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| 2024 Election: | Joe Biden's book | Kamala Harris' book | Donald Trump's book | JD Vance's book | 2024 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 State of Massachusetts Archives (number of quotes indicated): |
| OnTheIssues.org excerpts: (click on issues for details) |
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Abortion Ayanna Pressley: Abortion is a woman's right. Deval Patrick: Decisions on abortion should be made by women. Ed Markey: Endorsed by Planned Parenthood; supports abortion rights. Ed Markey: Litmus test for Supreme Court nominees on abortion. Gabriel Gomez: I'm personally prolife but I'm not changing any abortion law. Gabriel Gomez: 24-hour waiting period for a woman to get an abortion. Kerry Healey: Favors embryonic stem cell research. Kerry Healey: I've always been pro choice, even when Romney disagreed. Martha Coakley: AdWatch: Brown denied contraception to rape victims. Martha Coakley: Helped minors get court orders without parental consent. Martha Coakley: Partial-birth ban needs exceptions for maternal health. Scott Brown: Abortions should always be legally available. Scott Brown: 2005: Conscience-based opt out of post-rape contraception. Scott Brown: Provide info about emergency contraception to rape victims. Scott Brown: Support legalized abortion, but not partial-birth abortion. Scott Brown: Supported by right-to-life groups for stem cell stance. Scott Brown: Authored bill for 24-hour waiting period for abortion. Steve Lynch: Opposes abortion funding but funded Planned Parenthood. Steve Lynch: Protect Roe v. Wade; it keeps abortion in clinical setting. Maura Healey: Reproductive health care includes medication abortion. Maura Healey: Judge's decision ran contrary to science, medicine and law. |
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Budget & Economy Ayanna Pressley: Federal projects can spur economic growth. Brian Herr: Limited Hopkinton annual property tax increase to under 2.5%. Brian Herr: Control spending; oppose earmarks; reduce national debt. Deval Patrick: Focus on stimulating economic growth via local aid. Ed Markey: Sequestration is another word for mindless cuts. Ed Markey: Home mortgage deduction should not be on the table. Gabriel Gomez: Deficit reduction might even include home mortgage deduction. Grace Ross: Shift $3B in more taxes on very rich by flattening tax rates. Kerry Healey: Work cooperatively with legislature on economic stimulus. Kerry Healey: Focus on local aid and mobilizing people to call for it. Martha Coakley: Economic system spiraling out of control; go after Wall St. Mitt Romney: Will cut deficit and help Americans save. Scott Brown: People are angry over tax and spend mentality and $12T debt. Scott Brown: AdWatch: $2 trillion spending spree puts us deeper in debt. Scott Brown: No new regulation of the financial markets. Scott Brown: Let private enterprise try to get us out of this mess. Scott Brown: No cap on bankers' salaries. Shannon O'Brien: Accused of mismanagement of Abandoned Property account. Stephen Pagliuca: Managing director at Bain Capital; trained as accountant. Steve Lynch: Voted for sequestration because debt default was worse. Steve Lynch: Supported sequestration and opposed financial bailouts. |
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Civil Rights Ayanna Pressley: The LGBTQ community should be treated as equals. Deval Patrick: Supports equal marriage rights for gays. Deval Patrick: Former civil rights prosecutor under President Clinton. Ed Markey: History of voting for women's rights. Gabriel Gomez: Repeal the Defense of Marriage Act. Gabriel Gomez: I support Paycheck Fairness Act's equal pay for women. 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. Tom Reilly: Opposed gay marriage but now supports it. |
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Corporations Ayanna Pressley: No one on Wall Street is bigger than the law. Christy Mihos: Property tax rollback will bring businesses back in-state. Deval Patrick: Local capital for local biz, & state pays for infrastructure. Grace Ross: Focus on reducing costs for small biz, not big corporations. Kerry Healey: Make permitting process easier for businesses. Stephen Pagliuca: Not right to pay bankers bonuses with 320,000 unemployed. |
