society."
Source.
Marijuana: Opposes the legalization of marijuana.
Source.
Nuclear Energy: Position unknown.
Climate Change: Mr Cruz mocks "climate-change alarmists", assuring Americans that they need not fear rising levels of greenhouse gases--ie, they need not trade in their tank-sized Chevy for a Prius.
Source.
Capital Punishment:
Cruz successfully defended Texans' right to execute a Mexican-born murderer and other foreign nationals who'd been denied the right to consult their consulate prior to being charged with capital murder in violation of international treaty rights, despite opposition from Mexico, the George W. Bush administration and dozens of other nations. Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion: Wisconsin Right to Life: 100% Source
Animals: Position unknown.
Education: Gov. Scott Walker is proposing increasing by at least 9% the taxpayer funding provided to private and religious voucher schools - an increase many times larger in percentage terms than the increase in state tax money proposed for public schools. Source.
Environment: Wisconsin League of Conservation Voters: 43%
" Source
Guns: National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund: A
Source
Health care: In January 2012, Walker returned a $37.6 million federal grant meant to set up a health exchange in Wisconsin for the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Walker explained that "Stopping the encroachment of ObamaCare in our state, which has the potential to have a devastating impact on Wisconsin's economy, is a top priority. Source
Immigration: [Walker] told the Journal Sentinel in an interview Sunday he hasn't taken a position on citizenship for illegal immigrants. Source.
Business & Labor: Wisconsin AFL-CIO - Positions 31%
Source "Governor Scott Walker couldn't pass his radical union-busting legislation without the help of Republican state senators who voted uniformly to take away the rights of workers and cripple labor unions." Source.
Social Security: Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker tells Bloomberg TV that he'd rather the federal government reduce its deficit by adjusting entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare than through across-the-board cuts. Source.
Trade: A free trader. "Scott Walker's support for a package of three NAFTA-style trade deals". Source.
Voter registration: Wisconsin Republican Gov. Scott Walker is suggesting that he may move to eliminate same-day voter registration in Wisconsin, a high-turnout state that has allowed citizens to register to vote on Election Day since 1976.
Source.
Minimum Wage: Governor Scott Walker sat down with the [anti-minimum wage increase] MacIver Institute to talk about fast food jobs and the opportunity they present for young and low-skilled workers. Walker fears that individuals in these jobs may see positions disappear if [pro-minimum wage increase] interests get their way. Source.
Same Sex Marriage: Don't expect Wisconsin to take any steps toward marriage equality in the near future, Gov. Scott Walker (R) said. "I just don't see that as being anything that's going to be addressed anytime soon". Walker has previously expressed his support for gay marriage rights being left up to the discretion of states and their voters... Source
Marijuana: Republican Gov. Scott Walker said Friday he's not interested in legalizing marijuana. The only way he sees it happening is if state residents approve the idea in a referendum similar to Colorado and Washington. Source.
Nuclear Energy: Favors lifting Wisconsin's nuclear plant moratorium. "Lift Wisconsin's nuclear moratorium to encourage this clean energy option and ensure that we continue to invest in energy transmission to move power from outside Wisconsin across the state." Source
Climate Change: Scott Walker signed the "No Climate Tax Pledge," but it might as well be called the "Koch Brothers Protection Pledge," since it was devised by a group co-founded and backed by the billionaire brothers whose companies, according to the EPA, emitted over 24 million tons of carbon dioxide in 2011.
Source
After an intense focus on climate change under Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, Republican Gov. Scott Walker and the GOP-controlled Legislature have devotedlittle attention to such issues. In 2012, Wisconsin utilities generated 9% of their electricity from renewable sources. Shortly after taking office in 2011, Walker canceled plans to burn renewable biomass at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Source.
Capital Punishment: Should Wisconsin law be changed to allow the death penalty?
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion:
National Right to Life Committee - Positions (June 4, 2014) 0%
2013 NARAL Pro-Choice America - Positions 100%
Source.
Animals: The Humane Society Legislative Fund - Positions 100% Source.
Education:
2013 National Education Association - Positions 100%
2009 National Education Association - Positions on Public Education Teaching Profession Issues A
Source.
Environment: 2013 Environment America - Positions 100%
2013 League of Conservation Voters - Lifetime Score 95% Source.
Guns:
2013 Gun Owners of America - Positions 10%
2012 National Rifle Association - Candidate Positions on Gun Rights 8% Source.
Health care: American Public Health Association - Positions 100% Source.
Immigration:
Generally opposes immigrant workers entering the US as they would "be competing against kids in this country who desperately need jobs." Source.
Business & Labor:
2013-2014 Workplace Choice - Positions 0
2013 American Federation of Government Employees - Positions 87%
2013 American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) - Positions 100%
2013 United States Chamber of Commerce - Lifetime Score 18%
Source.
Climate Change:
Most of us share the view of the vast majority of scientists who, having examined all existing evidence, have concluded that global climate change is real and is almost certainly caused by man-made activities. Our goal must be to cut greenhouse gas emissions and transform our energy system away from fossil fuels and into energy efficiency and sustainable energy. In the process of moving our country to energy independence we can, over a period of years, create millions of good paying jobs.
Source.
Guns:
2013 Gun Owners of America - Positions 10%
2012 National Rifle Association - Candidate Positions on Gun Rights 8% Source.
Social Security: Under the guise of fighting for deficit reduction, the Republicans will unleash an unprecedented attack against Social Security. They will attempt to slash benefits, raise the retirement age and move toward the eventual privatization of a program which has, for 75 years, successfully lifted many tens of millions of elderly Americans, people with disabilities and widows and orphans out of poverty.
Source.
Taxes: National Taxpayers Union - Positions on Tax and Spending 3% Source.
Trade:
2011-2012 USA Engage - Positions 13%
2007-2008 National Foreign Trade Council - Positions 0%
2003-2004 The Cato Institute - Trade Barrier Votes Score 27%
2003-2004 The Cato Institute - Trade Subsidy Votes Score 0% Source.
Voter registration: Sanders considers it an "outrage" that "rightwing Republicans" are using voter suppression tactics to disenfranchise the poor and minorities.
Source.
Minimum Wage: Favors raising the minimum wage
Source.
Same Sex Marriage:
2013 National Organization for Marriage - Positions 0%.
2014 Human Rights Campaign - Positions on Marriage 100%. Source.
Marijuana: In a wide-ranging interview, TIME sat down with the 72-year-old potential presidential hopeful for more than 45 minutes to examine his call to political arms, marijuana legalization (he'd be the first senator to endorse recreational use)...
Source.
Sanders: "Somebody who's smoking a little marijuana should not be in jail."
Source.
Nuclear Energy:
Following the 2011 Japanese nuclear accidents, Sanders called for a moratorium on the licensing of new nuclear plants and re-licensing of existing ones, in an effort to slow down what's been touted as a nuclear renaissance in the United States. Sanders wrote to President Barack Obama asking for him to appoint a special commission to review the safety of U.S. nuclear plants. Sanders also wants to repeal a federal law that he says leaves the taxpayers to pick up most of the costs of a major nuclear accident. He says, "in a free-enterprise system, the nuclear industry should be required to insure itself against accidents".
Source.
Capital Punishment: Opposes the death penalty
Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Animals: In 2001 then Sen. Santorum (R-PA) introduced S. 1478, the Puppy Protection Act of 2001, with Sen. Dick Durbin (D-IL). Santorum did more than back animal-rights legislation; he even held a press conference in 1995 in which he was pictured alongside Wayne Pacelle, an animal-rights activist who now heads the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS).
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) gave Santorum an 80-percent approval rating in 2006.Source
Voter registration: Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., blasted the Justice Department ruling, accusing the administration of pursuing "common-sense anti-fraud measures that states have put in place all because they believe it's a partisan advantage for them to get people who probably shouldn't be voting to help them and their political cause."
Source
Nuclear Energy:
Santorum also wants the country to invest in research on mix of energy sources including "oil, natural gas, hydro, biomass, wind, solar, clean coal, and nuclear energy". Source
Foreign policy and war issues: I believe we are at war with Islamic fascists and I singled out Iran and Syria as examples of Islamic fascist regimes.
Santorum is rapidly emerging as one of Israel's leading Senate spokesmen.
Source.
Security/liberties: Voted YES on reauthorizing the PATRIOT Act. (Mar 2006)
Voted YES on extending the PATRIOT Act's wiretap provision. (Dec 2005)
Social Security: Supports privatization if voluntary. (Sep 2006)
Stem cell research: Opposes federal funding of stem cell research. "I think that you cannot take a utilitarian approach to human life - and this is an innocent human life. You're destroying this human life for the purpose of research that has questionable value."
Source
Budget issues: Voted "yes" on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts. (Apr 2000)
Rated 81% by NTU, indicating a "Taxpayer's Friend" on tax votes. (Dec 2003)
Abortion issues: He is pro-life.
Same sex issues: "Every society in the history of man has upheld the institution of marriage as a bond between a man and a woman. Why? Because society is based on one thing: that society is based on the future of the society. And that's what? Children. Monogamous relationships. In every society, the definition of marriage has not ever to my knowledge included homosexuality. That's not to pick on homosexuality. It's not, you know, man on child, man on dog, or whatever the case may be. It is one thing. And when you destroy that you have a dramatic impact on the quality".
Trade issues: Rated 100% by CATO, indicating a pro-free trade voting record. (Dec 2002)
Business & labor issues: Santorum has an acrimonious relationship with labor unions.
Capital punishment: Favors the death penalty.
Marijuana: Position not known.
