Before You Vote Read the Candidates Positions

Before you vote today in the Potomac Primary, make sure you read the candidates’ positions that The Virginian Federalist’s editorial staff has take the time to compile over the last few weeks. We hope it helps to see a direct comparison between the candidates’ positions and the Federalist positions as you head to the polls.

The Republicans on:

• The Environment
• Trade
• Energy
• Retirement, Fiscal Responsibility, Taxes, and Entitlements
• Unions, Abortion, and Crime
• Healthcare, Education, and Housing

The Democrats on a Little of Everything

Read More. . . .

Republican Issue Comparison - The Environment

This is the next daily installment of our Republican Candidate Issue Comparisons. Today’s Issue is the Environment. As before, along with the candidates’ own positions we have provided for comparison a "Federalist" position. We continue to invite and encourage your comments on the comparisons we present below.

Environment

Huckabee

Is not convinced that climate change is mainly driven by human activity, but believes that we should still curb greenhouse-gas emissions. Endorses a cap-and-trade system to reduce emissions. Supports the expansion of nuclear energy and increased domestic drilling for oil. Emphasizes a religious and moral imperative for conservation.

McCain

Ensuring clean air, safe and healthy water, sustainable land use, ample greenspace - and the faithful care and management of our natural treasures, including our proud National Park System - is a patriotic responsibility. One that must be met not only for the benefit of our generation, but for our children and those to whom we will pass the American legacy.

Believes that America's economic and environmental interests are not mutually exclusive, but rather inextricably linked. Our economic prospects depend greatly upon the sustainable use of ample and unspoiled natural resources. A clean and healthy environment is well served by a strong economy. History shows that poverty is a poor steward.

Has offered common sense approaches to limit carbon emissions by harnessing market forces that will bring advanced technologies, such as nuclear energy, to the market faster, reduce our dependence on foreign supplies of energy, and see to it that America leads in a way that ensures all nations do their rightful share.

Romney

Believes that thoughtful environmentalism does not need to be anti-growth and anti-jobs. Sweeping mandates on American industry will cause the industry to go to environmentally void nations contributing to even more pollution. Innovation and free-market means should be encouraged to provide alternative sources of energy and promote a healthy environment.

Paul

The federal government has proven itself untrustworthy with environmental policy by facilitating polluters, subsidizing logging in the National Forests, and instituting one-size-fits-all approaches that too often discriminate against those they are intended to help.

The key to sound environmental policy is respect for private property rights. The strict enforcement of property rights corrects environmental wrongs while increasing the cost of polluting.

In a free market, no one is allowed to pollute his neighbor's land, air, or water. If your property is being damaged, you have every right to sue the polluter, and government should protect that right. After paying damages, the polluter's production and sale costs rise, making it unprofitable to continue doing business the same way. Currently, preemptive regulations and pay-to-pollute schemes favor those wealthy enough to perform the regulatory tap dance, while those who own the polluted land rarely receive a quick or just resolution to their problems.

In Congress, I have followed a constitutional approach to environmental action:

I consistently vote against using tax dollars to subsidize logging in National Forests.
I co-sponsored legislation designed to encourage the development of alternative and sustainable energy.

Individuals, businesses, localities, and states must be free to negotiate environmental standards. Those who depend on the land for their health and livelihood have the greatest incentive to be responsible stewards.

Federalist

Protection of the environment flows from an understanding and strict enforcement of private property rights. When government seizes property, holding it in common, it permits others to pollute and destroy it. Government can ensure, through the justice system, that individuals can enforce tort rights not to be damaged by others and their property rights against large and more powerful polluters. Read More. . . .

Republican Issue Comparison - Trade

This is the next installment of our Republican Candidate Issue Comparisons. Today’s Issue is Trade. As before, along with the candidates’ own positions we have provided for comparison a "Federalist" position. We continue to invite and encourage your comments on the comparisons we present below.

Trade

Huckabee

Through the FairTax, American companies are far less likely to move overseas and foreign companies are far more likely to come here, hiring Americans to build and work in their new plants. The FairTax encourages growth by promoting investment and capital formation.

