Candidate positions for President (2008)

Issue	Question	Position
Sub-prime mortgage	Do you support the government directly buying distressed mortgages from home borrowers and lenders?	ANSWER OPTION Candidate declined to provide an opinion
Iraq	What is your opinion on the war in Iraq?	ANSWER OPTION There should be a timetable for the removal of U.S. troops. CANDIDATE'S POSITION "I do believe that it is extremely important, and in the best interests of America's defenses and our security, and our relationship with our allies, that we do begin immediately setting in place a plan to draw down, dramatically decrease the military, the economic and the political footprint that we maintain in Iraq." (More Info)
Afghanistan	What changes would you propose to the war policy in Afghanistan?	ANSWER OPTION Do not support a sustained U.S. presence in Afghanistan. CANDIDATE'S POSITION Barr said in an interview that "If we have evidence that a nation or a nongovernmental entity has been engaged in acts that pose a clear and present threat to the United States or to our forces, we have every right, defensively, to take action to remove that threat, to neutralize that threat. That may very well have been the case in Afghanistan. But that is certainly not the case for a continued massive presence in Afghanistan." (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
Immigration	What is your position on immigration in the United States?	ANSWER OPTION Secure the border CANDIDATE'S POSITION Barr favors securing the boarder, but has no stated position on illegal immigrants currently in the United States. "Our borders are currently neither open, closed, nor secure. This situation restricts the labor pool, encouraging employers to hire undocumented workers, while leaving those workers neither subject to nor protected by the law. A completely open border allows foreign criminals, carriers of communicable diseases, terrorists and other potential threats to enter the country unchecked." (More Info)
The mortgage crisis	What do you think should be done -- if anything -- in the wake of the near collapse of companies specializing in subprime mortgages, and the foreclosures of homes?	ANSWER OPTION Nothing CANDIDATE'S POSITION Barr told Glenn Beck on May 22, 2004 that if would be a mistake " to have the federal government now set a "One size fits all" mortgage criteria for the country. That would be disastrous. It would stifle risk-taking, it would stifle the independence of small mortgage houses and mortgage banks and would simply create further problems down the road." (More Info)
Taxes	Do you believe the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts should be made permanent?	ANSWER OPTION Yes CANDIDATE'S POSITION Barr believes that the 16th Amendment allowing for the federal income tax should be repealed, ending the Internal Revenue Service and proposes a nationwide sales tax. (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
Education	Please select the comment that most closely matches your view on education (K-12).	ANSWER OPTION Enable school vouchers and protect home-schooling. CANDIDATE'S POSITION Barr wrote on his web site "I can attest to the fact that high school seniors who had been home schooled for all or part of their academic careers competed favorably in all aspects of academics with students who attended public or private schools." (More Info)
Social Security	Do you favor the concept of privatization of Social Security to any degree?	ANSWER OPTION Yes CANDIDATE'S POSITION Barr voted in 1999 to allowing private retirement accounts within social security, and for reducing the tax payments on social security benefits. [Source:On the Issues] (More Info)
Health care	Do you generally favor or oppose the concept of universal health care in America? That is, require people to have health insurance and provide a mechanism for meeting the requirement.	ANSWER OPTION Oppose CANDIDATE'S POSITION Barr said in a statement on his web site that government-dominated system is responsible for high costs. "What we need to do is begin removing government regulation form the delivery of heath care services to the American people." (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
S-CHIP	The SCHIP program is designed to subsidize health coverage for families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance. Recent debate in Congress centered around a proposal to increase spending to expand the program. Do you favor or oppose the proposed expansion?	ANSWER OPTION Candidate declined to provide an opinion
Abortion	Do you support or oppose legalized abortion in the United States?	ANSWER OPTION Candidate declined to provide an opinion
