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| 2016 Election: | Hillary's book | Trump's book | Bernie's book | Ted Cruz's book | | | 2016 Senate Debates |
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| Book Reviews | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(from Amazon.com) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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(click a book cover for a review or other books by or about the presidency from Amazon.com) |
from Sunday Political Talk Show interviews during 2015 (number of quotes indicated): |
Making an appearance on all five talk shows on one Sunday is known as a Full Ginsburg, because it was first accomplished by William Ginsburg (Monica Lewinsky's attorney) in 1998. In 2013, both Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio accomplished a Full Ginsburg, fueling speculation that both are planning a presidential run in 2016. In 2014, John Kerry was the only person to accomplish a Full Ginsburg, but no one thinks he is planning a presidential run in 2016. In 2015 so far, White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough accomplished a Full Ginsburg in the follow-up to the January 2015 State of the Union speech. OnTheIssues.org excerpts all five of the shows, listed below, with their respective interviewing pundits and each pundit's political affiliation: |
| OnTheIssues.org excerpts: (click on issues for details) |
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Abortion Ben Carson: Need civil discussion between pro-life and pro-choice. Mike Huckabee: Pro-life rhetoric not to blame in clinic shootout. Mike Huckabee: Abortion should be illegal but not criminal. Donald Trump: Defund Planned Parenthood. Martin O`Malley: A decision to abort is between a woman and her doctor. Jeb Bush: Defund Planned Parenthood, but not with federal shutdown. Lawrence Lessig: I would veto a law defunding Planned Parenthood. Carly Fiorina: Fund health clinics for non-abortion & alternative services. Carly Fiorina: GOP should shut government to defund Planned Parenthood. Chris Christie: Put defunding of Planned Parenthood on the president's desk. John Kasich: Federal shutdown ineffective in defunding Planned Parenthood. Scott Walker: We defunded Planned Parenthood in a blue state. Chris Christie: Successfully defunded Planned Parenthood in New Jersey. Ben Carson: Was personally against abortion; but what others do matters. Ben Carson: Planned Parenthood historically targets black communities. Ben Carson: Drugs OK to prevent conception in instances of rape & incest. Donald Trump: Planned Parenthood is important, but abortions must stop. John Kasich: Reasonable exceptions, but respect other opinions. Mike Huckabee: Taking innocent life does not solve problem of rape. Ben Carson: I spent my career saving the lives of little babies. Marco Rubio: Abortion is complex issue; we must reduce the number of them. Rand Paul: Fund community health centers instead of Planned Parenthood. Rand Paul: Force a Senate vote on defunding Planned Parenthood. Scott Walker: Ban abortion after 20 weeks at both state & federal level. Jeb Bush: Husband of Terri Schiavo blames Bush for harassment. |
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Budget & Economy Donald Trump: Strong on debt limit; ask for a pound of flesh. Chris Christie: Cut taxes and reduce spending, while creating new jobs. Carly Fiorina: Simplify tax code and reduce regulation. Rick Perry: Dodd-Frank should focus on Wall Street, not community banks. Rick Perry: Federal Reserve & Wall Street actions have hurt our economy. Bobby Jindal: Reduced size of government in Louisiana. Rick Perry: Texas is primarily responsible for national job creation. Bernie Sanders: Economic issues take a larger toll on minority groups. Donald Trump: If debt reaches $24T, that's the point of no return. Martin O`Malley: Reinstate Glass-Steagall: separate investments from banking. Bernie Sanders: We've transferred trillions from middle class to the top 1%. John Kasich: Wall Street is vital for the US, but often times too greedy. Lincoln Chafee: Widening disparity of wealth hurts the middle class. John Kasich: National tour to call for a balanced-budget amendment. John Kasich: Balanced Budget Forever: promote constitutional amendment. Ted Cruz: Top 1% under Obama got fat & happy while workers are hurting. Rand Paul: Is the Fed too big to be audited? |