Gun control: Voted NO on background checks at gun shows. (May 1999)
Minimum Wage: Voted NO on raising the minimum wage to $7.25 rather than $6.25. (Mar 2005)
Health care: Favors repealing the Health Care Reform bill signed by Obama.
Environmental issues: Rated 0% by the League of Conservation Voters, indicating anti-environment votes. (Dec 2003)
Climate change: I believe the earth gets warmer and I also believe the earth gets cooler. And I think history points out that it does that and that the idea that man, through the production of CO2 - which is a trace gas in the atmosphere, and the man-made part of that trace gas is itself a trace gas - is somehow responsible for climate change is, I think, just patently absurd when you consider all the other factors, El Nino, La Nina, sunspots, moisture in the air. ... To me, this is an opportunity for the left to create - it's really a beautifully concocted scheme because they know that the earth is gonna cool and warm.
- The Rush Limbaugh Show, June 8, 2011
Source
Immigration issues: In 2006, Santorum opposed the Senate immigration reform proposal. Instead, Santorum stated that the US should act to enforce currently existing laws. He has openly stated his strong opposition to amnesty for illegal immigrants. He supports the construction of a barrier along the U.S.-Mexican border, an increase in the number of border patrol agents on the border, and the stationing of National Guard troops along the border.
Rick Santorum weighs in on Arizona's immigration law on Steve Malzberg's show.
"If the people committing crimes look a certain way, you're foolish not to include that as part of your police work, and you know, that's not profiling, that is doing your job and understanding what's happening.
The fact of the matter is the vast majority of people crossing the border are Mexicans. That's just the reality. And if they were something else, we'd be profiling something else. But they are what they are." Source,
Education issues: Supports and has voted for school vouchers.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Foreign policy and war issues
I do not concur in the words of Barack Obama in a plan to enter an ally of ours... I don't think those kinds of comments help in this effort to draw more friends to our effort," Romney told reporters on the campaign trail.
Obama on Wednesday said if elected president in November 2008 he would be willing to launch military strikes against al Qaeda targets inside Pakistan with or without the approval of the Pakistani government of President Pervez Musharraf.
"If we have actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and President Musharraf won't act, we will," Obama said.
Romney, the former Massachusetts governor who is one of the Republican front-runners, said U.S. troops "shouldn't be sent all over the world." He called Obama's comments "ill-timed" and "ill-considered."
Source Security/liberties Romney suggested wiretapping mosques and conducting surveillance of foreign students
Source
Social Security Radio Iowa (August 25, 2006)
Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, a potential Republican presidential candidate in 2008, says it's time to reform the two major "entitlement" programs in America: Social Security and Medicare, government-paid health care insurance for the elderly.
Source
Stem cell research Vetoed a stem cell research bill. "Mitt Romney defended his opposition to embryonic stem cell research despite the fact that his wife suffers from multiple sclerosis, a disease that some scientists believe could be cured with stem cells. He is confident that existing stem cell lines and adult stem cells have just as great scientific promise."Source
Same sex issues Has supported gay partnership recognition, but opposes civil unions and same sex marriage.
Source
Governor Mitt Romney, who frequently tells Republican audiences that every child has a right to have a mother and father, acknowledged yesterday that same-sex couples have ''a legitimate interest" in adopting children.
Source
Trade issues "Which course is better for America? A European model of high taxes and regulations? Or, low taxes and free trade - the Ronald Reagan model?"
Source
Budget issues Lowering taxes, like Bush tax cuts, grows the economy. (Jan 2008) Source
Business & labor issues: [Romney] saved his strongest language, however, for card check legislation which would eliminate secret union ballots in workplace, saying that would have a "devastating impact" -- short and long term -- on the economy. "Card check is a bad idea under any circumstance," Romney said. "And in these circumstances, it would be calamitous."
Source
Abortion issues Has moved from being a pro-choice Massachusetts governor to the pro-life presidential candidate.
Capital punishment Supports the death penalty.
Marijuana He has said things in the past that indicate he's not as opposed to the issue as one might expect a Mormon, conservative Republican to be. At a White House Office of National Drug Control Policy summit in Boston in 2003, he wondered aloud why medical marijuana couldn't be treated like any other potential pharmaceutical: "Would it not be appropriate to subject marijuana to this same [drug-testing] process?"
Source
Animals "Mitt Romney, still dogged by the 30-year-old tale-gone-viral of Seamus, their Irish Setter, who was crated and strapped to the top of the family station wagon for a 12-hour road trip to Canada. Peta called the incident, 'abusive.' Then there is the Republican frontrunner, Mitt Romney, still dogged by the 30-year-old tale-gone-viral of Seamus, their Irish Setter, who was crated and strapped to the top of the family station wagon for a 12-hour road trip to Canada. Peta called the incident, 'abusive.'" Source
Gun control Mitt Romney, who has touted his support of gun owners since launching his presidential campaign, yesterday acknowledged he did not become a member of the National Rifle Association until last August, campaign officials said.
A former advocate of gun control, Romney during his 1994 run for the US Senate backed measures the gun-rights group opposed, such as a five-day waiting period on gun sales and a ban on certain assault weapons.
Source
Minimum wage Governor Mitt Romney yesterday rejected the Legislature's plan to raise the state minimum wage to $8 an hour over two years, angering Democratic lawmakers and advocates who accused him of abandoning a 2002 campaign pledge to significantly boost the pay of low-wage workers
Source
Health care The health of our nation can be improved by extending health insurance to all Americans, not through a government program or new taxes, but through market reforms.
Source
Prescription drugs The issue of Medicare Part D "is a complicated one," Romney said. He noted that President Bush "wanted to bring prescription coverage to seniors. He got that done, that's huge.... It has with it a financial burden which is very large. I don't imagine that that was what he was aiming for when he thought about this during his campaign."
Romney said, "I would have hoped to do it differently, I would have hoped to include within the additional prescription benefits certain reforms to Medicaid, Medicare, and our entire healthcare system to be able to pay for a very helpful prescription drug benefit."
Source
Environmental issues "If climate change is happening, the actions we take will help. If climate change is largely caused by human action, this will really help. If we learn decades from now that climate change isn't happening, these actions will still help our economy, our quality of life, and the quality of our environment... I'm not a scientist. I read one book over the summer that said, 'gee, global warming is happening for reasons unrelated to human participation,' and other reports, far more, indicate, 'no no, it's very much driven by humans.' Well, I don't know." The Boston Globe. May 7, 2004.
Nuclear Energy "We face serious competitive challenges globally unless we become serious with getting prices of energy down. It's a great opportunity for America to develop technology to lead the world in energy efficiency as well as energy production. And whether it's nuclear or liquefied coal, where we sequester the CO2, far more fuel-efficient automobiles. These are some of the incentives that have to be behind our policies with regards to our investments in new technologies like ethanol."
Source
Voter ID laws "I like Voter ID laws by the way". Source
Climate change Do I think the world's getting hotter? Yeah, I don't know that but I think that it is. I don't know if it's mostly caused by humans... What I'm not willing to do is spend trillions of dollars on something I don't know the answer to.
- Campaign stop in New Hampshire, August 24, 2011
Source
Source
Immigration issues We must reform the current immigration laws so we can secure our borders, implement a mandatory biometrically enabled, tamper proof documentation and employment verification system, and increase legal immigration into America.
Education issues "If we are going to compete in the global economy, we have to set our education goals higher."
(AP, May 16, 2005). Source Supports vouchers.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion:
Jim Webb was rated 100% by NARAL Pro-Choice America.
Jim Webb was rated 100% by Planned Parenthood Action Fund.
Source.
Animals:
Jim Webb was rated 14% by The Humane Society Legislative Fund
Source.
Education: In 2006, the Virginia Education Association endorsed Jim Webb's Senate campaign. According to The Daily Press, "The Virginia Education Association, in conjunction with its national affiliate, cited Webb's opposition to school vouchers and President Bush's Social Security privatization plan, plus Webb's pledge to seek more funding for public education."
Source.
Environment: The League of Conservation Voters gives him a lifetime score of 81 percent.
Source.
Same Sex Marriage: Webb was against same-sex marriage during his time in the Senate, although he was opposed to a Virginia constitutional amendment that defined marriage as being between a man and a woman. Last month he told The Richmond Times that he was "comfortable with the evolution" the issue has seen over the past few years. "I think it has been a good thing for this country," he said.
Source.
Budget Issues: "I think certainly we need to tighten the federal budget where appropriate," he said. "One of the things that could be early on is to basically audit every federal agency in terms of their programs and have them re-justify programs." "I care about fiscal responsibility. I think we need to look at tax reform overall in a streamlined way," he said. "I personally would support the notion of reducing the corporate taxes, eliminating loopholes and, at the same time, increasing capital gains taxes."
Source.
Guns:
While much of his party has supported stricter restrictions on gun ownership in America, Webb has taken a different tack by emphasizing the importance of Second Amendment rights. As a senator, he voted to allow firearms in checked baggage on Amtrak trains, he supported a measure to prohibit the provision of foreign aid to any organization seeking to impose registration or tax requirements on U.S. gun owners, and he sponsored a proposal allowing veterans to register an unlicensed gun they acquire while abroad. Immigration: He has angered Democrats by expressing skepticism about increased immigration...
Source.
Health Care: Voted "yea" for HR 3590 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. He said that the legislative process and mid-recession timing were bad but that he voted for final passage because he agreed with the goal of providing health care to more Americans. Again invoking his mother's impoverished childhood in eastern Arkansas, he said three of her siblings died for lack of medical care.
"Doing something, at that point, was better than doing nothing," he said when explaining what he described as "the hardest vote I took in the Senate."
