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OnTheIssuesLogo Bob Graham

Bob Graham on VoteMatch

FL Sr Senator (retiring 2004); Democratic Primary Candidate for President



VoteMatch Responses
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VoteMatch Question & Answer
(Click on question for explanation and background)
Based on these stances:
(Click on topic for excerpt & citation)
Strongly Favors topic 1:
Abortion is a woman's right
(10 points on Social scale)
Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record: Strongly Favors topic 1
Expand embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1
NO on disallowing overseas military abortions: Favors topic 1
NO on banning partial birth abortions: Strongly Favors topic 1
NO on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions: Favors topic 1
NO on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life: Strongly Favors topic 1
NO on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2:
Require companies to hire more women & minorities
(0 points on Economic scale)
Created jobs as Governor, with focus on minority business: Strongly Favors topic 2
NO on banning affirmative action hiring with federal funds: Strongly Favors topic 2
YES on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation: Strongly Favors topic 2
NO on ending special funding for minority & women-owned business: Strongly Favors topic 2
NO on prohibiting same-sex basic training: Favors topic 2
YES on setting aside 10% of highway funds for minorities & women: Favors topic 2
Favors topic 3:
Sexual orientation protected by civil rights laws
(7 points on Social scale)
More funding and stricter sentencing for hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3
YES on prohibiting same-sex marriage: Strongly Opposes topic 3
YES on prohibiting job discrimination by sexual orientation: Strongly Favors topic 3
YES on expanding hate crimes to include sexual orientation: Favors topic 3
YES on adding sexual orientation to definition of hate crimes: Strongly Favors topic 3
Strongly Opposes topic 4:
Permit prayer in public schools
(10 points on Social scale)
Rated 0% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-family voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 4
NO on requiring schools to allow voluntary prayer: Opposes topic 4
NO on $75M for abstinence education: Strongly Opposes topic 4
NO on restricting violent videos to minors: Neutral topic 4
Favors topic 5:
More federal funding for health coverage
(2 points on Economic scale)
2-year temporary increase in federal share of Medicaid: Favors topic 5
Invest funds to alleviate the nursing shortage: Favors topic 5
Rated 100% by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record: Strongly Favors topic 5
YES on medical savings acounts: Favors topic 5
YES on Medicare means-testing: Opposes topic 5
NO on limiting self-employment health deduction: Favors topic 5
YES on Unknown roll call for 1999-76: Favors topic 5
YES on including prescription drugs under Medicare: Favors topic 5
NO on funding GOP version of Medicare prescription drug benefit: Favors topic 5
NO on $40 billion per year for limited Medicare prescription drug benefit: Opposes topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6:
Privatize Social Security
(0 points on Economic scale)
Rated 100% by the ARA, indicating a pro-senior voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 6
NO on deducting Social Security payments on income taxes: Opposes topic 6
NO on allowing Roth IRAs for retirees: Opposes topic 6
NO on allowing personal retirement accounts: Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7:
Parents choose schools via vouchers
(0 points on Social scale)
Firmly opposed to Bush’s voucher proposal: Strongly Opposes topic 7
Rated 100% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes: Strongly Opposes topic 7
NO on school vouchers in DC: Strongly Opposes topic 7
NO on education savings accounts: Opposes topic 7
NO on Educational Savings Accounts: Opposes topic 7
YES on funding smaller classes instead of private tutors: Opposes topic 7
YES on funding student testing instead of private tutors: Opposes topic 7
Favors topic 8:
Death Penalty
(2 points on Social scale)
YES on rejecting racial statistics in death penalty appeals: Favors topic 8
YES on limiting death penalty appeals: Favors topic 8
Opposes topic 9:
Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws
(7 points on Social scale)
Rated 63% by CURE, indicating mixed votes on rehabilitation: Neutral on topic 9
NO on mandatory prison terms for crimes involving firearms: Strongly Opposes topic 9
NO on more penalties for gun & drug violations: Opposes topic 9
YES on $1.15 billion per year to continue the COPS program: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10:
Absolute right to gun ownership
(0 points on Social scale)
NO on maintaining current law: guns sold without trigger locks: Strongly Opposes topic 10
NO on loosening license & background checks at gun shows: Opposes topic 10
YES on background checks at gun shows: Strongly Opposes topic 10
NO on banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers for gun violence: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11:
Decrease overall taxation of the wealthy
(0 points on Economic scale)
Rescind parts of Bush tax cuts for the people: Opposes topic 11
Irresponsible to cut $1.2 trillion from budget now: Opposes topic 11
Estate tax repeal hurts federal-state relations: Opposes topic 11
Rated 22% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes: Strongly Opposes topic 11
NO on Internet sales tax moratorium: Opposes topic 11
NO on FY99 tax cuts: Strongly Opposes topic 11
NO on requiring super-majority for raising taxes: Opposes topic 11
NO on $792B tax cuts: Opposes topic 11
