Feb. 25, 2008
The News Argus
THE PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES
Their work, their wishes, their words
From the debates to the TV ads, information about this year’s presidential
candidates is coming from all sides. Wading through it all can be overwhelming.
Here we give you a quick snapshot of who the candidates
Democrat and Republican — are and what they’re about.
%
Compiled by Scott Canon | The Kansas City Star
BOOKS THEY’VE
WRITTEN
IRAQ WAR
HEALTH CARE
IMMIGRATION
TAXES
CLIMATE
LIKES TO SAY...
... BUT ON
CLOSER
EXAMINATION
Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton
New York
Yalc-cducatcd lawyer, advised
Children’s Defense 1-und. fonncr
first lady, U.S. .senator from New
York.
"Living History ” “It Takes A
Village," “Dear Socks. Dear
Buddv”
Phased withdrawal within 60
days of inauguration, aiming to
remove most U.S. troops by
2014. Would leave small force to
support Iraqi government, deter
aggression from neighbors and
protect Kurds.
Require all to get health
insurance. Demand that large
employers provide coverage or
contribute to the cost. Ofi'cr tiix
crcdit to small firms and
subsidies for low-income people.
Supports path to legalization
that includes learning English
and paying fines. Increased
penalties for employers of illegal
immigrants. Opposes guest work
er programs.
Allow Bush tax cuts U) expire
for those earning $250.0{X) or
more, use revcnuc.s to pay for
health care. Reform Alternative
Minimum Tax, freeze estate
tax at 2009 levels to pay for
universal 401 (k) plan.
Ca|>and-tradc program for
eailx)n emissions. Reduce
electricity use 20 perccnt from
projected levels by 2020.
Increase auto mileage standards
!o 55 mpg by 2030.
“The energy bill that passed in
2005 was larded w ith all kinds of
special interest breaks ...I knew
that it was going to be an
absolute nightmare.”
The $2.6 billion in lax breaks
for oil coinpanies was ollsel by
$2.9 billion in tax increases. The
net was a S300 million tax
increase over 11 yciu'S.
ENDORSEMENTS
INCLUDE
New York Times, Jack
Nicholson, Pa. Gov. Ed Rendell.
former Rep. Richard Gephardt,
Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland
Sen. Barack Obama
tllinois
Lawyer, community organizer,
former Illinois state senator,
keynote speaker 2004
Democratic National Convention,
U.S. senator from Illinois.
“The Audacity of Hope,”
“Dreams h'rom My Father”
Pull out one to two brigades
per month in 16 months, leaving
forces to protect U.S. Embas.sy,
redeploy some troops to
Afghanistan, aid Iraqi trtnjps
onlv after internal reconciliation.
Require that all children have-
health insurance and that
employers offer coverage or
contribute to the cost. Exempt
small businesses. Create
purchasing poo! with choice of
competing private plans. Expand
.Medicaid eligibility.
Supports path to legalization
that includes learning English
and paying fines. Increased
penalties for employers of illegal
immigrants. Would create system
to verify worker eligibility.
Supports guc^t worker programs.
Voted for Mexican border fence.
Replace Bush tax cuts with
new' breaks woiih $5(X) to S1,5{R)
yearly for people making less
than $50,(X)0. Create S4.000
annua! college tuition tax credit.
Raise taxes on dividends and
capital gains.
Cap-and-trade prograiri to
reduce carbon emissions to 80
percent below 1990 levels by
2050. Make energy companies
pay for emissions.
“i do provide universal health
care.... (Wlc’ve pul forward a
phai that makes sure that it is
affordable to get health care that
is as good as the health care that
i have as a member of Congress.”
His proposals only require
that children have coverage and
be covered under their parents’
insurance up to age 25. Of about
46.5 million uninsured, most are
adults. Details of his plan iffe not
specific enough to tell how many
might be left uninsured.
Baltimore Sun, Oprah
Winfrey. Sen. Edward Kennedy
(Mass.), Sen. Patrick Leahy (Vt,).
Wis. Gov. Jim Doyle
Mike Huckabee
Former Ark. governor
Baptist pastor, president of
Arkansas IBapiist Convention,
10 years as Arkansas governor.