Believes “that globalization, done right, done fairly, can be a blessing for our society. As the Industrial Revolution raised living standards by allowing ordinary people to buy mass-produced goods that previously only the rich could afford, so globalization gives all of us the equivalent of a big pay raise by letting us buy all kinds of things from clothing to computers to TVs much more inexpensively.”

Giuliani

Will tear down the walls to free trade and create new markets for American-made products.
Will protect America’s innovations and intellectual property by enforcing our trade agreements aggressively.
Will reduce corporate tax rates and regulatory burden so that Americans can better compete in the global economy.
Will reform the excesses of Sarbanes-Oxley that are driving our corporations overseas to list on foreign exchanges.
Will reenact the Presidential Fast-Track Trade Promotion Authority and complete the Doha Development Round.

McCain

The U.S. should engage in multilateral, regional and bilateral efforts to reduce barriers to trade, level the global playing field and build effective enforcement of global trading rules.

Romney

Believes that our nation must remain competitive with the growing Asian market. He believes that education is a key to remain competitive. He argues that our trade laws must remain “fare and balanced.” He believes that our tax laws must welcome investment. We merely need to lower or eliminate taxes on the American people, without regard to what other nations do. He believes that on the whole free trade with these newly emerging economies must remain strong. This free trade will encourage growth here.

Paul

Believes that free trade must be unaffected by the government. The government should not encourage trade or discourage trade with any nation for any reason. He supports an entirely unregulated free market. He does not support free trade laws because they impose 4he government’s will on the market. Trade should not be used for national security or for punishing a nation for its human rights practices.

The Constitution clearly grants Congress alone the authority to regulate international trade. The plain text of Article I, Section 8, Clause 3 is incontrovertible. Neither Congress nor the President can give this authority away by treaty, any more than they can repeal the First Amendment by treaty. This fundamental point, based on the plain meaning of the Constitution, cannot be overstated. Every member of Congress who votes for trade agreements like CAFTA is voting to abdicate power to an international body in direct violation of the Constitution.

Federalist

Free trade is a fundamental component of the Federalist position. Free people do not engage in trade through their government. They trade locally, regionally, nationally and internationally to both purchase goods and services that meet their needs at a price they consider fair, and sell their own goods and services to others who wish to purchase them at agreeable prices. While congress has authority to regulate international and interstate commerce, this regulation should be limited to the greatest extent possible. The government should only interfere in the free market in two situations. 1) Where national security is at stake, the government should intrude to protect the nation’s interest – restrictions on steel during WWII are a good example of this. 2) Where other nations attempt to manipulate the market, the government should intrude on the market to equalize this. The Government’s coercive power can and should be used against market manipulating nations. Read More. . . .

Republican Issue Comparison - Energy

This fourth installment of our series of issue comparison summaries for Republican presidential nomination candidates considers the issue will provide a slight change in format from our previous comparison posts. From now until the Commonwealth’s primary, The Virginian Federalist will bring you one issue every weekday comparing the candidates’ positions. Today’s Issue is Energy. As before, along with the candidates’ own positions we have provided for comparison a "Federalist" position. We continue to invite and encourage your comments on the comparisons we present below.

Energy

Huckabee

Will achieve energy independence by the end of my second term.
Will be remembered as the time when we finally, finally achieved energy independence.
We have to explore, conserve, and pursue all avenues of alternative energy: nuclear, wind, solar, hydrogen, clean coal, biodiesel, and biomass. Some will come from our farms and some will come from our laboratories.
Will remove red tape that slows innovation.
Will set aside a federal research and development budget that will be matched by the private sector to seek the best new products in alternative fuels.
Our free market will sort out what makes the most sense economically and will reward consumer preferences.

Giuliani

Suggest nation must diversify energy sources, expand use of nuclear power, commercialize clean coal technologies, use natural gas, encourage entrepreneurs but does not present specific policies.

