| I support more government spending on education. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Strongly Agree | I'm going to insist that we've got decent funding for education, enough teachers, and computers in the classroom. I will launch a campaign to recruit and support hundreds of thousands of new teachers across the country-because the most important part of any education is the person standing in front of the classroom. It's time to treat teaching like the profession that it is. It's time to pay our teachers what they deserve. Pay them more money. (- Link
, Meet the Press, NBC News Jul. 25, 2004, Take Back America 2007 Conference Jun. 19, 2007) |
| I support school vouchers. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Strongly Disagree | I oppose government vouchers and tax credits to attend private schools because they would undermine efforts to improve the public school system. (- Link
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| I support the death penalty. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Slightly Agree | The death penalty does little to deter crime, but I support it for cases in which the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage. (- Link
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| I support more free trade with other countries. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Slightly Agree | I generally support free trade policies, but I am concerned about the tendency of free trade agreements to negatively affect labor and environmental protections. I opposed CAFTA because it does less to protect labor than previous trade agreements, and does little address enforcement of basic environmental standards in the Central American countries and the Dominican Republic. (- Link
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| I believe that social security should be privatized. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Strongly Disagree | I oppose privatization and favor an equitable mix of benefit and tax changes to extend the solvency of the problem. (- Link
Calling Social Security both an insurance and retirement program, Obama opposes personal accounts. Denying that the system is bankrupt, he does not rule out raising the retirement age, cutting benefits or raising payroll taxes to maintain the system. Obama has proposed "Working Families Savings Accounts" on top of Social Security which would allow people earning up to $50,000 annually to invest in a retirement plan. - Link
No privatization; but consider earning cap over $97,500. (Jul 2007). - Link
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| I believe government should help provide health care for all citizens. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Agree | n the 2008 campaign, affordable, universal health care for every single American must not be a question of whether, it must be a question of how. We have the ideas, we have the resources, and we will have universal health care in this country by the end of the next president's first term....But regardless of what combination of policies and proposals get us to this goal, we must reach it. We must act. - Link
Illinois Sen. Barack Obama: Require employers to share costs of insuring workers and ensure all children are covered. No mandate that everyone must have insurance. Offer 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. I believe that every American has the right to affordable health care. - Link
I believe that the millions of Americans who can't take their children to a doctor when they get sick have that right. We now face an opportunity-and an obligation-to turn the page on the failed politics of yesterday's health care debates. It's time to bring together businesses, the medical community, and members of both parties around a comprehensive solution to this crisis, and it's time to let the drug and insurance industries know that while they'll get a seat at the table, they don't get to buy every chair. I believe that protecting and promoting health and wellness in this nation is a shared responsibility among individuals and families, school systems, employers, the medical and public health workforce, and federal, state, and local governments. (- Link
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| I support decriminalization of marijuana. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Slightly Disagree | I voted in opposition to federal legislation in committee that would have increased the penalties for growing and distributing medical marijuana in states that have approved its use. (- Link
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| I support full equal rights for homosexuals, including gay marriage. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Slightly Agree | Opposes gay marriage; supports civil union & gay equality. (Oct 2006). Voted NO on constitutional ban of same-sex marriage. - Link
Supports health benefits for gay civil partners. (Oct 2006). - Link
I don’t think marriage is a civil right, but I think that not being discriminated against is a civil right. (- Link
, IL Senate Debate Oct. 26, 2004) |
| I support the absolute right to own a gun. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Slightly Disagree | I am a strong supporter of gun control and have proposed banning all civilian semi-automatic weapons. (- Link
Keep guns out of inner cities--but also problem of morality. Voted NO on prohibiting lawsuits against gun manufacturers. (Jul 2005). - Link
See also - Link
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| I support stricter limits on how political campaigns are funded. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Strongly Agree | I introduced legislation that includes a number of provisions: a full ban on gifts and meals from lobbyists; an end to subsidized travel on corporate jets; full disclosure of who is sponsoring earmarks; additional restrictions to close the revolving door between public service and lobbying shops; and much tighter disclosure requirements for political contributions that lobbyists "bundle". (- Link