Energy	Do you support federal assistance for the production of ethanol and/or biofuel as an alternative to oil?	ANSWER OPTION No CANDIDATE'S POSITION Government intervention, whether through more regulations or more subsidies (or both), hurts consumers in the end. The free market, driven by consumer choice and reflecting the real cost of resources, should be the foundation of America's energy policy. The federal government should eliminate restrictions that inhibit energy production, as well as all special privileges for the production of politically-favored fuels, such as ethanol. (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
Death penalty	Do you favor or oppose the use of the death penalty for certain crimes?	ANSWER OPTION Favor CANDIDATE'S POSITION Barr wrote on his web site in August, 2007 "I am a firm believer in the propriety and historic soundness of the death penalty. But, as a proponent of our Constitution and its attendant Bill of Rights, I believe just as strongly in the fundamental fairness that lies at the heart -- or should lie at the heart -- of our criminal justice system. Because of its obvious finality, the death penalty must be employed with as close to absolute fairness and certainty as humanly possible." (More Info)
Gun control	What are your views on firearm regulation?	ANSWER OPTION I do not support any regulation that inhibits the 2nd Amendment's Right to Bear Arms. CANDIDATE'S POSITION Barr voted YES on decreasing gun waiting period from three days to one, and sponsored bill banning lawsuits against gun manufacturers. (More Info)
Climate change	Do you favor or oppose federal regulation of greenhouse gases?	ANSWER OPTION Oppose CANDIDATE'S POSITION Barr voted against raising fuel efficiency standards on cars, light trucks and SUVs in 2001. (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
G.I. Bill Expansion	Do you support a $50 billion expansion of the G.I. Bill to pay college tuition at a public university and other expenses for soldiers who have served 3 years since Sept. 11, 2001?	ANSWER OPTION Candidate declined to provide an opinion

Issue	Question	Position
Sub-prime mortgage	Do you support the government directly buying distressed mortgages from home borrowers and lenders?	ANSWER OPTION Yes. CANDIDATE'S POSITION The McCain Resurgence Plan would purchase mortgages directly from homeowners and mortgage servicers, and replace them with manageable, fixed-rate mortgages that will keep families in their homes. (More Info)
Iraq	What is your opinion on the war in Iraq?	ANSWER OPTION U.S. forces need to stay in Iraq for as long as it takes for Iraqi forces to take over. CANDIDATE'S POSITION "Ultimately, Iraq's future lies in the hands of its people, government, and armed forces, and strengthening them is an essential requirement for bringing U.S. troops home from Iraq. Until Iraqi forces are ready, however, a precipitous U.S. withdrawal would condemn Iraq to civil war and intervention by its neighbors and energize al Qaeda and other jihadists across the globe. This would gravely jeopardize American security," McCain says on his Web site. (More Info)
Afghanistan	What changes would you propose to the war policy in Afghanistan?	ANSWER OPTION Increase international support through NATO, but not increase the number of American forces in the country. CANDIDATE'S POSITION In December McCain wrote in Foreign Affairs magazine that "Our recommitment to Afghanistan must include increasing NATO forces, suspending the debilitating restrictions on when and how those forces can fight, expanding the training and equipping of the Afghan National Army through a long-term partnership with NATO to make it more professional and multiethnic, and deploying significantly more foreign police trainers." More recently, he has said that he would not increase the U.S. military presence unless military advisers recommended doing so. (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
Immigration	What is your position on immigration in the United States?	ANSWER OPTION I favor a guest worker program, while tightening border security. CANDIDATE'S POSITION " Only after specific enforcement and security triggers are met will the temporary guest worker provisions and the legalization program for the undocumented included in the bill take effect," McCain writes on his Web site. (More Info)
The mortgage crisis	What do you think should be done -- if anything -- in the wake of the near collapse of companies specializing in subprime mortgages, and the foreclosures of homes?	ANSWER OPTION Cut interest rates. Encourage private lenders to freeze interest rates for some subprime borrowers. CANDIDATE'S POSITION According to a New York Times article, McCain said he is generally opposed to federal intervention. "Whenever there is government intervention, there are unintended consequences," he said. However this crisis poses such a serious threat to the overall economic health of the nation that greater federal intervention is necessary. He embraced the steps outlined by President Bush, but said he wasn't sure they go far enough. (More Info)