“Character Is the Issue.” “Kids
Who Kill," “Living Beyond Your
Lifetime,” “Quit Digging Your
Grave With a Knife and Eork”
Opposes timetable for pull-out
or withdrawing without endorse
ment of top U.S. military
ct>mmand. Says he is “focused
on winning."
LX)ks 10 states as laboratories
for solutions, opposing mandated
coverage for alt. Invest in
prevcmioii to cut costs and rely
on frec-markct. consumcr-bascd
incentives.
Give illegal immigrants 120
days to register and leave before
applying to return. Increase
skilled worker visas. Tougher
penalties for employers of illegal
immigrants. As governor, sup
ported in state tuition for chil
dren of illegal immigrants.
End all federal income and
payroll taxes, to be replaced by
"fair tax” — national sales tax.
Cites spiritual obligation as
steward of the Earth. Supports
some cn\ ironmental
cap-and-trade policies.
“1 did something that had not
been done in my slate in 160
years. 1 cut taxes, with the legis
lature working with me, and wc
continued to do that 94 limes,"
Actually, Bill Clinton also
cut Arkansas taxes, just not as
broadly as Huckabee. Still,
although Huckabee cut taxes 94
limes as governor, his term
finished with a $500 million net
increase in ta.\es.
Dallas Morning News, Jerry
Falwell Jr.. Chuck Norris. U.S.
Rep. John Linder (Ga.). S.D.
Gov. Mike Rounds
Sen. John McCain
Arizona
I'onner Navy pilot and
Vielnam-era prisoner of war.
U.S. senator from Arizona.
“Character Is Destiny." “Faith
of My Fathers," "Why Ctmrage
Matters*’
Was early advocate of the war
and of the 2006 of troop surge,
although often criticized adminis
tration's handling of the war.
Wants tr(M>ps to stay until Iraq is
stable, secure.
Suggests $2,5(K)-S5.000 lax
credit to make health insurance
alTtsrdablo. Opposes mandated
insurance. Would expand health
.savings accounts.
Supports path to legalization
that includes learning English
and paying fines. Co-sponsored
2006 bill calling for guest-worker
program and setting up path tt>
citizenship for illegal immigrants.
Supports Mexican border fence.
Extend Bush tax cuts.
Simplify lax code. Reform
Alternative Minimum Tax.
Supports cap-and-trade (X)licy
for carbon emissions.
‘The fact is the tax cuts have
dramatically incrca.sed revenues."
The Congressional Budget
Office, Treasury and While
House’s Council of Economic
Advisers agree that the lax cuts
lead to revenues that are lower
than they otherwise would have
been — e\ en if they spuned
some economic growth.
The Kansas City Star, former
Sen. Phil Gramm (Texas), Steve
Forbes, Sen. Sam Brownback
(Kan.), Utah Gov. John
Huntsman
Rep. Ron Paul
Texas
Obstetrician-gynecologist.
longtime U.S. representative
from Texas, one-time Libertarian
Party presidential nominee.
‘The Case for Gold; A
Minority Report of the U.S. Gold
Commission”
Opposed invasion. Would
immediately withdraw all troops
from Iraq.
Opposes mandated coverage.
W'ould make all medical
expen.scs deductible and crcatc
S500-pcr-child lax crcdit for
pre.scription drugs and costs not
covered by insurance.
No path to legalization.
Supports Mexican border fence.
Opposes government services,
including hospitals and schtwls.
for illegal immigrants. End
birthright citizenship.
Eliminate income taxes
and all taxes not “exprc,ssly
authorized by the Constitution ”
including payroll and estate
taxes.
Enforce private property
rights to prohibit anyone from
polluting.
“Both the WTO and CAFTA
could force Americans to gel a
doctor’s prescription to lake
herbs and vitamins. Alternative
treatments etwld be banned.”
Few legal scholars agree that
the World Trade Organization or
the Central American Frc-e Trade
Agreemenl would give interna
tional groups any power to
impose such restrictions on
Americans.
American Conservative
Magazine, Arlo Guthrie, invest
ment advisor/financial commen
tator Don Luskin, former N.M.
Gov. Gary John.son
SOUnCES, NEW YORK TIMES, MCCLATCHY-TniBUNE. FACTCHECK.OnC, CAMPAIGN WEB SITES
MCT PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ONEPAGE
MCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE
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