Source &
Source.
Business & Labor: 2013 American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees (AFSCME) - Positions 83%
2012 American Federation of Government Employees - Positions 84
2012 American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) - Lifetime Score 95% Minimum Wage: (Free Lance Star (VA), Aug 4, 2012)
When Sen. Jim Webb entered the Senate in 2007, one of the first bills he backed raised the federal minimum wage. ...
This week he signed on to co-sponsor another bill to raise the federal minimum wage, this time to $9.80 an hour over two years.
Source.
Social Security:
AARP Voter Guide Responses for 10 Competitive Senate Races:
Will you support or
oppose using Social
Security taxes to fund
private accounts? Opposes.
Will you support or
oppose a balanced Social
Security plan to continue
the program's guaranteed
benefits for future generations? Supports.
Source.
Marijuana: What about legalizing, taxing and regulating marijuana?
Webb paused. "I think they should do a very careful examination of all aspects of drug policy. I've done a couple of very extensive hearings on this, so we'll wait to see what they say about that," he said.
So it's on the table? Webb flashed a wry grin, laughing mischievously.
Source.
Nuclear Energy: "I'm a strong believer, from the time that I was 18 years old, in the advantages of nuclear power." - Jim Webb.
Source.
Climate Change: Webb voiced "opposition to the use of EPA rules under the Clean Air Act to limit carbon emissions from coal power plants." Webb also supported legislation from fellow coal-state Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) that would have delayed the EPA's authority to add new rules governing coal plant emissions. "This regulatory framework is so broad and potentially far reaching that it could eventually touch nearly every facet of this nation's economy, putting unnecessary burdens on our industries and driving many businesses overseas through policies that have been implemented purely at the discretion of the executive branch and absent the clearly stated intent of the Congress," he said in a release.
Source.
Capital Punishment: Webb, a Democrat, opposes capital punishment except in some "significantly severe cases," said spokeswoman Jessica Smith, who refused to elaborate on whether Tuesday's execution of convicted murderer Kevin Green fell within those exceptions.
Source.
Trade Issues: He's skeptical of the free-trade deals that most Republicans champion.
Source.
Voter Registration: Voted "no" on requiring photo ID to vote in federal elections.
Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion: He is pro-choice. He has received a 90-percent rating from NARAL and previously served on that organization's national board. In 2015 Chafee said that he strongly supported "a woman's right to make her own personal reproductive decisions."
Source.
Animals: Lincoln Chafee supported the interests of the The Humane Society of the United States 80 percent in 2005-2006
Source.
Education: Chafee easily won the endorsements of all major public school teachers unions, including the Rhode Island affiliates of the National Education Association and American Federation of Teachers in his 2010 gubernatorial campaign.
Source. On January 31st, Chafee asked US Secretary of Education Arne Duncan for "flexibility" on the portion of the Race to the Top grant which funds charter schools and requested a "thoughtful pause" on the current direction of public school reform. Source.
Environment: Chafee has stated his opposition to oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. In the Senate he opposed the Clear Skies Act of 2003 which critics said would increase air pollution if enacted. The League of Conservation Voters has given Chafee a 79-percent rating while, in 2006, he received an endorsement from the Sierra Club.
Source.
Same Sex Marriage: In 2010, as governor of Rhode Island, Chafee signed legislation legalizing same-sex marriage in that state, declaring that "we are living up to the ideal of our founders."
Source.
Budget Issues: As Rhode Island governor, Chafee called for a cut in the commercial property tax to spur economic development in Providence, Rhode Island. During his term, Chafee received a "B" rating from the National Taxpayers Union, which cited his move to repeal the Rhode Island franchise tax and reduce estate taxes.
In 2001 and 2003, while in the U.S. Senate, Chafee voted against the Bush tax cuts arguing he was concerned about unchecked growth in the federal deficit. Chafee said that "cutting taxes is easy for politicians, we love to cut taxes. It takes responsibility to make sure our revenues match our expenditures and we're not doing that right now."
Source.
Guns: Chafee's policy on firearms regulation mirrors the views of his father, John Chafee, who was generally supportive of a strict regulatory environment. Lincoln Chafee has received "F" ratings from the National Rifle Association and the Gun Owners of America. Chafee has said he supports "common sense adherence to the Second Amendment."
Source.
Immigration: Immigration--committed to helping immigrants integrate into our society and become US citizens: Lincoln Chafee is committed to helping immigrants integrate into our society and become US citizens. As U.S. Senator, supported the Secure America and Orderly Immigration Act (S. 1033), an immigration reform bill that incorporated legalization, guest worker programs, and border enforcement components. As governor, one of his first acts will be to repeal the executive order on E-Verify.
Source.
Health Care: PROVIDENCE- This morning the Supreme Court ruled the Affordable Care Act is constitutional and upheld the law in its entirety. Governor Lincoln D. Chafee, Lt. Governor Elizabeth H. Roberts and other top level officials expressed enthusiasm for what they see as positive news for Rhode Island's ongoing efforts to implement the federal law.
Business & Labor: "Lincoln Chafee has a 47 percent lifetime favorable AFL-CIO rating."
Source.
Minimum Wage:
(Reuters) - Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee, a Democrat, has signed a bill to increase the state's minimum wage by $1, to $9 an hour, his office said on Thursday, following similar moves by neighboring New England states.
Social Security: Has voted with then-fellow Republicans for partial privatization of Social Security.
Source.
Marijuana: Chafee has indicated he is receptive to the idea of legalizing the recreational use of marijuana while stopping short of supporting such a move.
Source.
Nuclear Energy: Our research has yet to determine Chafee's view on this issue.
Climate Change: "NORTH KINGSTON, R.I. - On a picture-perfect summer day free of the impacts of a changing climate - high heat, excessive rain and flooding - Gov. Lincoln Chafee signed into law the state's comprehensive climate-change legislation."
Capital Punishment: "Governor Chafee rightly argues that the death penalty is abhorrent, costly and ineffective."
Source.
Trade Issues: Voted "yes" on numerous free trade issues. Rated 92% by CATO, the pro-free trade organization.
Source.
Voter Registration: Chafee has said he supports requiring voters to present photo identification at polling places. In 2011 he signed legislation mandating photo ID in Rhode Island elections, saying he believed requiring photo ID was a "reasonable request to ensure the accuracy and integrity of our elections."
Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion:
2014 NARAL Pro-Choice America rating 0%.
2014 National Right to Life Committee rating 100%.
Source.
Animals: 2014 The Humane Society Legislative Fund rating 38%
2013 Animal Welfare Institute, Compassion Index 25%
Source.
Education: 2011-2012 American Federation of Teachers rating 14%
Source. Voted YES on allowing vouchers in DC schools. (Aug 1998)
Source
Would allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any publicly-funded school.
Would allow parents to use vouchers (equal opportunity scholarships) to send their children to any participating school: public, private or religious.
Would allow parents to use tax-free savings accounts to send their children to any publicly-funded school.
Would allow parents to use tax-free savings accounts to send their children to any participating school: public, private or religious.
Source
Environment: 2014 Environment America rating 0%.
2014 League of Conservation Voters - Lifetime Score 11%.
Source.
Same Sex Marriage: 2014 Human Rights Campaign - Positions on Marriage 0%. "The Human Rights Campaign is America's largest civil rights organization working to achieve lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender equality.
Source.
Guns: 2014 Gun Owners of America rating 50%.
2013-2014 Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence - Brady Gun Violence Lap Dog Rating: Brady Rating 0%. 2008 National Rifle Association - Candidate Positions on Gun Rights 92%
Source.
Immigration: "Senator Lindsey Graham has voted in favor of amnesty for illegal aliens...
Senator Lindsey Graham has voted for increases in permanent and temporary foreign work visas such as the H1-B."
Source
Graham condemns Arizona's anti-immigration law
"It does offend me that when one out of every three citizens in the state of Arizona are Hispanics, and you have now put a target on the back of one of three citizens who, if they're walking their dog around a neighborhood, if they're walking their child to school, and they're an American citizen or a legal, legal immigrant, can now put a target on their back and make them think every time they walk out of their door, they may have to prove something. I will tell you that is un-American. It is unacceptable, and it's un-American."
Source In 2007-2008 English First gave Senator Graham a grade of A. Based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to Federation for American Immigration Reform's position, Senator Graham received a rating of 50. Senator Graham supported the interests of the English First 100 percent in 2007. In 2007 U.S. English gave Senator Graham a grade of A. Senator Graham supported the interests of the American Immigration Lawyers Association 75 percent in 2006.
Source
Health Care: "The worst is yet to come. When the employer mandate hits, companies all over this country are going to drop coverage on their employees. It'd be cheaper to the pay the fine than it will be to cover the employees," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said on FOX News on Monday.
Taxes: Actively opposed and voted against the Obama initiated Stimulus Plan.
Based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to Children's Defense Fund's position, Graham received a rating of 30.
Source He supported the interests of the Alliance for Retired Americans 0 percent in 2007. Source
In 2007 National Taxpayers Union gave Graham a grade of A. Source
Business & Labor:
2013 United States Chamber of Commerce - Lifetime Score 84%
2012 National Association of Manufacturers rating 96%
Source.
2013 American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) - Lifetime Score 16%
Source.
Minimum Wage:
Opposes increasing the federal minimum wage.
Source
Social Security:
2013 Alliance for Retired Americans - Lifetime Score 9%
Source.
Voted NO on strengthening the Social Security Lockbox. (May 1999)
Create personal retirement accounts within Social Security. (Jul 2000)
Source
Allow workers to invest a portion of their payroll tax in private accounts which they manage themselves.
