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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 Pennsylvania Archives (number of quotes indicated): |
| OnTheIssues.org excerpts: (click on issues for details) |
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Abortion Brian Fitzpatrick: Double funding from $4B to $8B at woman's health clinics. Everett Stern: Legal protection to unborn children. Josh Shapiro: Defended reproductive rights & woman's right to choose. Marc Scaringi: Pro-life. Tom Ridge: Allow abortions, with limits; no partial-birth. Tom Smith: No abortion under all circumstances, including rape & incest. Tom Smith: Pro-life, period, but not for rape. Josh Shapiro: Women deserve to make their own choices about their bodies. |
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Budget & Economy Brian Fitzpatrick: End waste, fraud & abuse; plus Balanced-Budget Amendment. Craig Snyder: We believe in democratic capitalism, not socialism. Everett Stern: Market-led recovery better than federal stimulus. Jim Christiana: Voted against numerous proposals to spike taxes and spending. Joe Sestak: Auto & bank bailouts were to clean up Bush's mess. Joe Gale: I support lower levels of spending, of borrowing, of taxes. Joe Sestak: Deregulation of banks led to the economic meltdown. Marc Scaringi: We need a balanced budget amendment. Pat Toomey: Real threat to economy is billions on bailouts. Pat Toomey: Strengthen economy via lower taxes & less spending. Pat Toomey: We can't borrow and spend our way to prosperity. Tom Smith: Stagnant economy due to over-regulation & complex taxes. Josh Shapiro: $1.5B investment in mass transit over the next five years. Josh Shapiro: More state contracts for companies that have been shut out. |
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Civil Rights Arlen Specter: Oppose gay marriage but support civil union. Barack Obama: Apply affirmative action to poor white college applicants. Betsy Summers: Support gay marriage. Bob Casey: Right ongoing wrongs in college admissions. Craig Snyder: Americans should be judged by character, not race/identity. Doug Mastriano: Bar trans women from playing women's sports. Ed Rendell: Recognize civil unions. Ed Rendell: Affirmative action in state contracts and colleges. Everett Stern: Affirmative action is unconstitutional. Everett Stern: Federal government out of gay rights issues. Jim Clymer: Oppose gay marriage and also oppose civil union. Joseph Hoeffel: Oppose gay marriage but support civil union. Josh Shapiro: Helped the first LGBT couples in Pennsylvania to marry. Katie McGinty: Morally wrong to fire gays simply because of who they are. Katie McGinty: Marriage equality so all can marry the person they love. Tom Ridge: Opposes Affirmative Action. Tom Ridge: No special gay laws; no gay marriage. Tom Smith: Equal pay for equal work. Josh Shapiro: Once led the nation on LGBTQ rights now we're falling behind. |
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Corporations Hillary Clinton: Take back $55B in Bush's industry give-aways. Joe Sestak: The plaque says 'We the People,' not 'We the Corporations'. Steve Welch: Current tax code punishes small businesses while GE pays 0%. Tom Smith: Compliance with regulations is strangling business. |
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Crime Arlen Specter: Toughen sentences for career criminals. Brendan Boyle: More prisons; less parole. Ed Rendell: Supports the death penalty. Ed Rendell: End parole for repeat violent offenders. Everett Stern: Focus on rehabilitation and prevention. Josh Shapiro: Helped create statewide Police Misconduct Database. Tom Ridge: More prisons; more death penalty. Tom Ridge: Stricter penalties; less parole. Bethany Hall-Long: Cruelty to animals includes extended tethering of dogs. Colin Bonini: Don't include tethering of dogs as cruelty to animals. Jack Markell: Cruelty to animals includes extended tethering of dogs. Mike Katz: Cruelty to animals includes extended tethering of dogs. Mike Ramone: Cruelty to animals includes extended tethering of dogs. |
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Drugs Ed Rendell: Strengthen penalties for drug-related crimes. Everett Stern: Continue to fight the war on drugs federally. Josh Shapiro: Has taken on Pharma over opioid epidemic. Josh Shapiro: It's time to catch up, legalize, regulate and tax marijuana. |
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Education Brendan Boyle: More funding for schools, teachers, and colleges. Brian Fitzpatrick: Interest-free student loans for STEM and trades. Everett Stern: Let schools display the words "God Bless America". Everett Stern: Freedom and choice of schools for parents & children. Hillary Clinton: End predatory student college loan rates over 20%. Joseph Hoeffel: Voted to increase funding for No Child Left Behind 4 times. Katie McGinty: Strong Schools; Bright Futures:restore $1B in education cuts. Tom Ridge: Teacher-led voluntary prayer is OK. Tom Ridge: State-wide student testing; teacher re-certification. Tom Ridge: Vouchers for private & religious schools. Tom Smith: Get rid of the Department of Education. |