Taxes	Do you believe the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts should be made permanent?	ANSWER OPTION Yes CANDIDATE'S POSITION McCain voted against the tax cuts in 2001 and 2003, but now says he would make them permanent, because allowing them to expire would have the effect of a tax increase. (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
Education	Please select the comment that most closely matches your view on education (K-12).	ANSWER OPTION State and local agencies, not the federal government, should be responsible for developing and enforcing academic standards. I support teacher testing and merit pay for the best teachers. I support charter schools and federally-financed school vouchers for students in failing schools. No Child Left Behind is a 'good beginning' but needs to be fixed. CANDIDATE'S POSITION According to the Boston Herald, McCain believes state and local agencies, not the federal government, should be responsible for developing and enforcing academic standards. Supports teacher testing and merit pay for the best teachers. Supports charter schools and federally-financed school vouchers for students in failing schools; believes "choice and competition" are the future of education. Believes No Child Left Behind is a "good beginning" but needs to be fixed. (More Info)
Social Security	Do you favor the concept of privatization of Social Security to any degree?	ANSWER OPTION Yes CANDIDATE'S POSITION According to the Wall Street Journal, McCain supports "'supplementing' the existing full Social Security system with personally managed accounts. Such accounts wouldn't substitute for guaranteed payments, and they wouldn't be financed by diverting a portion of Social Security payroll taxes." (More Info)
Health care	Do you generally favor or oppose the concept of universal health care in America? That is, require people to have health insurance and provide a mechanism for meeting the requirement.	ANSWER OPTION Oppose CANDIDATE'S POSITION "I think that we can make health care affordable and available without a mandate," McCain told ABC's "This Week" program in June 2007. McCain's plan, released on October 11, 2007, provides $2,500 refundable tax credits for individuals and a $5,000 tax credit to families, if they have health insurance. Employers would no longer be allowed to deduct health care costs from taxes. He would allow people to have portable insurance that could be purchased across state lines. And he favors reimportation of drugs. (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
S-CHIP	The SCHIP program is designed to subsidize health coverage for families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance. Recent debate in Congress centered around a proposal to increase spending to expand the program. Do you favor or oppose the proposed expansion?	ANSWER OPTION Oppose CANDIDATE'S POSITION Sen. McCain voted against the measure in the Senate. (More Info)
Abortion	Do you support or oppose legalized abortion in the United States?	ANSWER OPTION Oppose CANDIDATE'S POSITION "John McCain believes Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned, and as president he will nominate judges who understand that courts should not be in the business of legislating from the bench, Constitutional balance would be restored by the reversal of Roe v. Wade, returning the abortion question to the individual states. The difficult issue of abortion should not be decided by judicial fiat," according to McCain's Web site. (More Info)
Energy	Do you support federal assistance for the production of ethanol and/or biofuel as an alternative to oil?	ANSWER OPTION Yes CANDIDATE'S POSITION On his campaign Web site, McCain says he supports ethanol for U.S. energy policy. On 5/12/07, he said he supports ethanol but opposes subsidies. Previously, he said that "ethanol is not worth it. It does not help the consumer." He voted against the Energy Policy Act of 2005, he voted no for the Environmental Effects Caused by Ethanol Amendment and he voted no for the Energy Omnibus Bill in 2003. In 2006, however, when giving a speech in Iowa, he said, "I support ethanol and I think it is vital, a vital alternative energy source not only because of our dependency on foreign oil but its greenhouse gas reduction effects." In 2000, McCain skipped the Iowa caucuses because of his opposition to ethanol.