Source
Marijuana: Voted YES on prohibiting needle exchange & medical marijuana in DC. (Oct 1999)
Voted YES on subjecting federal employees to random drug tests. (Sep 1998)
Source
Would not decriminalize the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes.
Source
Nuclear Energy: "I believe in nuclear power," Graham said. Graham repeated his call for the American public to support expanded nuclear power even as scientists study the causes and lessons that can be learned from the partial meltdown of a reactor in Japan after a devastating earthquake and tsunami there on March 11.
Climate Change: In an interview with "Fox News Sunday," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) said he believes "climate change is real," but he rejects the cap and trade solution proposed by former Vice President Al Gore. Source.
Capital Punishment: Voted YES on making federal death penalty appeals harder. (Feb 1995)
Source
Would broaden the use of the death penalty for federal crimes.
Would support capital punishment for convicted international drug traffickers.
Source
Trade Issues: 2009-2010 USA Engage rating 50%. A broad-based coalition of manufacturing, agricultural and services producers, USA*Engage continues to advocate that the people-to-people intelligence and understanding conferred by commercial engagement trumps the demonstrable failure ? witness Cuba and Iraq ? of interdictions on commercial activity." Source.
Voter Registration: Graham defends South Carolina voter ID law. In 2011, South Carolina enacted a law to prevent voter fraud by requiring voters to present a photo ID at the polls. The ID is free and anyone with a reasonable impediment to obtaining the ID may vote after completing an affidavit. South Carolina is covered by Section 5 of the Voting Rights Act, and therefore had to seek approval from the Justice Department before implementing the law. Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion issues Dr. Carson is pro-life. He pointed out how ancient civilizations have been criticized for the brutal practices of human sacrifice and child sacrifice - but he wonders if modern society isn't "guilty of the same thing" because we have legalized abortion. Source
Capital punishment Views unknown.
Gun control Despite his largely conservative perspective, Carson has suggested that semi-automatic firearms be better regulated in large cities and high-crime areas. However, he does support the Second Amendment, arguing that "law-abiding citizens should have every right to own all legal weapons" Source
Marijuana Carson is against the legalization of recreational cannabis. He believes it to be a gateway drug that leads to "hedonistic activity". Source
Business & labor issues: "In the early days unions brought about the kind of collective bargaining that resulted in fair wages and reasonable working conditions. With time, many of the union bosses began to concern themselves with power and influence. By threatening strikes to further their causes, they were able to exact excessive wages and benefits from companies such as General Motors, Ford and Chrysler, in the long run crippling these companies and rendering them noncompetitive. Essentially they were strangling the goose that laid the golden egg." Source
Minimum wage "If you let the economy work the way it's supposed to in a free market environment, there'll be plenty of jobs and people determine their own value by what they know and what they are capable of doing." Source
Immigration issues "The overwhelming majority of Americans want the southern borders of our country secured and our immigration laws enforced, but several administrations recently have been unwilling to get tough on this issue because they do not want to alienate a large voting block of Latinos. This is yet another area where our government's leadership and the wishes of many of the people diverge and the people are being ignored." "All we have to do is look to our northern neighbor, Canada. They have a guest worker program, which allows people to enter the country as officially recognized guest workers who pay taxes, receive benefits, and are able to come and go as they please without infringing on anyone else's rights." Source
Health care On October 11, 2013, Carson spoke at the conservative Values Voters Summit in Washington, D.C., where he called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) "the worst thing that has happened in this nation since slavery". He claimed that the ACA originated with Vladimir Lenin, and quoted Lenin as saying that "socialized medicine is the keystone to the establishment of a socialist state". Source
Education issues "School choice obviously plays a huge role. I think having charter schools, having school vouchers, things of that nature are extremely good because unless you are competing for those students, it's very likely you're going to become complacent. Schools, and teachers, educators are no different than anybody else. People tend to respond to stimulation, and when there's no stimulation, they tend to kind of relax. So we need to put the appropriate stimulation there to increase the competitive nature of education." Source
Same sex issues In March 2013, Carson described his opposition to same-sex marriage on Hannity, saying: "Marriage is between a man and a woman. No group, be they gays, be they NAMBLA, be they people who believe in bestiality, it doesn't matter what they are. They don't get to change the definition." Carson's comments drew criticism for using "gays" in the same sentence as pedophiles and practitioners of bestiality. Source
Budget issues He supports a flat tax, which he calls the "proportional tax" in reference to the biblical tithe. Source
Environmental issues "By having an Environmental Protection Agency that works with our technological institutions, we can safely exploit the largest reserves of natural energy in the world and stop supporting those nations that desire our destruction."
Source
Climate change "Whether we are experiencing global warming or a coming ice age, which was predicted the 1970s, we as responsible human beings must be concerned about our surroundings and what we will pass on to future generations. However, to use climate change as an excuse not to develop our God-given resources makes little sense. Expanding our wealth of energy resources, as well as encouraging development of new renewable energy sources, can provide an enormous economic lift with obvious benefits. But it can also bolster our role as a formidable player in the struggle for world leadership."
Source
Nuclear Energy Views unknown.
Voter ID laws "People who refuse to comply with the rules must forfeit chances of legalization in the future. Anyone caught involved in voter fraud should be immediately deported and have his citizenship revoked." Source
Animals Views unknown.
Social Security There is no question that people need pensions, particularly given the extended lifespan we are now experiencing. By changing Fed policies to allow interest rates to rise and encouraging people to put aside some of their earnings, we can hopefully reestablish the idea that each individual is responsible for their own pension and that government programs like Social Security are only supplemental in nature. Each individual needs to determine for themselves how much is enough based on their lifestyle expectancy. Source
Trade issues Carson has made statements regarding free trade as well, calling for "a stiff tariff on products that are manufactured in other countries and are shipped here fully assembled, while reducing tariffs on products that will require assembly once they reach our shores." Source
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion issues In a wide-ranging interview Friday, Fiorina also explained her opposition to abortion rights in the most personal way since her campaign officially started last fall.
Source
Capital punishment Supports the death penalty for certain crimes. Source
Gun control Gun access is an important right. Do not ban assault weapons. Allow some on the No-Fly list to own guns.
Fiorina has said that she is a strong supporter of second-amendment gun rights and that she opposed the 1994 bill which banned a large group of semi-automatic or assault weapons. In the 2010 U.S. Senate race, Fiorina said the No-Fly list is broad and some people on it should be allowed to own a gun. Politifact reviewed her statements on the issue and noted that at the time she did not have a firm stance on other potential proposed limits on gun access.
Source
Marijuana Fiorina does not support the legalization of marijuana.
"I remember when I had cancer and my doctor said, 'Do you have any interest in medicinal marijuana?' I did not," she said to a room full of students attending the Conservative Political Action Conference, according to Slate. "And they said, good, because marijuana today is such a complex compound, we don't really know what's in it, we don't really know how it interacts with other substances or other medicines."
Source
Business & labor issues: Holds pro-business, Chamber of Commerce views. Source
Minimum wage She opposes raising the federal minimum wage, saying doing so "will hurt those who are looking for entry-level jobs." Source
Immigration issues Pass the DREAM Act. For other undocumented immigrants, a direct path to citizenship is unfair.
While running for the U.S. Senate in California in 2010, Fiorina said she supports the DREAM Act, which would give legal status to people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children. More recently, she has criticized former Florida Governor Jeb Bush for offering other undocumented immigrants - those who arrived as adults - a path to citizenship, calling it "unfair" to those who immigrate legally.
Source
Health care Fiorina told NBC's Meet the Press in 2014 that President Obama's health care law needs to be repealed. She argued it has not lowered the ranks of the uninsured enough and that it has led to increased costs. To replace it, Fiorina indicated that the health insurance market should be made more competitive, though she has not offered specifics yet. Source
Education issues Set national standards but give local districts maximum control. No Child Left Behind was positive.
In a position paper while running for the U.S. Senate in California, Fiorina strongly advocated for metric-based accountability in schools. She praised No Child Left Behind as setting high standards and Race to the Top for using internationally-benchmarked measures. Fiorina also said that the ethnic achievement gap remains a problem but did not offer further specifics. In general she has spoken in favor of as much local control and input in education as possible.
Source
Same sex issues Marriage is between a man and a woman. Same-sex couples should be allowed civil unions. Source
Budget issues Fiorina favors zero-based budgeting, which means government programs would be financed based on their needs instead of a percentage increase over the previous period. She has also proposed performance-based pay for civil servants, not union-negotiated contracts.
Source
Environmental issues Fiorina listed among the "Dirty Dozen" by the League of Conservation Voters
Source
Climate change Speaking in New Hampshire in February, Fiorina said there is scientific consensus that climate change is real and caused by humans. But she also argued that it is not clear that a single nation or state can reverse the trend. She implied that targeting the coal industry will not solve the problem.
Source
Nuclear Energy We also need to use every source of energy we have, including nuclear power and natural gas to reduce our dependence on oil from other countries. At the same time, we need to build on advancements in technology that make clean coal more affordable and more realistic. Source
Voter ID laws Views unknown.
Animals Views unknown.
Social Security Fiorina favors zero-based budgeting. (See: "Budget issues" above) On the expensive entitlements of Social Security and Medicare, she has not said what she might cut in the programs or how she might change eligibility.
Source
Trade issues "I think bolstering free trade is a boon to the dollar." Source
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Abortion: Pataki is pro-choice Source.
Capital Punishment: In 1995 Gov. George E. Pataki fulfilled one of his central campaign vows today by signing a death penalty bill into law, making New York the 38th state with capital punishment. Source.
