Iraq
“And it's critically important that the Congress authorized this war, now they should de- authorize this war. I would cast a congressional resolution de-authorizing the war.”
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“In my judgment, the surge is not working. There's only a political solution to this disastrous war. There is no military solution.”
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“Yes, I was very surprised, because what is very clear is that Senator Edwards, particularly Obama and Clinton, basically said that they can go into their second term with still troops in Iraq. That`s no way to end the war. And I think they have to level with the American people. Do they really want to end the war or are they going to keep the troops there for an indefinite period? I believe you can`t have it both ways.
I have called for a complete reduction of all our forces. I would put some in Kuwait, some in Afghanistan. But you can`t start the political reconciliation process. You can`t start the peacekeeping. You can`t start the Iran and Syria coming in to try to have stability in the region without getting all our troops out because they become targets. Our kids are dying. It`s getting worse every day. There is all the sectarian conflict.”
***
“We must redeploy some of our troops to Afghanistan to stop the resurgence of the Taliban and to fight the real terrorists who attacked this country on 9-11. While all American troops in Iraq must be removed, we need to maintain a military presence in the region, in countries like Kuwait where they are welcome. We must always have the capacity to use air power, special forces and other means to strike Al Qaeda anywhere. We do not need American troops in Iraq to perform this essential task.”
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Other Foreign Policy Issues
“A fundamental goal of our foreign policy should be not to permit Iran to develop nuclear weapons. Another cornerstone of our foreign policy should be the strength and the security of Israel. So you cannot deny a nation the right to legitimately defend itself…I've talked to a lot of these bad guys already, so I would have a head start in personal diplomacy. You have to approach Iran -- first of all, you use diplomacy. Then you use sanctions.”
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“The problem that we have with Iran is that we don't build the international support that is needed to put economic pressure on Iran. And by point here is that Iran is susceptible to economic pressure. It can do so through -- they import half of their foodstuffs, half of their gasoline. They've got domestic unrest.”
***
“I would not talk necessarily to Ahmadinejad. I would talk to moderate clerics. I would talk to business leaders. But 40 percent of the Iranian people vote for moderate candidates for president. So you first use diplomacy.”
Climate Change/Energy
"Climate change is the major environmental issue of our time. Nothing poses a bigger threat to our water, our livelihood, and our quality of life than a warming climate."
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"I believe that coal -- carbon-clean coal -- will play a role in our energy future, and that we must support the deployment of carbon-clean coal technologies here and around the world."
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“This planet is revolting against the use of fossil fuels and against manmade pollution. And we have to fight global climate change. And we have to have an international effort to do it. And it means mandating the reduction of carbons and caps and emissions and the pollution that comes from fossil fuels and vehicles.”
Healthcare
“Well, I do favor universal health care, no matter who you are, rich or poor, black, brown, white, that has to be the fundamental point in my health-care plan. Secondly, I believe the way you do it is by, one, having no new bureaucracies, giving choice to everybody to keep the health-care plan, if they have it, but what I would do is I would first focus on the fact that we spend $2.2 trillion on health care, yet 31 percent of that goes to administration and bureaucracy and lack of electronic records. Where I differ with other candidates, especially Sen. Edwards, is I don't propose a new tax or any new bureaucracy. What I believe we need to do is focus more on prevention, on getting rid of junk food in schools, cancer research. I would allow everybody to participate in the congressional plan. I'd lower Medicare to 55. It's today 65 and over. And I would allow veterans, Charlie, to get a heroes' health card where they can get health care anywhere they want. But I would have a shared responsibility. Everybody participates, especially employers, in my health-care plan.”
***
“But I don't think we need to create any new bureaucracies. I don't think -- I think you have to give people choice on the health care plan they have. So my point is, step number one is end the waste, end the bureaucracy. Step number two is invest in prevention, which my plan saves $50 billion if you have preventive care, if you have cancer screenings, if you have other ways that you allow people to get preventive care. And then, finally, $22 billion in electronic filing records. You don't need a new tax.”
“I have put forth approximately $120 billion in savings from health care changes--everything from electronic medical records to better management of chronic care. That is about in the ballpark of what all of us believe it will cost to cover everyone. The challenge that I'm wrestling with is how do we realize the savings? I don't think there is any Democrat that is not going to let the Bush tax cuts on the wealthiest Americans expire. We're all going to do that, so that money will be available.”
