Columns and news articles distributed by the Associated Press, 2000-2009


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

Abortion     George W. Bush: No funds to international groups that offer abortion.     Rick Lazio: No funding for abortion; but don’t criminalize it.     Donald Trump: Favors abortion rights but respects opposition.     Orrin Hatch: No litmus tests: no one issue should define appointments.     Gary Bauer: Cut funding for Planned Parenthood.     Dan Quayle: Overturn Roe v. Wade; litmus test for appointments.     George W. Bush: Would support - but not pursue - a pro-life Amendment.     John McCain: Nominate justices based on experience, and values.     Lamar Alexander: Supreme Court should interpret Constitution literally.     Steve Forbes: Supports litmus test for Supreme Court appointments.

Budget & Economy     John Neely Kennedy: Be concerned about economy, but not scared.     Mary Landrieu: Opposed $700 billion bailout; not enough taxpayer safeguards.     Jeff Sessions: Bailout well-intentioned, but too much federal intervention.     Vivian Davis Figures: GOP turned nation from surplus to deficit, and jobs get lost.

Civil Rights     Hillary Clinton: Pushing for privacy bill of rights.     Rudy Giuliani: Anti-Catholic art is disgusting; appoints decency council.     George W. Bush: Affirmative access means a fair shot for everyone.     Orrin Hatch: Gays support Democrats, but no intolerance.     Orrin Hatch: Homosexuality is contrary to the Bible, but no intolerance.     George W. Bush: English-plus, not English-only.     John McCain: Indian gambling OK; lottery is not.     Gary Bauer: The law recognizes and encourages heterosexuality.     Gary Bauer: Restrict the ‘addictive blight’ of legalized gambling.     George W. Bush: Reach out to minorities, but without quotas.

Corporations     John Neely Kennedy: Disallow bank getting so big that its failure wrecks economy.

Crime     Al Gore: Use DNA techniques to make death penalty more fair.     George W. Bush: 134 Texas executions are “fair and just”.

Drugs     Doris Haddock: Penalize marijuana use with fines rather than prison time.     Judd Gregg: Marijuana should not be legalized for medical use.

Education     Brad Carson: Support the lottery proposal to fund education.     Al Gore: Claimed $10,000 tuition tax cut worth $800 over current plan.     Al Gore: Overempasized restrictions of Bush’s education plan.     Al Gore: Supports Goals 2000 & standards-based movement.     Bill Bradley: Measure performance; close lowest-performing schools.     George W. Bush: Freedom & flexibility in return for high standards & results.     John McCain: Against nationally imposed standards & funding strings.     John McCain: Enlist retirees for tutoring.     John McCain: $5B program for 3-year test of school vouchers.     Gary Bauer: Vouchers for home-schooling as well as private schools.     George W. Bush: More state and local control over education.     John McCain: Internet access, with filters, at every school & library.     John McCain: Merit pay & competency testing for teachers.     John McCain: Tax-funded vouchers for private schools or charter schools.

Energy & Oil     Mary Landrieu: Proud of expanding oil drilling in the Gulf of Mexico.     Jeff Sessions: Surge in gas prices sucks out American wealth.     Vivian Davis Figures: High gas prices make it harder to make ends meet.     Al Gore: Renewable energy instead of nuclear power.     George W. Bush: Clarify rules to allow for more nuclear power generation.     George W. Bush: Make Amtrak more efficient and competitive.     Al Gore: $150B Energy Security and Environment Trust Fund.     George W. Bush: Remove federal impediments to states’ clean energy.

Environment     John Neely Kennedy: Wetlands will wash away before 2017 coastal protection.     Al Gore: Major commitment to build high-speed Amtrak rail systems.

Families & Children     Al Gore: Fiscal discipline helps single people as well as families.     George W. Bush: Tax cut plan helps single people as well as families.     Al Gore: Abstinence Ed in the context of comprehensive Sex Ed.     Dan Quayle: TV causes problems facing American families.