Guns: As governor he signed some of the strictest...anti-gun regulations in the country. Source.
Marijuana: Let the states decide. Do not legalize nationally, for now.
Pataki is a strong state's rights supporter when it comes to marijuana legalization. During an interview with Bloomberg News, Pataki said states like Colorado should be the testing ground to see if legalization works. In a radio interview last month, Pataki repeated his support for state-by-state legalization but said there should be tough regulations to ensure children cannot purchase marijuana or marijuana edibles.
Source.
Business & Labor: "Governor George Pataki will sign a bill protecting many private-sector New York workers? freedom to freely form unions to improve their lives, if a majority say they would like to do so."
Source.
"He cut deals with the state's powerful labor unions". Source.
Minimum Wage: In 2004 Gov. George E. Pataki vetoed a bill on Thursday that would have given a pay raise to thousands of New York's lowest-paid workers by gradually increasing the minimum wage to $7.15 from $5.15 an hour by January 2007. Source.
Immigration: He said of the president's executive order on immigration. "It was very unfortunate, to be kind," Pataki said, advocating securing the country's borders and stricter penalties for those who break immigration laws.Source.
Health Care: Repeal Obamacare. Pass an alternative.
Patakai vehemently opposes the Affordable Care Act, calling it "the worst law of my lifetime" in a television interview. In 2010, he created a non-profit, Revere America, dedicated to repealing the new health care law. (The group was active for the next year and has not posted new material since 2011.) Pataki believes Obamacare is unconstitutional, that it should be repealed and the federal government should pass a new, "market-based" health care law.
Source.
Education: End Common Core. Do not impose national standards on states.
Pataki told NH1 television that he opposes the state-initiated Common Core education standards and that he is also against any national education standards imposed on the states. The former governor argues that states should each be allowed to come up with their own standards, instead of having a broader model.
Source.
Same Sex Marriage: Pro-gay marriage Source.
Budget Issues: Cut taxes. Rewrite the federal tax code
Pataki brandishes his tax-cutting credentials, with his website biography stating that while he was governor, "19 different taxes were cut 90 times." During this year's Ag Summit in Iowa, Pataki said the federal tax code should be rewritten and taxes for all Americans should be lowered.
Source. However, as governor he increased government spending to five times the rate of inflation. Source.
Environment: As governor he signed some of the strictest environmental...regulations in the country. Source.
Climate Change: Climate change is real. Combat it through private initiatives.
Pataki, who co-chaired the Council on Foreign Relation's 2007 task force on the issue, believes climate change is a real and scientifically proven. In his opinion, it is best combated through private initiatives. The former governor turned environmental consultant opposes government regulation of emissions.
Source.
Nuclear Energy: Pataki said, "I think, as part of the energy program, we need to develop more nuclear power. We've seen enormous strides made in the rest of the world. France, I believe, gets significantly more than half its energy from nuclear power. It doesn't have the problem with greenhouse gas emissions.
We have developed technologies the world has that make it far safer than it was back 20 or 30 years ago. And I think it is a part of the future of clean energy in the United States." Source.
Voter Registration: While governor, his fellow Repunblican, Attorney General Dennis C. Vacco invoked an obscure state law calling for police officers to conduct door-to-door visits in an effort to uncover voter fraud. Pataki as Vacco's boss allowed this hunt in which no voter fraud was uncovered.. Mr. Pataki said: ''I don't have the factual basis. And I haven't seen those papers to know whether or not the allegations are correct.'' Source.
Animals: Pataki angered the Humane Society in 2006. "In a letter sent today to New York Governor George Pataki, The Humane Society of the United States threatened to sue the state for subsidizing a notorious foie gras factory farm in Sullivan County. The HSUS said that it will file a lawsuit if the state does not revoke a $420,000 subsidy to Hudson Valley Foie Gras, a factory farm that violently force-feeds birds to purposefully inflict them with a state of disease."
Source.
Social Security: He has also spoken about the need to overhaul entitlement programs, such as raising the retirement age for Social Security. Source.
Trade Issues: Pataki had no opposition to giving the president free trade authority, however he stressed free trade must go both ways. Pataki referred to Cuba as a "stalinist state," arguing against trade with them. Source.
Return to Presidential Candidate Selector Foreign policy and war issues: He would have liked to fire the Bush Administration for its decision to invade Iraq, according to an interview in the August edition "Esquire," due to be released on Friday.
"Look at the war in Iraq and the mess that we're in. I would never have handled it that way. Does anybody really believe that Iraq is going to be a wonderful democracy where people are going to run down to the voting box and gently put in their ballot and the winner is happily going to step up to lead the country?"
"Bin Laden would have been caught long ago. Tell me, how is it possible that we can't find a guy who's six-foot-six and supposedly needs a dialysis machine? Can you explain that one to me? We have all our energies focused on one place, where they shouldn't be focused," he said.
Source Security/liberties: "I don't like people like (Edward Snowden) because there could be a national security concern, and there probably is," he said. "At the same time, what he's doing is wrong and I think also what the government is doing is wrong."
"They're going way too far, at the same time you never like a guy like this."
Trump said it's hard to trust the government right now and questioned how the monitoring program will affect U.S. relations with other countries.
"Well it's very hard to trust (the government) right now. If you really look at it, what's going on with other nations, how are they going to trust us anymore?" Trump said.
Source Social Security: Let people invest their own retirement funds
Source Same sex issues: "They should not be able to marry," he said. But asked whether gay couples should be able access the same benefits as married couples, he said his "attitude on it has not been fully formed."
Given a second to think, Trump said on marriage and civil benefits, "As of this moment, I would say no and no."
Source Trade
He strongly opposes the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal, calling it "an attack on America's business" that fails to penalize Asian nations like Japan when, he says, they engage in currency manipulation to boost exports. He takes particular aim at China, accusing it of currency manipulation and flooding the United States with low-cost exports that "are truly hurting our economy and our jobs" - including, as it turns out, products with the Trump label. He attacked Mr. Obama last year for visiting China and "celebrating the fact that they're ripping us off."
Source
"I think that fair trade is a much better word than 'free trade.' I listen to these people saying, 'Oh, that's going to hurt free trade.' What's 'free trade' when a country has imbalances of hundreds and hundreds of billions of dollars...?"
Source Budget Mr. Trump believes reckless government borrowing and stimulative policies by the Federal Reserve threaten the long-term health of the American economy and undermine the dollar, which, he said in 2012, "is going to go to hell."
Source
Larry King: If you were in the Senate, would you vote for the stimulus plan?
Trump: Well, I'd vote for a stimulus plan. I'm not sure that all of the things in there are appropriate. Some of the little toys that they have are not really appropriate, and they're a little surprising that they seem to want it, because the publicity on it has been terrible.
I would certainly vote for a stimulus, but I would really vote for banks having to loan out the money because they're not doing that.
Source Business & labor Larry King: Is Obama right or wrong to go after these executives with salary caps?
Donald Trump: Well, I think he's absolutely right. Billions of dollars is being given to banks and others. You know, once you start using taxpayer money, it's a whole new game. So I absolutely think he's right.
Source Abortion "If I do run for president, I want you to know I'm pro-life,"
Source
"I'm very pro-life." Except in the case of rape, incest, or to protect the life of the mother Source Previously pro-choice, but ban partial birth abortion. (Jul 2000) Favors abortion rights but respects opposition. (Dec 1999)
Source
Capital punishment Capital punishment isn't uncivilized; murderers living is. (Jul 2000)
Death penalty deters like violent TV leads kids astray. (Jul 2000)
Source
Marijuana Supports medical marijuana, but not widespread legalization Source
Gun control I generally oppose gun control, but I support the ban on assault weapons and I support a slightly longer waiting period to purchase a gun. With today's Internet technology we should be able to tell within 72-hours if a potential gun owner has a record.
Source: The America We Deserve, by Donald Trump, p.102 Jul 2, 2000 Source
"I'm against gun control" he told the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in February 2011.
Source
Minimum wage "Now, I want to create jobs so that you don't have to worry about the minimum wage, you're doing a great job, and you're making much more than the minimum wage," he said via phone on MSNBC's "Morning Joe." "But I think having a low minimum wage is not a bad thing for this country."
Source
Health care "We are going to repeal Obamacare. We are going to repeal Obamacare. We are going to replace Obamacare with something so much better," said Donald Trump. Source
I'm a conservative on most issues but a liberal on health. It is an unacceptable but accurate fact that the number of uninsured Americans has risen to 42 million. Working out detailed plans will take time. But the goal should be clear: Our people are our greatest asset. We must take care of our own. We must have universal healthcare.
Source
"I will fight to end Obamacare and replace it with something that makes sense for people in business, something that will not bankrupt the country"
Source
Environment He is less outspoken on other environmental issues, though he sued unsuccessfully in 2013 to block plans for wind turbines in Scotland that would power 65,000 homes, arguing, in part, that they would mar the view from a golf course he was proposing to build.
