Where they stand on the issues

Economy — Supports $110-billion economic stimulus plan, including: $40.billion in tax rebates for working-class and middle-class families; $30.billion in emergency housing aid for states and cities; $25.billion for families facing increased heating bills; $10.billion to extend and broaden unemployment insurance ... Supports 90-day foreclosure moratorium on sub-prime mortgages on owner-occupied homes ... Supports five-year rate freeze on sub-prime adjustable rate mortgages ... Supports more accountability for mortgages ... Supports more than $10 billion in infrastructure funding for states

Iraq — Voted to authorize Iraq invasion in 2002 ... Supports three-step plan to end war: begin phased troop withdrawal within 60 days in office; redeploy some troops to ensure regional stability; convene group of key allies, global powers and states bordering Iraq to stabilize the region

National security — Supports modernizing and reforming U.S. intelligence services ... Supports strengthening and rebuilding alliances in Europe; proposes partnerships in Asia and other areas of the world ... Supports reinforcing military efforts in Afghanistan ... Maintains that a strong military is essential for national security ... Supports closing Guantanamo prison

Healthcare — Supports requiring all individuals to have coverage ... Supports requiring large employers to provide coverage or pay into a public program ... Supports tax credit to businesses with 25 or fewer employees ... Supports tax credits to working families ... Supports a public/private pool of plans similar to those congressional members have ... Supports portability of insurance plans ... Supports expanding Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program

Immigration — Supports pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants who learn English and pay fines ... Supports border fence ... Supports employment verification system, along with tougher penalties for employers that hire illegal immigrants ... Supports family reunification as basic immigration principle ... Supports agricultural jobs program, but opposes guest worker program that may exploit workers

Energy and environment — Supports cap-and-trade program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 ... Supports 10-year, $150-billion energy package, including $50-billion Strategic Energy Fund to develop alternative energy sources ... Supports increasing fuel-efficiency standards to 55 mpg by 2030 ... Supports a transition to renewable-energy sources, with a goal of generating 25% of electricity by 2025

Education — Supports universal preschool and doubling after-school programs ... Supports ending No Child Left Behind ... Supports investing $100 million in new public/private summer internship program ... Supports $3,500 college tax credit and bigger Pell Grants ... Supports investing $500 million in community colleges ... Supports $10,000 college scholarships for those who participate in AmeriCorps for a year

Abortion — Supports abortion rights ... Supports appointing justices who will uphold Roe vs. Wade and right to privacy

Gun control — Voted for ban on assault-type weapons and to require background checks at gun shows ... Supported leaving gun-makers open to civil suits ... Supported, in 2000, proposals for a federal requirement for state-issued photo-ID gun licenses, as well as a national registry for handgun sales

Economy — Supports $120-billion economic stimulus package, including: immediate $250 tax credit for 150.million workers and further $250 tax credit per worker if employment declines three months in a row; $250 payment to Social Security recipients and additional $250 payment if employment declines three months in a row; $10-billion "foreclosure prevention fund"; $10.billion to help states and local governments hit hardest by the housing crisis; $10.billion to extend and broaden unemployment insurance ... Supports laws to combat mortgage fraud ... Supports a mortgage interest tax credit for filers who don't itemize

Iraq — Opposed invading Iraq ... Has voted in Senate to authorize war funding ... Supports full withdrawal of combat brigades within 16 months; supports leaving some troops to protect diplomats and keep !Al Qaeda from gaining "foothold" ... Opposes permanent military bases in Iraq ... Supports aggressive regional diplomatic efforts to stabilize the ... Supports financial support for Iraqi reconstruction and humanitarian aid

National security — Supports improving intelligence information-sharing and analysis at all levels of government ... Supports expanding U.S. diplomatic presence in the world, strengthening NATO and seeking new partnerships in Asia ... Supports expanding the military, adding 65,000 to the Army and 27,000 to the Marines ... Supports revising the Patriot Act ... Supports closing Guantanamo prison

Healthcare — Supports requiring parents to obtain coverage for children ... Supports requiring all employers to provide coverage or contribute to costs, except smallest businesses ... Supports subsidies for low-income people ... Supports national health plan to allow individuals to buy coverage similar to congressional members', plus a national pool of private plans ... Supports portability of insurance plans ... Supports expanding Medicaid and State Children's Health Insurance Program

Immigration — Supports pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants in good standing who learn English and pay fines ... Supports border fence and additional personnel to secure borders ... Supports tougher penalties for employers that hire illegal immigrants; supports employment verification system ... Supports greater emphasis on keeping immigrant families together ... Supports improving speed and accuracy of immigrant background checks

Energy and environment — Supports market-based cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions 80% below 1990 levels by 2050 ... Supports investing $150 billion over 10 years in "clean" energy sources ... Supports requiring that 25% of electricity be generated by renewable energy sources by 2025 ... Supports doubling fuel-efficiency standards by 2026

Education — Supports quadrupling Early Head Start program; increasing Head Start funding; providing affordable, high-quality child care; and doubling funding for after-school programs ... Supports reforming No Child Left Behind ... Supports Teacher Service Scholarships that would cover four years of undergraduate or two years of graduate teacher education in exchange for teaching at least four years in a high-need field or location ... Supports $4,000 college education tax credit