McCain

Favors common sense approaches to limit carbon emissions by harnessing market forces that will bring advanced technologies, such as nuclear energy, to the market faster, reduce our dependence on foreign supplies of energy, and see to it that America leads in a way that ensures all nations do their rightful share.

Will deliver a national energy strategy that will not rely on subsidies, rifle-shot tax breaks, line-items for lobbyists, or big-government debacles but will promote the diversification and conservation of our energy sources and substantially reduce the impact of our energy consumption on the planet. Government must set achievable goals, but the markets should be free to produce the means.

Romney

Believes that we must be independent from foreign sources of oil. He has gathered experts and think tanks and has developed a long term plan to reduce our dependence on oil. He wants to take two steps: 1) use alternative sources of fuel such as biodiesel, ethanol, nuclear power, and coal gasification 2) open up domestic sources of oil such as ANWR and the Outer Continental Shelf.

Paul

Will work with Congress to repeal federal regulations and taxes that impede the development of new energy sources. Alternative sources should prove their viability in the free market. Any source that truly is cheaper and cleaner, yet still reliable, will not need government help to develop or sell.

Returning to a free market in energy will encourage conservation as well as the development of new forms of energy. In a free market, conservation occurs naturally when property rights are strictly enforced to prevent pollution and because resources become more costly as they become scarcer.

Will repeal federal regulations that hinder the development of nuclear energy. However, I will also repeal all federal subsidies and privileges granted the nuclear industry. Nuclear power should prove its worth in the free-market.

Federalist

Energy sources are commodities in the same sense as food, clothing and housing. Government has no role in determining preferred building materials, preferences for frozen or canned food, or briefs vs. boxers. Consumers will react to energy prices by consuming energy as its price relates to the relative value of energy to all other commodities for them. As the price of petroleum-based energy sources increase, alternative energy sources will become increasingly competitive.

Government in its foreign policy should work to mitigate cartel-like behavior by other governments. Due to the national security risks inherent in dependence on foreign oil produced in countries hostile to the U.S., the government has a legitimate interest in restricting energy importation from such countries. As such, government regulation should deregulate domestic development of energy sources and the infrastructure need to bring those sources to market. The government should expand the leasing or selling of domestic government-controlled property with energy producing potential, like ANWR and the Outer Continental Shelf. Read More. . . .

Republican Issue Comparisons - Retirement, Fiscal Responsibility and Taxes, Entitlements

This third installment of our series of issue comparison summaries for Republican presidential nomination candidates considers the issues of retirement security, fiscal responsibility and taxes, and entitlement reform. As before, along with the candidates own positions, we have provided for comparison a "Federalist" position. We continue to invite and encourage your comments on the comparisons we present below the fold.

Retirement Security

Huckabee

Supports "personalization" of retirement funds: " Empower individuals to have a greater say over their money… Keep the government from robbing the trust funds, which is something that, if it was done in the private sector, would get a guy in jail. One thing, when people reach retirement age, if they really have enough retirement benefits, they don't need Social Security for the long term, give them the option of one-time buyout, or the opportunity to purchase an annuity, with their funds, tax-free, that frees up the long-term obligation of the government."

Wants to eliminate Congressional pensions so that members of Congress have the same Social Security system and IRA accounts that most Americans have.

Giuliani

Supports adding private accounts to Social Security.

McCain

No specific position

Thompson

Leave the Social Security benefits received by current and near retireescompletely unchanged and fully preserve their annual Cost of Living Adjustments.

Preserve and strengthen Social Security for future generations of Americans and guarantee the current level of benefits fully protected for inflation.

Help build personal wealth in America by expanding the ownership of financial assets to more Americans.

Increase retirement options for future retirees by giving them the means to decide when to retire and allowing them to build wealth that they can pass on if they so choose.

Completely eliminate the estimated $4.7 trillion unfunded Social Security liability over the 75 year actuarial planning horizon and leave Social Security on a fiscally sustainable basis.

Romney

Is “prepared to be entirely bold” in talking on the Social Security issue.

Supports private retirement accounts.