Source
Climate Change
Trump: If There Are Low Temperatures And Snow, "Where The Hell Is Global Warming?" In February 2015, Trump tweeted, "Record low temperatures and massive amounts of snow. Where the hell is GLOBAL WARMING?" [Donald Trump Twitter, 2/14/15]
Trump: Global Warming "Hoaxters" Are Using "Any And All Weather Events ... To Justify Higher Taxes." In January 2014, Trump tweeted, "Any and all weather events are used by the GLOBAL WARMING HOAXSTERS to justify higher taxes to save our planet! They don't believe it $$$$!" [Donald Trump Twitter, 1/26/14]
Trump: Global Warming Is A Hoax. In January 2014, Trump tweeted, "NBC News just called it the great freeze - coldest weather in years. Is our country still spending money on the GLOBAL WARMING HOAX?" [Donald Trump Twitter, 1/25/14]
Source
Nuclear Energy
"We have to be very concerned," Donald Trump, the New York real estate mogul, said on Fox News on Tuesday. "I'm in favor of nuclear energy, very strongly in favor of nuclear energy. If a plane goes down, people keep flying. If you get into an auto crash, people keep driving. There are problems in life. not everything is so perfect. But we do need nuclear energy, and we need a lot of it fast." Source
Immigration issues He opposes efforts to grant legal status to undocumented immigrants, calling that a "suicide mission" for Republicans because "every one of those 11 million people will be voting Democratic." He proposes instead to fortify the nation's borders by building "a real wall" to keep immigrants out.
Source
Control borders; even legal immigration should be difficult. (Jul 2000)
Limit new immigration; focus on people already here. (Dec 1999)
Source Education 2007-2008 Bring on the competition; tear down the union walls. (Jul 2000)
School choice will improve public schools. (Jul 2000)
Source
Vaccinations:
Healthy young child goes to doctor, gets pumped with massive shot of many vaccines, doesn't feel good and changes - AUTISM. Many such cases! Trump Twitter account.
Foreign policy and war issues He is opposed to the United States' involvement in the War in Afghanistan and the Libyan Civil War. Having opposed the Iraq War from the start, he has called for the continued American presence in the country to end.
Source
Security/liberties "[T]oday, government has created for itself sweeping powers to monitor the private lives of individuals and otherwise intrude upon our daily activities, our households and our businesses. The extent of the government's reach today would be unrecognizable to the Founders."
Much of the recent erosion in civil liberties has occurred in the name of national security. But we can - and must -- combat threats to our safety while adhering to due process and the rule of law.
Source
Social Security He supports "slashing government spending", including Social Security.
Stem cell research Stem cell research should only be completed by private laboratories that operate without federal funding.
Source
Same sex issues In 2013, Johnson was a signatory to an amicus curiae brief submitted to the Supreme Court in support of same-sex marriage during the Hollingsworth v. Perry case.
Source
Trade issues Johnson supports free trade and opposes tariffs, "period." He believes free market trade corrects inequities between trading partners, such as foreign countries' subsidies for certain industries. Source
Budget issues He cut the 10% annual growth in the budget by using his gubernatorial veto on half of bills in the first six months.
Johnson is in favor of simplifying and reducing taxes. During his governorship, Johnson didn't increase taxes once and cut them fourteen times. Due to his stance on taxes, David Weigel described him as "the original Tea Party candidate".
Source
Business & labor issues
Johnson says his only issue with trade unions, including teachers' unions, is that they require both good and bad workers to be treated the same. He believes businesses should be allowed to reward good workers and fire bad workers, without collective intervention. He views public-sector unions that contribute to political campaigns as "dangerous." Source
Abortion issues Life is precious and must be protected. A woman should be allowed to make her own decisions during pregnancy until the point of viability of a fetus.
Source
Capital punishment Johnson opposes the death penalty completely. Initially, as Governor of New Mexico, he had sought to expand capital sentences to minors, while limiting appeals; he now calls that position "naïve." He believes government inevitably "makes mistakes with regard to the death penalty," and does not "want to put one innocent person to death to punish 99 who are guilty." Source
Marijuana Campaigns for marijuana decriminalization
Source
Gun control Johnson opposes gun control initiatives. He does not believe in limiting the types or sizes of guns that private citizens can own. He believes the Second Amendment is "clear," and establishes an individual right for citizens. Source
Minimum wage Johnson supports free markets and free-market capitalist economics. He says, "Free markets and limited government are the foundation of prosperity." He believes government should foster the free market by allowing businesses freedom to compete without restrictions. He opposes government subsidies to business; he believes they wrongly "pick winners and losers," which he says is the consumer's job, not the government's. Source
Health care Repeal ObamaCare, as well as the failed Medicare prescription drug benefit.
Source
Animals Johnson noted that his favorite veto was reserved for a bill that would have required pet store owners to exercise dogs and cats. Source
Voter Registration "While ballot integrity is clearly important, I am concerned that the growing trend among states to require photo ID's for voting poses a risk of broad vote suppression, particularly among the elderly and minorities, that outweighs the questionable benefits. In short, I fear that requiring photo ID is a solution in search of a problem."
Source
Environmental issues Johnson has stated that the best environmental practices are due to a good economy. He says "America needs to be a land with a clean environment," and supports "clean-air and clean-water action and believe[s] in conservationism." He cites the Environmental Protection Agency as an example of good government.
Source
Climate Change Johnson has stated he agrees that human carbon emissions do impact the climate. However, he opposes mandatory cap-and-trade policies, and favors allowing private businesses to build more coal-fired power plants, creating jobs. Source
Nuclear Energy Johnson favors building new coal-fired and nuclear power plants. He supports private sector research and development of renewable energy, but does not believe doing so is the government's job.
Source
Immigration issues As the former governor of a southern border state, I know fences and walls do not keep out illegal immigrants. Real border security means knowing who is coming here and why.
With workable employer verification systems, smarter border enforcement, and common sense, a national problem can be turned into a national benefit.
Source
Education issues On the state level, Johnson believes in "school choice." As governor of New Mexico, he sought to implement a school voucher system, which he believes would transform public education into a more "effective" system. On the federal level, Johnson believes the Department of Education should be abolished because federal control of state education funding negatively impacts the states: he claims that 11 cents out of every dollar states spent on education comes from the Department of Education, but accepting the money comes with 16 cents of "strings attached." Source
Vaccinations:
In 2015, Our America Initiative, a non-profit co-founded by Gary Johnson, announced that it supported a Mississippi advocacy group's effort to place "childhood vaccination decisions into the hands of parents and doctors."
Source.
Voter Registration "[End] voter suppression schemes."
Source
Foreign policy and war issues The Green Party is the party of Peace in that we have long recognized that
improvements in our nation’s destructive fire-power are not nearly as important to progress as improvements to diplomacy.
We are a nation that has been quick to go to war. This is costly on many fronts.
Security/liberties Opposes waterboarding. We oppose attempts to pass legislation sacrificing civil rights, democratic principles and domestic needs in the name of "anti-terrorism" or "home security."
Social Security The Greens said that the Social Security program is financially sound; even if nothing was done, it is projected that Social Security would still be able to pay out 78% of benefits 27 years from now. A few minor tweaks is needed (e.g., raising the cap on the income for the social security tax).
Same sex issues Protect LGBTQIA+ people from discrimination. Dr. Stein noted that she had declared her support for same-sex marriage in 2002.
Trade issues Re-formulate all international trade relations and commerce as currently upheld by the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), the World Trade Organization (WTO), etc.
Budget issues Greens denounce austerity budgets, calling them a ploy to balance budgets on the backs of working people, destroy unions, and enlarge the power of corporations
Green solution to deficits and economic recession rescind tax cuts for the rich, end the wars and reduce military spending, enact Medicare For All and public works programs
Business & labor issues We support the irreducible right of the working people, without hindrance, to form a union and to bargain collectively with their employer.
Abortion issues Supports abortion rights -- a woman's right to choose.
Capital punishment Abolish the death penalty.
Marijuana Replace drug prohibition with harm reduction, and legalize marijuana/hemp.
Gun control Thoughtful, carefully considered gun control laws such as the "Brady Bill" and the waiting period for record search before gun dealers may sell a gun should be supported.
Minimum wage Set a $15/hour federal minimum wage.
Health care The Green Party supports single-payer universal health care and preventive care for all. We believe that health care is a right, not a privilege.
Environmental issues Only an economics that is based upon environmental health is sustainable. Land ownership and property rights: Insist that every property right has an implied responsibility to provide for the common good of people, places and the planet.
Climate change "Climate change is the gravest environmental, social and economic peril that humanity has ever met." This statement central tenet of the Green Party.
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Immigration issues The Green Party stands firmly for social justice for all those living in this country regardless of their immigration status.
Education issues Make public college education free, a tuition-free public education, pre-K thru college.
Vaccinations:
"As a medical doctor, there was a time where I looked very closely at those issues, and not all those issues were completely resolved," Stein said. "There were concerns among physicians about what the vaccination schedule meant, the toxic substances like mercury which used to be rampant in vaccines. There were real questions that needed to be addressed. I think some of them at least have been addressed. I don’t know if all of them have been addressed."
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Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State. Democrat.
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Students should never have to borrow to pay for tuition, books, and fees to attend a 4-year public college in their state under the New College Compact. The additional support they receive will reduce all costs, including living expenses, by thousands of dollars. Students at community college will receive free tuition. Students will have to do their part by contributing their earnings from working 10 hours a week. Source.
Joseph Biden, Vice President. Democrat.
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"To explain to my 15-year-old daughter or a 12-year old niece that doctors say ... that marijuana can be used as a medicine, it makes it awful hard for a parent to have a message that says, 'By the way, this is a very bad thing, this marijuana.' " Source
Marco Rubio, US Senator from Florida. Republican.
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Mr Rubio backs a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants.
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Paul Ryan, House member from Wisconsin. Republican.
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The Wisconsin congressman told KRDO-TV, in Colorado Springs, that he personally doesn't approve of medical marijuana laws. But he says that states should have the right to choose whether to legalize the drug for medical purposes. Source.
