Meet the Press interviews during 2013
(David Gregory interviewing candidates for 2014 and 2016 races)

OnTheIssues.org excerpts:  (click on issues for details)

Budget & Economy     Paul Ryan: When Fed "tapers", interest rates rise & hurts us fiscally.

Civil Rights     Cory Booker: MLK's dream still demands work to do, after 50 years.     Rob Portman: Change of heart: give gays the joy & stability of marriage.     Scott Walker: Perhaps leave gay marriage up to each church, not government.

Crime     Cory Booker: Bipartisan solution to reduce recidivism.

Environment     Mike Bloomberg: Smoking ban has spread from NYC to every big city.

Foreign Policy     Jack Reed: Suspend aid to Egypt while military crushes protestors.

Gun Control     Mike Bloomberg: 80% of NRA members support background checks.

Health Care     Chris Christie: ObamaCare was a mistake; a failed policy from the start.     Ben Carson: ObamaCare is the worst thing since slavery.     Rob Portman: Repeal and replace ObamaCare.     Rand Paul: It's Congress' job to fight to change ObamaCare.     Jon Huntsman: Politics aside, let's see if ObamaCare works or not.     Bill Richardson: ObamaCare will be crowning achievement once we get it done.     Mike Bloomberg: Obesity kills more people than smoking; limit portion size.

Homeland Security     Peter King: NSA needs secrecy, and has had no abuses.     Peter King: N.S.A. spying has saved thousands of lives.     Richard Durbin: $48M to protect US Embassies around the world.     Rudy Giuliani: It's not ethnic profiling to focus on Muslims.

Immigration     Mitch McConnell: Border security first: the key to getting a final outcome.     Richard Durbin: Immigration reform bill makes America safer.     Jeb Bush: Path to citizenship or path to legalization: both could work.     Jeb Bush: Path to citizenship or path to legalization: both could work.

Jobs     Cory Booker: 1/3 of all NJ development is in Newark, where only 3% live.

Principles & Values     James Inhofe: Flying is his passion, but lost his son in plane accident.

Social Security     Richard Durbin: Simpson-Bowles got it right. put everything on the table.     Paul Ryan: 60% of Americans get more benefits than they pay in taxes.

Tax Reform     Mitch McConnell: Comprehensive tax reform can work if it's revenue-neutral.     Paul Ryan: Are we for more revenues? No, we're not.

War & Peace     Peter King: Stop being so defensive about drones.     Tom Udall: Chemical weapons are despicable, but avoid Syrian civil war.     Rand Paul: No involvement in Syria, even if gas attack proven.     Rand Paul: No US interests in either side of Syrian war.     Lindsey Graham: Syria: Assad must go, and small arms won't do it.     Rudy Giuliani: Al Qaeda isn't on the run; be more proactive.     Tom Cotton: Jihadists attack us for who we are.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Ben Carson HUD Secretary Bill Richardson New Mexico Former Democratic Governor (2002-2010) and Cabinet Sec'y Chris Christie New Jersey N.J. Governor; Republican Presidential candidate Cory Booker New Jersey Mayor of Newark Jack Reed Democratic Sr Senator Rhode Island James Inhofe Republican Sr Senator Oklahoma Jeb Bush Florida Former FL Governor; Republican Presidential candidate Jon Huntsman Utah Former GOP Governor (2005-2009); Ambassador to China Lindsey Graham South Carolina S.C. Senator; Republican Presidential candidate Mike Bloomberg New York Mayor of NYC Mitch McConnell Republican Sr Senator Kentucky Paul Ryan Republican Peter King Republican 2016 Primary Challenger Rand Paul Republican 2016 Primary Challenger Richard Durbin Democratic Sr Senator Illinois Rob Portman Republican 2016 Primary Challenger Rudy Giuliani New York Former Mayor of NYC Scott Walker Wisconsin WI Governor; Republican Presidential candidate Tom Cotton Republican Senate challenger Arkansas Tom Udall Democratic Sr Senator; previously Representative New Mexico