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Crime Deval Patrick: Focus on guns & gang violence, not immigration status. Deval Patrick: Supports criminal rehabilitation and alternative sentencing. Jeff Beatty: Endorsed Jessica's Law to punish sex offenders. Karyn Polito: Leading advocate for the passage of "Jessica's Law". Kerry Healey: Check immigration status when police stop motorists. Martha Coakley: Lobbied hard to keep Gerald Amirault in prison. Martha Coakley: Opposes death penalty, but federal death penalty ok. Mitt Romney: Safe streets will be a campaign theme. Mitt Romney: Will bring new businesses to urban areas. Scott Brown: Implement the death penalty in Massachusetts. Sonia Chang-Diaz: For criminal justice reform, repeal racist sentencing rules. |
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Drugs Gabriel Gomez: Federal medical marijuana OK; leave the rest to states. Scott Brown: Stop dependence on drug trade in Afghanistan. |
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Education Ayanna Pressley: Debt free college should be available for all. Brian Herr: Schools are best run at the local level; end Dept. of Ed. 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. Christy Mihos: MCAS has become a weapon against public education. Christy Mihos: No state-based merit pay; let cities & towns decide. 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. Deval Patrick: Favors MCAS, but not as only measure of education reform. Deval Patrick: Incentives & merit pay on school-wide basis only. Grace Ross: MCAS is a big part of why kids drop out of high school. Grace Ross: Constitutional commitment to education--35 kids is too many. 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. Kerry Healey: Strong supporter of the MCAS and standards. Kerry Healey: Merit pay for best teachers & those at most-needed schools. Scott Brown: Vouchers for public, private, or religious schools. Sonia Chang-Diaz: Fought for $1.5 billion in new aid to K-12 districts. 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 Ayanna Pressley: We need to encourage renewable energy. Ed Markey: Simply unneeded to subsidize oil industry. Gabriel Gomez: Keystone XL project brings jobs. Jeff Beatty: Opposed gas tax hikes; roll-back gasoline prices. Jeff Beatty: Should have drilled ANWR 10 years ago; so drill now. Jeff Beatty: Additional drilling has to be part of the solution. Kerry Healey: I like wind energy, but Cape Wind is a bad idea. Martha Coakley: Supports national cap-and-trade system, plus renewables. Scott Brown: Promote increased use of alternative fuel technology. Scott Brown: Opposes cap-and-trade system, but renewables OK. Scott Brown: Cap-and-trade is a national energy tax. Sonia Chang-Diaz: Supports green public transportation. |
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Environment Ayanna Pressley: Empower the EPA; strengthen clean air & water laws. Bob Massie: Green Bank: capitalize on what nature provides us. Christy Mihos: Cape Wind hurts fishing industry. Deval Patrick: Engage in DC regulatory fight to protect our fishing fleet. Gabriel Gomez: I'm a "green Republican"; others in GOP deny science. Grace Ross: Agriculture deserves more economic development attention. Kerry Healey: Fight new regulations that put fishermen out of business. Mitt Romney: Clean environment will be a campaign theme. Steve Lynch: Help Massachusetts fishermen as working class. |
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Families & Children Ayanna Pressley: Paid family leave is a necessity. Bob Massie: Support Raise Up Agenda of paid family leave. Jeff Beatty: Supports protecting families. Kerry Healey: Teach abstinence as part of comprehensive sex ed. Martha Coakley: Mandatory prosecution of restraining order violations. Michael Capuano: Healthy Families Act: paid time off for respite care. Scott Brown: Presumption of shared parenting after divorce. |
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Foreign Policy Brian Herr: I believe in diplomacy; but keep terrorists out. Steve Grossman: Former chair of pro-Israel lobby continues strong support. |
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Free Trade Jeff Beatty: Protect jobs for American citizens. |