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| I support embryonic stem cell research. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Strongly Agree | I support relaxing federal restrictions on embryonic stem cell research. In 2005, I voted for the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act, which allowed federal funding to be used for research on stem cell lines obtained from discarded human embryos originally created for fertility treatments. (- Link
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| I support abortion being legal. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Agree | "I have consistently advocated for reproductive choice and will make preserving women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority as President. I oppose any constitutional amendment to overturn the Supreme Court's ruling in this case." Obama received a 100% score from NARAL ProChoice. - Link
I believe that few women make the decision to terminate a pregnancy casually; that any pregnant woman felt the full force of the moral issues involved when making that decision; that I fear a ban on abortion would force women to seek unsafe abortions, as they had once done in this country. I think instead we could agree on ways to reduce the number of women who felt the need to have abortions in the first place. (- Link
, The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p. 197-198 Oct. 1, 2006). Obama received a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood. - Link
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| I believe the national minimum wage should be increased. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Agree | I have supported bills to increase the minimum wage. (- Link
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| I believe we should increase taxes on the wealthy. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Agree | Q: Do you agree that the rich aren't paying their fair share of taxes?
A: There's no doubt that the tax system has been skewed. And the Bush tax cuts--people didn't need them, and they weren't even asking for them, and that's why they need to be less, so that we can pay for universal health care and other initiatives.
But I think this goes to a broader question, and that is, are we willing to make the investments in genuine equal opportunity in this country? People aren't looking for charity. We talk about welfare and we talk about poverty, but what people really want is fairness. They want people paying their fair share of taxes. They want that money allocated fairly.
Estate tax only affects the wealthiest 1/2 of 1%. Bush tax cuts help corporations but not middle class. - Link
I plan to provide health care to millions of Americans and more affordable medical insurance, financed by tax increases on the wealthy. (- Link
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| I support a path to citizenship for illegal immigrants already in the U.S. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Strongly Agree | I support a system that requires undocumented immigrants that are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, not commit crimes, go to the back of the line for citizenship, and then after all those conditions are met, they would be granted the opportunity to stay in the United States. (- Link
Senator Obama (D-Ill) supported the immigration reform bill that was passed in the Senate, stating that it would enforce immigration laws and also address the nearly 12 million undocumented immigrants living in the country. While Obama supported the enforcement provisions of the bill he also was clear on his commitment to comprehensive immigration reform. "[w]hile security might start at our borders, it doesn't end there. Millions of undocumented immigrants live and work here...they must pay a penalty, and abide by all of our laws going forward...we must allow undocumented immigrants to come out of the shadows...In fact, I will not support any bill that does not provide this earned path to citizenship for the undocumented population." - Link
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| I believe in strictly enforcing current immigration laws. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Strongly Agree | I want to preserve the integrity of our borders to reduce illegal immigration. I support additional personnel, infrastructure, and technology on the border and at our ports of entry. To remove incentives to enter the country illegally, we need to crack down on employers who hire illegal immigrants. I have championed a proposal to create a new employment eligibility verification system so employers could verify that their employees are legally eligible to work in the US, making it fair to legal workers and tougher on employers. (- Link
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| I believe in spending more money than we currently budget for defense and homeland security. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Agree | Five years after 9/11, our country is still unprepared for a terrorist attack. From improving security for our transit systems and chemical plants, to increasing cargo screening in our airport and seaports, the recommendations of the 9/11 Commission have been underfunded and ignored. I am a member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and have supported efforts to base homeland security spending on risk rather than pork-barrel politices. I have also introduced legislation to strengthen chemical plant and drinking water security and to enhance disaster preparedness. (- Link
Obama, who sits on the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, has been a critic of how federal homeland security funding has been handled. He has also been critical of the Patriot Act, but he voted to adopt a conference report to reauthorize it in 2006. Obama cosponsored the SAFE Act of 2005.