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Civil Rights Donald Trump: I'm "fine" with affirmative action, for now. Lawrence Lessig: LGBT rights secured constitutionally; now work on statute. Lawrence Lessig: Aggressively support transgendered social recognition. Scott Walker: Prohibit discrimination in the workplace, but no equal pay. Lawrence Lessig: I am a libertarian on free speech issues. John Kasich: Government employees should comply with gay marriage ruling. Mike Huckabee: The court's ruling on gay marriage was unconstitutional. Chris Christie: Churches can use sexual orientation; businesses can't. Donald Trump: After Supreme Court vote, gay marriage is a reality. Donald Trump: I'm no misogynist; I put women in charge of construction. John Kasich: Can respect and love gay people. Ben Carson: Political correctness undermines Black Lives Matter movement. Donald Trump: Obama's presidency has done nothing for African Americans. Jim Gilmore: 2007: yes to traditional marriage; no to civil unions. Jim Gilmore: Traditional marriage is the appropriate thing. Bernie Sanders: Black Lives Matter: deal with institutional racism. James Webb: Doing away with Confederate iconography is secondary issue. Bernie Sanders: Right to love each other, regardless of sexual orientation. Ted Cruz: Supreme Court gay rights ruling undermines the Constitution. John Kasich: I support traditional marriage, but it's time to move on. Lindsey Graham: Respect Supreme Court decision & fight for religious liberty. Rick Perry: Would attend same-sex marriage of a family member. Mike Huckabee: Don't force children to accept transgender choice by others. Rick Santorum: Fight gay marriage ruling, but not with civil disobedience. Martin O`Malley: Led Maryland to 2012 same-sex marriage law. Rand Paul: Marriage for heterosexuals; contracts for same-sex couples. Bobby Jindal: Ok to deny services to gays based on religious beliefs. Bobby Jindal: Let's have religious liberty without anti-gay discrimination. Rick Santorum: Push for religious liberty in workplace, but not anti-gay. Rand Paul: I don't believe in rights based on your behavior. Jeb Bush: Let businesses express religious freedom against gays. Rand Paul: Gay contracts ok, but gay marriage is offensive. Ben Carson: Give gays rights, but not marriage, because it's a choice. Jeb Bush: Respect civil unions & same-sex lifetime commitments. Jeb Bush: 1994: LGBT protections are tantamount to elevating sodomy. |
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Corporations Lawrence Lessig: We need a new law to take on Wall Street. Bernie Sanders: Wall Street business model is a fraud & led us to recession. Bernie Sanders: Casino-type capitalism causes devastating problems. Carly Fiorina: US should uplift small businesses, not crony capitalism. Carly Fiorina: Crony capitalism is alive and well: focus on small business. Carly Fiorina: As CEO, laid off 30,000 workers but doubled size of company. Chris Christie: Overhaul ridiculous tax system so companies stop leaving. |
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Crime Jeb Bush: Death penalty a tough call, but victims' families benefit. Scott Walker: Independent investigation for any death in police custody. John Kasich: Save money by converting prisoners to taxpayers. John Kasich: Community must understand challenge of police & deadly force. Chris Christie: Community policing will avoid African-American police deaths. Donald Trump: Black lives matter, but we need strong police presence. John Kasich: Death penalty is consistent with justice & Christian values. Martin O`Malley: I was re-elected as Baltimore mayor because I made progress. John Kasich: My policies worked to integrate police and community in Ohio. Jeb Bush: 1994: build more prisons; serve longer sentences. Jeb Bush: 1990s: punishment over therapy; 2010s: that hardens people. Newt Gingrich: On Ferguson: stop when a policeman tells you to stop. Martin O`Malley: I reduced both violent crime and incarceration rates. |
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Drugs Chris Christie: Allow private sector to offer drug treatment programs. Chris Christie: Treatment, not jail, for drug addicts; it's a disease. Donald Trump: Yes to medical marijuana; otherwise, decide state by state. Ben Carson: Exposure to marijuana results in decreased IQ. Carly Fiorina: I don't support legal pot, but I support states' pot choice. Donald Trump: 1990: Drug enforcement is a joke; 2015: only medical pot. Marco Rubio: Medical marijuana could be OK, but not recreational use. Jim Gilmore: I'm not a legalization guy. Lincoln Chafee: Taxing legal pot to fix potholes is appealing. Marco Rubio: No responsible way to recreationally use marijuana. Rick Santorum: Colorado has no right to violate federal drug laws. George Pataki: OK to legalize if we can contain addiction and kids' access. Mike Bloomberg: No legalization; pot lowers IQ by 5 to 10 points. Ted Cruz: I foolishly smoked pot when young, but never since. |