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Government Reform ACLU: Sue states for arbitrary voter registration deadlines. Alan Khazei: Include senior opportunities in Serve America Act. Deval Patrick: Limit campaign donations. Don Berwick: Fight overturn or repeal Citizens United. Ed Markey: Authored laws on Telecomm, insider trading, and Alzheimers. Gabriel Gomez: No anti-ad pledge; my only pledge is to Constitution. Martha Coakley: Current FEC reporting on donors & meetings is enough. Michael Capuano: If meetings are made public, people will not visit Senators. Scott Brown: Campaign disclosure but no donation limits. Scott Brown: Let president decide on nominees. |
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Gun Control Ayanna Pressley: Gun control needs to be implemented now. Deval Patrick: Strengthen existing gun laws; require background checks. Don Berwick: Weapons of war have no place on our streets. Ed Markey: Fight the NRA for broader gun control measures. Ed Markey: Expand background checks; ban assault weapons; fight NRA. Gabriel Gomez: In favor of closing the gun-show loophole. Gabriel Gomez: Tie gun sales to mental health checks. Gabriel Gomez: I oppose the NRA on expanded background checks. Gabriel Gomez: A lot of people in the GOP are wrong on gun control. Scott Brown: Concealed carry ok; but licenses & background checks ok too. |
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Health Care Alan Khazei: Close the Medicare Part D coverage gap. Ayanna Pressley: Obamacare should be further implemented. Bob Massie: Healthcare "entitlement" is Constitutional "life & liberty". Brian Herr: ObamaCare gives too much federal authority. Chris Gabrieli: Raise employer uninsured healthcare assessment above $295. Deval Patrick: Supports employer uninsured healthcare assessment, plus more. Ed Markey: Supported ObamaCare but would repeal aspects of it. Elizabeth Warren: Too many huge federal giveaways to the drug industry. Gabriel Gomez: Universal affordable coverage, but repeal ObamaCare. Gabriel Gomez: ObamaCare hurts the middle class & small business. Gabriel Gomez: Repeal medical device tax in ObamaCare. Jack Robinson: Universal coverage; no Medicare cuts; no tax increase. Jack Robinson: Increase consumer choice and control for longterm care. Kerry Healey: Save $160M by consolidating city & town insurance purchases. Martha Coakley: Individual mandate with public insurance option. Martha Coakley: Target enforcement against corrupt long term care facilities. Martha Coakley: System is broken and needs to be fixed now. Michael Capuano: Preserve all the Medicare benefits for seniors. Scott Brown: Ensure access to basic health care, including state funding. Scott Brown: MA already has health bill; don't impose new federal bill. Scott Brown: 41st vote against Obama's healthcare plan. Scott Brown: Public option is really a government option. Stephen Pagliuca: Close the Medicare Part D "doughnut hole" coverage gap. Stephen Pagliuca: Expand home and community-based long term care services. Steve Grossman: Advocates bulk purchasing of medication to reduce prices. Steve Grossman: Commit to public school teaching in exchange for scholarship. Steve Lynch: Opposed ObamaCare and would repeal aspects of it. Tom Reilly: Opposes $295/yr employer fee for uninsured employees. |
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Homeland Security Alan Khazei: Would vote against Patriot Act. Ed Markey: Don't compromise innocent haystack looking for guilty needle. Gabriel Gomez: Fight to preserve Western Massachusetts' military units. Gabriel Gomez: Only traitors reveal harmful surveillance information. Jeff Beatty: Restructure forces, larger, & for liberation, not occupation. Martha Coakley: Would vote against Patriot Act as currently formulated. Martha Coakley: Protect due process in any plan to keep America safe. Scott Brown: Supports enhanced interrogation techniques. Scott Brown: No constitutional rights for enemy combatants. Stephen Pagliuca: Would vote against Patriot Act. |
