Presidental Candidates

[piercehawkeye45]

Please do not discuss presidential candidates on this thread, just post media sources and views (as unbiased as possible) relating to them. There is another discussion thread.

Use the official websites for Presidential information. Use the Senatorial/Congressional websites for voting records, etc.


Democrats:
First Tier Candidates for the Democratic Party:
Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton of New York

Official Website:
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/?splash=1

Senatorial Website:
http://clinton.senate.gov/

Senator Barack Obama of Illinois

Official Website:
http://www.barackobama.com/

Senatorial Website:
http://obama.senate.gov/

Former Senator John Edwards of North Carolina

Official Website:
http://johnedwards.com/splash/

Second Tier Candidates:
Governor Bill Richardson of New Mexico

Official Website:
http://www.richardsonforpresident.com/

Gubenatorial Website:
http://www.governor.state.nm.us/index2.php

Senator Joe Biden of Delaware

Official Website:
http://www.joebiden.com/

Senatorial Website:
http://biden.senate.gov/

Senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut

Official Website:
http://www.chrisdodd.com/

Senatorial Website:
http://dodd.senate.gov/

Third Tier Candidates:
Representative Dennis Kucinich of Ohio

Official Website:
http://kucinich.us/

Congressional Website:
http://kucinich.house.gov/

Former Senator Mike Gravel of Alaska

Official Website:
http://www.gravel2008.us/

Potential notable candidates:
Retired General Wesley Clark of Arkansas
Former Vice President Al Gore of Tennessee


Republicans:
First Tier Candidates for the Republican Party:
Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani of New York City, New York
Senator John McCain of Arizona
Former Governor Mitt Romney of Massachusetts

Second Tier Candidates:
Senator Sam Brownback of Kansas
Former Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas
Representative Duncan Hunter of California
Former Governor Tommy Thompson of Wisconsin

Third Tier Candidates:
Former Governor Jim Gilmore of Virginia
Representative Ron Paul of Texas
Representative Tom Tancredo of Colorado

Potential notable candidates:
Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich of Georgia
Senator Chuck Hagel of Nebraska
Former Senator and actor Fred Thompson of Tennessee


Constitution Party:
Actively pursuing or interested in candidacy for the Constitution Party (United States):
James Gilchrist of California
Dale Thompson of Kentucky


Green Party:
Elaine Brown of Georgia
Kat Swift, co-chair of Texas Green Party.
Alan Augustson of Chicago, Illinois

Individuals frequently mentioned as possible candidates:
Ralph Nader of Connecticut (rumored candidate. A "Draft Nader" effort has begun among some Greens.)
Former Representative Cynthia McKinney of Georgia
Rebecca Rotzler of New York


Libertarian Party:
Official candidates who have filed with the FEC for the Libertarian Party:
Mike Jingozian of Oregon
Bob Jackson of Michigan
Steve Kubby of California
George Phillies of Massachusetts
Christine Smith of Colorado

Actively pursuing or interested in candidacy:
Barry Hess of Arizona
Robert Milnes of New Jersey
Wayne Allyn Root of Nevada


Independents:
Official candidates who have filed with the FEC as independent candidates:
James H. Mccall of Ohio
Donald K. Allen of Ohio
Steve Adams of Kentucky
David Koch of Utah
John Taylor Bowles of South Carolina

Individuals who have expressed serious interest
David J. Masters of North Carolina

Individuals rumored to be considering a presidential run:
Mayor Michael Bloomberg of New York City

[piercehawkeye45]

Views of Democrats

Overview:
Anti-Iraqi War (Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Kucinich, Gravel)
New Direction In Iraq (Biden, Dodd)
Pro-Israel (Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Dodd)
Stop Darfur genocide (Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Biden)
Sign Kyoto Protocol (Kucinich, Gravel)
Pro-Energy Conservation (Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Biden, Dodd, Kucinich, Gravel)
Raise Minimum Wage (Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Richardson)
Universal Health Care:
-Single Payer (Kucinich)
-Non-Single Payer (Clinton, Obama, Edwards)
-?? (Richardson, Biden?, Gravel))
Pro-Education Vouchers (Edwards)
Anti-Education Vouchers (Clinton, Obama, Richardson)
Pro-Choice (Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Dodd, Kucinich, Gravel)
Pro-Stem Cell Research (Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Richardson, Dodd, Gravel)
Pro-Same Sex Marriage (Kucinich, Gravel)
Anti-Same Sex Marriages (Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Richardson)
Allow gays to serve openly in Military (All)
Pro-Civil Unions (Clinton, Obama, Edwards, Richardson)
Pro-Death Penalty (Clinton, Edwards, Richardson)
Anti-Death Penalty (Obama, Kucinich, Gravel)
Pro-Net Neutrality (Clinton, Obama, Edwards)
Gun Control (Clinton (moderate), Obama (moderate), Edwards (minimal), Richardson (very minimal), Dodd (high moderate), Kucinich (high moderate), Gravel (minimal))
Ending “War On Drugs (Kucinich, Gravel)
De-Criminalization of Marijuana (Kucinich, Gravel)

