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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 The Boston Globe (number of quotes indicated): |
| OnTheIssues.org excerpts: (click on issues for details) |
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Abortion Alan Keyes: Withdraws; job done since GOP & V.P. are both pro-life. Angus King: Favors abortion rights; keep Planned Parenthood funding. JoAnn Sprague: Pro-choice. John Kerry: Kerry staunchly resists restrictions on abortions. John Paul Stevens: Favors abortion rights. Joseph Lieberman: Parental consent with judicial override; Gore agrees. Kerry Healey: $1B for stem cell research is irresponsible. Mitt Romney: Endorsed legalization of RU-486. Orrin Hatch: Appoint conservative judges without litmus tests. Sarah Palin: Rejected sympathy for Down's Syndrome son, as gift from God. Sarah Palin: Opposes embryonic stem cell research. Steve Forbes: Dialogue to persuade instead of impose. Steve Lynch: Pro-life. Tom Reilly: Supports abortion rights. |
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Budget & Economy Donald Trump: One-time 14.25% tax on wealth, to erase national debt. George W. Bush: Claim of Gore's 20,000 new bureaucrats is unlikely. George W. Bush: Claim of 1/4 for important projects is overestimate. George W. Bush: Claims of Gore's spending are based on inflated figures. Wesley Clark: Short-term deficit ok in recession, but not long-term. |
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Civil Rights Angus King: Supports gay marriage. Anthony Kennedy: Can�t outlaw flag burning. Bill Bradley: Racial unity is a defining moral issue. Bill Bradley: NY shooting as error; 1992 King verdict denounced. Bill Bradley: Supports affirmative action. Gary Bauer: If not prayer, recite Declaration. George W. Bush: Withholding info from Congress OK on national security issue. George W. Bush: Equal protection supercedes recruiting women & minorities. John Kerry: Defense of Marriage Act is fundamentally ugly. John Kerry: Questions the ultimate practicality of affirmative action. John Paul Stevens: Favors affirmative action. Joseph Lieberman: For gay equal employment; against gay marriage. Pat Buchanan: AIDS is retribution; women can't compete. Rev. Jesse Jackson: Blacks were disproportionately disenfranchised in Florida. Stephen Breyer: Disabled people can sue states under federal ADA law. Seth Moulton: Voted NO on banning transgender athletes as too extreme. |
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Crime Alan Khazei: Opposes death penalty in all cases. Howard Dean: Even terrorists deserve a fair trial. John Ashcroft: Opposes any further delays in McVeigh's execution. John Kerry: Death penalty for Osama bin Laden. John Paul Stevens: Favors defendants' rights. Martha Coakley: Limit Supreme Court review of state death penalty conviction. Martha Coakley: Signed death penalty brief with 15 death penalty states. Martha Coakley: Supported death penalty for cop killers, but now opposes it. Michael Capuano: Voted for terrorist death penalty as part of larger bill. Michael Capuano: Death penalty is out of step with progressive Massachusetts. Mitt Romney: Favored mandatory sentencing and three strikes. Ruth Bader Ginsburg: States have broad powers to limit jury awards. Stephen Pagliuca: Opposes death penalty in all cases. Tom Reilly: Supports death penalty, but once opposed it. |
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Drugs Al Gore: Clinton-Gore drug policy: spending up; drug use down. Charlie Baker: Don't legalize marijuana: it's unsafe & lowers IQ in kids. Elizabeth Warren: Opposes the outright legalization of marijuana. George W. Bush: Parents make up for past by warning kids against drugs. George W. Bush: $2.8B more for Drug War, for state treatment & abroad. George W. Bush: Clinton-Gore drug policy is inconsistent and has failed. George W. Bush: Congressional limit on troops in Colombia is "advisory" only. Marty Walsh: Don't legalize marijuana: it's unsafe & lowers IQ in kids. |
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Education Al Gore: Education is best anti-poverty, anti-discrimination program. Al Gore: $10K �Teacher Corps� bonus; hire & test teachers. Al Gore: Agrees with unions against vouchers; disagrees on testing. Al Gore: More choice, more local control, within public schools. Al Gore: Yes, poor parents in failing schools might like vouchers. Elizabeth Dole: Merit pay to retain teachers. Elizabeth Dole: More ed. savings accounts; tax credit for ed. charity. Elizabeth Dole: Web of rules makes system fail; empower states & districts. Elizabeth Dole: Search students' lockers & backpacks for drugs & guns. Gary Bauer: If not prayer, recite Declaration. George W. Bush: Signing statement: No independent research on education. Jim Jeffords: Individuals With Disabilities Education Act revived. Mitt Romney: Supported abolishing the federal Department of Education. Mitt Romney: Supported means-tested vouchers for public & private schools. Sarah Palin: Teach creationism alongside evolution in schools. |