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Immigration Ayanna Pressley: America needs to be immigrant friendly. Brian Herr: Enforce existing laws including penalizing employers. Brian Herr: Seal the borders to prevent illegal entry. Charlie Baker: Adopt Secure Communities and REAL ID standards. Christy Mihos: Illegal immigration is illegal--they cost Massachusetts $1B. Christy Mihos: Dems want immigrants votes; GOP wants their cheap labor. Christy Mihos: No licenses for illegals; felony for driving without license. Deval Patrick: In-state tuition ok for illegals; focus on employers. Deval Patrick: Drivers licenses for illegals, for security and safety. Don Berwick: Comprehensive reform with pathway to citizenship. Gabriel Gomez: Make the Senate "Gang of Eight" a "Gang of Nine". Gabriel Gomez: Pathway to citizenship should include learning English. Grace Ross: Illegal immigrants pay taxes like the rest of us. Grace Ross: Illegal immigration is only an issue because of jobs. Kerry Healey: A nation of immigrants, but also a nation of laws. Kerry Healey: Opposes in-state tuition for illegal immigrants. Kerry Healey: Urges Attorney General to investigate hiring illegals. Kerry Healey: Opposes issuing licenses to illegal immigrants. |
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Jobs Alan Khazei: Enforceable workforce protection for seniors. Ayanna Pressley: A higher Federal minimum wage is beneficial. Deval Patrick: Pledge to work with AFL-CIO means being open to all voices. Ed Markey: $10 an hour minimum wage is just a first step. Jack Robinson: Restore the full protections of the age discrimination laws. Kerry Healey: Deval's pledge to work with AFL-CIO means higher costs. Martha Coakley: Restore the Age Discrimination in Employment Act. Michael Capuano: Strengthen rights of seniors against age discrimination. Robert Reich: Prodded Clinton on minimum wage & corporate welfare. Scott Brown: No affirmative action in public employment nor contracting. Scott Brown: AdWatch: I agree with JFK that cutting taxes creates jobs. Stephen Pagliuca: 10% unemployment is totally unacceptable. Stephen Pagliuca: Reverse Gross v FBL Financial: no age discrimination. |
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Principles & Values Alan Khazei: Would take a "big citizenship" approach to Washington. Brian Herr: Four R's: Reasonable; Responsible; Respectful; Republican. Christy Mihos: �Game on�, but maybe as Republican or maybe independent. Christy Mihos: On being a spoiler: How can you spoil a rotten system? Christy Mihos: Not just passing through Massachusetts, like some governors. Christy Mihos: I represent 50% of voters; no difference between Dems & GOP. 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. Deval Patrick: Running to reach out to all & create a stake in the future. Deval Patrick: Do we stay on this path, or do we make a change? Deval Patrick: Outsider governor balances entrenched establishment. Don Berwick: I believe steadfastly in the separation of church and state. Gabriel Gomez: FactCheck: Markey authored successful bills over 22 years. Grace Ross: Earns $30K/year; millionaires have no clue what we face. Grace Ross: Running to rebuild democracy. Jack Robinson: Ran as Republican in past; running as Independent in 2013. Jane Swift: First sitting governor to give birth. Kerry Healey: Focus on giving voters a meaningful choice. Kerry Healey: Republican governor balances 87% Democrat legislature. Martha Coakley: Considers herself a liberal, but look at the record. Michael Capuano: Proud to say I'm a liberal. Robert Reich: Calling Democrats "dead" meant to stimulate debate. Robert Reich: Pro-economic growth progressive. Scott Brown: $1.3 million in 24 hours via Internet "Money Bomb" appeal. Shannon O'Brien: Spouse resigns as lobbyist, to avoid conflict of interest. Sonia Chang-Diaz: First Latina elected to the Massachusetts State Senate. 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. John Deaton: I am the grateful embodiment of the American Dream. |
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Social Security Alan Khazei: Individual retirement accounts ok; but not from Trust Fund. Ayanna Pressley: Social Security is crucial and must not be cut. Don Berwick: Oppose any efforts to privatize, including chained CPI. Jack Robinson: No diversion of payroll tax to individual retirement account. Joe L. Kennedy: Ready to cut Social Security & other entitlements. Martha Coakley: Safety net of Social Security is more important than ever. Michael Capuano: Resist any attempt to privatize Social Security. Stephen Pagliuca: Never allow diverting into individual retirement accounts. |
