Martha Coakley on VoteMatch

VoteMatch Responses (Click here for VoteMatch quiz)
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 unrestricted right (+5 points on Social scale)	AdWatch: Brown denied contraception to rape victims: Favors topic 1 Helped minors get court orders without parental consent: Strongly Favors topic 1 Partial-birth ban needs exceptions for maternal health: Strongly Favors topic 1 Require health insurance to cover abortion: Strongly Favors topic 1 Steadfast champion of Roe v. Wade: Strongly Favors topic 1 Streamline approval process for stem cell research: Favors topic 1 Supported 35-foot buffer zone at abortion clinics: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Restore the Age Discrimination in Employment Act: Favors topic 2 End discrimination on basis of race, gender, and disability: Strongly Favors topic 2 More women should take active role in policy discussions: Favors topic 2 Penalize racially-motivated crime as civil rights violation: Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+5 points on Social scale)	Repeal DOMA: full rights for same-sex couples: Strongly Favors topic 3 Anti-gay hate crimes devastate victims & communities: Favors topic 3 Federal DOMA violates rights of same-sex couples: Strongly Favors topic 3 Federal DOMA violates rights of same-sex couples: Strongly Favors topic 3
No opinion on topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (-5 points on Economic scale)	System is broken and needs to be fixed now: Strongly Favors topic 5 Individual mandate with public insurance option: Strongly Favors topic 5 Expand coverage; improve quality; reduce costs: Strongly Favors topic 5 Pushed Pfizer to pay $15M for Medicare fraud: Favors topic 5 Require drug manufacturers to disclose risks: Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Safety net of Social Security is more important than ever: Opposes topic 6 Safety net of Social Security is more important than eve: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (-5 points on Economic scale)	Supports well-funded public education system: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Supports well-funded public education system: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Concerned about financial impact of charter schools: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+5 points on Social scale)	Reduce burdensome lobster fishing regulations: Favors topic 8 Supports commuter rail for the South Coast: Opposes topic 8 Develop large scale utility-backed solar power projects: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Greenhouse gases are pollutants that threaten public health: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Endangered Species Act should consider greenhouse gas effect: Strongly Opposes topic 8
Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-3 points on Social scale)	Supports seeking federal death penalty for Marathon Bomber: Strongly Favors topic 9 Lobbied hard to keep Gerald Amirault in prison: Strongly Favors topic 9 Mandatory prosecution of restraining order violations: Favors topic 9 Opposes death penalty, but federal death penalty ok: Opposes topic 9 Limit Supreme Court review of state death penalty conviction: Favors topic 9 Signed death penalty brief with 15 death penalty states: Favors topic 9 Supported death penalty for cop killers, but now opposes it: Strongly Favors topic 9 Criminal defense lawyer before switching to prosecution: Opposes topic 9 As Middlesex DA, passionate advocate for public safety: Strongly Favors topic 9 Victim-centered prosecution of crimes against children: Favors topic 9 Served public for 20 years as District Attorney then AG: Favors topic 9 Enhanced DNA analysis in police Crime Labs: Favors topic 9 Prosecuted identity theft cases: Favors topic 9 Prosecuted minimum wage and child labor violations: Favors topic 9 Enhance victim compensation assistance: Favors topic 9
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-3 points on Economic scale)	Anti-gun rights: Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Bush tax cuts favor wealthy Americans: Strongly Favors topic 11 AdWatch: Get taxes up from more employment, not tax increase: Favors topic 11 Extend Bush tax cuts for the lowest four tax brackets: Strongly Favors topic 11 Some taxes are investments like for infrastructure & schools: Favors topic 11 Consider a war tax to pay for Afghanistan surge: Favors topic 11
Favors topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (+2 points on Social scale)	Opposed Real ID law; it just creates a market for fake IDs: Favors topic 12 Opposed services for illegal immigrants; now supports them: Favors topic 12 End purgatorial status quo with penalties then citizenship: Favors topic 12
No opinion on topic 13: Support & expand free trade (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
No opinion on topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-3 points on Social scale)	Help veterans receive the benefits they deserve: Favors topic 15
Opposes topic 16: Make voter registration easier (-3 points on Social scale)	Fined for violating campaign finance laws: Opposes topic 16 Paid $17,000 fine for using state vehicle for campaigning: Opposes topic 16 Enhance Super PAC donor disclosure and boost donation limits: Favors topic 16 Promises to disavow super PAC money even if rivals don't: Favors topic 16 Current FEC reporting on donors & meetings is enough: Opposes topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (+5 points on Social scale)	Bring troops home from Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 17 Focus efforts where terrorists are, not Afghanistan: Favors topic 17 End the war in Iraq by 2011: Strongly Favors topic 17
Strongly Favors topic 18: Prioritize green energy (-5 points on Economic scale)	Supports raising gas tax from 10 cents (actually 24 cents): Favors topic 18 Supports cap-and-trade, but not a carbon tax: Favors topic 18 Supports national cap-and-trade system, plus renewables: Strongly Favors topic 18 National cap-and-trade market-based CO2 reduction: Strongly Favors topic 18 Spent nuclear fuel is subject to terrorist attack: Favors topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-5 points on Social scale)	Deport illegal aliens who are drug dealers: Favors topic 19 Prosecuted marijuana case for growing 100 lbs hydroponically: Strongly Favors topic 19 Prosecuted cocaine trafficking cases: Favors topic 19
Strongly Favors topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (-5 points on Economic scale)	Economic system spiraling out of control; go after Wall St.: Strongly Favors topic 20