Foreign Policy     Al Gore: Vietnam: Trade will improve human rights & help with MIAs.     George W. Bush: Vietnam: Trade better for human rights than sanctions.     Steve Forbes: Russia: We spent billions to support a corrupt elite.     Steve Forbes: Russia: No aid to kleptocrats until they pay workers.     Steve Forbes: Do not permit use of force in Taiwan or Tibet.     Dan Quayle: We must face China as our biggest challenge.

Free Trade     Al Gore: More Latin American trade, with labor & enviro protections.     George W. Bush: Add Chile, Brazil, Argentina, & others to NAFTA.     Donald Trump: World views US trade officials as ‘saps’.     Pat Buchanan: Tariffs on wheat imports to equalize costs & protect farms.

Government Reform     John Neely Kennedy: No pay-for-play; campaign contributions notwithstanding.     Mary Landrieu: I have delivered for Louisiana; send me back for more.     Orrin Hatch: Soft money gets out the vote; against banning it.     Orrin Hatch: Soft money is free speech; daily disclosure is better.     Steve Forbes: Independent outsider is the way to reform campaigns.     Elizabeth Dole: Judicial appoinments: No legislating from the bench.     George W. Bush: Judges should interpret Constitution, not legislate.     Lamar Alexander: Supreme Court should interpret Constitution literally.

Gun Control     Rick Lazio: For Brady Bill & trigger locks; no fans at NRA.     John McCain: Ban cheap guns; require safety locks; for gun show checks.     Orrin Hatch: Trigger locks, gun show restrictions, import restrictions.     Dan Quayle: Enforce existing gun laws before making new ones.

Health Care     Al Gore: Claim that drugmakers spend more on ads than R&D isn’t true.     Al Gore: Opposes Medical Savings Accounts; they segment out the sick.     George W. Bush: Medical Savings Accounts part of affordable access & choice.     John Hagelin: 80% reimbursement for Medicare prescriptions.     John Hagelin: 100% reimbursement for preventive health care.     Ralph Nader: Medicare prescriptions covered under universal health care.     Ralph Nader: Price restraints on drugs; limit profiteering.     George W. Bush: Use Texas model for Bill of Rights: access; choice; appeals.     Joseph Lieberman: Patient Bill of Rights: access; choice; privacy; appeals.     Al Gore: Expand Children’s Health Insurance Program for working poor.     Al Gore: 25% tax credit for health insurance; HMO appeals.     Al Gore: Medicare option at age 55; more Rx coverage.     George W. Bush: HMOs should cover emergency room; & gynecology directly.     Orrin Hatch: Reform Medicare by medical experts; more tax incentives.     Steve Forbes: More Rx support, to avoid cross-border drug buying.

Homeland Security     Al Gore: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is unfair & hasn’t worked.     George W. Bush: Gays in military OK; “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” OK.     John Hagelin: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is a recipe for discrimination.     Ralph Nader: Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is discriminatory against gays.     Steve Forbes: Under-funded military not ready to handle conflicts.     John McCain: Raise military pay to avoid military draft.     John McCain: Military personnel on food stamps is a national disgrace.     John McCain: Feds should pay for veterans’ health care benefits.

Immigration     Bill Frist: Crafted bipartisan compromise immigration bill.     Jesse Helms: Work with new Mexican government to reduce immigration.     Al Gore: English is our language, but “English-Only” divides us.     George W. Bush: Respect other languages, but teach all children English.     Pat Buchanan: Make English our official language.     Steve Forbes: Toughen rules on illegal immigration.     George W. Bush: Guest workers, maybe; citizenship waiting period, yes.

Jobs     Al Gore: Kill Freedom to Farm Act: keep price supports.     George W. Bush: Keep Freedom to Farm Act: cut price supports.     Al Gore: To union: we disagree on China; but agree elsewhere.     Donald Trump: Foreign companies are taking jobs from US.     Elizabeth Dole: Tax breaks & financial aid for farmers.     John McCain: Ethanol subsidy is outdated; use funds for education.