In light of the fact that cannabis is currently illegal on the federal level, Ryan replied: "My personal positions on this issue have been let the states decide what to do with these things. This is something that is not a high priority of ours as to whether or not we go down the road on this issue. What I've always believed is the states should decide.I personally don't agree with it, but this is something Coloradoans have to decide for themselves."
What a difference a weekend makes! By Monday, Ryan had re-clarified his position. (Did we expect anything less? Through a spokesperson, he stated that he "agrees with Mitt Romney that marijuana should never be legalized." Source.
Jeb Bush, former Florida governor. Republican.
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Bush signed legislation to protect the Everglades and opposed federal plans to drill for oil off the coast of Florida. In early October 2005, Bush attempted to strike a compromise with fellow Republicans that would allow offshore drilling in an area that stretches 125 miles off Florida's coastline and give the state legislature the power to permit drilling closer to the state's coastlines. The compromise was warmly received by some Florida Republicans and U.S. Congressmen, such as bill sponsor Richard Pombo, but has yet to be agreed upon; others including Republican U.S. Senator Mel Martinez, objected to any backtracking on the drilling moratorium. Jeb Bush is skeptical about man-made global warming. Source.
H.R. 2306 the "Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2011?, was introduced by Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts. This legislation seeks to remove marijuana from the list of Schedule I controlled substances. H.R. 2306 has been referred to the House Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security. There is no companion legislation for H.R. 2306 in the Senate. I cannot support this legislation should it come before the Senate for a vote. Source.
Andrew Cuomo, New York governor. Democrat.
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The state minimum wage is current $7.25, which Governor Andrew Cuomo and Democratic members of the legislature have argued has not kept up with the rising cost of living. The new plan would result in an eventual raise of $9 by the start of 2016. Source
Chris Christie, New Jersey governor. Republican.
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Mike Huckabee, Former Arkansas Governor. Executive, pastor. Republican
Opposes a two-state solution to Israeli/Palestinian conflict. "'To say that Jews can't live in Jerusalem is the equivalent of telling the Boston Red Sox they can't play in Fenway Park . Obviously, that would never go over very well on Beacon Hill.
It is a historic reality that Jerusalem , and the entire land, was originally intended to be a homeland for the Jewish people. The Palestinians should in fact have a place and opportunity to settle, but it doesn't have to be in Jerusalem . US support of Israeli territorial compromise was misguided.'"
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Supports Bush's Iraq War troop surge.
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Mostly supports amnesty/permanent legalization for illegal aliens. No know opinion on temporary legalization for illegal aiens as guestworkers
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Huckabee opposes Arizona's immigration law. Huckabee said that "Hispanic Americans have the right to be unhappy about the fact that they might be pulled over." "If I were being pulled over because I looked a certain way, I would be highly offended," stated Huckabee. He also remarked that the "federal government has to do something to stop the hemorrhaging of illegal immigration over the border."
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Sarah Palin
(born February 11, 1964) is the Governor of of Alaska. 2008 Republican vice presidential candidate.
GIBSON: But, Governor, I'm asking you: We have the right, in your mind, to go across the border with or without the approval of the Pakistani government.
PALIN: In order to stop Islamic extremists, those terrorists who would seek to destroy America and our allies, we must do whatever it takes and we must not blink, Charlie, in making those tough decisions of where we go and even who we target.
GIBSON: And let me finish with this. I got lost in a blizzard of words there. Is that a yes? That you think we have the right to go across the border with or without the approval of the Pakistani government, to go after terrorists who are in the Waziristan area?
PALIN: I believe that America has to exercise all options in order to stop the terrorists who are hell bent on destroying America and our allies. We have got to have all options out there on the table.
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Palin said the United States' involvement in Iraq is "a task that is from God."
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Obama's plan is a white flag of surrender in Iraq and that is not what our troops need to hear today, that's for sure.
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"Taxes are too high. He wants to raise them. His tax increases are the fine print in his economic plan, and let me be specific," Palin said on Sept. 3, 2008, in St. Paul, Minn.
"The Democratic nominee for president supports plans to raise income taxes ... raise payroll taxes ... raise investment income taxes ... raise the death tax ... raise business taxes ... and increase the tax burden on the American people by hundreds of billions of dollars." Source
In 2008 budget year, Palin sought $256 million in earmarks. Alaska State revenues doubled to $10 Billion in 2008, there is no sales tax or income tax, and for the 2009 budget Palin gave a list of 31 proposed earmarks, totaling $197 million, to Alaskan Senator Ted Stevens.
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She expressed full support for Arizona's controversial immigration law. She even encouraged other states to adopt similar laws.
"I think every other state on the border should emulate what Arizona has done," she said on FOX News Wednesday night.
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Rand Paul, US Senator from Kentucky. Republican.
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We should be talking about energy freedom. Like all other sectors of the economy, allowing businesses and ideas to compete on the free market will not only produce the most efficient forms of energy, but will also pass along the savings to the consumer.
The debates in Washington are often about whether we should be subsidizing solar or ethanol. About whether we should prohibit nuclear energy or coal.
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John Thune, US Senator from South Dakota. Republican.
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Rob Portman, US Senator from Ohio. Republican.
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Mike Pence, Indiana governor. Republican.
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Bobby Jindal, Louisiana governor. Republican.
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To strengthen our economy, we need urgent action to keep energy prices down. All of us remember what it felt like to pay $4 at the pump and unless we act now, those prices will return. To stop that from happening, we need to increase conservation, increase energy efficiency, increase the use of alternative and renewable fuels, increase our use of nuclear power, and increase drilling for oil and gas here at home. Source Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell (R) said Tuesday that it would be "foolhardy" to abandon the construction of nuclear reactors in Virginia and elsewhere in the United States because of the unfolding nuclear crisis at earthquake and tsunami-damaged plants in Japan.
In an interview, McDonnell, a longtime supporter of nuclear power, characterized the problems in Japan as the result of "historic" and "cataclysmic" events. He said nuclear science has advanced to make such plants safe, and Virginia would not need to fear similar crises, in part because it is not earthquake-prone and its plants are far from the coast. Source
Rick Perry, Texas governor. Republican.
A strong critic of same-sex marriages, though he has acknowledged that - under current law - states have the right to set their own policies. He supports a federal constitutional amendment that would ban same-sex marriage. Source
Rob McDonnell, former Virginia governor. Republican. Note: This once potential presidential candidate was found guilty of corruption, ending any hopes of higher office.
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John Kasich, Ohio governor. Republican.
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Mitch Daniels, former Indiana governor. Republican.
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In an August 2010 interview, when asked about the recently passed immigration law in Arizona, Daniels responded: "if the legislature wants to look at such a law, I would be glad to work with them on it. Again, I think Arizona has every right to pass that law. And it may well be an ideal fit for their circumstances. We are not in the same situation they are, and may not need the same sort of approach, but I'm open to it."
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"Daniels remains the most ambitious privatizer of any governor currently in office, turning over to outside entities not just control of a major cross-state highway but prisons, hospitals and welfare case management. Like most privatizers, Daniels doesn't like the term, but his pursuit of the idea led the New York Times last summer to dub him 'Governor Privatize'."
Source Sopported private Social Security accounts.
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He was arrested in 1970 at Princeton for possession, spent 2 nights in jail and paid a $150 fine. He said that marijuana possession is a low-level drug violation that it should be dealt with by alternative sentences like community service. Source.
Ted Cruz US Senator from Texas. Republican.
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On immigration Mr Cruz rejects reforms backed by such Republican rivals as Senator Marco Rubio of Florida, a fellow son of Cuban immigrants. Mr Rubio backs a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants. Not Mr Cruz.
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A reporter at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast asked Donohue, president and chief executive officer of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, if the Texas Republican senator should "sit down and shut up."
"That's one of the things we could work with him on," said Donohue. He said he respects the Tea Party's dedication to small government, but couldn't get behind efforts to shut down the government or threaten a U.S. debt default. Source.
"I call on Sen. Ted Cruz...and others to cease and desist from misusing our constructive comments in their destructive campaign to hobble the president and the nation," [Teamsters President James] Hoffa said.
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Scott Walker, Governor of Wisconsin. Republican.
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Scott Walker: Years ago, I worked on legislation to end the statute of limitations for sexual assault crimes when the case involved DNA evidence. I spent a great deal of time working with prosecutors and experts. The accuracy of DNA convinced me to support the death penalty referendum in 2006 -- and I support it today.
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Bernie Sanders US Senator from Vermont. Independent.
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All public colleges and universities should be tuition free. Source.
2009-2013 NumbersUSA [Americans for Better Immigration] - Positions - Reduce Illegal Jobs and Presence (Feb 11, 2013) 0% Source.
"I'm a strong supporter of immigration reform, and of the need to provide a pathway to citizenship for 11 million undocumented immigrants. I very strongly support the DREAM Act, and will continue to strongly support it. I very strongly believe, as someone who knows what's going on in the dairy industry in Vermont, that there's no question we need to create a status for immigrant workers in agriculture, and I think the committee is making good progress there.
My concerns are in regards to where we stand in terms of guest workers programs, made worse by amendments offered by Senator Hatch. What I do not support is, under the guise of immigrant reform, a process pushed by large corporations which results in more unemployment and lower wages for American workers." -Sanders Source.
"So, of course we've got to keep Social Security vibrant and strong. But the truth of the matter is what Social Security provides is not enough, and there are ways to expand benefits for retirees and for the disabled." -Sanders
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The top one percent in our country now earn over 23 percent of all income, more than the bottom 50 percent. The U.S. today has by far the most unequal distribution of income and wealth of any major country on earth and the gap between the very rich and everyone else is growing wider. While "official" unemployment is at 9.8 percent, real unemployment is over 16 percent - being especially high for blue collar workers.
