Terri Lynn Land in Past and present Senate candidates from Michigan

On Civil Rights: Equal pay for equal work for men and women

Congress and the President have failed. They spend too much, our border isn't secure, and they've made America less safe.

Congressman Peters says a mom like me isn't up to the job.

But moms like me get things done. Let's secure the border, repeal ObamaCare and get equal pay for equal work for men and women.

I'm Terri Lynn Land and I approve this message.

On Civil Rights: Equal pay good; but Paycheck Fairness Act bad

On Education: Local funding and local control of schools

Back to school season is already upon us. I'm a mom, and the thing that was always on top of my mind this time of year was making sure my kids were getting a good education.

A bedrock principle of America's education system is local funding and local control of schools, that means putting Michigan first, not Washington. I support ending the Washington-imposed standards on local schools in Common Core and returning the power to our teachers, local communities and parents.

I believe Michigan moms, dads and teachers know what's best for our kids, not Washington insiders. We need more state and local control of education, rather than the one-size-fits-all, top-down approach of the Obama Administration.

What's best for Chicago is not what's best for Cheboygan. By returning control to local communities, we will put Michigan First and ensure a stronger education for our children that will prepare them for the future.

On Free Trade: Free trade agreements only with reciprocal market access

Current Trade Negotiations:
• Finalize U.S.-European free trade agreement (FTA): Trade agreements that are reciprocal, such as the Trans-Atlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP), should become a high priority. Once the respective standards have been harmonized, trade agreements that open up new markets for American-made products on equal terms should be implemented promptly.
• Rewrite U.S.-Asian free trade agreement: Unless major changes are made to ensure reciprocal market access in the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), this FTA should not move forward. Unlike in the past, the U.S. should walk away from bad trade deals.

On Immigration: No amnesty; seal the border; more H-1B visas

My Michigan First Plan for Immigration:
• Secure the Border: The US-Mexico border should be effectively sealed with a combination of fencing, more US Border Patrol agents and new, high-tech monitoring devices.
• No Amnesty: The US should not give amnesty to illegal immigrants.
• Modernize Visa Tracking: This is a data problem, and we have the technology to fix it.
• Increase High-Tech Visas: The H-1B visa program needs to be modernized so that we can add more highly skilled workers.
• Update Green Card Program: Our industrialized allies have made employer-based immigration a high priority and America should do the same.
• Shorten Wait Times: A better legal immigration system rewards people for playing by the rules and discourages people from trying to enter the US illegally.
• Employer Verification: We need to make sure our businesses have the tools they need to effectively verify the status of employees.

On Principles & Values: AdWatch: Grew up in a trailer park, then managed motels

She grew up in a trailer park and motel owned by her grandparents. Terri Lynn Land worked her way up from cleaning rooms at the motel to managing it. Terri earned a college degree, married and ran the motel," the narrator says.

Democrats plan to make the back story of the trailer park an issue during the campaign. Buzzfeed recently reported that her grandparents sold the trailer park in the mid-1990s to a family business interest which later decided to close it and rezone the land for commercial use, forcing families who lived there to leave.

On Civil Rights: Women want job flexibility more than equal pay

"Well, we all like to be paid more and that's great, but the reality is that women have a different lifestyle," Land said at the 2010 Senior Women's Club event. "They have kids. They have to take them to get dentist appointments, doctor's appointments, all those kinds of things. And they're more interested in flexibility in a job than pay."

Women make 74 cents to every dollar a man makes for work in Michigan. Michigan is ranked 45 out of 50 states in terms of how much women are paid compared with men.

American Bridge 21st Century, which publicized the video, is a liberal super-PAC that conducts opposition research on behalf of Democratic candidates and liberal issues.

On Health Care: Pre-tax health savings accounts & cross-states insurers

The former Michigan secretary of state said she opposes forcing people to have insurance under the law but also supports parts of the measure such as keeping intact protections for people with pre-existing conditions and requiring hospitals to publish a list of their standard charges. "There has to be a better way," Land said in a statement released in conjunction with putting the proposed principles for "real healthcare reform" on her campaign website. "I favor a different approach."

On Budget & Economy: Opposed reopening government, due to ObamaCare, not jobs

The State Democratic Party Chairman said Land's stance on jobless benefits "doesn't pass the smell test" because she opposed the deal reopening the government, while Land said Democrats were the reason the benefits were not part of a December budget deal.

Michigan's two Democratic senators, Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin voted to move forward on the 3-month extension legislation. While Republicans plan to seek changes so the bill's $6.4 billion cost would not add to deficits, a Land spokeswoman said Land would have supported an extension regardless of whether the cost is paid.

On Jobs: Extend jobless benefit for long-term unemployed seeking work

For weeks, Democratic US Rep. Gary Peters had already been calling for an extension of benefits that expired Dec. 28. Then before White House-backed legislation to restore the benefits unexpectedly cleared a hurdle in the Senate on Tuesday, Republican Terri Lynn Land said she supports the bill.

Her stance puts her at odds with Republicans in Congress and conservative organizations that say an extension is ineffective and wasteful. "I support an extension of the federal benefits to those actively seeking gainful employment, but what we really need are pro-growth policies that create jobs so that the victims of the Obama economy can finally regain their independence and dignity with a good-paying job," Land said.