Education
“Revise high-school curriculums. We gotta start earlier with preschool, early childhood, for every child under 4. Full-day kindergarten. We have got to pay our teachers better. I'd have a minimum wage for teachers. We've got to scrap this No Child Left Behind, which is a one-size-fits-all testing that is hurting disabled kids, gifted kids, English-learning kids, that humiliates schools that are not doing well. If a school isn't doing well, what you do, Charlie, is you help that school. And finally, I would have a national goal that in 15 years, America will be No. 1 in science and math, because that's competitiveness.”
“That’s why I’m for adding 100,000 teachers to the classroom. We know that modernizing and better equipping our schools works. And we know that high standards works. But what’s important is to stay committed to the public school system, not siphon off money, as my opponent would, with vouchers.”
Homeland Security
“I will be a president that follows the Constitution of the United States. I will also be a president that will bring back habeas corpus and the rule of law. I will also be a president that will shut down Guantanamo. I will also be a president that will follow the Constitution and not permit torture as a tool in our foreign policy. I will not eavesdrop on American citizens. And I will not go to war, unless I get the consent of Congress.”
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“I believe that the privacy and civil rights of Americans is one of our fundamental rights. And my only point here is, if there is going to be eavesdropping, if there is going to be wiretapping of American citizens, there should be a due process.”
Family
“I'm for civil unions, and I've got the strongest record of any governor in protecting gay rights, in nondiscrimination, in transgender [issues].”
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“And if I'm elected president, I would get rid of "don't ask, don't tell." As a congressman I voted against it. I felt that men and women who serve in the military should not be stigmatized.”
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“We should give our military veterans the access they need anywhere they want, any time they want. And I would have a hero's health card that would enable our veterans when they get out to get coverage choices anywhere they want. They should not have to drive 200 miles to the nearest VA hospital.”
Taxes/Fiscal Policy
The first step is to balance the federal budget and refuse to privatize Social Security. Private accounts are individual savings accounts, while Social Security is a social insurance program and safety net for America's retirees.”
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“One, you take privatization off the table. Secondly, you get rid of dipping into the Social Security trust fund. The third, that nobody has talked about, is you grow the economy.”
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“What I would do differently than what this administration is doing to protect jobs from going overseas is I would reward American companies that kept their jobs and people in America. I would eliminate loopholes. And there is one, the runaway tax credit that allows plants to be put forth overseas. I'd get rid of that.”
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“There has to be dedicated pension reform along with a universal pension, perhaps a 401(k), for every American that insures this protection and portability.”
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“I would keep -- I would make permanent the middle-class tax cuts that the Congress has today. I would eliminate the 2 percent. But I would also create new taxes to bring innovation to this country, specifically.”
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“I would give a tax incentive to a company if they paid over the prevailing wage. I would give a tax incentive to a technology company, no taxes for three years, if they unionized, if they paid over the prevailing wage.”
“Well, we want to keep some differential on very high- income people (the Alternative Minimum Tax), but that's part of this tax reform effort that Democrats will do starting in 2009. When we have a Democrat in the White House and a Democratic majority, we can get serious about making the tax system work for middle-income Americans again, instead of being tilted so much toward the rich.”
Illegal Immigration
We need to find ways, number one, to increase security at the border with more detection equipment, more border patrol -- not this silly wall. Secondly, those that knowingly hire illegal workers need to be punished. Third, a foreign policy relationship with Mexico where you say to Mexico, "Start giving jobs to your people; at the very least, don't give them maps on the easiest place to cross.
And, lastly, a legalization program -- earned legalization, not amnesty, not citizenship, but a process where they can earn their way into America. They can do it by learning English, by paying back taxes, by passing a background check, by paying a fine for having come in here illegally. Then get behind those that are trying to get here legally. And then increase the legal immigration quota, the H1B visas. But what you don't do is basically deport everybody. That makes no sense. That's not America. That's not going to work.”
***
"I'll tell you what I did as governor. I proposed doubling the number of border-patrol agents, which is consistent with a 9/11 Commission recommendation. I can easily see 15,000 at the border. Right now it isn’t adequately protected. I would extend the tour of the National Guard. Many of us had reservations about using the Guard for this, but it seems to be working; they’re deterring the flow. I would also increase the detection equipment at the border...
My worst nightmare is nuclear material—uranium, plutonium—being transported by a terrorist across the border. And two years ago I angered a lot of Hispanic and immigrant groups by being the first governor to declare a border emergency. At the time, the border patrol was almost nonexistent in my quarter. There were drugs coming in, violence—the flow was huge. I declared a border emergency, which enabled me as governor to hire local law enforcement. I took state appropriations to pay for law enforcement at the border, which is essentially a federal function. Also, I vetoed legislation that said local law enforcement couldn’t cooperate with federal law enforcement agencies...''
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