In February 2007, Obama cosponsored the Risk-Based Homeland Security Grants Act and has been a steady advocate of risk-based funding for homeland security. In a 2006 podcast, Obama criticized the Homeland Security Appropriations bill, saying, “you would want to give more protection to the Empire State Building or the Golden Gate Bridge than you would want to provide to a Home Depot somewhere in downstate Illinois that is probably not on any terrorist hit list. Unfortunately, what we’re seeing is that Congress is more focused on political handouts than strategic funding.” In March 2006, Obama cosponsored the Chemical Security and Safety Act, which sought to increase chemical plant security. Also in 2006, Obama voted for the FEMA Amendment, which failed. - Link
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| I am willing to sacrifice some civil liberties in order to protect us from terrorism. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Slightly Agree | I supported the 2006 reauthorization of the PATRIOT Act, but argued that the earlier version of the legislation threatened civil liberties and joined Senate Democrats in revising the Act to address these concerns. (- Link
Obama has a 79% lifetime rating from the ACLU, - Link
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| I believe foreign policy should include actively and aggressively confronting potential threats abroad. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Agree | After Iraq, we may be tempted to turn inward. That would be a mistake. The American moment is not over, but it must be seized anew. We must bring the war to a responsible end and then renew our leadership -- military, diplomatic, moral -- to confront new threats and capitalize on new opportunities. America cannot meet this century's challenges alone; the world cannot meet them without America... In addition, we need effective collaboration on pressing global issues among all the major powers -- including such newly emerging ones as Brazil, India, Nigeria, and South Africa. Foreign Affairs, July/August. - Link
2007 Under my leadership, we will marshal a global effort to secure, destroy, and stop the spread of weapons of mass destruction. We will also renew the alliances and partnerships necessary to meet common challenges, such as terrorism. (- Link
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| I support exploratory drilling for oil even in areas that are environmentally sensitive or preserves. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Strongly Disagree | Voted YES on disallowing an oil leasing program in Alaska's ANWR (no drilling in Alaska's nature preserves). It is hard to overstate the degree to which our addiction to oil undermines our future. Without any change to energy policy, US demand for oil will jump 40% in 20 years. Over the same period, worldwide demand will jump 30%.
A large portion of the $800 million we spend on foreign oil every day goes to some of the world's most volatile regimes. And there are the environmental consequences. Just about every scientist outside the White House believes climate change is real.
We cannot drill our way out of the problem. Instead of subsidizing the oil industry, we should end every single tax break the industry currently receives and demand that 1% of the revenues from oil companies with over $1 billion in quarterly profits go toward financing alternative energy research and infrastructure. - Link
Progressives are the folks who believe in energy independence of America. We believe that we can harness homegrown alternative fuels and spur the production of fuel-efficient hybrid cars, and break our dependence on the world's most dangerous regions. We understand that we get a three for: We can save our economy, our environment, and stop funding both sides of the war on terror if we actually get serious about doing something about energy. We understand that. (- Link
, Annual 2006 Take Back America Conference June 14, 2006) |
| I generally identify with environmentalists and their positions. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Strongly Agree | Barack Obama's lifetime environmental voting record as determined by the League of Conservation Voters is 96. In 2003 I received a 100% Environmental Voting Record Award from the Illinois Environmental Council. I have built a career fighting for clean air, safe drinking water and the rights of citizens to know about the threats to their environment. (- Link
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| I support increased agricultural subsidies. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Disagree | Obama called for changes in the 2007 Farm Bill, and said he'll support lowering subsidy payments and reducing the number of multimillionaires eligible for those subsidies.