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Education Donald Trump: Cut Department of Education and Common Core. Chris Christie: Teachers unions are not for education of our children. Carly Fiorina: School choice is the only way to fix education. Donald Trump: Common Core is a disaster. Chris Christie: Free college is ludicrous, but we can reduce the cost. Carly Fiorina: Common Core limits choices; vouchers allow choices. Scott Walker: Tuition cap on University of Wisconsin; then reform tenure. Marco Rubio: Professor of political science at Florida International U. Mike Bloomberg: Push Voc-Ed: plumbers earn more than Harvard grads. Scott Walker: High school football is ok if practiced responsibly. Mike Huckabee: I'm against Common Core; it differs from its original intent. Jeb Bush: 1994: cut Department of Education from 2,000 to 50 staff. |
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Energy & Oil Chris Christie: Keystone pipeline would have minimal environmental impact. Lawrence Lessig: Stop subsidizing oil companies & their pollution. Jeb Bush: Create a North American energy strategy. Donald Trump: Windmills are destroying shorelines all over the world. Donald Trump: Solar hasn't caught on because it has a 32-year payback. John Kasich: Climate change is a real issue, but the extent is unproven. Donald Trump: Maybe some climate change is manmade, but not all. Rick Perry: Defend Keystone XL and other oil & gas exploration. Carly Fiorina: Regulation won't stop climate change. Rick Santorum: Nothing the US could do will affect global warming. |
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Environment Bernie Sanders: Climate change will lead to international security crises. Donald Trump: Cut the EPA; what they do is a disgrace. Donald Trump: Eminent domain is a very useful tool for job creation. Carly Fiorina: New EPA regulations will destroy livelihoods & industries. Carly Fiorina: EPA thinks that a fish is more important than 1000's of jobs. John Kasich: We should not worship environment like pantheists. Mike Huckabee: Climate change is questionable; address other issues instead. Lindsey Graham: Climate change is real, but don't make a religion of it. Jeb Bush: 1990s: Compensate landowners; 2010s: state-run conservation. |
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Families & Children Lawrence Lessig: Sexually abused by his choir teacher as a schoolboy. Lawrence Lessig: 2008:Criticized Catholic Church for immunity on sexual abuse. Bernie Sanders: 1972: wrote fictional "satire" about men oppressing women. Mike Huckabee: Don't allow kids to listen to toxic music like Beyonce. |
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Foreign Policy Ben Carson: Trust experts to decide rules of engagement for ISIS. Ben Carson: Political solution must accompany military solution in Syria. Jeb Bush: Russia won't be an ally in Syria but maintain communication. Mike Huckabee: Muslim nations must fight ISIS; sanction those that don't. Martin O`Malley: Need to move towards 'networked intelligence'. Jeb Bush: Islamic terrorism has co-opted Islamic religion. Jeb Bush: America needs to lead in fight against Assad and ISIS. John Kasich: No more dickering & delays: Syria's Assad has got to go. Jeb Bush: Obama/Clinton/Kerry foreign policy caused global instability. Chris Christie: No relations with Cuba until they stop harboring fugitives. Donald Trump: Diplomacy & respect crucial to our relationship with Russia. Bernie Sanders: Address humanitarian crisis in Syria with allies in region. John Kasich: Keep Iran accountable, WITHIN the existing Nuclear Deal. John Kasich: Syrian refugee situation is fundamentally a European crisis. John Kasich: Refugee crisis is on Europe, but US also has responsibility. Bernie Sanders: US should be more selective about using drone strikes. Ben Carson: Leave no doubt that we will stand with South Korea. James Webb: Prepare for unpredictable actions by North Korea. Ben Carson: Obama has turned his back on Israel. Mike Huckabee: Iranian nuclear deal arms & equips a terrorist state. Bernie Sanders: We have to negotiate with others, even Iran. Chris Christie: Arm Emiratis, Jordanians, & others before