| OnTheIssues.org excerpts: (click on issues for details)
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Abortion
Al Gore: Abortion question is for women, not government or president.
Al Gore: Position on federal funding of abortion has “evolved”.
Al Gore: Wrote in 1984 that “abortion is arguably taking a life.”.
Al Gore: Bush’s “strict constuctionism” is like slavery’s 3/5ths rule.
Alan Keyes: Not OK to kill child of 6; not OK to kill child in the womb.
Deval Patrick: Decisions on abortion should be made by women.
George W. Bush: States should decide abortion issue; not Roe v. Wade.
George W. Bush: GOP should keep plank to ban all abortions.
Howard Dean: Favors abortion rights.
John McCain: Supports fetal tissue research; against over-intensity.
John McCain: Feds involved because fed money is used for abortions.
John McCain: Overturn Roe v. Wade, but keep incest & rape exceptions.
John McCain: Prosecute abortion doctors, not women who get them.
Kerry Healey: Favors embryonic stem cell research.
Steve Forbes: Personally opposed; but limit legal restrictions.
Steve Forbes: Would require his minor daughter to carry child to term.
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Budget & Economy
Bill Bradley: Don’t raise taxes during economic downturns.
Donald Trump: Predicts 35% boost to economy from eliminating national debt.
Howard Dean: Fiscally to the right of "borrow-and-spend" Bush.
Kerry Healey: Work cooperatively with legislature on economic stimulus.
Martha Coakley: Economic system spiraling out of control; go after Wall St.
Mitt Romney: Will cut deficit and help Americans save.
Shannon O'Brien: Accused of mismanagement of Abandoned Property account.
Stephen Pagliuca: Managing director at Bain Capital; trained as accountant.
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Civil Rights
Al Gore: End racial profiling.
Al Gore: Affirmative action still needed - continue the fight.
Alan Keyes: Our rights come from God, not from the Constitution.
Alan Keyes: HIV workshop violates parents who think gay is immoral.
Bill Bradley: Race relations solution: Talk & be vulnerable.
Bill Bradley: Opposed to same-sex marriages, but won’t ban them.
Harriet Miers: Pledged to be ‘inclusive of women and minorities'.
Deval Patrick: Supports equal marriage rights for gays.
Deval Patrick: Former civil rights prosecutor under President Clinton.
Dick Cheney: Voted that US civil rights laws not apply to South Africa.
Dick Cheney: Stopped military academies from banning gays.
Harriet Miers: Poor, elderly, and disabled are under-represented.
Howard Dean: Supported civil unions for same-sex couples.
John McCain: Career-long history of supporting Indian causes.
Joseph Lieberman: Supports affirmative action now; but phase it out by 2010.
Joseph Lieberman: Affirmative action is "patently unfair", in 1995.
Kerry Healey: Ban gay marriage, but not in GOP party platform.
Mitt Romney: Sexual orientation should not preclude being a Scout.
Mitt Romney: Put gay marriage ban into GOP party platform.
Rev. Jesse Jackson: Black disenfranchisement part of Civil Rights movement.
Tom Reilly: Opposed gay marriage but now supports it.
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Corporations
Ralph Nader: Shift power from corporations to consumers.
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Crime
Howard Dean: Supports death penalty for terrorism.
Mitt Romney: Safe streets will be a campaign theme.
Mitt Romney: Will bring new businesses to urban areas.
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Drugs
Al Gore: Decrease disparities in punishing crack vs. powder cocaine.
Al Gore: Loosen restrictions on medical marijuana.
Al Gore: Tougher drug policies; fight drugs in Colombia.
Bill Bradley: Candidate drug use matters; admits pot but no cocaine.
Bill Bradley: More funds for drug treatment; tackle demand, not supply.
George W. Bush: Identifies with former addicts based on former alcoholism.
George W. Bush: Supports military package to Colombia to fight drug supply.
George W. Bush: Stronger penalties for first time cocaine possession.
John McCain: Administration is AWOL on the war on drugs.
Ralph Nader: Treat hemp like poppy seeds, not like heroin.
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Education
Al Gore: $5B/year for universal preschool for 3- & 4-year-olds.
Al Gore: $176B over 10 years for pre-school, special ed, & more.
Al Gore: No experimental vouchers.
Al Gore: Lieberman experiments with vouchers; Bush destroys with them.
Al Gore: Spend resources rebuilding public schools.