Principles & Values     Chris Christie: Spent beyond government travel allowance as US Attorney.     John Neely Kennedy: Ran for US Senate in 2004 as Democrat; & endorsed John Kerry.     Joseph Lieberman: Endorses Republican John McCain for President.     Tom Vilsack: Launches presidential bid; files FEC paperwork.     Dick Mountjoy: Mistakenly claimed navy service on USS Missouri.     Katherine Harris: Separation of church and state is a lie.     Katherine Harris: Non-Christian legislators legislate sin, like gay marriage.     Christy Mihos: “Game on”, but maybe as Republican or maybe independent.     Al Gore: Abstinence Ed in the context of comprehensive Sex Ed.     Ralph Nader: Plans to be on 50 ballots & make a 4-party race.     Ralph Nader: Opposes concentration of power & monied interests.     Elizabeth Dole: Crusade for a rebirth of our values.

Social Security     Tom Coburn: Black men are being penalized by the Social Security system.     Steve Forbes: Use surplus to fund personal retirement accounts.     Dan Quayle: 30% privately invested won’t affect Social Security system.

Tax Reform     John Neely Kennedy: Cut taxes & stop deficit-spending, to fight economic crisis.     Jeff Sessions: Bush tax cuts have helped the economy.     George W. Bush: Claim that every taxpayer gets relief isn’t true.     Orrin Hatch: Simplify the “IRS monster”.

Technology     Al Gore: Electronic Bill of Rights protects personal information.     Al Gore: Internet self-regulation OK: privacy policy on all web sites.     George W. Bush: Privacy is a fundamental right; ensure it on the Internet.     George W. Bush: Privacy is a fundamental right; ensure it on the Internet.     George W. Bush: Ban identity theft & safeguard genetic information.     Al Gore: Online federal services: a “second American Revolution”.     Al Gore: Unhealthy concentrations of power snuff out competition.     George W. Bush: Bush would be more friendly toward Microsoft.     George W. Bush: Make the Internet a duty-free zone.     John McCain: Internet access, with filters, at every school & library.

War & Peace     Jeff Sessions: Pleased with the success of the surge.     Jeff Sessions: Withdrawal timetable tells enemy when to prepare an attack.     Vivian Davis Figures: Bush sent troops to war on erroneous claims.     Vivian Davis Figures: Mideast less stable than before we invaded Iraq.     Doris Haddock: Iraq war was a mistake that never should have happened.     Wesley Clark: Retracts yes vote on Iraq: no imminent threat.     Hillary Clinton: Support Israel in finding a safe and secure peace.     Rick Lazio: Follow Israel’s lead on independent Palestine.     Pat Buchanan: Kosovo conflict is illegal and unconstitutional.

Click for quotations from other sources by: Al Gore Democrat Bill Bradley Democratic Senator (Former) New Jersey Bill Frist Republican Brad Carson 2004 former Democratic challenger; US Representative Oklahoma Chris Christie New Jersey N.J. Governor; Republican Presidential candidate Christy Mihos Former Independent Challenger 2006 Dan Quayle Dick Mountjoy Former Republican Senate Challenger (2006) California Donald Trump Republican Presidential incumbent Doris Haddock 2004 former Democratic challenger New Hampshire Elizabeth Dole North Carolina Former Cabinet Member (Labor Sec'y) and Senator Gary Bauer George W. Bush Republican Hillary Clinton Democratic Presidential candidate Jeff Sessions Alabama Attorney General 2017-2018 Jesse Helms Former Republican Senator North Carolina John Hagelin John McCain Republican John Neely Kennedy Louisiana Republican candidate for governor Joseph Lieberman Democrat Judd Gregg Republican Sr Senator (retiring 2010) New Hampshire Katherine Harris Republican challenger (2006); Former US Representative Florida Lamar Alexander Republican Sr Senator (retiring 2020) Tennessee Mary Landrieu Democratic Sr Senator Louisiana Orrin Hatch Republican Sr Senator (retiring 2018) Utah Pat Buchanan Reform Ralph Nader Green Rick Lazio Republican Candidate (Former) New York Rudy Giuliani New York Former Mayor of NYC Steve Forbes Tom Coburn Republican Jr Senator; previously Representative Oklahoma Tom Vilsack Iowa Former Democratic Governor (1994-2002); Cabinet Sec'y (USDA) Vivian Davis Figures Democratic Senate Challenger (2008); State Senator Alabama Wesley Clark Democrat