Issue	Question	Position
Death penalty	Do you favor or oppose the use of the death penalty for certain crimes?	ANSWER OPTION Favor CANDIDATE'S POSITION According to the Pew Forum on Religion and American Life, "McCain supports the death penalty for federal crimes. As senator from Arizona, he voted to prohibit the use of racial statistics in death penalty appeals and ban the death penalty for minors. He also supported legislation to allow the death penalty for acts of terrorism and has said he would consider further expansion of capital punishment laws for other crimes." (More Info)
Gun control	What are your views on firearm regulation?	ANSWER OPTION I believe law abiding citizens have the right to keep and bear arms. I oppose bans on assault rifles, ammunition and ammunition magazines. I oppose litigation against gun manufacturers for crimes committed by third parties. I support background checks at gun shows. I believe that gun control is a proven failure in fighting crime. CANDIDATE'S POSITION John McCain believes that the right of law abiding citizens to keep and bear arms is a fundamental, individual Constitutional right that we have a sacred duty to protect. We have a responsibility to ensure that criminals who violate the law are prosecuted to the fullest, rather than restricting the rights of law abiding citizens. Gun control is a proven failure in fighting crime. Law abiding citizens should not be asked to give up their rights because of criminals - criminals who ignore gun control laws anyway. (More Info)
Climate change	Do you favor or oppose federal regulation of greenhouse gases?	ANSWER OPTION Favor CANDIDATE'S POSITION In 2003, Sen. McCain co-sponsored a bill to cap greenhouse gasses. The bill failed. At a Republican debate in California on January 31, 2008, Sen. McCain said, "Now, suppose that the governor and I are wrong, and there's no such thing as climate change. And we adopt these green technologies, of which America and the innovative skills we have and the entrepreneurship and the free market which is embodied by Senator Lieberman's and mine cap-and-trade proposal is enacted, and there's no such thing as climate change. Then all we've done is give our kids a cleaner world." (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
G.I. Bill Expansion	Do you support a $50 billion expansion of the G.I. Bill to pay college tuition at a public university and other expenses for soldiers who have served 3 years since Sept. 11, 2001?	ANSWER OPTION Oppose CANDIDATE'S POSITION McCain does not support the bill because he says it will discourage retention during a time of war, though the congressional budget office found new enlistments would cancel out the 16 percent drop in reenlistments. He has sponsored his own $38 billion expansion that would allow benefits to be transferred to family members, encouraging more service members to make the military a career. (More Info)

Issue	Question	Position
Sub-prime mortgage	Do you support the government directly buying distressed mortgages from home borrowers and lenders?	ANSWER OPTION Candidate declined to provide an opinion
Iraq	What is your opinion on the war in Iraq?	ANSWER OPTION There should be a timetable for the removal of U.S. troops. CANDIDATE'S POSITION According to a statement on his web site, Nader believes, "The current political strategy of pre-emptive war in the Middle East is a disaster for both the American people and the people of the Middle East. It has bloated the already wasteful military budget and has cost at present over 4,000 American lives, nearly 100,000 American injuries, and over a million Iraqi civilian lives, plus the destruction of their country." (More Info)
Afghanistan	What changes would you propose to the war policy in Afghanistan?	ANSWER OPTION Candidate declined to provide an opinion
Issue	Question	Position
Immigration	What is your position on immigration in the United States?	ANSWER OPTION No open border or criminalized border, allow guest workers with labor standards, and address immigration as an issue of worldwide economic justice. CANDIDATE'S POSITION According to a questionanaire, Nader says "We need to address economic justice in the US and the world and recognize the basic human rights of all people. The long term solution to immigration is to redusce the rich poor divide between the United States and other nations peacefully supporting democratic movement. (More Info)
The mortgage crisis	What do you think should be done -- if anything -- in the wake of the near collapse of companies specializing in subprime mortgages, and the foreclosures of homes?	ANSWER OPTION The government should set affordable payments for monthly mortgage rates. CANDIDATE'S POSITION Nader has not made an explicit statement about what should be done on the mortgage crisis, but in an interview "referred to the policy of President Franklin D. Roosevelt's policy of setting monthly mortgage payments at affordable levels." (More Info)
Taxes	Do you believe the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts should be made permanent?	ANSWER OPTION No CANDIDATE'S POSITION Nader supports repealing the tax cuts, taxing Wall Street securities speculators. He says "securities speculation -- buying and selling blocks of derivatives to profit from rapid fluctuations in price -- is one cause of the escalation in oil prices at the pump, the mortgage industry meltdown, and the dot.com bust." (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
