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 right (+5 points on Social scale)	I have a 100% voting record on abortion, unlike Gov. Crist: Strongly Favors topic 1 Rated 100% by NARAL, indicating a pro-choice voting record: Strongly Favors topic 1 Rated 9% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance: Strongly Favors topic 1 Opposes prohibiting human embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1 Supports federal abortion funding: Favors topic 1 Focus on preventing pregnancy, plus emergency contraception: Favors topic 1 NO on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother’s life: Strongly Favors topic 1 NO on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime: Favors topic 1 NO on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions: Strongly Favors topic 1 YES on allowing human embryonic stem cell research: Favors topic 1 YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines: Favors topic 1
Strongly Favors topic 2: Require hiring more women & minorities (-5 points on Economic scale)	Get minorities into home ownership & global marketplace: Favors topic 2 Ending racial profiling is part of fight for justice: Favors topic 2 Issue a commemorative postage stamp of Rosa Parks: Favors topic 2 Rated 94% by the NAACP, indicating a pro-affirmative-action stance: Strongly Favors topic 2 Re-introduce the Equal Rights Amendment: Strongly Favors topic 2 Ban discriminatory compensation; allow 2 years to sue: Favors topic 2 Honor the 100th anniversary of the NAACP: Favors topic 2 YES on $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges: Strongly Favors topic 2
Strongly Favors topic 3: Same-sex domestic partnership benefits (+5 points on Social scale)	Increase funding for AIDS treatment & prevention: Favors topic 3 Rated 100% by the HRC, indicating a pro-gay-rights stance: Strongly Favors topic 3 ENDA: prohibit employment discrimination for gays: Favors topic 3 Supports Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA): Favors topic 3 Repeal Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell, and reinstate discharged gays: Favors topic 3 NO on Constitutionally defining marriage as one-man-one-woman: Strongly Favors topic 3 YES on prohibiting job discrimination based on sexual orientation: Strongly Favors topic 3 YES on enforcing against anti-gay hate crimes: Favors topic 3
Opposes topic 4: Teacher-led prayer in public schools (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated 10% by the Christian Coalition: an anti-family voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 4 Rated 81% by the AU, indicating support of church-state separation: Strongly Opposes topic 4 Sex Ed including both abstinence and contraception: Opposes topic 4 YES on constitutional amendment prohibiting flag desecration: Favors topic 4 NO on protecting the Pledge of Allegiance: Opposes topic 4
Neutral on topic 8: Death Penalty (0 points on Social scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Opposes topic 9: Mandatory Three Strikes sentencing laws (+2 points on Social scale)	YES on expanding services for offendors' re-entry into society: Opposes topic 9
Strongly Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-5 points on Economic scale)	Rated D by the NRA, indicating a pro-gun control voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on prohibiting suing gunmakers & sellers for gun misuse: Strongly Opposes topic 10 NO on prohibiting product misuse lawsuits on gun manufacturers: Strongly Opposes topic 10
Strongly Favors topic 5: More federal funding for health coverage (-5 points on Economic scale)	More funding for Rx benefits, community health, CHIPs: Favors topic 5 Rated 89% by APHA, indicating a pro-public health record: Strongly Favors topic 5 Expand the National Health Service Corps: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on giving mental health full equity with physical health: Favors topic 5 YES on Veto override: Extend SCHIP to cover 6M more kids: Strongly Favors topic 5 NO on allowing reimportation of prescription drugs: Opposes topic 5 NO on capping damages & setting time limits in medical lawsuits: Favors topic 5 NO on limited prescription drug benefit for Medicare recipients: Favors topic 5 NO on denying non-emergency treatment for lack of Medicare co-pay: Strongly Favors topic 5 YES on requiring negotiated Rx prices for Medicare part D: Favors topic 5 YES on adding 2 to 4 million children to SCHIP eligibility: Favors topic 5 YES on overriding veto on expansion of Medicare: Favors topic 5 YES on expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program: Favors topic 5 YES on regulating tobacco as a drug: Favors topic 5
Strongly Opposes topic 6: Privatize Social Security (-5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 90% by the ARA, indicating a pro-senior voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 6 Reject privatization; don't raise the retirement age: Strongly Opposes topic 6
Strongly Opposes topic 7: Parents choose schools via vouchers (-5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 100% by the NEA, indicating pro-public education votes: Strongly Opposes topic 7 Opposes less federal & more local control of education: Opposes topic 7 YES on environmental education grants for outdoor experiences: Opposes topic 7 YES on $40B for green public schools: Opposes topic 7
