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Where McCain, Obama stand on the issues
2008-10-13
A look at where Democrat Barack Obama and Republican John McCain stand on a selection of issues: Muzi.com News 10081103-1 (muzi.com)ABORTION Muzi.com News 10081103-2 (muzi.com) McCain: Opposes abortion rights. Has voted for abortion restrictions permissible under Roe v. Wade, and now says he would seek to overturn that guarantee of abortion rights. Would not seek constitutional amendment to ban abortion. Muzi.com News 10081103-3 (muzi.com) Obama: Favors abortion rights. Muzi.com News 10081103-4 (muzi.com) AFGHANISTAN Muzi.com News 10081103-5 (muzi.com) McCain: Favors unspecified boost in U.S. forces. Muzi.com News 10081103-6 (muzi.com) Obama: Would add about 7,000 troops to the U.S. force of 36,000, bringing the reinforcements from Iraq. Has threatened unilateral attack on high-value terrorist targets in Pakistan as they become exposed, "if Pakistan cannot or will not act" against them. Muzi.com News 10081103-7 (muzi.com) CAMPAIGN FINANCE Muzi.com News 10081103-8 (muzi.com) McCain: The co-author of McCain-Feingold campaign finance law is running his general campaign with public money and within its spending limits. He urged Obama to do the same. He applied for federal matching funds for primaries but later turned them down so he could spend more than the limits. The Federal Election Commission belatedly approved his decision to bypass the primary funds, but rejected McCain's claim that he needed no such approval. He raised more than $160 million before having to stop to accept the $84 million in public money for the fall. McCain accepted primary campaign contributions from lobbyists. Muzi.com News 10081103-9 (muzi.com) Obama: The presidential campaign's fundraising champion has brought in more than $450 million. He is raising private money for his general election, despite his proposal last year to accept public financing and its spending limits if the Republican nominee does, too. Obama refuses to accept money from federal lobbyists and has instructed the Democratic National Committee to do the same for its joint victory fund, an account that would benefit the nominee. Obama does accept money from state lobbyists and from family members of federal lobbyists. Muzi.com News 10081103-10 (muzi.com) CUBA Muzi.com News 10081103-11 (muzi.com) McCain: Ease restrictions on Cuba once U.S. is "confident that the transition to a free and open democracy is being made." Muzi.com News 10081103-12 (muzi.com) Obama: Ease restrictions on family-related travel and on money Cuban-Americans want to send to their families in Cuba. Open to meeting new Cuban leader Raul Castro without preconditions. Ease trade embargo if Havana "begins opening Cuba to meaningful democratic change." Muzi.com News 10081103-13 (muzi.com) DEATH PENALTY Muzi.com News 10081103-14 (muzi.com) McCain: Has supported expansion of the federal death penalty and limits on appeals. Muzi.com News 10081103-15 (muzi.com) Obama: Supports death penalty for crimes for which the "community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage." As Illinois lawmaker, wrote bill mandating videotaping of interrogations and confessions in capital cases and sought other changes in system that had produced wrongful convictions. Muzi.com News 10081103-16 (muzi.com) EDUCATION Muzi.com News 10081103-17 (muzi.com) McCain: He is not proposing a federal voucher program that would provide public money for private school tuition, in contrast to his proposed $5 billion voucher plan in 2000. Only proposes expansion of District of Columbia's voucher program. Sees No Child Left Behind law as vehicle for increasing opportunities for parents to choose schools. Proposes more money for community college education. Muzi.com News 10081103-18 (muzi.com) Obama: An $18 billion plan that would encourage, but not mandate, universal pre-kindergarten. Teacher pay raises tied to, although not based solely on, test scores. An overhaul of No Child Left Behind law to better measure student progress, make room for non-core subjects like music and art and be less punitive toward failing schools. A tax credit to pay up to $4,000 of college costs for students who perform 100 hours of community service a year. Obama would pay for part of his plan by ending corporate tax deductions for CEO pay. Has backed away from his proposal to save money by delaying NASA's moon and Mars missions. Muzi.com News 10081103-19 (muzi.com) ENERGY Muzi.com News 10081103-20 (muzi.com) McCain: Favors increased offshore drilling and building 45 nuclear power reactors by 2030. Crystal Benton, speaking for McCain, said he proposes no federal spending to help in construction of the plants. McCain believes the goal can be achieved with