Education	Please select the comment that most closely matches your view on education (K-12).	ANSWER OPTION The government should provide full funding for Head Start and guarantee pre-school education for children. I oppose the over-reliance on standardized tests caused by No Child Left Behind. CANDIDATE'S POSITION Nader said "The federal government has a critical supporting role to play in ensuring that all children -- irrespective of the income of their parents, or their race -- are provided with rich learning environments and equal educational opportunities and upgraded repaired school buildings."[Source:On the Issues] (More Info)
Social Security	Do you favor the concept of privatization of Social Security to any degree?	ANSWER OPTION No CANDIDATE'S POSITION Nader said in a 2004 interview that "it's a solvent system until 2052, and with very minor variations can be good for another century..." (More Info)
Health care	Do you generally favor or oppose the concept of universal health care in America? That is, require people to have health insurance and provide a mechanism for meeting the requirement.	ANSWER OPTION Favor CANDIDATE'S POSITION Nader supports "a single payer system that would save the $350 billion and apply those savings to comprehensively cover everyone without paying more than we already do." (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
S-CHIP	The SCHIP program is designed to subsidize health coverage for families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance. Recent debate in Congress centered around a proposal to increase spending to expand the program. Do you favor or oppose the proposed expansion?	ANSWER OPTION Candidate declined to provide an opinion
Abortion	Do you support or oppose legalized abortion in the United States?	ANSWER OPTION Support CANDIDATE'S POSITION "We support access to safe and legal abortion, to effective birth control, to reproductive health and education. We oppose attempts to restrict these rights through legislation, regulation (like the gag rule) or Constitutional amendment." (More Info)
Energy	Do you support federal assistance for the production of ethanol and/or biofuel as an alternative to oil?	ANSWER OPTION No CANDIDATE'S POSITION The Nader campaign opposes subsidies to oil, coal, biofuels and nuclear energy industries, and supports only sustainable, clean sources such as wind and solar. (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
Death penalty	Do you favor or oppose the use of the death penalty for certain crimes?	ANSWER OPTION Oppose CANDIDATE'S POSITION Nader told Meet the Press in 2000 "Since I was a law student, I have been against the death penalty. It does not deter. It is severely discriminatory against minorities, especially since they're given no competent legal counsel defense in many cases. It's a system that has to be perfect. You cannot execute one innocent person. No system is perfect. And to top it off, for those of you who are interested in the economics it, it costs more to pursue a capital case toward execution than it does to have full life imprisonment without parole." (More Info)
Gun control	What are your views on firearm regulation?	ANSWER OPTION I support the Brady Bill, trigger locks, strict enforcement of existing gun laws, requiring licensing for gun owners and banning certain types of weapons. CANDIDATE'S POSITION Nader has never held political office and holds no voting record, but has said he supports gun control. (More Info)
Climate change	Do you favor or oppose federal regulation of greenhouse gases?	ANSWER OPTION Favor CANDIDATE'S POSITION Nader's web site says he "proposes a straightforward carbon tax--set to annual benchmarks to bring, with the expansion of solar energy, US emissions to at least 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050." (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
G.I. Bill Expansion	Do you support a $50 billion expansion of the G.I. Bill to pay college tuition at a public university and other expenses for soldiers who have served 3 years since Sept. 11, 2001?	ANSWER OPTION Candidate declined to provide an opinion

Issue	Question	Position
Sub-prime mortgage	Do you support the government directly buying distressed mortgages from home borrowers and lenders?	ANSWER OPTION No. CANDIDATE'S POSITION Obama and Biden will crack down on fraudulent brokers and lenders. They will also make sure homebuyers have honest and complete information about their mortgage options, and they will give a tax credit to all middle-class homeowners. (More Info)
Iraq	What is your opinion on the war in Iraq?	ANSWER OPTION There should be a timetable for the removal of U.S. troops. CANDIDATE'S POSITION According to Barack's Web site, "At the Chicago Council on Foreign Relations in November 2005, Senator Obama called for: (1) a reduction in the number of U.S. troops; (2) a time frame for a phased withdrawal; (3) the Iraqi government to make progress on forming a political solution; (4) improved reconstruction efforts to restore basic services in Iraq; and (5) engaging the international community, particularly key neighboring states and Arab nations, to become more involved in Iraq. In January 2006 he traveled to Iraq and met with senior U.S. military commanders, Iraqi officials and U.S. troops in Baghdad and Fallujah.