On Civil Rights: AdWatch: No discrimination, but "no comment" on gay- bashing

"Terri does not tolerate discriminatory acts or speech, and believes that all people deserve to be treated with dignity and respect," the emailed statement said.

When reached by phone, Land declined to elaborate on what she finds objectionable about Agema's talk. She deferred to the emailed statement. Land has not responded to questions about whether Agema should be asked to resign. Meanwhile, the state's top elected Republican, Gov. Rick Snyder, has publicly condemned Agema.

On Health Care: Fix ObamaCare so Michiganders can keep insurance as promised

Asked directly whether she no longer supported repealing ObamaCare, Land responded that her previous support for defunding ObamaCare "was a way to get the conversation going."

"We're past this now," she said. "We need to now fix this," referring to the Upton bill. "I supported defunding the ObamaCare law when that was an option. President Obama and Congressman Peters promised that Michiganders could keep their insurance and their promise has been broken. I support the Upton bill to fix ObamaCare in the short term if that is what it takes to stop 225,000 people in Michigan from losing their insurance. Washington is broken and we need leaders who are ready to make the tough decisions."

On Budget & Economy: Opposed deal to re-open federal government

But she has also become the GOP's presumed nominee, and McConnell is hosting a fundraiser [for Land] along with 16 GOP candidates.

Land still believes voting to reopen the government was a mistake. But her campaign declined to say McConnell made a mistake by supporting the deal. "She's not going to get involved in any disagreement there," a spokesperson said. "She's working very hard to unite factions of the party so she can win a contested election in a purple state."

On Budget & Economy: Federal shutdown was opportunity to address spending

Land said she opposed the shutdown, but the budget process in Washington is "broken."

On Government Reform: Super PACs are committed to Michigan

Created in the wake of the landmark Citizens United Supreme Court ruling, super PACs can raise unlimited funds from corporations, unions, associations and individuals to advocate for or against candidates, but money must be spent on independent political activity.

"The Citizens United lawsuit actually started here in Michigan," Land said. "And that changed the dynamics of politics, restricted the parties, but it let individuals and others raise resources to do that. Our campaign has talked to a lot of those folks," she added. "They're committed to Michigan. They really want to support us here in Michigan. And if we can do this in Michigan, that means they win in the other states."

On Health Care: Embrace threat of federal shutdown to defund ObamaCare

Others to embrace the plan include former Georgia Secretary of State Karen Handel (R), former Michigan Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land (R), who is the likely Republican nominee to run for retiring Sen. Carl Levin's (R-Mich.) seat, and Alaska Tea Party candidate Joe Miller (R).

GOP operatives say there's little downside for candidates to embrace the "defund" movement--especially those who are facing primary opponents. For Senate candidates who aren't already in Congress, especially, there's little political danger.

On Government Reform: Allow "dark money": secret campaign donations for issue ads

The State Bar, which represents 43,600 Michigan lawyers and judges, said secret contributions--dark money--prevent the public from knowing when [an elected] judge is being asked to rule on an issue involving a major donor. Dark money increasingly is playing a role in Michigan judicial campaigns. Last fall, someone secretly spent $2 million on misleading attack ads in an unsuccessful effort to defeat an incumbent Oakland County Circuit Court judge.

On War & Peace: No military action in Syrian civil war

The email outlined Land's position against Syria, but it was the large red button at the bottom labeled "DONATE NOW!" that has incited controversy. The email text:

"Gary Peters needs to vote 'No' on a bill authorizing US military involvement in this Syrian civil war. The president has failed to show how this internal conflict in Syria affects our national security, and his proposed military strategy has proved ineffective in the past. I want to be very clear--If I were in the Senate today, I would vote 'No' on a resolution authorizing military action in Syria."

On War & Peace: No military intervention in Syria

The email asks supporters to sign a petition urging her undecided Democratic rival, Rep. Gary Peters, to join her and vote "no." At the end is a red "DONATE NOW!" button.

The Land campaign downplayed the request for money. "It was an email asking people to sign a petition urging Gary Peters to vote no on the war in Syria and happened to have a donation link like other emails we send to our email list," said a Land spokesperson. Land had reportedly avoided taking a firm position on Syria until Thursday, when she posted a note on her Facebook wall and created a splash page on her otherwise bare-bones web site.

On Abortion: Supports GOP platform which bans abortion

In August 2012, Bloomberg reported that the 2012 Republican platform "also proposes a constitutional amendment to ban abortion without stipulating any exceptions for ending pregnancies caused by rape or to save a woman's life."

On Civil Rights: Supports GOP platform which bans same-sex marriage

In August 2009, the New York Times reported that the 2012 GOP platform "calls state court decisions recognizing same-sex marriage "an assault on the foundations of our society."

On Gun Control: Supports GOP platform which opposes magazine limit

In August 2009, the New York Times reported that the 2012 GOP platform "opposes gun legislation that would limit 'the capacity of clips or magazines.'"

On Social Security: Supports GOP platform plank for personal accounts

In September 2005, the New York Times reported that "While the Democratic platform opposes any privatization of Social Security, the Republican platform says younger workers should be given the option of "personal investment accounts as supplements to the system."