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)
Opposes topic 1: Abortion is a woman's unrestricted right (-3 points on Social scale)	OpEd: Not a reliable vote on abortion rights: Opposes topic 1 I'm pro-choice but anti-Elena Kagan: Favors topic 1 Birth control ok, but don't force churches to provide it: Favors topic 1 I'm a moderate pro-choice Republican & always have been: Strongly Favors topic 1 2005: Conscience-based opt out of post-rape contraception: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Provide info about emergency contraception to rape victims: Opposes topic 1 Support legalized abortion, but not partial-birth abortion: Opposes topic 1 Supported by right-to-life groups for stem cell stance: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Authored bill for 24-hour waiting period for abortion: Strongly Opposes topic 1 Abortions should always be legally available: Strongly Favors topic 1
Opposes topic 2: Legally require hiring women & minorities (+2 points on Economic scale)	Represented abused women in divorce cases: Favors topic 2 Supported $200K reduction to blind job program: Opposes topic 2 Supported $900K for disability & mentoring aid: Favors topic 2 Opposed "Turning 22" mental disability program: Opposes topic 2 No affirmative action in public employment nor contracting: Strongly Opposes topic 2
Favors topic 3: Comfortable with same-sex marriage (+2 points on Social scale)	Civil unions ok; federal same-sex marriage not ok: Favors topic 3 Gay marriage is a resolved issue in Massachusetts: Strongly Favors topic 3 Voted YES on defining marriage as one man and one woman: Strongly Opposes topic 3 Endorsed Endorsed by Log Cabin Republicans; supports gay rights: Favors topic 3
Favors topic 4: Keep God in the public sphere (-3 points on Social scale)	Voted NO on allowing parents on welfare to attend school: Favors topic 4 Voted YES on workfare for mothers of 2- to 6-year-olds: Favors topic 4
Strongly Opposes topic 5: Expand ObamaCare (+5 points on Economic scale)	ObamaCare's mandate means higher costs and fewer jobs: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Supported RomneyCare in 2006; it's different than ObamaCare: Opposes topic 5 Massachusetts system good; ObamaCare no good: Favors topic 5 Limited government role in providing healthcare : Opposes topic 5 Limited government role in providing healthcare : Strongly Opposes topic 5 MA voters took up Brown's offer as 41st vote against Obama: Strongly Opposes topic 5 41st vote against Obama's healthcare plan: Strongly Opposes topic 5 MA already has health bill; don't impose new federal bill: Strongly Opposes topic 5 MA already has health bill; don't impose new federal bill: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Public option is really a government option: Opposes topic 5 Voted NO on Constitutional call for universal health care: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Supported $10M cut in the uncompensated care pool: Strongly Opposes topic 5 Ensure access to basic health care, including state funding: Favors topic 5 NO on the Ryan Budget: Medicare choice, tax & spending cuts: Favors topic 5
Neutral on topic 6: Privatize Social Security (0 points on Economic scale)	(No votes on which to base response)
Strongly Favors topic 7: Vouchers for school choice (+5 points on Economic scale)	Curriculum set by local school boards more than nationally: Strongly Favors topic 7 Opposed federal school breakfast supplement: Favors topic 7 Voted NO on 3-year moratorium on charter schools: Strongly Favors topic 7 Vouchers for public, private, or religious schools: Strongly Favors topic 7
Opposes topic 8: Fight EPA regulatory over-reach (+2 points on Social scale)	Strong advocate for conservation; protect natural resources: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Opposed keeping park maintenance funding within MDC: Favors topic 8 State funding for open space & pollution cleanup: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Allow longer than 10 years to rebuild depleted fisheries: Favors topic 8 Regulate all dog breeders down to kennels of 50 dogs: Opposes topic 8 Prohibits breeding or possessing Big Cat species: Strongly Opposes topic 8 Endorsed Targeted as "Dirty Dozen" for anti-environmentalism: Strongly Favors topic 8
Strongly Favors topic 9: Stricter punishment reduces crime (-5 points on Social scale)	Leader in reforming the state's sex offender laws: Strongly Favors topic 9 Opposed funding Mass Correctional Legal Services: Strongly Favors topic 9 Implement the death penalty in Massachusetts: Strongly Favors topic 9
Opposes topic 10: Absolute right to gun ownership (-3 points on Economic scale)	Ok'd federal ban on assault weapons after Newtown shootings: Strongly Opposes topic 10 Extend the state assault weapons ban, but not federal: Opposes topic 10 Reliably pro-gun, but opposed right-to-carry reciprocity: Favors topic 10 Concealed carry ok; but licenses & background checks ok too: Favors topic 10