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Energy & Oil Barack Obama: Raise fuel efficiency standards to reduce long-term demand. Craig Snyder: Climate change is real, requires amelioration not regulation. Ed Rendell: Promote alternative fuels & also traditional domestic fuels. Everett Stern: Strongly opposes prioritizing green energy. Hillary Clinton: Investigate gas price manipulation; add windfall profits tax. Joe Sestak: Offshore drilling moratorium; oversight of Marcellus Shale. Joe Sestak: Championed cap-and-trade; market forces to reduce emissions. Joe Sestak: Global warming is principally man-made; regulate CO2. Josh Shapiro: Criminally charged multiple fracking companies. Katie McGinty: Make Pennsylvania a leader in wind and solar once again. Marc Scaringi: Make Pennsylvania energy independent via Marcellus Shale. Pat Toomey: We need oil from deep water wells despite the Gulf spill. Pat Toomey: Increase domestic supply instead of cap-and-trade. Pat Toomey: Global warming exists, but not necessarily due to humans. Tom Smith: Former coal company executive; ease up on coal mining. Tom Smith: Fossil fuels are key to reasonable energy prices. |
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Environment Everett Stern: EPA regulations are too restrictive. Marc Scaringi: Our children will inherit debt from Cash for Clunkers. Sam Rohrer: Eliminate Department of Energy; scale back EPA. Tom Ridge: Let industries audit themselves & then clean up. Tom Ridge: More flexibility in environmental regulation. |
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Families & Children Josh Shapiro: Exposed predator priests, cover up of child sexual abuse. |
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Foreign Policy Brian Fitzpatrick: Don't base foreign policy on political correctness. Everett Stern: Strongly support American Exceptionalism. Joe Sestak: China is a threat by holding so much of our reserves. Josh Shapiro: As child, started campaign for Soviet Jewish children. |
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Free Trade Brian Fitzpatrick: Reform unfair trade deals to put American workers first. Everett Stern: Strongly support & expand free trade. Joe Sestak: Tax companies who fire US workers & import goods from China. |
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Government Reform Brendan Boyle: Limit campaign contributions but not campaign spending. Brian Fitzpatrick: Congress needs term limits & single-issue bills. Ed Rendell: Limit campaign contributions but not campaign spending. Everett Stern: Strongly support making voter registration easier. Josh Shapiro: Defend 2020 election results all the way to Supreme Court. Josh Shapiro: Worked on some of the toughest ethics laws in state history. Katie McGinty: Make it easier for people to participate in our elections. Steve Welch: Term limits instead of a road to riches. |
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Gun Control Barack Obama: Ok for states & cities to determine local gun laws. Ed Rendell: Strengthen existing gun laws; add background checks. Everett Stern: High capacity magazines ok; decreasing waiting periods ok. Hillary Clinton: Balance lawful gun ownership & keeping guns from criminals. Hillary Clinton: Give local police access to federal gun tracking info. Hillary Clinton: Let states & cities determine local gun laws. Joe Sestak: Extend the ban on assault weapons. Marc Scaringi: Pro-second amendment. Josh Shapiro: Let's strengthen our gun laws and bring about more order. |
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Health Care Bob Casey: Shift $700B from Medicare to ObamaCare, but no senior funds. Brian Fitzpatrick: ObamaCare is failing; focus on uninsured. Everett Stern: Give choices and power to patients. Jim Christiana: Repeal ObamaCare in one fell-swoop or brick-by-brick. Joe Sestak: Ban denying coverage due to pre-existing conditions. Joseph Hoeffel: Voted against a sweet deal for pharmaceutical companies. Katie McGinty: Expand Medicaid; embrace ObamaCare. Marc Scaringi: ObamaCare is profoundly unconstitutional. Pat Toomey: Allow purchasing insurance across state lines. Sam Rohrer: ObamaCare is big government mentality. Steve Welch: Lunacy that consumers don't know real prices. Tom Ridge: Guaranteed medical care is not a government responsibility. |
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Homeland Security Bob Casey: Keep the wiretaps and keep the intelligence programs. Everett Stern: Our country must have the strongest defense in the world. Joe Sestak: 2005 Navy reassignment: personnel change or morale issue? Pat Toomey: Economic viability is most important national security issue. Patrick Morrisey: Strong national defense preserves American freedom. Rick Santorum: War against Islamic fascism will be won or lost in America. |
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Immigration Everett Stern: Practical solutions to illegal immigration. Jim Christiana: Secure our borders; hold sanctuary cities liable. Marc Scaringi: Secure America's borders. Steve Welch: Secure America's borders. |
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Jobs Brian Fitzpatrick: Equal pay for equal work. Katie McGinty: Raise minimum wage from $7.25 to $9.00 per hour. Marc Scaringi: Lack of right-to-work harms the people of Pennsylvania. Pat Toomey: Taxes & spending have a chilling effect on creating jobs. Sam Rohrer: Washington does not create jobs; but it can destroy jobs. Steve Welch: National right-to-work make us globally competitive. Josh Shapiro: Treat career paths with the same respect as choosing college. Josh Shapiro: Minimum wage stuck at $7.25/hr for 15 years--It's a shanda! |