sending US troops. Chris Christie: Tourism money won't end up with the people of Cuba. Rick Perry: Priorities: Tear up agreement with Iran; secure US border. John Kasich: Fight ISIS with a coalition including US ground troops. Marco Rubio: Pre-conditions for Iran: end enrichment & ballistic missiles. Marco Rubio: End relations with anti-American communist tyranny in Cuba. Bobby Jindal: Bad Iran nuclear deal is worse than no deal. Carly Fiorina: I would have walked away from Iran talks & imposed sanctions. James Webb: Prefers confidence building gestures to deal with Iran. James Webb: China is the greatest long term threat to America. Lindsey Graham: Destroy Iran's nuclear program, & also its air force & navy. Carly Fiorina: Our allies need specific help to defeat ISIS. Rick Perry: Cancel any nuclear deal Obama makes with Iran. Rick Perry: Ally militarily with India to push back against China. Marco Rubio: Opposes nuclear deal with Iran; but supported deal in 2012. Ben Carson: Military force is not off the table when it comes to Russia. Ben Carson: Would not go to war with Russia over Ukraine. Lindsey Graham: Congress will not approve Iran nuclear deal. Rand Paul: U.S. intervention in Libya strengthened Islamic State. Rand Paul: Boycott countries that demonize women, like Saudi Arabia. Rand Paul: 2011: eliminate all foreign aid & rebuild America instead. Mike Huckabee: Governors have world views; I've been all over the Mideast. Scott Walker: Foreign policy is about leadership, not PhD's. Jeb Bush: Pressured father's V.P. staff to help Cuban prisoners. Rick Santorum: Successfully pushed bipartisan national security legislation. |
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Free Trade Chris Christie: Supports free trade, but distrusts Obama's TPP agreement. Bernie Sanders: I strongly opposed NAFTA and DOMA from their inception. Donald Trump: Restrict free trade to keep jobs in US. Hillary Clinton: Trans Pacific trade deal doesn't meet my standards. Donald Trump: Disastrous deals because we don't have smart negotiators. Donald Trump: China and Japan are beating us; I can beat China. Donald Trump: 35% import tax on Mexican border. Donald Trump: Stupid people negotiate our trade bills, & trade won't work. Bernie Sanders: Base trade policy on working families, not multinationals. Lindsey Graham: Make currency manipulation a key issue in trade negotiations. Rick Perry: Ex-Im Bank is corrupt; closing it helps our competitiveness. Hillary Clinton: TPP must produce jobs, raise wages, & protect security. Martin O`Malley: Opposing bad trade deals like TPP is just common sense. Bernie Sanders: Wrong, wrong, wrong that trade deals create jobs here. |
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Government Reform Carly Fiorina: Assert principles to facilitate bi-partisan action. John Kasich: Move power, money and influence out of Washington. Donald Trump: Get rid of the regulations that are just destroying us. Chris Christie: Congress must work together for progress to happen. Chris Christie: As president, I will enforce law and transparency. Carly Fiorina: Reduce size of federal government by not replacing retirees. Chris Christie: Reform instead of tax increases. Chris Christie: Does not support electing Supreme Court justices. Mike Huckabee: South Carolina was right to remove the confederate flag. Mike Huckabee: Banning confederate flag is an issue for the states. Ben Carson: Covertly spy on government workers to make them work harder. Mike Huckabee: Opposes "judicial supremacy"; they're just rulings, not law. Ben Carson: We should discuss "judicial review" in its modern usage. Carly Fiorina: Zero-based budgeting, and civil service pay-for-performance. Carly Fiorina: Crony capitalism is alive and well. Jeb Bush: Vetoed more than $2.3 billion in earmarks. |
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Gun Control Chris Christie: Gun restrictions based on terror watchlists is a state issue. Donald Trump: Keep enemies of the state away from guns. John Kasich: Registering mentally ill is first priority in gun control. Martin O`Malley: Time to work together to crack down on gun manufacturers. Ted Cruz: Obama is coming for our guns. Lincoln Chafee: Common-ground, commonsense safety legislation. Hillary Clinton: Sensible restraints on manufacturer liability & online sales. Lawrence Lessig: Keep machine guns away from the sorts who massacre kids. Donald Trump: Protect the Second Amendment, but address mental health. Bernie Sanders: Ban semiautomatic guns & gun show loophole. Chris Christie: Vetoed gun laws that were not about public safety. John Kasich: 2nd Amendment advocate: NRA rating changed from "F" to "A". Bernie Sanders: Instant background checks: no guns for criminals or unstable. Donald Trump: Take guns from good people & bad people have target practice. Rick Perry: Laws are in place; it's enforcement that's lacking. George Pataki: Do a better job of enforcing federal gun laws. Bernie Sanders: Guns in Vermont are for hunting; but in L.A. are for killing. Bernie Sanders: Gun legislation must work for both rural & urban Americans. Jeb Bush: Reduce gun violence and protect 2nd Amendment. |
