|
The New York Times
U.S.
Candidates on the
Issues
By AP from
nytimes.com on the Web, January 16, 2008
WASHINGTON -- The stands of
these 2008 presidential candidates on a selection of issues:
Democrats: New York Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, former North Carolina
Sen. John Edwards and Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.
Republicans: Former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, former Arkansas Gov.
Mike Huckabee, Arizona Sen. John McCain, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney,
and former Tennessee Sen. Fred Thompson.
ABORTION: Support abortion rights?
Clinton: Yes.
Edwards: Yes.
Obama: Yes.
Giuliani: Yes.
Huckabee: No.
McCain: No.
Romney: No. (Previously supported abortion rights.)
Thompson: No. (Previously supported right to early term abortion.)
EDUCATION:
Clinton: $10 billion for universal preschool. Replace No Child Left
Behind law. $10,000 higher-education scholarships per year of national
service.
Edwards: Universal preschool for 4 year olds. Change or replace No
Child Left Behind.
Obama: $18 billion plan for preschool, teacher pay, $4,000 college tax
credit for community service.
Giuliani: Vouchers for school choice.
Huckabee: Give states more authority to run education.
McCain: Vouchers for school choice, more community-college aid.
Romney: Supports school choice and No Child Left Behind law.
Thompson: Favors incentives for school choice.
GAY MARRIAGE: Prohibit it with constitutional amendment?
Clinton: No.
Edwards: No.
Obama: No.
Giuliani: No.
Huckabee: Yes.
McCain: No.
Romney: Yes.
Thompson: No.
GLOBAL WARMING:
Clinton: $150 billion, 10-year energy package for new fuel sources; backed
caps on greenhouse gas emissions.
Edwards: $13 billion annual fund to double budget for efficiency and
renewable energy, favors greenhouse gas emission caps.
Obama: $150 billion, 10-year program for ''climate friendly'' energy
supplies, favors emission caps.
Giuliani: Unsure how much global warming is caused by humans.
Consider expanding nuclear power and alternative energy.
Huckabee: Supports increase to 35 mpg fuel efficiency standard by 2020,
and emission caps.
McCain: Led Senate effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions; favors tougher
fuel efficiency.
Romney: As governor, backed out of regional pact to curb carbon dioxide
emissions from power plants. Says tougher mileage standards are a burden
on automakers.
Thompson: Questioned whether global warming caused by humans is real.
GUN Control:
Clinton: Supports gun control.
Edwards: Supports gun control.
Obama: Supports gun control.
Giuliani: Backed federal gun control as mayor, now says states should
decide.
Huckabee: Opposes gun controls; backs federal ''right to carry'' law
requiring states to recognize other states' concealed weapons permits.
McCain: Opposed ban on assault-type weapons; favored background-check law
for gun shows.
Romney: As governor, favored strict state gun control.
Thompson: Opposes most gun controls
HEALTH INSURANCE:
Clinton: $110 billion a year for mandatory universal coverage in first
term. Tax credits to make insurance more affordable. Raise taxes on
wealthy.
Edwards: Up to $120 billion a year for mandatory universal coverage in
first term. Tax credits for affordability. Raise taxes on wealthy.
Obama: No universal coverage mandate for adults but one for children.
More than $65 billion a year to make universal coverage affordable. Raise
taxes on wealthy.
Giuliani: Income tax deduction of $7,500 per taxpayer to defray insurance
costs.
Huckabee: Spend more on prevention, let market and states expand
insurance.
McCain: $2,500 tax credit per taxpayer to help pay for insurance.
Romney: Incentives for states to expand affordable coverage. As
governor, signed law aimed at ensuring universal coverage.
Thompson: Leave expanded coverage to market, not Washington.
IMMIGRATION:
Clinton: Voted for 2006 bill that proposed conditional path to citizenship
for illegal aliens; backed border fence.
Edwards: Supports path to citizenship for illegal aliens who speak English
and meet other conditions.
Obama: Voted for 2006 bill that proposed conditional path to citizenship
for illegal aliens; backed border fence.
Giuliani: Open to legal status for illegal aliens who speak English and
meet other conditions. Favors tamperproof immigrant ID cards.
Huckabee: Has favored allowing illegal aliens to apply for legal status if
they pay penalties, get work permits, register. As governor, opposed
banning state services for illegal aliens.
McCain: Sponsored 2006 bill that proposed conditional path to citizenship
for illegal aliens. Now says he would secure border first.
Romney: Opposes conditional path to citizenship for illegal aliens; once
called that step reasonable. Backs fence and National Guard at border, and ID
cards.
Thompson: Opposes conditional path to citizenship for illegal aliens.
Previously backed expansion of legal immigration.
IRAQ:
Clinton: Opposed troop increase. No timetable for completing
withdrawal. Voted for war.
Edwards: Take out 50,000 troops now; all combat troops out in 10 months.
Said his vote for war was wrong.
Obama: Combat troops out in 16 months. Spoke against war at start.
Giuliani: Supported troop increase and prosecution of the war.
Huckabee: Now faults President Bush for not sending enough troops at the
start.
McCain: Early critic of how the war was fought, backed troop increase,
opposes scheduled pullout.
Romney: Supported troop increase and prosecution of the war.
Thompson: Supports Bush's course in Iraq.
SOCIAL SECURITY:
Clinton: Noncommittal on raising $97,500 income cap on payroll taxes.
Proposes a federal match of up to $1,000 to help set up 401(k) plans.
Edwards: Subject the portion of income over about $200,000 to Social
Security taxes.
Obama: Raising cap with unspecified ''small adjustment'' that would
subject a portion of higher incomes to Social Security taxes.
Giuliani: Rules out tax increase to save Social Security.
McCain: Would consider ''almost anything'' in a compromise to save Social
Security, yet rules out higher payroll taxes for now.
Huckabee: Higher benefits for people who delay retirement past 70.
Let retirees choose to get benefits or a payment at death for heirs.
Romney: Higher taxes are ''wrong way to go.''
Thompson: Only major candidate proposing lower-than-promised benefits for
future retirees.
STEM CELL RESEARCH: Relax restrictions on federal financing:
Clinton: Yes.
Edwards: Yes.
Obama: Yes.
Giuliani: Yes.
Huckabee: No.
McCain: Yes.
Romney: Apparently, no. As governor, tried to stop legislation that
encouraged expanded embryonic stem cell research of the kind opposed by Bush.
Thompson: Apparently, no.
TAXES:
Clinton: Raise income taxes on wealthiest and keep estate tax on them.
Higher tax breaks for college.
Edwards: Raise income taxes on wealthiest and their capital gains tax.
$25 billion a year in tax cuts for non-wealthy, including tripling the Earned
Income Tax Credit for singles and $500 tax credit for families making up to
$75,000.
Obama: Raise income taxes on wealthiest and their capital gains and
dividends taxes. Raise corporate taxes. $80 billion in tax breaks
mainly for poor workers and elderly, including tripling Earned Income Tax Credit
for minimum-wage workers and higher credit for larger families.
Giuliani: Cut corporate tax rate to 25 percent from 35 percent, eliminate
estate tax, establish a permanent child tax credit.
Huckabee: Replace income and investment taxes with 23 percent national
sales tax, with help for poor and rebates for essential purchases.
McCain: Opposed some of Bush's tax cuts because they were not tied to
spending cuts, now says the tax cuts should be permanent.
Romney: Tax breaks to those earning less than $200,000, eliminating
capital gains, interest and dividend taxes for most.
Thompson: Let people choose between current system and one with 10 percent
flat rate on first $100,000 of joint income after deductions, 25 percent
thereafter.
|