Strongly Opposes topic 11: Higher taxes on the wealthy (+5 points on Economic scale)	Never raise taxes in a recession; it hurts job creators: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Guilty as charged: I don't want to raise taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 I'm not going to raise taxes on our job creators: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Cut spending & keep the tax burden low: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Spending cuts preferred, but eliminating tax loopholes ok: Opposes topic 11 Maintain Bush tax cuts after 2010: Strongly Opposes topic 11 AdWatch: $2 trillion spending spree puts us deeper in debt: Opposes topic 11 15 percent across the board tax cut: Strongly Opposes topic 11 AdWatch: I agree with JFK that cutting taxes creates jobs: Opposes topic 11 Permanently eliminate the estate tax: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Voted NO on municipal meals tax, in addition to state tax: Opposes topic 11 Voted NO on Defeating corporate tax disclosure: Favors topic 11 Voted YES on Extending corporate tax credit 5 years: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Voted NO on $300M to offset the budget deficit via bonds: Opposes topic 11 Taxpayer Protection Pledge: no new taxes: Strongly Opposes topic 11 Supports the Taxpayer Protection Pledge: Strongly Opposes topic 11
Strongly Opposes topic 12: Pathway to citizenship for illegal aliens (-5 points on Social scale)	The border is secure when people don't come across it: Opposes topic 12 It's wrong that illegals can just walk across the border: Strongly Opposes topic 12 DREAM Act provides "back door amnesty": Strongly Opposes topic 12 Tighten our borders; no blanket amnesty: Strongly Opposes topic 12 Opposed two-way bilingual programs; supported English-only: Opposes topic 12 Endorsed by the ALI, indicating a strongly anti-amnesty stance: Strongly Opposes topic 12
Favors topic 13: Support & expand free trade (+2 points on Economic scale)	Voted NO on International Trade Council to promote exports: Opposes topic 13 Rated 88% by the USAE, indicating support for trade engagement: Strongly Favors topic 13
Opposes topic 14: Support American Exceptionalism (-3 points on Economic scale)	Restore American leadership; we have none now: Favors topic 14 Integrate gender into diplomatic and foreign aid processes: Strongly Opposes topic 14
Strongly Favors topic 15: Expand the military (-5 points on Social scale)	Spend to defeat terrorists, not to protect them: Favors topic 15 Finish the job in Afghanistan: keep Taliban and al-Qaeda out: Strongly Favors topic 15
Opposes topic 16: Make voter registration easier (-3 points on Social scale)	Motor Voter registration "outrageous"; it helps Democrats: Strongly Opposes topic 16 No pledge to limit outside PAC contributions: Strongly Opposes topic 16 Campaign disclosure but no donation limits: Strongly Opposes topic 16 Require Internet disclosure of all earmarks: Favors topic 16 Sponsored banning stock trading based on Congressional insider knowledge: Favors topic 16
Strongly Opposes topic 17: Avoid foreign entanglements (-5 points on Social scale)	Rely on guidance from generals about Afghanistan withdrawal: Strongly Opposes topic 17 No nuance with Iran: no nuclear weapons: Opposes topic 17 Introduced bill on Iranian economic Sanctions: Strongly Opposes topic 17 Supports 30,000 more troops in Afghanistan: Opposes topic 17 Terrorists are not gone from Afghanistan: Opposes topic 17 Iranian nuclear weapons: prevention instead of containment: Strongly Opposes topic 17
Opposes topic 18: Prioritize green energy (+2 points on Economic scale)	Keystone XL should be included in energy efficiency bill: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Ease up on big oil companies to avoid high price of gasoline: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Energy efficiency yes; energy tax no: Favors topic 18 "All of the above" approach to energy independence: Opposes topic 18 Cap-and-trade is a national energy tax: Strongly Opposes topic 18 Opposes cap-and-trade system, but renewables OK: Opposes topic 18 Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology: Favors topic 18 YES on barring EPA from regulating greenhouse gases: Opposes topic 18
Strongly Favors topic 19: Marijuana is a gateway drug (-5 points on Social scale)	Restrict medical marijuana; and no recreational marijuana: Favors topic 19 Stop dependence on drug trade in Afghanistan: Favors topic 19 Voted NO on earmark for women's substance abuse program: Strongly Favors topic 19
Strongly Opposes topic 20: Stimulus better than market-led recovery (+5 points on Economic scale)	AdWatch: I agree with JFK that cutting taxes creates jobs: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Voted NO on raising income tax to 5.95% to offset deficit: Strongly Opposes topic 20 Rated 14% by UFCW, indicating a pro-management voting record: Opposes topic 20