Individual Candidates:
Hilary Clinton (Campaign Site)
Get rid of national debt
Against illegal immigration but votes suggest otherwise
Illegalize Flag Burning
Pro-control on video games
Make college more affordable.
Create good jobs with good wages to expand the middle class.
Higher pay to teachers and principals
Reforming the “No Child Left Behind Act”
Increasing access to high-quality early education and helping to create Early Head Start.

Barack Obama (Campaign Site)
Pro-Guest Work Program
Does not rule out military action against Iran
Increase Teachers pay on a merit basis (higher standardized test scores, higher pay)

John Edwards (Campaign Site)
Fight Global Warming
Illegal Immigration
Strengthen Middle Class

Bill Richardson (Campaign Site)
Net Neutrality ??

Joe Biden (Campaign Site)

More scholarships for college
Raise teacher’s pay
Increase Law Enforcement funding
Reduce greenhouse emissions

Chris Dodd (Campaign Site)

Pro-Restoring the Constitution Act of 2007
Anti-banning same sex marriage
Pro-Chavez
Pro-Free trade
Reduce Greenhouse emissions
Budget control
Reform no child left behind
Very pro-Head Start programs
More scholarships for college
Lower health care costs

Dennis Kucinich (Campaign Site)

Education for everyone
Withdrawal from WTO ad NAFTA
Repealing Patriot Act
Fostering a world of international cooperation
Anti-Privitation of Social Security
Social Security benefits at age 65
Creating cabinet-level “Department of Peace”
Ratifying the ABM Treaty
Introducing reforms to bring about instant-runoff voting
Creating a balance between workers and corporations
Ending the H1B and L1 Visa Programs
Restoring rural communities and family farms
Impeach Vice President Cheney

Mike Gravel (Campaign Site)

Get rid of IRS and Income tax and replace with progressive sales tax
Support of a Palestinian state along with an Israeli one
Cutting down US’s nuclear bombs from 10,000s to hundreds
Against military confrontation with Iran
Outlaw torture by US military
Disfavors deportation of Illegals
Citizen initiated national lawmaking

[piercehawkeye45]

Views of Republicans

Overview:
Pro-Iraqi War (Giuliani, McCain, Romney, Brownback, Huckabee, Hunter, Thompson, Gilmore)
Anti-Iraqi War (Paul, Tancredo)
Win “War On Terror” (Giuliani, McCain, Romney, Huckabee, Hunter, Thompson. Gilmore)
Pro-Israel (McCain, Brownback, Huckabee, Hunter)
Anti-Kyoto Protocol (Romney, Brownback)
Anti-NAFTA, CAFTA, WTO (Hunter, Paul)
Abolish Income Tax (Huckabee, Paul, Tancredo)
Pro-Education Vouchers (Giuliani, McCain, Romney, Brownback, Hunter, Tancredo)
Privatized Health Care (Giuliani, Romney, Brownback, Huckabee, Thompson)
Lower Taxes (Giuliani, McCain, Brownback, Huckabee, Hunter, Thompson, Gilmore, Paul)
Lower US Deficit (McCain, Romney Huckabee)
Pro-Choice (Giuliani)
Pro-life (McCain, Romney, Brownback, Huckabee,  Hunter, Thompson, Gilmore, Paul, Tancredo)
Pro-Capital Punishment (Giuliani, McCain, Romney)
Anti-Capital Punishment (Brownback, Paul)
Anti-Torture (McCain, Paul)
Pro-Energy Conservation (Giuliani, McCain, Romney, Brownback, Huckabee, Thompson, Gilmore)
Anti-Same Sex Marriage (Giuliani, McCain, Romney, Brownback, Huckabee, Hunter, Thompson, Gilmore, Tancredo)
Pro-Civil Union (Romney)
Anti-Civil Union (McCain, Gilmore)
Pro-Stem Cell Research (Giuliani, Huckabee)
Anti-Stem Cell Research (McCain, Romney, Brownback)
Gun Control [(Giuliani (high moderate), McCain (minimal), Romney (moderate), Brownback (minimal), Huckabee (minimal), Hunter (minimal), Thompson (minimal), Gilmore (minimal), Paul (minimal), Tancredo (minimal]