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Health Care Ben Carson: I don't want to end Medicare, just make it more efficient. Ben Carson: Health savings accounts for families to buy health care. Lawrence Lessig: ObamaCare public option was compromised to special interests. Chris Christie: Opposes expanding Medicaid nationally, did expand it in NJ. Carly Fiorina: Pre-existing conditions is good goal but ObamaCare will fail. Carly Fiorina: Companies should offer maternity leave, but not mandated. John Kasich: Opposes ObamaCare but not all public programs. Donald Trump: We didn't have a free market before ObamaCare. Donald Trump: ObamaCare deductibles are so high that it's useless. Ben Carson: ObamaCare is analogous to slavery. Bernie Sanders: U.S. is only major country without guaranteed healthcare. John Kasich: Shift funding from nursing homes to home-based care. John Kasich: Accepted ObamaCare's Medicaid expansion statewide. Barack Obama: All kids should get vaccinated, but not by law. Jeb Bush: You should vaccinate your children; over and out. Marco Rubio: All kids should get vaccinated, with medical exceptions. Rand Paul: Encourage vaccines, with religious exceptions. Hillary Clinton: The science is clear: vaccines work. Howard Dean: Only anti-government conservatives oppose vaccines. Mike Huckabee: Vaccines don't cause autism; I get vaccinated myself. Rick Perry: Increase immunization rates as part of protecting life. Ben Carson: Vaccines are extremely important, despite individual rights. Chris Christie: Parents have some choice, but kids should be vaccinated. Rand Paul: Parents own their children, and can choose to not vaccinate. Ben Carson: Spokesperson for Mannatech nutrition supplement for 10 years. |
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Homeland Security Donald Trump: People saw New Jersey Muslims celebrating after 9/11. Ben Carson: Doesn't want ISIS to know if he condones torture or not. Ben Carson: Beef up intelligence gathering, including in mosques. Ben Carson: Keep 2nd amendment rights for people on terror watchlist. Chris Christie: Re-start metadata collection; boost morale of intel officers. Chris Christie: Obama created refugee crisis; now burdens Americans with it. Donald Trump: Bring back waterboarding and other interrogation methods. Donald Trump: Surveil mosques but don't close mosques. Donald Trump: New Jersey Muslims cheered on 9/11. Rand Paul: Bulk data collection does not improve safety. Rand Paul: Surveillance of mosques ok; database of Muslims not ok. Jeb Bush: Let military experts determine troop count. Donald Trump: We have a problem with radical Muslims. Donald Trump: Fix veteran's hospitals, and pay private doctors for them. John Kasich: Expand voucher program for veterans' healthcare. Bobby Jindal: Hillary should not be above the law in her email scandal. James Webb: I opened up more billets to Navy women than anyone. John Kasich: Make a coalition to fight ISIS in Syria. Rand Paul: More targeted surveillance; no bulk data collection. Donald Trump: Enhanced interrogation a non-issue, compared to terrorism. Rand Paul: Increase targeted surveillance to defend against terrorism. Chris Christie: Gathering metadata is necessary for homeland security. Donald Trump: Our nuclear arsenal doesn't work; it's 30 years old. Jeb Bush: Deal with bullies like Putin with strength, not nuance. Ben Carson: ISIL is clear threat; aggressively commit to its destruction. Jeb Bush: We need strategy against ISIS: advisory but not military. Lindsey Graham: Lack of ISIL strategy is Commander-in-Chief malpractice. Bernie Sanders: Worried about invasion of privacy from NSA corporate America. Rick Santorum: The Patriot Act did not cause any invasions of privacy. Lindsey Graham: Maintain FISA electronic surveillance for terrorist suspects. Mike Huckabee: NSA bulk metadata isn't effective; human intelligence is. Rick Perry: Patriot