Those who have paid into the system deserve to receive it back.

Would consider tying SS payments for the rich to prices instead of wages.

Paul

“I have never voted to spend one penny out of the social security trust fund.”

Believes that a lower benefits, higher taxes, and increasing the age of eligibility are betrayals and not solutions.

Any tax on social security is illogical.

Argues that illegal aliens should not receive any SS benefits.

Argues for lowering payroll taxes to give workers the opportunity to invest privately.

Federalist

Preparation for retirement is a personal responsibility. The Federal government should protect the freedom of people to invest their time and money wisely during their working years so that they are well prepared for retirement.

People who paid into the Social Security system for their entire career have a right to expect that they will receive the benefits promised them upon reaching retirement age.

Fiscal Responsibility and Taxes

Huckabee

Proposes the Fair Tax as a replacement for all federal payroll and income taxes, including the personal federal, corporate federal, gift, estate, capital gains, alternative minimum, Social Security, Medicare, self-employment taxes.

"The FairTax will replace the Internal Revenue Code with a consumption tax, like the taxes on retail sales forty-five states and the District of Columbia have now. All of us will get a monthly rebate that will reimburse us for taxes on purchases up to the poverty line, so that we're not taxed on necessities.

That means people below the poverty line won't be taxed at all. We'll be taxed on what we decide to buy, not what we happen to earn. We won't be taxed on what we choose to save or the interest those savings earn. The tax will apply only to new goods, so we can reduce our taxes further by buying a used car or computer."

Supports the line-item veto to allow the President increased power to balance the budget.

Giuliani

Fair and Simple Tax (FAST) form – will give all American taxpayers the option of filling out their taxes on a single page again.

It has three rates – 10-15-30 – cutting the current 6 tax brackets in half.

Offers all Americans the opportunity for a tax cut while preserving the major deductions that people have come to depend upon: mortgage interest, charity, state & local taxes, the child tax credit, the personal exemption and the new Healthcare exclusion.

The FAST form would allow people to opt between it and the regular federal tax code every year, depending on which made the most economic sense for them.

Proposes lowering the capital gains tax from 15% to 10% and indexing capital gains for inflation.

McCain

Permanently repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) -- a tax that will be paid nearly exclusively by 25 million middle class families.

Make the Bush income and investment tax cuts permanent, keeping income tax rates at their current level

Fight the Democrats' plans for a crippling tax increase in 2011.

Believes it should require a 3/5 majority vote in Congress to raise taxes.

Will keep the current rates on dividends and capital gains and fight anti-growth efforts by Democrats.

Will seek a permanent ban on taxes that threaten this engine of economic growth and prosperity.

Will prohibit new cellular telephone taxes.

Will reform and make permanent the research and development (R&D) tax credit to keep America competitive and provide a stable environment for entrepreneurs.

Thompson

Permanently Extend the 2001 and 2003 Tax Cuts.

Reduced individual income tax rates, saving every tax-paying family a minimum of $600.

Preserve the $1000 child tax credit, which was doubled from $500 per child.

Protect Marriage penalty relief.

Retain Education tax incentives, including Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, 529 college savings plans, and deductions for higher education expenses.

Reduce tax rates on capital gains and qualified dividends

Increase expensing of investment for small businesses allowing small businesses to write-off purchases of equipment of up to $125,000 per year, rather than depreciating those assets over time.

Permanently Repeal the Death Tax.

Repeal the Alternative Minimum Tax.

Reduce the Corporate Tax Rate. from 35 percent to no more than 27 percent

Update and Simplify Depreciation Schedules.

Expand Taxpayer Choice: Give Americans greater choice about how to pay their federal taxes.
Provide taxpayers the option of remaining under the current, complex tax code or opting for a simplified, flat tax code. The simplified tax code would contain two tax rates: 10% for joint filers on income of up to $100,000 ($50,000 for singles) and 25% on income above these amounts. The standard deduction would be more than doubled to $25,000 for joint filers and $12,500 for singles. The personal exemption amount would be increased to $3,500. Therefore, a family of 4 would be exempt from income tax on the first $39,000 of income. The simplified tax code would contain no other tax credits or deductions. It would also retain the 15% tax rate on capital gains and dividends.