Individual Candidates:
Rudy Giuliani (Campaign Site)
Pro-Military Action against Iran

John McCain (Campaign Site)

Privatized Social Security
Favors teaching of Intelligent Design

Mitt Romney (Campaign Site)

Economic Sanctions on Iran
Diplomatic Isolation of Iran
Against Raising Taxes
Invest in Technology
Raise Education Goals

Sam Brownback (Campaign Site)

Limit power to Federal Courts on Church/State decisions
Favors teaching of Intelligent Design
Against wiretapping
Help Darfur conflict
Reform the UN
New Homestead Act

Mike Huckabee (Campaign Site)

Supply Israel with “state-of-the-art” weapons
Free Trade
Pro-FairTax
Bring “weapons of mass instruction” to schools (music and art)
Pro-Covenant marriages
Expand Army and defense budget
Total energy dependence
Favor of teaching creationism

Duncan Hunter (Campaign Site)

Balance budget through economic reforms
Pro-Parental rights
Anti-Hate Crime Bill
Protect America’s economy from China
Anti-Welfare??

Tommy Thompson (Campaign Site)

Go to preventive from curative treatments in health care
Strengthen “No Child Left Behind”

Jim Gilmore (Campaign Site)

...

Ron Paul (Campaign Site)

Non-Interventionist foreign policy
Pro-Free Trade
Elimination of Federal Reserve
Pro-gold standard
Abolish Electoral College
Anti-“drug war”
Abolish welfare system

Tom Tancredo (Campaign Site)
Pro-medical marijuana
Privatize social security
Balance Budget

[piercehawkeye45]

3rd party views    ....(update later)
Overview:

Candidates:
Constitution Party:
Green Party:
Libertarian Party:
Independents:

[piercehawkeye45]

Debate Videos

Democrats
Democratic debate (4/26/07) (All 10 are there)
Democratic debate (6/3/07) (All 11 are there)

Republicans
Republican debate (5/15/07) (the rest should be there but are harder to find)
Republican debate (6/5/07) (the rest should be there but are harder to find)

[Godfather of Soul]

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/

Under this initiative, 20 districts across the country would get grants to develop innovative plans in consultation with their teacher unions. High-performing teachers would be eligible for pay increases of 10 to 20 percent of their base salary. These innovation districts would be required to implement systemic reforms and show convincing results. These best practices would provide models for other school systems to adopt.

He is not opposed to NCLB nor the testing mania that is paralyzing schools right now.

I will try to keep the editorializing to a minimum from now on.

Also, we should link to the official web pages for these people.  Both their presidential and congressional (if applicable).

I will modify these comments later after the changes are made.

[Bob]

Take at Dennis Kucinich's take on the issues

Health care:

"Americans have the most expensive health care system in the world. We spend about twice as much per person as other developed nations, and that gap is growing. That's not because we are sicker or more demanding (Canadians, for example, see their doctors more often and spend more time in the hospital). And it's not because we get better results. By the usual measures of health (life expectancy, infant mortality, immunization rates), we do worse than most other developed countries. Furthermore, we are the only developed nation that does not provide comprehensive health care to all its citizens. Some 42 million Americans are uninsured (nearly 46 million today -- updated figure) -- disproportionately the sick, the poor, and minorities -- and most of the rest of us are underinsured. In sum, our health care system is outrageously expensive, yet inadequate. Why? The only plausible explanation is that there's something about our system -- about the way we finance and deliver health care -- that's enormously inefficient. The failures of the system were partly masked during the economic boom of the 1990's, but now they stand starkly exposed. There is no question that with the deepening recession and rising unemployment, in the words of John Breaux, 'The system is collapsing around us.'

Keep in mind:

Dennis Kucinich is the only Presidential Candidate with a plan for a Universal Single Payer, NOT FOR PROFIT Healthcare system.

Education

Education is the only solution proven to reduce poverty levels. This conclusion is backed by thousands of national studies. Given the opportunity, education and training pave a path out of poverty for many families. Five years ago when welfare was reformed, recipients were discouraged and even prevented from earning a higher degree.

Note:

I believe we can take our children and society in a new direction by challenging this notion that education should be so limited. We ought to be encouraging art, music, and creative writing in our schools. In doing so, we recognize and fuel the wide range of talents our children possess. Also See: Vouchers Floor Statements, 109th Congress: Reporting of School Bus RR Crossings Funded H.R. 609 Will Not Help Students Don't Let the War on Drugs Become a War on Children Students Pay for Tax Cuts for the Rich.