NO on eliminating the 'marriage penalty': Opposes topic 11
NO on prioritizing national debt reduction below tax cuts: Opposes topic 11
YES on reducing marriage penalty instead of cutting top tax rates: Opposes topic 11
NO on cutting taxes by $1.35 trillion over 11 years: Strongly Opposes topic 11
YES on spending $448B of tax cut on education & debt reduction: Opposes topic 11
NO on $350 billion in tax breaks over 11 years: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Favors topic 12:
Immigration helps our economy-encourage it
(7 points on Economic scale)
Allow non-US natives to run for President: Favors topic 12
YES on limit welfare for immigrants: Strongly Opposes topic 12
YES on visas for skilled workers: Favors topic 12
YES on allowing more foreign workers into the U.S. for farm work: Favors topic 12
Strongly Favors topic 13:
Support & expand free trade
(10 points on Economic scale)
No economic protectionism; but level the playing field: Strongly Favors topic 13
Free & fair trade is key to economic growth : Strongly Favors topic 13
Rated 42% by CATO, indicating a mixed record on trade issues: Neutral on topic 13
YES on Unknown roll call for 1997-292: Favors topic 13
YES on renewing 'fast track' presidential trade authority: Favors topic 13
YES on expanding trade to the third world: Favors topic 13
YES on removing common goods from national security export rules: Favors topic 13
YES on extending free trade to Andean nations: Strongly Favors topic 13
YES on establishing a free trade agreement between US & Singapore: Favors topic 13
YES on establishing a free trade agreement between the US and Chile: Favors topic 13
Opposes topic 14:
Link human rights to trade with China
(7 points on Social scale)
Quick vote on PNTR; China into WTO: Strongly Favors topic 14
YES on killing a bill for trade sanctions if China sells weapons: Opposes topic 14
YES on permanent normal trade relations with China: Strongly Opposes topic 14
YES on granting normal trade relations status to Vietnam: Opposes topic 14
Favors topic 15:
More spending on armed forces
(2 points on Economic scale)
Yes, $87B to protect troops; Hell no, $87B to protect profit: Favors topic 15
Rated 0% by SANE, indicating a pro-military voting record: Strongly Favors topic 15
NO on 1996 Defense Appropriations: Opposes topic 15
YES on favoring 36 vetoed military projects: Strongly Favors topic 15
NO on allowing another round of military base closures: Favors topic 15
NO on military pay raise of 4.8%: Strongly Opposes topic 15
No opinion on topic 16:
Reduce spending on missile defense (Star Wars)
(5 points on Economic scale)
NO on considering deploying NMD, and amending ABM Treaty: Favors topic 16
NO on deploying missile defense as soon as possible: Favors topic 16
YES on cutting nuclear weapons below START levels: Opposes topic 16
YES on adopting the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty: Favors topic 16
YES on deploying National Missile Defense ASAP: Strongly Opposes topic 16
Favors topic 17:
Seek UN approval for military action
(2 points on Economic scale)
More foreign languages courses and exchange students: Favors topic 17
NO on limiting NATO expansion to only Poland, Hungary & Czech: Favors topic 17
YES on $17.9 billion to IMF: Favors topic 17
NO on cap foreign aid at only $12.7 billion: Favors topic 17
YES on authorizing air strikes in Kosovo: Neutral topic 17
NO on allowing all necessary forces and other means in Kosovo: Neutral topic 17
YES on enlarging NATO to include Eastern Europe: Strongly Favors topic 17
Favors topic 18:
Reduce use of coal, oil, & nuclear energy
(2 points on Economic scale)
Wean our dependence from foreign oil: Favors topic 18
Pledges to be most pro-environment president ever: Strongly Favors topic 18
Keep climate change in EPA "State of the Environment" report: Favors topic 18
Rated 68% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes: Strongly Favors topic 18
Keep efficient air conditioner rule to conserve energy: Strongly Favors topic 18
NO on do not require ethanol in gasoline: Favors topic 18
YES on reducing funds for road-building in National Forests: Favors topic 18
YES on defunding renewable and solar energy: Strongly Opposes topic 18
YES on ending discussion of CAFE fuel efficiency standards: Opposes topic 18
NO on preserving budget for ANWR oil drilling: Favors topic 18
YES on confirming Gale Norton as Secretary of Interior: Opposes topic 18
NO on terminating CAFE standards within 15 months: Strongly Favors topic 18
YES on targeting 100,000 hydrogen-powered vehicles by 2010: Strongly Favors topic 18
YES on removing consideration of drilling ANWR from budget bill: Favors topic 18
No opinion on topic 19:
Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it
(5 points on Social scale)
YES on spending international development funds on drug control: Strongly Favors topic 19
NO on more penalties for gun & drug violations: Opposes topic 19
NO on increasing penalties for drug offenses: Opposes topic 19
No opinion on topic 20:
Allow churches to provide welfare services
(5 points on Social scale)
YES on welfare overhaul: Favors topic 20
NO on allowing state welfare waivers: Opposes topic 20
YES on eliminating block grants for food stamps: Opposes topic 20
YES on welfare block grants: Favors topic 20

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John Edwards
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Democratic Primaries:
Carol Moseley Braun
Wesley Clark
Howard Dean
Dick Gephardt
Bob Graham
Dennis Kucinich
Joe Lieberman
Al Sharpton
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families/Children
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Infrastructure/Technology
Jobs
Principles/Values
Social Security
Tax Reform
War/Iraq/Mideast
Welfare/Poverty