Romney

Non-defense discretionary spending should be capped at inflation minus 1%.

Argues that Washington is broken.

We must cut pork barrel spending.

Is against raising taxes.

Believes that we must simplify the tax code. Lowering spending goes hand in hand with low taxes.

Paul

Favors ending the income tax.

Congress should simply cut taxes and reduce spending.

Federalist:

The Federal government must constrain itself to its proper constitutional role.

Article I Section 8 provides a list of enumerated powers for which people have authorized the congress to spend money.

The Tenth Amendment further limits the power of the federal government as, "powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."

By limiting its role, the Federal government can adopt fiscal responsibility and foster national unity by giving individual states and people greater freedom to deal with many of the most controversial issues.

Taxes should be kept to a minimum necessary to finance the legitimate expenses of the Federal government. Lower tax rates and a simpler tax system promote economic growth and often pay for themselves by enlarging the tax base.

Entitlement Reform

Huckabee

Supports giving faith-based providers of charity access to government funds.

Vague on proposals for future Federal involvement in entitlements.

Giuliani

Vague on proposals for future Federal involvement in entitlements.

McCain

Prepared to make the tough, fair, and responsible choices that honor our promises to current beneficiaries and to our children. Every year these decisions are delayed makes meeting this responsibility more difficult and expensive.

Promises made to previous and current generations have placed the United States on an unsustainable budget pathway. Unchecked, Social Security, Medicaid and Medicare obligations will grow as large as the entire federal budget is now in just a few decades. Without comprehensive bipartisan reform to America's entitlement programs, the nation will be unable to meet the challenges of providing vital medical and social security assistance to future generations.

Thompson

Social Security reform should preserve and strengthen the program for future generations of Americans and guarantee that the current level of benefits is fully protected for inflation. Most importantly, reforms should completely eliminate the estimated $4.7 trillion unfunded Social Security liability over the 75-year actuarial planning horizon and leave Social Security on a fiscally sustainable basis.

These goals can be accomplished by:
Providing Voluntary Personal Retirement "Add-On" Accounts to Supplement Benefits. These accounts would act like a private-sector employer 401 (k) plan and provide government matching funds for every contribution made by the participant.

Indexing the Social Security Benefit Formula for Prices, Not Wages. This action would go a long way toward resolving the impending bankruptcy of Social Security while ensuring fairness by making sure future retirees receive the same amount as current retirees in real terms.

Romney

Supports the Line-Item Veto.

Does not want to cut benefits out from under the poorest Americans.

Plans to conduct a massive review of every spending program to decide what works and what does not.

Paul

“We must rethink the very role of government in our society. Anything less, any tinkering or “reform,” won’t cut it.

A good start would be for Congress to repeal the Medicare prescription drug bill.”

Federalist

There is little proper Federal role for entitlement spending.

“As a practical matter, the free market and charities are much more efficient than the government at providing true care to those in need. Regardless, the government should be streamlined to produce the most return for the entitlements that remain.” Read More. . . .

Republican Issue Comparisons - Unions, Abortion and Crime

This is the second of the our series of issue comparison summaries for candidates for the Republican presidential nomination. Along with the candidates own positions we have provided for comparison a "Federalist" position. We invite and encourage your comments on the comparisons we present below the fold.

Unions

Huckabee:
Foresees unions taking on a more prominent role because "a lot of American workers are finding that their wages continue to get strapped lower and lower while CEO salaries are higher and higher," and this will "create a level of discontent that's going to create a huge appetite for unions."
Has received endorsements from several unions, including the NEA, IUPAT, and IAMAW

Giuliani:
Unions have made a positive contribution by helping lift people out of poverty, but there are good unions and bad unions.
People should have a right to either belong to a union or not. They should not be compelled to join a union to be able to work.