Act gives us a technological advantage. Rick Perry: Hillary needs to answer questions about Benghazi & ethics. Rand Paul: Focus NSA surveillance on threats, not innocent Americans. John Kasich: Run drone program out of Pentagon, not the CIA. Bernie Sanders: We need a strong military, but stop wasting tens of billions. Rand Paul: 2010: decrease DOD budget by $164B; 2015: increase by $190B. Rand Paul: Conservative realist, matured from isolationism. Carly Fiorina: Don't pull punches on Benghazi: a tragedy and a scandal. Rand Paul: $76B in defense spending via cuts to EPA, HUD & foreign aid. Lindsey Graham: Restore defense cuts made automatically by sequestration. Scott Walker: Listen to generals in the field to decide defense policy. Lindsey Graham: The next stage of the fight against terrorism is in Africa. |
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Immigration Lawrence Lessig: Promise the hardest workers that they can become citizens. Jeb Bush: Prove border is secure, while doing comprehensive reform. John Kasich: Focus of immigration should be to keep families together. John Kasich: Latino immigrants will continue to play critical role in US. Ben Carson: Taking in Middle Eastern refugees could be dangerous. John Kasich: Focus on border & guest workers, not birthright citizenship. Chris Christie: Use modern technology to track illegal immigrants. Ben Carson: Use drones to destroy smuggler hide-outs on Mexican border. Donald Trump: The border wall will be well-managed and built correctly. John Kasich: 1993: end birthright citizenship; 2015: not part of approach. Chris Christie: E-verify instead of building a physical wall. Bernie Sanders: Open borders for guest workers pushes down U.S. worker wages. Donald Trump: Building a wall will save money because it stops bad dudes. John Kasich: Seal the border with Mexico, support legal immigrants. Rand Paul: Secure border with Mexico; do away with sanctuary cities. Marco Rubio: No green card for 10 years for current illegal immigrants. Martin O`Malley: Help people immigrate to our nation of immigrants. Donald Trump: OpEd: businesses & Republicans condemn anti-Mexico terms. George Pataki: Practical policy: legal residency after 200 hours of service. Chris Christie: Increase electronic border surveillance and create E-Verify. Rick Perry: I secured the border & reduced apprehensions as Texas Gov. Donald Trump: Make Mexico pay for wall with severe economics. Donald Trump: Mexico & Latin America send us drugs, crime, and rapists. Donald Trump: Build great wall on southern border; have Mexico pay for it. Marco Rubio: Comprehensive immigration reform is politically infeasible. Rand Paul: Legal status for 11 million illegals after we secure border. Scott Walker: 2013: Comprehensive reform; 2015: no, that's amnesty. Scott Walker: No amnesty, but no mass deportation either. Mike Huckabee: Let illegal immigrant kids in college despite parents' crime. Rick Santorum: Focus on skilled immigrants; now most are unskilled. |
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Jobs Lawrence Lessig: America needs a minimum wage that is a living wage. Chris Christie: I fought greedy unions and irresponsible spending in N.J. John Kasich: Don't raise minimum wage willy-nilly, & do it at state level. Donald Trump: Don't raise minimum wage, but create more opportunities. Donald Trump: Take jobs back from foreign countries to lower unemployment. Donald Trump: Real unemployment rate is 20%; don't believe 5.6%. Jeb Bush: State minimum wages ok, but not at federal level. Carly Fiorina: Layoffs in recession ensure company's overall health. Scott Walker: Wisconsin is open for business, via right-to-work law. John Kasich: Limit collective-bargaining rights for public employees. John Kasich: 2011: Public employee union reforms overturned by voters. |
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Local Issues Scott Walker: Build a new sports arena for the Milwaukee Bucks. |