loan guarantees in existing law, with resolution of the impasse over waste disposal and with financial advantages the industry would have as a zero-emissions power source under his cap and trade program, she said. McCain opposes drilling in Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Proposed suspending the 18-cent a gallon federal gasoline tax but idea got no traction. Global warming plan would increase energy costs. Muzi.com News 10081103-21 (muzi.com) Obama: Now would consider limited increase in offshore drilling. Opposes drilling in Arctic reserve. Proposes windfall-profits tax on largest oil companies to pay for energy rebate of up to $1,000. Opposed suspension of the gas tax. Proposed releasing 70 million barrels of oil from Strategic Petroleum Reserve to boost supplies. Global warming plan would increase energy costs. Muzi.com News 10081103-22 (muzi.com) GAY MARRIAGE Muzi.com News 10081103-23 (muzi.com) McCain: Opposes constitutional amendment to ban it. Says same-sex couples should be allowed to enter into legal agreements for insurance and similar benefits, and states should decide about marriage. Supports the federal Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal recognition of same-sex marriages and gives states the right to refuse to recognize such marriages. Muzi.com News 10081103-24 (muzi.com) Obama: Opposes constitutional amendment to ban it. Supports civil unions, says states should decide about marriage. Switched positions in 2004 and now supports repeal of Defense of Marriage Act, which denies federal recognition of same-sex marriages and gives states the right to refuse to recognize such marriages. Muzi.com News 10081103-25 (muzi.com) GLOBAL WARMING Muzi.com News 10081103-26 (muzi.com) McCain: Broke with President Bush on global warming. Led Senate effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions. Favors plan that would see greenhouse gas emissions cut by 66 percent by 2050. Muzi.com News 10081103-27 (muzi.com) Obama: Ten-year, $150 billion program to produce "climate friendly" energy supplies that he'd pay for with a carbon auction requiring businesses to bid competitively for the right to pollute and aimed at cutting greenhouse gas emissions 80 percent by 2050. Joined McCain in sponsoring earlier legislation that would set mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions. Increase federal fuel economy requirements beyond 35 mpg. Muzi.com News 10081103-28 (muzi.com) GUN CONTROL Muzi.com News 10081103-29 (muzi.com) McCain: Voted against ban on assault-type weapons but in favor of requiring background checks at gun shows. Voted to shield gun-makers and dealers from civil suits. "I believe the Second Amendment ought to be preserved -- which means no gun control." Muzi.com News 10081103-30 (muzi.com) Obama: Voted to leave gun-makers and dealers open to suit. Also, as Illinois state lawmaker, supported ban on all forms of semiautomatic weapons and tighter state restrictions generally on firearms. Muzi.com News 10081103-31 (muzi.com) HEALTH CARE Muzi.com News 10081103-32 (muzi.com) McCain: $2,500 refundable tax credit for individuals, $5,000 for families, to make health insurance more affordable. No mandate for universal coverage. In gaining the tax credit, workers could not deduct the portion of their workplace health insurance paid by their employers. Muzi.com News 10081103-33 (muzi.com) Obama: Mandatory coverage for children, no mandate for adults. Aim for universal coverage by requiring employers to share costs of insuring workers and by offering coverage similar to that in plan for federal employees. Says package would cost up to $65 billion a year after unspecified savings from making system more efficient. Raise taxes on wealthier families to pay the cost. Muzi.com News 10081103-34 (muzi.com) HOUSING Muzi.com News 10081103-35 (muzi.com) McCain: Open to helping homeowners facing foreclosure if they are "legitimate borrowers" and not speculators. Muzi.com News 10081103-36 (muzi.com) Obama: Tax credit covering 10 percent of annual mortgage-interest payments for "struggling homeowners," scoring system for consumers to compare mortgages, a fund for mortgage-fraud victims, new penalties for mortgage fraud, aid to state and local governments stung by housing crisis, in $20 billion plan geared to "responsible homeowners." Muzi.com News 10081103-37 (muzi.com) IMMIGRATION Muzi.com News 10081103-38 (muzi.com) McCain: Sponsored 2006 bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S., work and apply to become legal residents after learning English, paying fines and back taxes and clearing a background check. Now says he would secure the border first. Supports border fence. Muzi.com News 10081103-39 (muzi.com)
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