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Rick Santorum
(born May 10, 1958) is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Santorum is a Republican.
Rick Santorum said the United States should be open to a military strike to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon.
"A country that is developing a weapon of mass destruction to use it to destroy another country must be stopped in a preemptive strike," Santorum told a crowd of about 50 people in a rural part of New Hampshire this evening.
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Favors waterboarding of terrorism suspects considering it a method of "enhanced interrogation".
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GOP debate: all (including this candidate) but Ron Paul want Patriot Act extended. At the same debate, Santorum advocated profiling Muslims as potential terrorists. Views expressed the Heritage Foundation/AEI/CNN debate (Nov. 22, 2011) Source
"Is the climate warming? Clearly, over the past 15 or 20 years, the answer is yes," Santorum told CNN host Michael Smerconish on Sunday. "The question is, is man having a significant impact on that, number one. And number two, and this is even more important than the first, is there really anything we can do about it?"
"Is there anything the United States can do about it? Clearly, no," he continued. "Everything that is being considered by the United States will have almost - well, not almost, but zero impact on it given what's going on in the rest of the world."
"So, is your answer, do nothing?" Smerconish wondered.
"If it has no impact, of course, do nothing!" Santorum exclaimed. "Why would you do something with people admitting that even if you do something, it won't make a difference?"
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/01/rick-santorum-tells-cnn-climate-change-is-real-but-of-course-do-nothing/
Mitt Romney (Born March 12, 1947) Business person, former Massachusetts governor
"My administration would also remain focused on stopping the financial and weapons flows to Hamas and Hizbullah, insist that the Palestinians abandon terror and recognize Israel's right to exist, and actively work towards a two-state solution to the Arab-Israeli conflict where Israelis and Palestinians can each live in security and dignity."
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"While Romney supported the March 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq and backs Bush's current troop increase, he has repeatedly said the post-invasion period was "mismanaged" with a lack of preparation for the insurgency and adequate planning for a government handover."
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Bush did not do an "adequate job" explaining the reasons for the war before the first shots were fired.
The attack was based on faulty intelligence.
The United States hasn't had "sufficient" troops in Iraq to stabilize the country after initial combat.
The prisoner abuse that followed at Abu Ghraib was "unfortunate."
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Opposes withdrawal.
GOP debate: all (including this candidate) but Ron Paul want Patriot Act extended. Views expressed the Heritage Foundation/AEI/CNN debate (Nov. 22, 2011) Source
Favors waterboarding of terrorism suspects considering it a method of "enhanced interrogation".
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The GOP lawmakers gathered two days after voting unanimously against a White House-backed economic stimulus bill, and Romney praised them for their opposition.
He said the $819 billion measure that passed the Democratic-controlled House was a plan to "spend and borrow with reckless abandon."
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The Federal government must stop its borrowing and spending binge. The debt is a burden on our economy, our currency, our foreign policy, and our future. This is beyond pork barrel spending. We must address entitlement programs - not just to save money - but to give Americans confidence in their future.
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Mostly opposes amnesty/permanent legalization for illegal aliens. Opposes temporary legalization for illegal aiens as guestworkers
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"Arizona's new immigration enforcement law is the direct result of Washington's failure to secure the border and to protect the lives and liberties of our citizens," Romney told Politico. "It is my hope that the law will be implemented with care and caution not to single out individuals based upon their ethnicity".
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Jim Webb was rated 0% by National Right to Life Committee
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In 2007, after an aide in his Senate office was arrested for trying to bring a gun into the Capitol complex, Webb distanced himself from the episode but took the opportunity to offer a rousing defense of the right to bear arms. "I believe wherever you see places where people are allowed to carry, generally the violence goes down," he said. Source.
2011/2012 Gun Owners of America, rating 0%.
1991-2009 Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence - Lifetime Score (U.S. Senate) 0%.
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2012 National Association of Manufacturers - Positions of 112th Congress 70%
2012 National Electrical Contractors Association - Positions 77%
2012 United States Chamber of Commerce - Lifetime Score 52%
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"I have fully committed to ensuring Rhode Island is a national leader in implementing health reform whatever the Supreme Court decision, and this just reinforces that commitment," said Governor Chafee. "It is an economic imperative that we address the problem of uninsured Rhode Islanders and rising healthcare costs. I'm confident of the clear path forward that we have marked to achieve universal coverage for Rhode Islanders, and now we can get back to that important work with this decision behind us.
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Rated 57% by US Chamber of Commerce on business policy
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"Our entire economy suffers when the middle class and low-wage earners can't make ends meet," Rhode Island state Representative David Bennett, a Democrat who sponsored the bill, said in a statement. "This raise will provide some measure of assistance for those struggling at the low end of the pay scale."
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"The Resilient Rhode Island Act of 2014 continues what Chafee started in February, a fast-acting committee of department and agency heads looking to prepare state organizations and municipalities for the impacts of climate change."
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2014 Federation for American Immigration Reform rating 33%.
2014 NumbersUSA [Americans for Better Immigration] - Overall Score (Jan. 7, 2014) 21%.
2013-2014 National Hispanic Leadership Agenda rating 38%.
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"To my Democratic colleagues, you can't repair this monstrosity. You've got to tear it down and start all over again," he said. Source.
In 2008 National Tax Limitation Committee gave Senator Graham a grade of B in its special report. Senator Graham supported the interests of the National Tax Limitation Committee 90 percent in 2007-2008.
Based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to Children's Defense Fund's position, Senator Graham received a rating of 30.
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Voted NO on increasing tax rate for people earning over $1 million. (Mar 2008)
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At stake, Graham said, is a clean energy source for future generations of Americans. Wind and solar power, he said, can't replace the coal-fired plants that dominate the energy production landscape today, but nuclear can.
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Senator Graham supported the interests of the Center for Trade Policy Studies -- CATO Institute 0 percent in 2003-2004 for Trade Subsidy Votes. In 2007-2008 USA Engage gave Senator Graham a grade of C.
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Ben Carson, surgeon. Republican
We must create a system that disincentivizes illegal immigration and upholds the rule of law while providing us with a steady stream of immigrants from other nations who will strengthen our society.
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Carly Fiorina, business executive. Republican
Like others in the Republican field, she has recently emphasized the need for tightening border security before undertaking a broader overhaul of the immigration system. Source
Simplify the tax code. Move to zero-based budgeting. Do not increase the gas tax.
Writing on Facebook, Fiorina said the current tax system is "in desperate need of reform" and argued for a simpler tax code, though she did not give specifics. In the same post, she advocated zero-based budgeting, which would start funding discussions from a base budget of zero every year and build from there, rather than starting with the amount of funding the department received the previous year. In addition, the former CEO argued against any increase in the gas tax in a Wall Street Journal Op-Ed, saying lower gas prices are an important factor in America's economic recovery.
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Donald Trump, mogul, television host, Republican.
The U.S. must continue to nurture and safeguard our special relationship with the state of Israel. This relationship must remain the cornerstone of our policy tactics through the entire Middle-East region, as it has been for administrations of both parties for more than half a century.
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Mr. Trump says that his views on marriage are "evolving" but that he still favors "traditional marriage," between "a man and a woman." (He has been married three times.) Same-sex marriage, he says, isn't his "thing."
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TRUMP: Well it all starts with the Federal government not coming out with a law. They've been talking about it for years and they still haven't done anything about it. And Arizona is really getting crime-ridden. There's people coming over, there's killings all over the place, there's shootings all over the place.
LARRY KING: But do you favor stopping people on the street?
TRUMP: What are you going to do? I mean, are you going to stop people to see if they're supposed to be there? And personally as a citizen I wouldn't mind, I really wouldn't mind... I think everybody needs to have papers, you know, and be legally here. We need to have papers if we go anywhere else in the world, so people need to have also the papers here.
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The Republican presidential hopeful was asked what measures he would take, as president, to ensure middle-to-low income Americans are able to "pay their tuition [and] afford books while they're going to school."
"Well the only way you can do it is you have to start some governmental program and you have governmental programs right now," Trump told the moderator during the forum, which was held at a local community college. "They go, and they work, and they take loans, and they're borrowed up, and they can't breathe, and they get through college and the worst thing is, they go through that whole process and they don't have any job," the billionaire said, referring to the majority of undergraduates enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Source
"Autism has become an epidemic. Twenty-five years ago, 35 years ago, you look at the statistics, not even close. It has gotten totally out of control," Trump said. "I am totally in favor of vaccines. But I want smaller doses over a longer period of time. Same exact amount, but you take this little beautiful baby, and you pump—I mean, it looks just like it's meant for a horse, not for a child, and we've had so many instances, people that work for me."
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Wikipedia entry
Gary Johnson (born January 1, 1953) businessman and former Governor of New Mexico. Libertarian.
He supports raising the retirement age, multi-pronged means testing for Social Security recipients, and changing the escalator built into Social Security from the wage index to the inflation rate. He wants Congress to investigate privatizing part or all of Social Security with the goal being that the investment of contributions could be self-directed.
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Government spends too much because it does too much. Unchecked deficits are the single greatest threat to our national security. Unless we take significant steps soon, our federal debt will equal the entire economic production of the United States.
We should start by reassessing the role of the federal government, and always asking the question: Should the government be doing this in the first place?
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He supports "slashing government spending", including Medicare and Medicaid.
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"No to mandatory vaccines"
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Jill Stein (born 1950) is an American physician and candidate for President with the Green Party of the United States.
All workers must have unemployment insurance, workers' compensation, access to job search programs.
School vouchers will drain money from our already under-funded public school system.