Strongly Favors topic 18: Replace coal & oil with alternatives (-5 points on Economic scale)	Rated 85% by the LCV, indicating pro-environment votes: Strongly Favors topic 18 Rated 83% by the CAF, indicating support for energy independence: Favors topic 18 Supports Passage of Cap-and-Trade Energy Legislation: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on tax incentives for renewable energy: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on authorizing construction of new oil refineries: Strongly Favors topic 18 NO on scheduling permitting for new oil refinieries: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on keeping moratorium on drilling for oil offshore: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on removing oil & gas exploration subsidies: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on investing in homegrown biofuel: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on criminalizing oil cartels like OPEC: Favors topic 18 YES on tax incentives for energy production and conservation: Strongly Favors topic 18 YES on tax credits for renewable electricity, with PAYGO offsets: Favors topic 18 YES on enforcing limits on CO2 global warming pollution: Favors topic 18 YES on $2 billion more for Cash for Clunkers program: Favors topic 18
Opposes topic 19: Drug use is immoral: enforce laws against it (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated -5 by NORML, indicating a mixed record on drug reform: Neutral on topic 19 Distribute sterile syringes to reduce AIDS and hepatitis: Opposes topic 19
Opposes topic 20: Allow churches to provide welfare services (-3 points on Economic scale)	YES on instituting National Service as a new social invention: Opposes topic 20
Strongly Favors topic 11: Make taxes more progressive (-5 points on Economic scale)	Bush tax cuts killed surpluses; no more trickle-down: Strongly Favors topic 11 $800B stimulus helps, while 95% get tax cuts: Favors topic 11 Rated 22% by NTU, indicating a "Big Spender" on tax votes: Strongly Favors topic 11 Rated 100% by the CTJ, indicating support of progressive taxation: Strongly Favors topic 11 Supports more federal taxes & keeping marriage penalty: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on providing tax relief and simplification: Strongly Opposes topic 11 NO on retaining reduced taxes on capital gains & dividends: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on paying for AMT relief by closing offshore business loopholes: Strongly Favors topic 11 YES on extending AMT exemptions to avoid hitting middle-income: Opposes topic 11
Strongly Favors topic 12: Illegal immigrants earn citizenship (+5 points on Social scale)	Temporary Protected Status for Haitians living in the US: Favors topic 12 Rated 0% by FAIR, indicating a voting record loosening immigration: Strongly Favors topic 12 Rated 0% by USBC, indicating an open-border stance: Strongly Favors topic 12 Supports Granting amnesty to illegal immigrants: Strongly Favors topic 12 Opposes Full implementation of current border security laws: Strongly Favors topic 12 Let illegal alien children attend school: Strongly Favors topic 12 NO on reporting illegal aliens who receive hospital treatment: Strongly Favors topic 12 NO on preventing tipping off Mexicans about Minuteman Project: Strongly Favors topic 12 NO on building a fence along the Mexican border: Strongly Favors topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	YES on implementing US-Singapore free trade agreement: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on implementing free trade agreement with Chile: Strongly Favors topic 13 YES on implementing US-Australia Free Trade Agreement: Favors topic 13 NO on end offshore tax havens and promote small business: Favors topic 13 NO on implementing CAFTA, Central America Free Trade: Strongly Opposes topic 13 YES on assisting workers who lose jobs due to globalization: Opposes topic 13 YES on promoting free trade with Peru: Favors topic 13
Opposes topic 15: Expand the armed forces (+2 points on Social scale)	Rated 100% by SANE, indicating a pro-peace voting record: Strongly Opposes topic 15 YES on emergency $78B for war in Iraq & Afghanistan: Strongly Favors topic 15 YES on continuing military recruitment on college campuses: Favors topic 15 YES on restricting no-bid defense contracts: Strongly Opposes topic 15
Strongly Favors topic 16: Stricter limits on political campaign funds (-5 points on Economic scale)	Military spouses don't lose voting residency while abroad: Favors topic 16 NO on restricting independent grassroots political committees: Favors topic 16 YES on requiring lobbyist disclosure of bundled donations: Strongly Favors topic 16
Strongly Favors topic 14: The Patriot Act harms civil liberties (+5 points on Social scale)	YES on Veto override: Congressional oversight of CIA interrogations: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on requiring FISA warrants for wiretaps in US, but not abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on making the PATRIOT Act permanent: Strongly Favors topic 14 YES on continuing intelligence gathering without civil oversight: Strongly Opposes topic 14 NO on allowing electronic surveillance without a warrant: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on removing need for FISA warrant for wiretapping abroad: Strongly Favors topic 14 NO on retroactive immunity for telecoms' warrantless surveillance: Favors topic 14
Strongly Favors topic 17: US out of Iraq (+5 points on Social scale)	Consistent advocate of drawdown in Iraq; focus on al-Qaeda: Strongly Favors topic 17 Supports timetable for troop withdrawal from Afghanistan: Favors topic 17 Sanctions on Iran to end nuclear program: Opposes topic 17 NO on declaring Iraq part of War on Terror with no exit date: Strongly Favors topic 17 YES on redeploying US troops out of Iraq starting in 90 days: Strongly Favors topic 17 YES on investigating Bush impeachment for lying about Iraq: Favors topic 17