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Principles & Values Chris Christie: No federal department to promote Judeo-Christian values. John Kasich: Need to promote Western values to win war of ideas. Ben Carson: A Muslim president would not stay true to American values. John Kasich: For the presidency. qualifications trump personal religion. Lawrence Lessig: Acknowledge elephant in the room: partisanship doesn't work. Donald Trump: My old liberal political views evolved like Reagan's did. Bobby Jindal: Uncompromising GOP leadership in DC to make real change. Bobby Jindal: We must stop viewing ourselves as being separated by race. Lindsey Graham: Supported removal of battle flag following shooting. Bernie Sanders: What's wrong with modeling U.S. on socialist Scandinavia? Lincoln Chafee: The Republican Party changed and I never changed. Rand Paul: Conservative on spending; libertarian-ish on other issues. Rand Paul: Defeat the Washington machine; unleash the American Dream. Martin O`Malley: Look at my actions as governor, not my approval rating. John Kasich: OpEd: Impatient with bureaucracy & with partisan posturing. Ben Carson: Personal religion important, but it's not the law. Martin O`Malley: History celebrates courage, not triangulation. Scott Walker: Run for governor & president are determined by God's will. Scott Walker: Even if people disagree, they want politicians who lead. Mike Huckabee: Chivalry is respect for women, not sexism. Mike Huckabee: Cultural bubbles of NY, DC, and LA divide them from us. Ben Carson: President needs common sense understand of Constitution. |
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Social Security Jeb Bush: Allow diverting over 10% to private savings accounts. John Kasich: Fix Social Security by lowering benefits. George Pataki: I would not reduce social security benefits. James Webb: Entitlement programs are safety net, not socialism. Carly Fiorina: Challenge the status quo on entitlement reform. Carly Fiorina: We can't reform entitlements until we reform government. Carly Fiorina: Need to change status quo to achieve entitlement reform. Bernie Sanders: Raise the Social Security cap on taxable income. Chris Christie: Cut Social Security for wealthy, but don't increase taxes. Martin O`Malley: Without Social Security, 1 in 4 seniors would be poor. Ted Cruz: Implement commonsense reforms for younger workers. Jeb Bush: Push back the retirement age to 68 or 70. Mike Huckabee: Opposes increases the eligibility age for social security. Bobby Jindal: Supported privatization & reform, early & enthusiastically. Ben Carson: Each person should be responsible for their own pension. Ben Carson: Gradually raise the age of eligibility for benefits. |
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Tax Reform Donald Trump: Repeal estate tax; it's double taxation. Jeb Bush: Reduce corporate tax rate to stimulate growth. Jeb Bush: Tax plan disproportionately benefits middle class, not rich. Jeb Bush: Cutting taxes decreases the deficit dynamically. Chris Christie: I vetoed more tax increases than any governor in history. Ben Carson: Flat tax of 10%-15% is fairest option, even for low-income. Ben Carson: Concentrate on incentivizing entrepreneurial risk taking. Ben Carson: Regulations increase the cost of living. Carly Fiorina: Simplify tax code; lower every tax rate; close loopholes. Rand Paul: Flat tax 14.5% on personal income; & 14.5% value added tax. Rand Paul: Flat tax doesn't exacerbate income inequality. Mike Huckabee: Bottom 1/3 of economy benefits most from the FairTax. Ben Carson: Proposes a flat tax between 10 and 15 percent. Lindsey Graham: Supports closing loopholes, means-testing higher income. John Kasich: Eliminated the Ohio estate tax but hiked cigarette taxes. Jeb Bush: 1994: Require voter approval of any new taxes. |
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Technology Lawrence Lessig: Free culture movement: oppose excessively strict copyright. Donald Trump: Rebuild our infrastructure on time & on budget. Rick Perry: Snowden verged on treachery; WikiLeaks put U.S. in jeopardy. Jeb Bush: BlackBerry pictured in official gubernatorial portrait. |
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War & Peace Jeb Bush: No-fly zone in Syria; arm Kurds; establish Sunni coalition. Jeb Bush: Send troops to Syria to then remain to maintain stability. John Kasich: Invading force but no occupying force in Syria. Lindsey Graham: Military commitment of regional troops in Syria is necessary. Lindsey Graham: Regional, not US, army would keep stability in Syria. Mike Huckabee: We are at war with radical Islam. Chris Christie: Change rules of engagement to more effectively fight ISIS. Rand Paul: Only Sunni-Shiite coalition forces, not US, in Syria. Jeb Bush: NATO should consider declaring war on ISIS. Jeb Bush: Declare a war in Syria, take out ISIS and Assad. Jeb Bush: Best way to defeat terrorist ideology is to destroy ISIS. Jeb Bush: War is the only option in Syria, to take out Caliphate. Lindsey Graham: American troops should partner with regional army. Lindsey Graham: Russia will back down if US