Bill Bradley: $400M per year for community colleges for tech & jobs.
Bill Bradley: $200 per month stipends to elderly mentors.
Chris Gabrieli: More charter schools and individual merit pay.
Chris Gabrieli: Supports charter schools and calls them successful.
Christy Mihos: Supports charters, but keep the cap for now.
Deval Patrick: Cap charter schools until funding formulas improved.
Deval Patrick: Supports unionized Horace Mann charter over regular charters.
Deval Patrick: Supports MCAS but would add a science test and other tests.
George W. Bush: Focus on responsibility and parents, not on federal spending.
George W. Bush: $25B over 10 years for reading, Pell Grants, & charters.
George W. Bush: TX test score improvements not reflected on national tests.
Howard Dean: Supported Act 60's controversial statewide education fund.
Kerry Healey: No in-state tuition break for illegal immigrants.
Kerry Healey: Raise mandatory age to 18 with incentives to stay in school.
Kerry Healey: Higher percent of spending in classrooms & teachers.
Kerry Healey: Strong backer of more charter schools.
Ralph Nader: Abandon standardized testing; focus on teaching civic skills.
Tom Reilly: Supports charter schools and MCAS testing.
Tom Reilly: More charter schools and individual merit pay.
Tom Reilly: Supports charter schools in districts with low test scores.
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Energy & Oil
Al Gore: For Kyoto; for national parks; against drilling ANWR.
Al Gore: Press gives credit to discredited ideas in name of fairness.
Dick Cheney: Sued in Supreme Court for keeping energy policy secret.
George W. Bush: Against Kyoto & national monuments; for drilling ANWR.
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Environment
Al Gore: Texas is the smoggiest state with the smoggiest city in US.
Al Gore: Continue & do more cleanup of Great Lakes.
Al Gore: No logging in roadless forests; protect 40M acres.
Bill Bradley: 2-year effort in 1990 changed CA water allocations.
George W. Bush: Weaken Clean Air; no comment on Clean Water.
Joseph Lieberman: Texas is last in social programs; but first in pollution.
Mitt Romney: Clean environment will be a campaign theme.
Pat Buchanan: Celebrating Earth Day is like worshiping dirt.
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Families & Children
Al Gore: Parental Responsibility Accounts: dads pay kids, not welfare.
Bill Bradley: $2B per year for “Smart Start” preschool program.
Bill Bradley: Expand Family Leave laws.
Kerry Healey: Teach abstinence as part of comprehensive sex ed.
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Foreign Policy
Alan Keyes: Panama Canal: Keep US in; keep China Out.
Dick Cheney: Voted to support foreign aid programs.
Gary Bauer: Abolish the IMF.
George W. Bush: Focus on Big Three: Russia, China, & India.
George W. Bush: Puerto Rico: Back statehood if majority votes for it.
John McCain: IMF's Russia policies bad, but agency is OK.
Pat Buchanan: Push US foreign policy toward isolationism.
Steve Forbes: IMF made Asian crisis worse.
Steve Forbes: IMF & USAID create economic crises by hiding risk.
Steve Grossman: Former chair of pro-Israel lobby continues strong support.
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Free Trade
Al Gore: Make trade work for working families.
Bill Bradley: More truck inspectors at Mexican border, within NAFTA.
Pat Buchanan: More import tariffs: 10% on Japan; 20% on China.
Pat Buchanan: Globalists are wrong; dumping destroys towns.
Pat Buchanan: Supporting WTO is a march into captivity.
Ralph Nader: Renegotiate NAFTA & WTO "as if human beings mattered".
Steve Forbes: Hopes for WTO as worldwide arbiter & lowering barriers.
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Government Reform
Al Gore: Puerto Rico: Back statehood if majority votes for it.
Al Gore: Pledges to add not one new federal position.
Alan Keyes: Wife Jocelyn’s issues: anti-poverty & anti-abortion.
Dick Cheney: Accused in 1992 House banking scandal.
Gary Bauer: Wife Carol would promote traditional women's roles.
George W. Bush: Wife Laura's issues would be education & literacy.
Harriet Miers: Calls for more volunteer legal aid work.
Hillary Clinton: Whitewater investigation ends; Hillary questions $52M spent.
Howard Dean: First Democrat to opt out of campaign finance system.
Jim Ogonowski: Kerry is an out-of-touch insider; Washington is broken.