"That's why I believe we should lower the payment limit to $250,000 annually and make sure those payments go to farmers who need them _ not to millionaires who rely on the American taxpayers to protect their multimillion-dollar profits," he said. - Link
I support a strict limit on the amount that individuals should receive in farm program payments. (- Link
Discussing crops like arugula, the point the Illinois Democrat and presidential candidate was trying to make then, he said Oct 07 was that farm subsidies should not just go to traditional commodities like corn and cotton. - Link
"Eating habits are changing," he said. |
| I believe that government should provide more economic incentives to corporations to promote growth. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Slightly Disagree | As president, he said, he would "close tax loopholes for big corporations, provide 90 percent of working Americans with a tax cut, and pass the strongest lobbying reform in history." (Oct 7, 2007). - Link
* End tax breaks for companies that send jobs overseas. (Aug 2007)
* Hold corporations responsible for pensions & work conditions. (Aug 2007)
* Tax incentives for corporate responsibility. (Jun 2004)
* Close tax loopholes for US companies relocating abroad. (Jun 2004)
* REAL USA Plan: Reward companies that create domestic jobs. (Jun 2004)
* Voted YES on repealing tax subsidy for companies which move US jobs offshore. (Mar 2005)
* Voted NO on reforming bankruptcy to include means-testing & restrictions. (Mar 2005). - Link
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| I believe that government should increase regulation on corporations for greater workplace and consumer protection. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Strongly Agree | The AFL-CIP gave Obama a 96% lifetime voting record in support of labor issues. - Link
am co-sponsor of the Employee Free Choice Act. Workers are being victimized by the current organizing laws. The employers are abiding by the letter of the law, but it turns out we still have an overwhelming number of voters who would want to join a union. It would seem to me that we should change the law. (- Link
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| I support very strict controls on government spending. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Disagree | |
| I believe in mandatory world-wide limits on global warming pollutants. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Agree | The issue of climate change is one of the greatest challenges that our generation faces. I believe that the US must take aggressive action now to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change. I am a cosponsor of the Global Warming Pollution Reduction Act, which would reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the US by 80% in the year 2050. (- Link
"I believe that global warming is not just the greatest environmental challenge facing our planet—it is one of our greatest challenges of any kind. It is an issue that we ignore at our own peril and at even greater peril for our children, grandchildren, and many impoverished global populations. Combating global warming will be a top priority of my presidency, and I will attend to it personally." - Link
"As president, I will set a hard cap on all carbon emissions at a level that scientists say is necessary to curb global warming , an 80 percent reduction by 2050," he said.
He proposed a modified "cap and trade" approach to reduce emissions, requiring businesses to buy allowances if they pollute, creating an incentive to reduce energy usage.
"No business will be allowed to emit any greenhouse gases for free," he said. "Businesses don't own the sky, the public does, and if we want them to stop polluting it, we have to put a price on all pollution." Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. |
| I believe government should increase regulation of activities that appear likely to harm the environment. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Strongly Agree | As a member of the Senate Environmental and Public Works Committee in the 109th Congress, Senator Obama worked to ensure our nation's environmental laws and policies balance America's needs for a healthy, sustainable environment with economic growth. I will continue to push for sound envrionmental policies with his colleagues in the 110th Congress. (- Link
Sen. Barack Obama vowed Thursday to restore environmental protections the Bush administration has rolled back through executive orders, especially at the Environmental Protection Agency, which he said has been "demoralized." - Link
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| I believe the President's military action against Iraq was the right thing for him to do at the time. |
You: No Answer
Barack Obama: Strongly Disagree | Before the war in Iraq ever started, I said that it was wrong in its conception. In 2002, I said Saddam Hussein posed no imminent threat to the United States and that invasion would lead to an occupation of undertermined length, at undetermined cost, with undetermined consequences. (- Link
Obama himself has delivered several major addresses on Iraq. He promised to "turn the page" in a major address the day after Petraeus and Crocker testified before the Senate. This week, he offered his foreign policy vision, calling for an elimination of nuclear arms on the five-year anniversary of an anti-war speech he gave during his Senate campaign and showcasing a new slogan that promised the "judgment to lead." - Link
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