provokes it in deposing Assad. Lindsey Graham: If France invokes Article V, NATO should declare war on ISIS. Marco Rubio: Civilian causalities unfortunate but inevitable. Marco Rubio: Declare war on ISIS, fight via Sunni tribes and Kurds. John Kasich: Destroy ISIS, with US troops as part of coalition. Carly Fiorina: More than 50 boots on the ground in Syria. Carly Fiorina: Rebuild missile defense program in Poland. Lindsey Graham: Need substantial boots on the ground against ISIL. John Kasich: No-fly zone in Syria & sanctuaries, enforced by U.S. Lawrence Lessig: Our trillion dollar war made America less safe. Ben Carson: Don't get involved in Syria, but push ISIS in that direction. Donald Trump: Radical violent Islam that must be feared, not Islam itself. John Kasich: Constitution requires Congress' approval of Iran nuke deal. Bernie Sanders: Voted for Afghan War, to capture Osama bin Laden. John Kasich: I'm a "cheap hawk": Cut Pentagon waste, but not spending. Scott Walker: Lift political restrictions on 3,000 troops in Syria. Bernie Sanders: Middle Eastern countries must contribute to fight ISIS. Carly Fiorina: US must provide resources & leadership in fight against ISIS. John Kasich: Fight ISIS by supporting Kurds and educating Iraqis. Chris Christie: We need anytime/anywhere inspections for Iran nukes. Rick Perry: Coalition against ISIS but include US troops. Marco Rubio: Keep sanctions against Iran instead of Obama's nuke deal. James Webb: Supports cutting back the army's ground commitments. James Webb: Solution to ISIS will have to come from Sunni leadership. Donald Trump: Bomb the oil fields in Iraq to take on ISIS. Donald Trump: I said "don't hit Iraq," because it destabilized Middle East. Rick Perry: Decisive action against ISIS, not just promises & speeches. Scott Walker: US troops should fight ISIS alongside Kurds and Sunnis. Rick Perry: ISIS is worst threat to freedom since Communism. Rick Perry: Provide lethal aid to Ukraine against Russian separatists. Marco Rubio: No mistake to invade Iraq in 2003; we thought Iraq had WMDs. Rand Paul: Fight Iran with diplomacy and military strength, not war. John Kasich: Iran nuke deal: verify, verify, verify, without the trust. James Webb: Iran deal requires Congressional approval. Lincoln Chafee: Until Iraq War, there was lasting peace ahead of us. Rand Paul: Keep on mind on Iran nukes but don't trust the ayatollahs. Rand Paul: Oppose bombing Assad in Syria because it strengthens ISIS. Rand Paul: I brought fighting ISIS to the forefront of discussion. Rand Paul: Create & arm a Kurdish state as support against ISIL. Rand Paul: War only when all other measures are exhausted. Martin O`Malley: Radical terrorism and nuclear Iran are interconnected. Bobby Jindal: No deal with Iran that lets them become a nuclear power. Ben Carson: Eradicate ISIS as quickly and efficiently as possible. Mike Huckabee: Arm the Kurds to fight ISIS, plus U.S. bombing. Mike Huckabee: US boots on the ground to fight ISIS ok, if others join too. Scott Walker: Islamic terrorism like a virus; make sure it doesn't spread. Jeb Bush: Non-state terrorists are greatest threat we now face. Jeb Bush: OpEd: Supports 2003 Iraq invasion even with current evidence. Ted Cruz: Focused, direct military objective of destroying ISIS. Ted Cruz: Provide defensive weapons for Ukraine against Russia. Ted Cruz: Arm the Kurds to fight ISIS, with US air support. Rand Paul: Hillary's War: Ousting Gadhafi in Libya gave rise to ISIS. Rand Paul: Supporting rebels in Syrian Civil War gave rise to ISIS. Scott Walker: ISIS will attack on American soil; so take fight abroad. Scott Walker: Don't rule out US boots on the ground in Syria. Lindsey Graham: Returning from Iraq prematurely was a mistake. Lindsey Graham: Form regional coalition to enforce no-fly zone in Syria. Lindsey Graham: Ok to hold off Iranian sanctions but only while negotiating. |
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Welfare & Poverty Carly Fiorina: Progressive policies bad for poor that they claim to help. Jeb Bush: Poverty programs are ineffective, despite trillions spent. John Kasich: There are moral and practical reasons to help the poor. John Kasich: Matthew 25 commands us to aid the less fortunate. John Kasich: Reach out and help those who live in the shadows. Jeb Bush: 1994 Phoenix Project: end welfare culture. |
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2015 Sunday pundit shows (2015 Gubernatorial races and 2016 presidential preparation): |
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