John McCain: Wife Cindy sees First Lady's role as hostess.
Steve Forbes: Wife Sabina's agenda would be children.
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Gun Control
Alan Keyes: Teach high school students to use guns.
Bill Bradley: Stand up to the NRA.
Howard Dean: No more federal gun laws; leave them to states.
Rudy Giuliani: All gun owners should pass written test.
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Health Care
Al Gore: Incrementally fix lack of health care access.
Al Gore: Aims to insure 15 million uninsured.
Al Gore: No neat & simple approach - must go step-by-step.
Al Gore: $110B for Medicare prescriptions & teaching hospitals.
Al Gore: Cap senior prescription costs at $4,000 per year.
Al Gore: $253B for Medicare prescriptions & subsidized premiums.
Bill Bradley: $650B over 10 yrs for children’s mandatory health insurance.
Bill Bradley: Refuses to rule out tax hike for health plan.
Bill Bradley: “Outrageous scare tactics” on Medicare’s HIV treatment.
Chris Gabrieli: Raise employer uninsured healthcare assessment above $295.
Deval Patrick: Supports employer uninsured healthcare assessment, plus more.
George W. Bush: Cap senior prescription costs at $6,000 per year.
George W. Bush: $158B for Medicare prescriptions & subsidized premiums.
Howard Dean: Patient Bill of Rights is hot air: get people insured.
Howard Dean: Full access first, then tackle reform afterwards.
Steve Grossman: Advocates bulk purchasing of medication to reduce prices.
Steve Grossman: Commit to public school teaching in exchange for scholarship.
Tom Reilly: Opposes $295/yr employer fee for uninsured employees.
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Homeland Security
Al Gore: Test Ban Treaty is the tide of history; ratify it.
Al Gore: 20-year history of supporting comprehensive arms control.
Bill Bradley: Let gays serve openly in military.
Jim Ogonowski: His brother, an airline pilot, killed on Sept. 11, 2001.
John McCain: Rogue State Rollback: actively support resistance fighters.
John McCain: Terminate C-130, B-2, and Seawolf; use funds to modernize.
John McCain: Politicians keep unneeded bases open for political purposes.
Ralph Nader: Deter wars by being attuned abroad.
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Immigration
Jim Ogonowski: Vows to fight illegal immigration.
Kerry Healey: A nation of immigrants, but also a nation of laws.
Niki Tsongas: Supports undocumented immigrants earning citizenship.
Pat Buchanan: Most pressing foreign policy crisis: illegal immigration.
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Jobs
Al Gore: Add $1 to minimum wage; add earned-income credits.
Al Gore: Save the family farm.
Ralph Nader: Repeal Taft-Hartley; strengthen unions.
Robert Reich: Prodded Clinton on minimum wage & corporate welfare.
Stephen Pagliuca: 10% unemployment is totally unacceptable.
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Principles & Values
Alan Khazei: Would take a "big citizenship" approach to Washington.
Bill Bradley: Stick to ideals & stay above the fray of a “broken” system.
Bill Bradley: Factory town upbringing permeates campaign imagery.
Bill Bradley: Theme of campaign is racial unity.
Bill Bradley: Don’t settle for anything but big solutions.
Bill Bradley: No nickel-and-diming, no nibbling around the edges.
Bob Smith: Most reliable Republican in Senate, despite resigning GOP.
Bob Smith: Smith quit because GOP was hostile to his activist causes.
Christy Mihos: “Game on”, but maybe as Republican or maybe independent.
Deval Patrick: Galvin withdraws; it’s head-to-head against Tom Reilly.
Deval Patrick: Galvin withdraws; it’s head-to-head against Tom Reilly.
Deval Patrick: Patrick wins first test at caucuses, by 2-1 margin.
Dick Cheney: One of the most conservative voting records in Congress.
George Bush Sr.: It's an emotional roller-coaster; Gore's a sore loser.
George W. Bush: Favorites: PB&J, tacos, Winston Churchill, kissing Laura.
Howard Dean: Distrusts political extremism & ideologues.
Howard Dean: Turned to medicine and politics after family tragedy.
Jane Swift: First sitting governor to give birth.
John Kerry: Last nominee to get 2nd chance was Adlai Stevenson in 1956.
Kerry Healey: Focus on giving voters a meaningful choice.
Martha Coakley: Considers herself a liberal, but look at the record.
Michael Capuano: Proud to say I'm a liberal.