McCain:
No specific position

Thompson:
No specific position


Romney:
Believes individuals have the right not to pay dues if they do not belong to the union.
Against union dues automatically being used for political purposes without the members' discretion.
Encourages states to pass Right to Work Laws.

Ron Paul:
Believes that citizens have the right to associate in anyway they choose.
However, he is against the government giving unions special privileges.

Federalist:
The Federal government should neither prevent employees from voluntarily organizing nor require union membership for employment.
The government should enforce contracts voluntarily entered into by both employees and employers.


Abortion

Huckabee:
Supports passage of a constitutional amendment to protect the Right to Life. Believes that Roe v. Wade should be overturned.
Opposes embryonic stem cell research.
Will use the "bully pulpit" of the Presidency to promote a culture of life.

Giuliani:
Would not sign a federal ban on all abortions.
Allowing choice keeps government out of people's lives.
Has a record of decreasing abortions and increasing adoptions in NYC.
Would not use a judge's position on abortion as a litmus test for appointments to the Supreme Court.
Would ban partial-birth abortion.
On embryonic stem cell research, "As long as we're not creating life in order to destroy it, as long as we're not having human cloning, and we limit it to that, and there is plenty of opportunity to then use federal funds in those situations where you have limitations. So I would support it with those limitations, like Senator Coleman's bill in Congress."

McCain:
Roe v. Wade is a flawed decision that must be overturned
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.

Thompson:
Pro-life.
Believes in the sanctity of human life and that every life is worthy of respect.
Believes Roe v. Wade was a bad decision that ought to be overturned.

Romney:
"I am pro-life. I believe that abortion is the wrong choice except in cases of incest, rape, and to save the life of the mother. I wish the people of America agreed, and that the laws of our nation could reflect that view. But while the nation remains so divided over abortion, I believe that the states, through the democratic process, should determine their own abortion laws and not have them dictated by judicial mandate."

Ron Paul:
" As an OB/GYN doctor, I've delivered over 4,000 babies. That experience has made me an unshakable foe of abortion."
Believes that the issues should not be dealt with at the federal level.
Argues that life begins at conception and notes that in his professional opinion he has never seen a case that requires an abortion to save the life of the mother.

Federalist:
A government that fails to protect the innocent has forfeited the right to govern. Under the federalist system of law outlined in the United States Constitution, "[t]he powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Therefore, Roe v. Wade, which is truly an "abortion" of constitutional interpretation, must be overruled. This case, irrespective of its subject matter, is one of the most abhorrent cases ever decided and its logic leaves one to question its proponents' zombie-like adherence. The issue of Abortion, and more importantly the determination of when personhood begins, should therefore be determined by each state. However, the Fifth Amendment is clear that it is the role of government, both state and federal, to ensure that no person is "deprived of life . . . without due process of law." Therefore, once a state determines that a "person is a person no matter how small," that person's life is protected under the Constitution.

Crime

Huckabee:
Supports the death penalty. Has carried out the death penalty as governor.
"Three strikes" policy results in overrunning system with prisoners
Opposes "hate crime" legislation.
Does not support the elimination of the possibility of parole, because parole provides an incentive for rehabilitation and helps reward inmates for responsible choices.

Giuliani:
Insisted on enforcing minor offenses to bring down crime in New York City.
Greatly reduced crime in NYC. Used statistical analysis to determine what problems were arising and dedicated resources to address those problems early.
Supports death penalty. Would have preferred to see death penalty used against Zacarias Moussaoui, the only person convicted in connection with the 9-11 attacks.

McCain:
No specific position

Thompson:
No specific position

Romney:
Supports the death penalty.
Also supports the three strikes and your out sentencing guidelines.
Advocates strong sentences for violent offenders.

Ron Paul:
Advocates the dismantling of both the FBI and the CIA.
"All issues of life and violence and crime and murder are dealt with at the local level."
Opposes the death penalty as he has seen many mistakes made in murder cases.

Federalist:
Establish and enforce laws which render equal justice to every citizen.
Most crimes not of a multi-state or international nature should be purely in the purview of each state.
The death pena