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Energy & Oil Dan Quayle: Fervor on global warming is an attack on capitalism. Dick Cheney: Fuel cells from propane are �a tremendous development�. George W. Bush: Abandons campaign pledge to reduce CO2 emissions. George W. Bush: Signing statement: No whistleblower law for nuclear agencies. |
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Environment Al Gore: Control clean air in National Parks. Al Gore: Gore proposes $2B to counter suburban sprawl. |
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Families & Children Dick Cheney: Voted against WIC welfare nuttrition programs. Gary Bauer: Juvenile violence based on mass media & abortion. |
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Foreign Policy Colin Powell: State Dept shakeup: More funds; more career officers. Dick Cheney: Cuba: replace sanctions with free trade enclave. John McCain: $1M political donations by Chinese Army should not be legal. |
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Free Trade Al Gore: Open markets with safeguards for labor and environment. Pat Buchanan: China trade pact is a complete sellout. Jack Reed: Tariffs are going to hurt our economy tremendously. |
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Government Reform Anthony Kennedy: Favors states� rights, usually. Antonin Scalia: For states� rights; limit court role. Barack Obama: Constitutional Amendment to overturn Citizens United. Clarence Thomas: Limited role for courts; narrow Constitional interpretation. David Souter: Backs federal powers over states� rights. John McCain: Influence peddling helps the Chinese Army. John McCain: Veto any pork-barrel bill. John Paul Stevens: Against state term limits on candidates for congress. John Paul Stevens: Votes with liberal bloc against states' rights. Mitt Romney: Balanced budget amendment and line-item veto. Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Votes with liberal bloc against states' rights. Sandra Day O`Connor: Limit federal courts on state powers. Stephen Breyer: Votes with liberal bloc against states' rights. Steve Grossman: Low voter participation is a "national disgrace". Steve Grossman: Use mail-in voting, and vote over several days. William Rehnquist: States' rights over federal power. |
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Gun Control Angus King: Supports gun rights. Elizabeth Warren: Supports gun control. Gary Bauer: Focus on our hearts, not "instruments". Mike Bloomberg: 2006: Created Mayors Against Illegal Guns; now 600 mayors. Steve Lynch: Voted against assault weapons ban. Steve Lynch: Supports some gun rights, some gun control. Tom Menino: 2006: Created Mayors Against Illegal Guns; now 600 mayors. |
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Health Care Al Gore: �Outrageous scare tactics� on Medicare�s HIV treatment? Al Gore: Require insurance coverage of experimental cancer trials. Al Gore: Claims of Bush�s choices & benefits are underestimated. George W. Bush: $7.4B for nursing home insurance via tax deductions. George W. Bush: Affordable long-term care instead of financial ruin. George W. Bush: Claims of immediate help are only true for poorer families. George W. Bush: Claims that he supported patient rights in Texas is false. John Kerry: Key issue: Does government control reduce cost? Mitt Romney: Subsidies for health coverage for low-income individuals. Mitt Romney: Voluntary purchasing pools. Mitt Romney: On choosing providers: "I like being able to fire people". Wesley Clark: Does not support single-payer healthcare. |
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Homeland Security Al Gore: $1.2 billion in new education money for veterans. Dick Cheney: US military is best in world, but trend is wrong direction. Dick Cheney: Swift retaliation for USS Cole terrorist attack. George W. Bush: Bush's stated military service record is incorrect. George W. Bush: AWOL in Air Guard? Maybe not, but didn't meet obligations. George W. Bush: OK to waive torture ban if terrorist attack prevented. George W. Bush: Military lawyers subject to White House legal conclusions. George W. Bush: Signing statement: Only president decides which intel to use. |
