Last time we had a presidential election I was uninterested and I have decided that for the presidential election of 2008 that knowledge is power. I have put together an “At-A-Glance” Guide of the candidates, and I have included their websites so that if you are interested in learning more about someone you can do so. Happy voting, and remember that no matter what, every vote does make a difference.
Information comes from Washington Post website ( http://projects.washingtonpost.com/2008-presidential-candidates/ ) and Presidential Candidate Websites.
Democratic Candidates:
JOE BIDEN: date of birth- 11.20.42; married to Neila Hunter (died in 1972 in a car accident) , now married to Jill Tracy Jacobs, four children- Joseph III, Robert, Amy (d. in 1972), and Ashley (with Jill); Catholic; attended college at Univ. of Delaware and Syracuse Univ. of Law; currently a lawyer and Senator of Delaware.
JOE’S ISSUES and what stood out:
* Wants to create a college ACCESS plan that will help middle class families cover the cost of tuition by creating a single $3,000 refundable tax credit. However, this plan will raise taxes.
* 5 Point plan for Iraq- 1. Establish one Iraq with three regions
2. Share oil revenues
3.Convene international conference, enforce regional non-aggression act
4. Responsibly draw down U.S. Troops
5. Increase reconstruction assistance and create a jobs program
*Pro-Choice (even though he is Catholic)
* Supports Title X- a family planning program that provides information, services, support, and research for family planning
* Wants to stop the violence in Darfur by deploying an international peacekeeping force, ensure access for humanitarian workers, and negotiate a political settlement.
* Health care: CARE plan proposes four steps toward universal health care:
1. Cover all Children
2. Access for Adults
3. Reinsurance For Catastrophic Cases
4. Encouraging Prevention and Modernization
http://www.joebiden.com/
HILLARY RODHAM CLINTON: date of birth- 10.26.47; married to Bill Clinton and one daughter Chelsea; United Methodist; attended Wellesley College and Yale Law School; lawyer and Junior Senator of New York.
HILLARY’S ISSUES and what stood out:
* Wants to make health care affordable and accessible to every American- if you lose your job or change your job, you keep your health care; no discriminating, insurance companies will not be able to deny you coverage if you have a pre-existing condition.
* Wants to reduce energy costs
* Increase minimum age and a paycheck fairness act (so women will earn the same amount as men for the same job). The Paycheck Fairness Act includes having the right to know what other people make, strengthening the penalties associated with wage discrimination, and the federal government setting higher standards.
* Ending the War in Iraq (and acting immediately)
1. Bring the troops home
2. Work to bring stability to the region
3. Replace military force with a new diplomatic initiative to engage countries around the world in securing Iraq’s future.
* Pro-Choice (“Women’s right are human rights”)
* Supports the DREAM Act
* Solutions to the Immigration Crisis- strengthen our borders, better cooperation with neighboring countries, stricter penalties for those who exploit undocumented workers, steps for an earned legal status for those already here, work hard, pay taxes, respect the laws, and learn English.
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/
CHRIS DODD: date of birth- 5.24.44; married to Jackie Dodd, two daughters- Grace and Christina; Roman Catholic; attended Providence College and University of Louisville Law; Lawyer and Senator of Connecticut; U.S. Army 1969-1975 and Peace Corps Volunteer in the Dominican Republic 1966-1968.
CHRIS’S ISSUES and what stood out:
* His plan to end the War- “Iraq must assume the responsibility of policing and governing itself. There isn’t an army big enough or a Treasury deep enough if Iraqis aren’t willing to fight for that for themselves”. He has an Amendment in the Senate with Senators Reid and Feingold which says -
1. Begin safely deploying U.S. combat troops out of Iraq within 120 days.
2. Provide every penny necessary for safe redeployment of our troops
3. Complete redeployment by April 30, 2008
* His health care plan ensures that everyone will have health by the end of his first term. The Dodd plan will create a health insurance marketplace called “Universal HealthMart” (it is very similar to The Federal Employee Health Benefits Plan), Americans will have the same health plan members of Congress have. This also means that coverage will be portable, so regardless of if you have a job or switch jobs you will have the same health care. Insurance companies will not be able to discriminate if you have a pre-existing condition.
* Dodd cosponsored the Paycheck Fairness Act which strengthened the Equal Pay Act
* Pro-Choice- will ensure that all women have access to contraceptive services and equity in prescription drug coverage.
* Dodd cosponsored the SAFE Act which ensures that victims of domestic violence are allowed 30 days (unpaid) away from work to take necessary precautions without being fired or demoted.
*Wants to help renew rural America
-Ensuring that family farmers and ranchers get a fair price and have access to a strong safety net -Opening new markets to American agricultural products, enforcing existing trade agreements and ensuring that new trade agreements are fair and balanced
-Creating new opportunities for homegrown, renewable energy so that our future energy sources come from the Midwest and not the Middle East
-Incentivizing American businesses to bring new jobs to rural communities
-Ending the rural digital divide through a national rural broadband initiative
http://www.chrisdodd.com/
JOHN EDWARDS: date of birth- 6.10.53; married to Elizabeth Edwards, five children- Wade (died 1996), Cate, Emma, Claire, and Jack; Methodist; North Carolina State University, University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill; Trial Lawyer, Director of the Center on Poverty, Work and Opportunity, Former Senator.
JOHN’S ISSUES and what stood out:
*Under Edward’s plan families without coverage will receive coverage at an affordable price, families with insurance will pay less and have more choices, and businesses will be able to offer better coverage to it’s employees for less money and with ease.
He plans to achieve universal coverage by-
Requiring businesses and other employers to either cover their employees or help finance their health insurance.
Making insurance affordable by creating new tax credits, expanding Medicaid and SCHIP, reforming insurance laws, and taking innovative steps to contain health care costs.
Creating regional "Health Care Markets" to let every American share the bargaining power to purchase an affordable, high-quality health plan, increase choices among insurance plans, and cut costs for businesses offering insurance.
* Has a proposal that may end poverty by 2036
* Will help rural America with REACH- Rural Economic Advancement Challenge Fund to bring capital and management expertise. He will help family farmers by strictly enforcing laws against anticompetitive mergers, unfair pricing, and country-of-origins laws.
* 5 point plan to end the War in Iraq-
1. Stop escalation and start the drawdown of combat troops
2. Prohibit funding for new troops that do not meet readiness standards
3. Clarify the lack of legal foundation for the war
4. Withdraw combat troops within 9 to 10 months
5. Take additional steps to stabilize Iraq
* Edward’s plan against terrorism-
Lead a new global compact against terrorism, improve human intelligence, bolster support for foreign counterterrorism, shut down WMD transfers, escalate efforts against extremism at home, domestic agencies need to be effective, and achieve energy independence.
* Proposes a “college for everyone” initiative that would be national- Under Edward’s plan public college tuition fees, and books would be paid for 2 million students. Students would be required to work part time in college, take college prep curriculum in high school, and stay out of trouble.
* FAFSA (Federal Application for Student Aid) would be simplified with two thirds of the questions being eliminated
* Pro-Choice- defends the woman’s right to choose
http://www.johnedwards.com/
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