Pat Buchanan: Yes, a "Christian nation," not "Judeo-Christian" principles.
Ralph Nader: Experience to run government comes from suing most agencies.
Robert Reich: Calling Democrats "dead" meant to stimulate debate.
Robert Reich: Pro-economic growth progressive.
Shannon O'Brien: Spouse resigns as lobbyist, to avoid conflict of interest.
Steve Forbes: Withdraws, saying "money well spent".
Steve Grossman: All deserve equal opportunity to benefit from hard work.
Tom Reilly: Conte case: Reilly wanted to spare family, not cover up.
Tom Reilly: Conte case: Reilly wanted to spare family, not cover up.
Tom Reilly: Galvin withdraws; it's head-to-head against Deval Patrick.
Tom Reilly: Galvin withdraws; it's head-to-head against Deval Patrick.
Tom Reilly: Built $4M warchest from those doing business with AG office.
Tom Reilly: Built $4M warchest from those doing business with AG office.
Tom Reilly: Running mate withdraws due to troubled personal finances.
Tom Reilly: Appeals to centrist voters and blue-collar workers.
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Social Security
Al Gore: No privatization; no increase in retirement age.
Gary Bauer: Cut Soc.Sec. taxes AND benefits by 20%.
Ralph Nader: Social Security is solid; pending bankruptcy is nonsense.
Shannon O'Brien: Swift's pension plan would cost an extra $8 billion.
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Tax Reform
Bill Bradley: Honesty compels avoiding ‘no new taxes’ pledge.
Bill Bradley: Allied with Reagan to pass 1986 tax overhaul.
Christy Mihos: Set aside 40% of state revenue for local aid.
Deval Patrick: Restore local aid so towns can cut property taxes.
Deval Patrick: Supports local meals tax and local-option taxes.
Donald Trump: One-time 14.25% tax on wealth, to erase national debt.
Donald Trump: Tax assets over $10 million, paid over 10 years.
Gary Bauer: 20% cut in Soc.Sec. tax; raise business tax to compensate.
Gary Bauer: Taxes today are higher than in WWII, Middle Ages, or Bible.
Gary Bauer: Deduct charity & mortgage; cut capital gains & estate taxes.
George W. Bush: Keep charitable deduction as incentive for giving.
Howard Dean: Bush tax cuts were hooey; don't trust GOP with our money.
Jim Ogonowski: Make Bush tax cuts permanent.
John McCain: Remove charitable deduction; it only benefits rich.
John McCain: Big money interests fear closing loopholes.
Kerry Healey: More local aid, to keep property taxes low.
Kerry Healey: Opposes local meals tax and local-option taxes.
Ralph Nader: Put meat in the process of progressive taxation.
Steve Grossman: Supports income tax rollback.
Steve Grossman: Fund health care with greater cigarette tax.
Tom Reilly: Lift lottery fund cap to increase local aid.
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Technology
Christy Mihos: Sell naming rights to Big Dig bridge.
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War & Peace
Bill Bradley: Should have foreseen & prevented Yugoslav actions.
George W. Bush: No deadline for removing troops from Kosovo.
John Kerry: Kerry's C.O. says Kerry deserved his Silver Star?
John Kerry: Man Kerry rescued says Kerry deserved his Bronze Star.
John Kerry: Regrets nothing more that his 2002 vote for Iraq War.
Niki Tsongas: War costs $15 million an hour; time to change course.
Pat Buchanan: Endorses Arafat as Palestine Pres., despite "repulsiveness".
Pat Buchanan: Kuwait: Predicted a "Korea-style bloodbath".
Ralph Nader: Wage peace and anticipate conflicts abroad.
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Welfare & Poverty
Bill Bradley: Fundamental changes in welfare law needed.
Bill Bradley: Economy, not laws, changed welfare stats.
Bill Bradley: Opposed 1996 Welfare Reform; now “wait & see” how it’s used.
Dick Cheney: Voted against WIC welfare nutrition programs.
Dick Cheney: Bush’s call for charity not heeded by Cheney’s 2% donations.
George W. Bush: Remove tax "tollbooths" for poor single moms.
George W. Bush: "No-strings" vouchers for religious groups to do charity.
Kerry Healey: Faith-based organizations ok for providing social services.
Pat Buchanan: Corporations are "amoral behemoths".
Ralph Nader: Domestic Marshall Plan to abolish poverty.
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