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Tax Reform Alan Khazei: Supports a war tax to pay for Afghanistan surge. Ayanna Pressley: Our tax code should relieve the 99%. Christy Mihos: Set aside 40% of state revenue for local aid. Christy Mihos: Get money out of Beacon Hill and back to cities & towns. Christy Mihos: Roll back taxes but restore local aid. Deval Patrick: Restore local aid so towns can cut property taxes. Deval Patrick: Supports local meals tax and local-option taxes. Deval Patrick: Cut property tax; expand circuit breaker & senior exemption. Deval Patrick: Tax rollback is shell game, shifting burden to property tax. Don Berwick: Ask people with higher incomes to pay higher rates. Ed Markey: Higher-income people should pay their fair share of taxes. Grace Ross: We don't have enough income tax. Grace Ross: Tax rollback kills cities via property tax increase of 35%. Grace Ross: Tax rollback gives middle class $100s, but $100,000s to rich. Jeff Beatty: Abolishing state income tax would act as economic stimulus. John Kerry: Abolishing state income tax would be calamitous. Kerry Healey: More local aid, to keep property taxes low. Kerry Healey: Opposes local meals tax and local-option taxes. Kerry Healey: Avoid property tax increases by reducing waste. Kerry Healey: Failure to roll back taxes cost people $2 billion since 2000. Martha Coakley: Consider a war tax to pay for Afghanistan surge. Martha Coakley: Bush tax cuts favor wealthy Americans. Martha Coakley: AdWatch: Get taxes up from more employment, not tax increase. Martha Coakley: Extend Bush tax cuts for the lowest four tax brackets. Martha Coakley: Some taxes are investments like for infrastructure & schools. Scott Brown: Maintain Bush tax cuts after 2010. Scott Brown: 15 percent across the board tax cut. Scott Brown: Permanently eliminate the estate tax. Stephen Pagliuca: Job Focused Tax Reform: incentives, training, & funding. 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 Alan Khazei: Focus on mobility as key determinants of senior wellness. Ayanna Pressley: Spending on infrastructure will benefit Americans. Bob Massie: Replace patchwork projects with world-class public transit. Christy Mihos: Sell naming rights to Big Dig bridge. Gabriel Gomez: Let the people decide if rail needed to Western Mass. Jack Robinson: Supports Complete Streets policy for all ages & abilities. Martha Coakley: Take into account drivers' abilities, from teens to seniors. Martha Coakley: Make federal research-and-development tax credit permanent. Michael Capuano: $6B to restore MA roads, bridges, and tunnels. Stephen Pagliuca: Require federal fundees to adopt Complete Street principles. John Deaton: Drawn to cryptocurrency helping underprivileged & unbanked. |
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War & Peace Brian Herr: Yield to President on war strategy, but questions timetable. Gabriel Gomez: Align with right rebel group and impose no-fly zone in Syria. Jeff Beatty: Iraq invasion was a mistake, but we can't leave now. Jeff Beatty: Leave Iraq with success, by any path. Jeff Beatty: Evidence for WMD in Iraq was not credible. Jeff Beatty: Kerry failed to read vital intelligence reports pre-Iraq war. John Kerry: Based vote for Iraq war on CIA's intelligence reports. Martha Coakley: Bring troops home from Afghanistan. Martha Coakley: Focus efforts where terrorists are, not Afghanistan. Michael Capuano: No funding for Afghan surge; no funding for Iraq war. Scott Brown: Finish the job in Afghanistan: keep Taliban and al-Qaeda out. Scott Brown: Supports 30,000 more troops in Afghanistan. Scott Brown: Terrorists are not gone from Afghanistan. |
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Welfare & Poverty Deval Patrick: Increase funding for employment and job training programs. Kerry Healey: Faith-based organizations ok for providing social services. John Deaton: Mother held family together with food stamps, welfare. |
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