Iraq
Number one, I would require the Iraq al-Maliki government to vote as to whether or not they want the United States in their country. You know, nobody’s ever asked the al-Maliki government, the duly elected, and they should be required to vote as to whether or not they want it. Secondly, there are 18 territories in Iraq and we should allow those territories to elect their own leaders just like we elect state leaders all across America.
Number three, I think we should allow - just like we do in Alaska - divide up the oil revenue and gas revenues for all the people, one-third for the central government, one-third for the territories and one-third for every man, woman and child.”
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Other Foreign Policy Issues
“I think we've got to strengthen our military and we've got to recognize in this world right now we are fighting a holy war. It's a jihad. And until we recognize that and stand up to be Americans and for America, we're going to continue to lose.”
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Governor Thompson believes the nation must recommit itself to rebuilding the American military because our armed forces must have the capacity to dominate any war or any conflict we must enter – all while having the capability to fight a multi-front war. Our military is simply stretched too thin to protect American interests overseas and at home in these dangerous times. At the same time, our foreign policy cannot be based solely on military might. We must reach out to the rest of the world, and a good place to start is with medical diplomacy. Governor Thompson’s initiative would take America’s great doctors and health professionals, along with our medicines and technology, to some of the most distraught places in the world, helping to comfort and nurse the poor to better health. By doing so, we can begin to heal some of the wounds with our global neighbors.
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Climate Change/Energy
Governor Thompson believes America must become more independent in its energy needs and break reliance on foreign oil. We must begin with greater investments in renewable energy, like ethanol, so we can bring these technologies to market faster and more efficiently. And we must come together and deal with our changing climate.
Healthcare
“I believe that I have the strongest plan also to make health care in America more affordable and more accessible. We do not need to spend more money. We can have the plan in which we will cover every man, woman and child in America, and we can do it within the current system and allow innovation.”
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Governor Thompson believes America must strengthen its health care system if it is to remain the best in the world. He would accomplish this by 1. moving the focus to preventive from curative care; 2. accelerating the adoption of health information technology to save money and lives; 3. placing the uninsured in state-by-state insurable pools, allowing private insurers to bid on their coverage; 4. strengthening the nation’s long-term care system that robs too many Americans of their life savings; and 5. strengthening the Medicare and Medicaid programs to ensure the programs are there in the future for the millions of Americans who depend on them.
Education
Governor Thompson, who started the nation’s first school choice program in Milwaukee, believes America must hold our schools to high standards from kindergarten through college while making sure all of our children have access to a world-class education, regardless of what neighborhood they live in or how much money their parents make. Governor Thompson believes Congress can make No Child Left Behind stronger, and do so without wavering on its core principles.
Homeland Security
“We can't get the resources to match the rhetoric. In this latest budget, the president is proposing to cut funds for first responders to the tune of $1.7 billion. The way I see it, saying you believe in homeland security without funding first responders is like saying you believe in building a hospital without doctors and nurses. If we don't fund you, we're not funding our first line of defense, and we're going to need to work together to make that happen.”
Family
Governor Thompson believes marriage is between a man and a woman. He supports states’ rights in determining the definition of marriage and believes it should be done legislatively or by referendum.
Taxes/Fiscal Policy
Governor Thompson cut taxes by $16.4 billion in Wisconsin and believes President Bush’s tax cuts must be permanent to allow taxpayers to keep more of their hard-earned money and to continue to build the economy. Governor Thompson also vetoed more than 1,900 items in 14 years in office, saving taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.
Illegal Immigration
“There is no question that there has to be a procedure to take care of the 12 million individuals who are unauthorized or illegal in this country.”
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“The truth of the matter is, we have laws on the books, and you should not be able to have amnesty. ... I think what they really need to do is, they have to go back to their country and apply. They've got to go to the back of the line and allow those individuals who come into this country legally really to have preference.”
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