Afghanistan	What changes would you propose to the war policy in Afghanistan?	ANSWER OPTION Redeploy troops from Iraq to Afghanistan, and increase nonmilitary aid. CANDIDATE'S POSITION Obama would increase non-military aid by $1 billion. He said in August, "As President, I would deploy at least two additional brigades to Afghanistan to re-enforce our counter-terrorism operations and support NATO's efforts against the Taliban. As we step up our commitment, our European friends must do the same, and without the burdensome restrictions that have hampered NATO's efforts. We must also put more of an Afghan face on security by improving the training and equipping of the Afghan Army and Police, and including Afghan soldiers in U.S. and NATO operations." (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
Immigration	What is your position on immigration in the United States?	ANSWER OPTION I favor a guest worker program, while tightening border security. CANDIDATE'S POSITION On June 7, 2007, Obama was among the senators voting in favor of a cloture motion that would have cut off debate on a measure to provide a guest worker program, and advance the measure. (More Info)
The mortgage crisis	What do you think should be done -- if anything -- in the wake of the near collapse of companies specializing in subprime mortgages, and the foreclosures of homes?	ANSWER OPTION Impose penalties on "irresponsible lenders" to be used to create a special fund to provide temporary mortgage relief for homeowners. CANDIDATE'S POSITION Obama has filed legislation in the Senate to define and penalize mortgage fraud. (More Info)
Taxes	Do you believe the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts should be made permanent?	ANSWER OPTION No CANDIDATE'S POSITION Opposed extending 2003 Bush tax cut law through 2010. Supports eliminating marriage penalty and extending child tax credit. Supports scaling back capital gains and dividends tax cuts and re-examining tax benefits for the top one percent of earners. (Source: CNN)
Issue	Question	Position
Education	Please select the comment that most closely matches your view on education (K-12).	ANSWER OPTION Increase Head Start funding, reward successful teachers, pay teachers more, modify certification and teacher preparation process to avoid unnecessary and expensive coursework to become a teacher. Fund and reform No Child Left Behind. Increase federal aid for college. CANDIDATE'S POSITION Obama highlights his education plan on his Web site, including expanding early childhood education, paying teachers more, fund and reform No Child Left Behind, and provide more federal aid for college tuition. (More Info)
Social Security	Do you favor the concept of privatization of Social Security to any degree?	ANSWER OPTION No CANDIDATE'S POSITION While saying "everything is on the table" when asked about keeping Social Security solvent, Barack told ABC's George Stephanopoulos on 5/12/07 that "privatization is not something I'm interested in.