-edited for neutrality.

[Godfather of Soul]

http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/

Washington Post Guide to the Presidential Candidates
Date Posted: May 18, 2007, 06:33:07 pmhttp://www.opensecrets.org/

Find out who is giving money to which candidates.

This will be expanded as the site is updated.  We will do a breakdown of each candidate.

[piercehawkeye45]

I added all four presidental debates.

Democratic debate (4/26/07) and (6/3/07)

Republican debate (5/15/07) and (6/5/07)

[Terrorize This]

Check This Ron Paul Speech Out

 

We may be the economic and the military giant of the world, but the effort to stop this war on our liberties here at home in the name of patriotism is being lost.

The erosion of our personal liberties started long before 9/11, but 9/11 accelerated the process. There are many things that motivate those who pursue this course, both well-intentioned and malevolent, but it would not happen if the people remained vigilant, understood the importance of individual rights, and were unpersuaded that a need for security justifies the sacrifice for liberty, even if it is just now and then.

The true patriot challenges the state when the state embarks on enhancing its power at the expense of the individual. Without a better understanding and a greater determination to rein in the state, the rights of Americans that resulted from the revolutionary break from the British and the writing of the Constitution will disappear. 

The record since September 11th is dismal. Respect for liberty has rapidly deteriorated. Many of the new laws passed after 9/11 had, in fact, been proposed long before that attack. The political atmosphere after that attack simply made it more possible to pass such legislation. The fear generated by 9/11 became an opportunity for those seeking to promote the power of the state domestically, just as it served to falsely justify the long-planned invasion of Iraq.

[piercehawkeye45]

How Democrats' three health plans compare

Not a lot of information but here ya go:

http://www.twincities.com/national/ci_6922225

WASHINGTON - Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., is now the third leading Democratic presidential candidate to offer a detailed fix for the nation's health care industry. Here's a look at similarities and differences among the three plans after she presented details Monday:

Q. Does the Clinton plan go beyond those offered by former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards and Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill.?

A. All three propose universal health coverage, bringing everyone without insurance into the system through tax credits for employers and/or individuals and subsidies for the lowest-income workers. Edwards and Clinton would require all Americans to have health insurance. Obama's plan guarantees coverage for all Americans but does not require all to have it.

The three plans would prohibit insurers from denying coverage because of pre-existing conditions or genetic risks for disease. The plans also would provide for portability of insurance to ensure coverage in case of job loss or career change.

"They're a lot closer together than farther apart," said Robert Blendon, a health policy expert at Harvard University.

Q. How much would universal health care cost? How would it be paid for?

A. The estimated costs of transitioning to universal health care range from $100 billion to $200 billion in the first year, with lower annual costs after that, economists said. Edwards said his plan would cost $90 billion to $120 billion. Obama said his will cost between $50 billion and $65 billion. Clinton put the cost of her plan at $110 billion.

To pay for their plans, all three propose administrative savings but are also eyeballing the wealthiest taxpayers. Clinton would target Americans with annual incomes of more than $250,000, rolling back some of the Bush-era tax cuts set to expire in 2010. Obama would let the tax cuts expire across the board in 2010. Edwards would roll back tax breaks for the wealthiest Americans, and his cutoff point is $200,000 in annual income.

Q. Would they change employersponsored health care plans?

A. Not for most Americans, maybe for some. All three plans would allow consumers already in an employerprovided health plan to stay put and to stick with their preferred doctors. Obama and Clinton both propose tax credits for small businesses to help them provide insurance to their workers. All three would offer tax credits to lower-income workers who purchase health coverage.

But Clinton offers a potentially radical policy change. Since World War II, employers have deducted from taxes the costs of providing health insurance to their employees, giving workers a tax-free gift. Clinton proposes that for Americans with income of more than $250,000 who receive generous employer-provided plans, a portion of those plans be treated as taxable income.

"That's a major change. That's one the Republicans have been pushing for a long time," said Kenneth Thorpe, a health policy professor at Emory University in Atlanta.

Q. Are these plans government or socialized health care?

A. No. All three plans would leave the existing private system in place. Edwards would create Health Care Markets - state and regional nonprofit insurance-purchasing pools - to offer consumers a choice of competing insurance plans. At least one of those plans would be a public program based on Medicare. If more people choose that public plan, it could lead to a single-payer approach, like that in Canada, where government administers health care, collecting fees and paying out costs.

Obama proposes a National Health Insurance Exchange to help individuals and employers buy health insurance. But he doesn't talk of a single-payer system. Clinton said Monday she wouldn't build any new bureaucracy.