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Principles & Values Arlen Specter: I�m in the center in this campaign. Arlen Specter: In 28 years in GOP, stood with Dems on their top priorities. Betsy Summers: Specter and Hoeffel are both big-government candidates. Barack Obama: In hard times, people take refuge in traditions, God & guns. Barack Obama: I am a person of faith; and I reach out to people of faith. Barack Obama: Blacks are angry; but I dissociate myself from Rev. Wright. Barack Obama: I revere the American flag; I don�t refuse to wear flag pins. Bob Casey: We need an independent voice; not a rubber stamp for Bush. Bob Casey: Optimistic there will be debates; but won't say so on record. Bob Casey: Declined to respond to League of Women Voters questionnaire. Craig Snyder: We know that America is a shining city on a hill. Craig Snyder: We can take back our country from the extremists. Hillary Clinton: Faith is not just something to cling to in hard times. Hillary Clinton: Visited Bosnian war zone, but mistake to call it sniper fire. Jim Clymer: Both major parties are liberal on the major issues. Joe Gale: Restore "worship" to township welcome signs. Joe Sestak: TV ad: Toomey's record is same as Sen. Rick Santorum's. Pat Toomey: TV ad: Sestak served well in Navy; but not on Congress. Rick Santorum: I agree with Bush 98% of the time, but I say when I don't. Steve Welch: Voted Democratic in 2008; but renounced support of Obama. Steve Welch: Switched party from Democrat to GOP in 2005. Tom Smith: Elected as Democrat as township supervisor for decades. Tom Smith: Optimistic there will be a debate; but nothing finalized. Tom Smith: Declined to respond to League of Women Voters questionnaire. |
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Social Security Arlen Specter: Considered Social Security privatization but saw it unwise. Barack Obama: Raise $97K cap on payroll tax exempting earnings under $250K. Barack Obama: Must capture new revenue; no new Social Security Commission. Bob Casey: Stop these crazy proposals to put benefits in stock market. Brian Fitzpatrick: Protect and strengthen entitlement programs. Everett Stern: Create personal retirement accounts. Hillary Clinton: No lifting cap on payroll tax; that taxes middle class. Hillary Clinton: Bipartisan commission, like in 1983, to address crisis. Jim Christiana: Ensure promises to every generation, but change for future. Tom Smith: AdWatch: divert payroll tax into privately managed accounts. Tom Smith: Let Social Security payroll tax reduction expire in January. |
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Tax Reform Barack Obama: No tax increase if earning under $250K; tax cuts under $75K. Barack Obama: Raise capital gains tax for fairness, not for revenue. Brian Fitzpatrick: Simplify and flatten the tax code. Everett Stern: I do not believe in spreading the wealth. Hillary Clinton: Absolutely no tax increase on people earning under $250K. Hillary Clinton: Perhaps raise capital gains tax, but at most to 20%. Joe Sestak: No flat tax; focus on the working family, not Wall Street. Sam Rohrer: High taxation comes from ignoring the Constitution. Tom Smith: Supports flat tax; remove loopholes but keep exemptions. |
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Technology Katie McGinty: Pennsylvania should drive renaissance of manufacturing in US. Josh Shapiro: Develop a toolkit on digital literacy and critical thinking. |
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War & Peace Arlen Specter: Unwise to ally with an untrustworthy Afghan President. Betsy Summers: Get soldiers out of Iraq as quickly as possible. Barack Obama: President sets Iraq mission; give generals a new mission. Barack Obama: Take no options off the table if Iran attacks Israel. Bob Casey: Would have voted for Iraq War, but based on false evidence. Bob Casey: Iraq: No deadline, no timeline, but replace Rumsfeld. Bob Casey: No withdrawal deadline in Iraq; but we must change course. Bob Casey: We need more Special Forces and better body armor. Bob Casey: Sanctions against Iran, but in a tough and skilled way. Brian Fitzpatrick: Cut off terrorist money; cut off Iranian nuke deal. Craig Snyder: De facto surrender in Afghanistan a stain on US legacy. Everett Stern: Prevention instead of containment on Iranian nukes. Hillary Clinton: Remove a brigade from Iraq every month, no matter what. Hillary Clinton: Massive retaliation from US if Iran attacks Israel. Joe Sestak: Put pressure on al-Qaida safe havens in neighboring Pakistan. Joseph Hoeffel: There was plenty of money for the troops in the pipeline. Marc Scaringi: Proceed with caution with Iran; they have no nukes. Rick Santorum: Iraq: We have a great game plan, and Rumsfeld does fine job. Rick Santorum: War in Iraq is one front in war on Islamic fascism. Rick Santorum: Iran is at the heart of the Iraq war. Rick Santorum: Saddam had no new WMDs, but did have old WMDs. Rick Santorum: Iraq had nothing to do with 9/11, but still a necessary war. Rick Santorum: My Iraq plan, and my opponent's plan, is same as Bush's. Rick Santorum: Needed exit strategy & objective in Kosovo, but not in Iraq. Rick Santorum: Sanctions against Iran, despite Administration disagreement. Sam Rohrer: Threats by Iran should not be taken lightly. Steve Welch: Everything needs to on the table with Iran, but not publicly. |
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Welfare & Poverty Josh Shapiro: We're funding the summer food program so no kid goes hungry. |
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All material copyright 1999-2022 by Jesse Gordon and OnTheIssues.org Reprinting by permission only. |
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