Health care	Do you generally favor or oppose the concept of universal health care in America? That is, require people to have health insurance and provide a mechanism for meeting the requirement.	ANSWER OPTION Favor CANDIDATE'S POSITION The time has come for universal, affordable health care in America," Obama said in a speech in Iowa City, at the University of Iowa's medical school in May 2007. (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
S-CHIP	The SCHIP program is designed to subsidize health coverage for families that earn too much to qualify for Medicaid but not enough to afford private insurance. Recent debate in Congress centered around a proposal to increase spending to expand the program. Do you favor or oppose the proposed expansion?	ANSWER OPTION Favor CANDIDATE'S POSITION Mr. Obama voted for the legislation in the Senate. (More Info)
Abortion	Do you support or oppose legalized abortion in the United States?	ANSWER OPTION Support CANDIDATE'S POSITION In the Democratic candidates debate on April 26, 2007, Obama said, " I think that most Americans recognize that this is a profoundly difficult issue for the women and families who make these decisions. They don't make them casually. And I trust women to make these decisions, in conjunction with their doctors and their families and their clergy, and I think that's where most Americans are." (More Info)
Energy	Do you support federal assistance for the production of ethanol and/or biofuel as an alternative to oil?	ANSWER OPTION Yes CANDIDATE'S POSITION On April 3, 2006, Illinois Senator and presidential candidate Barack Obama delivered a speech in Chicago titled "Energy Independence and the Safety of Our Planet." In it he said, "Already, some cars on the road have the flexible-fuel tanks necessary for them to run on E85, a cheaper, cleaner blend of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline. But millions upon millions of cars still don't have these tanks. It's time for them to install those tanks in every single car they make, and it's time for the government to cover this small cost, which currently runs at just $100 per car." (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
Death penalty	Do you favor or oppose the use of the death penalty for certain crimes?	ANSWER OPTION Favor CANDIDATE'S POSITION According to the Pew Forum on Religion and American Life, "Obama says the death penalty "does little to deter crime" but he supports it for cases in which 'the community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage.' While a state senator, Obama pushed for reform of the Illinois capital punishment system and authored a bill to mandate the videotaping of interrogations and confessions." (More Info)
Gun control	What are your views on firearm regulation?	ANSWER OPTION I believe in the right to keep and bear arms. But, I think we need to renew the expired assault weapons ban and we must be aggressive about enforcing current gun laws. I believe in closing the gun show loophole and making firearms childproof. CANDIDATE'S POSITION In response to questions from the Washington Post Obama said, "I do think that reasonable gun control measures reduces violent crime and saves lives. I respect the constitutional rights of Americans to bear arms. But we can't deny that gun violence has taken the lives of too many Americans. I believe that through common-sense measures, we can keep guns from those who may pose a threat, while also protecting the rights of legitimate hunters and sportsmen...I would close the gun-show loophole and require mandatory background checks on purchasers at gun shows...Closing it would not impair the rights of hunters and other lawful gun owners. I also believe that we should make the expired federal Assault Weapons Ban permanent. Those weapons belong on a foreign battlefield, not on our streets. Finally, I support making guns in this country child proof." (More Info)
Climate change	Do you favor or oppose federal regulation of greenhouse gases?	ANSWER OPTION Favor CANDIDATE'S POSITION In October 2007, Sen. Obama announced a plan that impose a national cap on carbon emissions. Said the New York Times, "He proposed instituting a mandatory 'cap and trade' program across the economy to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to the level recommended by top scientists, a figure that he did not specify Monday. Under his plan, businesses would be required to buy allowances to pollute, which would create financial incentives to limit energy use or reduce emissions." (More Info)
Issue	Question	Position
G.I. Bill Expansion	Do you support a $50 billion expansion of the G.I. Bill to pay college tuition at a public university and other expenses for soldiers who have served 3 years since Sept. 11, 2001?	ANSWER OPTION Support CANDIDATE'S POSITION Obama voted for the bill and said "Senator Webb and the leaders of both parties have introduced a 21st century GI bill that would give this generation of returning heroes the same chance at an affordable college education that we gave the greatest generation." (More Info)