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Immigration Bill Weld: More H-1B visas; keep more foreign grads & entrepreneurs. Bill Weld: Current system is "de facto legalization" for 11 million. Dianne Feinstein: $127M for INS to reduce immigrant visa backlog. George W. Bush: $500M to cut INS application time to 6 months. Kerry Healey: A nation of immigrants, but also a nation of laws. Kerry Healey: Illegal immigrants are breaking law and have no entitlements. Kerry Healey: Called for deportation in'05; now says can't deport them all. |
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Jobs George W. Bush: Flex-time & family-oriented work rules via tax code. Mitt Romney: Tax incentives for employee training. |
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Principles & Values Alan Khazei: Citizen-led, citizen-energized, & citizen-financed campaign. Arnold Schwarzenegger: Needs no money; so will represent ordinary citizens. Bill Simon: Exits race to avoid splitting GOP vote. Bill Simon: Exits California recall race to avoid splitting GOP vote. Christy Mihos: Ran for State Senate on South Shore in early 1990s. Christy Mihos: Supported Romney to create viable two-party system. Cruz Bustamante: Campaign strategy: No on recall, yes on Bustamante. Cruz Bustamante: Dems strategy: No on recall, yes on Bustamante. Donald Trump: Mocks opponent as "Pocahontas" at Native American event. Ed O`Reilly: Formally announced at the Democratic State Convention. Gary Bauer: Something is wrong, despite good economy. Harry Browne: Little difference between Dems & Reps; hopes to be spoiler. Howard Dean: Appeals $76 late fee on property tax; known as a tightwad. JoAnn Sprague: Socially liberal yet fiscally conservative. John Kerry: Clear separation of church and state. Katherine Clark: Kitchen Table Tour: informal Q&A at voters' homes. Katherine Clark: Elected to School Committee, State House, then State Senate. Sarah Palin: Miss Congeniality in statewide beauty pageant in 1984. Sarah Palin: Star high school athlete in Fellowship of Christian Athletes. Sarah Palin: Gained political prominence as a whistleblower. Seth Moulton: Democrats need to ask what they can do differently. |
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Social Security Al Gore: Open questions: future surplus & future discipline. George W. Bush: Open questions: transition costs & bad investors bailouts. Rick Santorum: Raise retirement age? Maybe. Private investment? Yes. Rick Santorum: Social Security needs reform sooner rather than later. Ron Klink: Social Security bridges the generations; keep it as is. |
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Tax Reform Al Gore: $792B tax cut is a �risky tax scheme�. Al Gore: Claim that every family is eligible for tax cut is unlikely. Al Gore: Claim that Bush benefits �top 1%� only true with estate tax. Deval Patrick: Allow cities to raise local meals tax-trust local officials. Robert Reich: Avoid raising taxes, but a pledge is irresponsible. Sarah Palin: Elected mayor based on tax cut promise. Tom Reilly: Disallow cities to raise local meals taxes-no more burden. |
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Technology Al Gore: Tighten privacy protections over medical information. Steve Grossman: Supports Internet voting, to encourage youth participation. |
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War & Peace Bill Bradley: Against intervention. Dick Cheney: Iran: against sanctions; makes oil deals there. Dick Cheney: US too soft on Iraq. Ed O`Reilly: Kerry was wrong to vote to authorize Iraq war. George W. Bush: President, not Congress, decides on Iraq investigations. John Kerry: Afghanistan incursion justified and not the same as Vietnam. John Kerry: Supported 1998 missile attacks against Afghanistan & Sudan. John Kerry: Anti-Vietnam but not left-wing anti-war. John Kerry: Kerry saves life under fire, awarded Bronze Star. Pat Buchanan: Doesn't matter to US whose flag flies over Jerusalem. Shannon O'Brien: $3 million to assess threat against water supplies. Wesley Clark: Committed to survival and preservation of Israel. |
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Welfare & Poverty Mitt Romney: Faith-based programs to provide social services. Ralph Nader: Charity work is good; but politics addresses root causes. |
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All material copyright 1999-2022 by Jesse Gordon and OnTheIssues.org Reprinting by permission only. |
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