Abortion — Supports abortion rights; would make "preserving women's rights under Roe v. Wade a priority as president"

Gun control — Voted to leave gun-makers open to lawsuits ... Supported, as an Illinois state legislator, a ban on all forms of semiautomatic weapons and tighter state restrictions on firearms in general

Economy — Supports abolishing the Internal Revenue Service ... Supports replacing current federal income, payroll, corporate and other taxes with a national "flat" sales tax ... Supports a presidential line-item veto ... Supports Washington's economic stimulus plan, but urges spending on infrastructure projects

Iraq — Opposes setting timetable for withdrawal ... Supports regional summit for Iraq's neighboring countries to help stabilize Iraq ... Supports Gen. David H. Petraeus and the troop buildup ... Sees Iraq as battleground in a "generational, ideological" war on terrorism

National Security — Supports expanding Army, increasing defense budget ... Supports empowering moderate Muslims by dealing with "underlying conditions" of terrorism ... Supports focus on renewed diplomacy and cooperation ... Supports closing Guantanamo prison

Healthcare — Opposes mandatory universal healthcare ... Supports working with private sector, Congress and healthcare providers to overhaul the healthcare system ... Believes private sector and states can find ways to bring down costs ... Supports making health insurance policies portable and expenses tax-deductible

Immigration — Supports a 120-day window for illegal immigrants to register with federal government, leave U.S., and then apply to immigrate; supports barring offenders from reentering for 10 years ... Supports tough penalties for employers that hire illegal immigrants ... Supports ensuring the border fence is completed by 2010 ... Supports increasing border agents

Energy & Environment — Supports mandatory cap-and-trade measures (which would cap greenhouse gas emissions and let companies trade emissions allowances) ... Believes energy independence is the way to address global warming issues ... Supports increasing fuel-efficiency standards to 35 mpg by 2020 ... Supports nuclear power as an alternative energy source

Education — Advocates a clear distinction between federal and state roles in education ... Believes that there is "value" in No Child Left Behind but that states must have the authority to enact education programs for their students ... Supports making art and music an "essential" part of curriculum ... Supports public-school choice and the right of parents to home-school children ... Supports providing bonuses and forgiving student loans for "high-performing teachers" in low-performing schools

Abortion — Believes Roe vs. Wade should be overturned ... Supports a constitutional amendment banning abortion

Gun Control — Supports a national "right to carry" law that would require states to recognize concealed-weapons permits issued by other states ... Opposes restoring federal ban on assault weapons ... Belongs to the National Rifle Assn.

Economy — Supports cutting corporate tax rate to 25%, from current 35% ... Supports first-year deductions of equipment and technology investments ... Supports permanent research-and-development tax credits for business ... Supports repealing the Alternative Minimum Tax ... Supports making Bush tax cuts permanent (though he initially opposed them) ... Supports curbing congressional earmarks and "pork-barrel" projects ... Supports requiring a three-fifths vote in Congress to raise taxes ... Supports reducing estate taxes

Iraq — Was an early proponent of the "surge" ... Believes there are not enough U.S. forces in Iraq to halt violence, secure strongholds, rebuild the economy, dismantle Al Qaeda and stabilize the country ... Opposes setting a withdrawal timetable for troops ... Believes the war is justified but has been mismanaged

National Security — Supports increasing and modernizing U.S. military ... Supports expanding and improving human intelligence capabilities ... Supports developing and deploying theater and national missile defenses ... Supports engaging in "battleground of ideas" to thwart terrorism recruitment ... Supports closing Guantanamo prison

Healthcare — Supports controlling healthcare costs as a fundamental priority ... Supports promoting competition and reforming tax code to "eliminate bias toward employer-sponsored health insurance" ... Supports $2,500 tax credit to individuals, $5,000 for families ... Supports making plans portable and available across state lines ... Supports reforming Medicare payment systems

Immigration — Co-sponsored 2006 legislation that called for temporary-worker program and pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants in the U.S. ... Now proposes conditional pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants after they pay fines and learn English ... Believes a secure border is "essential to national security" ... Voted for border fence; supports securing ports and other points of entry

Energy & Environment — Supports mandatory cap-and-trade measures (which would cap greenhouse gas emissions and let companies trade emissions allowances) ... Supports increasing fuel-efficiency standards ... Supports nuclear power ... Opposes opening Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas exploration

Education — Supports K-12 school vouchers ... Sponsored Senate legislation for tax-free savings accounts for education ... Supports community college aid ... Supports home-schooling

Abortion — Believes Roe vs. Wade is a "flawed decision" that should be overturned ... Supports nominating judges who do not "legislate from the bench" ... Supports leaving abortion legislation to the states

Gun Control — Voted against ban on assault-type weapons ... Opposes "waiting periods" for gun buyers ... Voted to shield gun-makers from civil suits ... Supports "instant criminal background checks" to prevent criminals from buying firearms

Economy — Supports dismantling the Internal Revenue Service and eliminating most taxes, including income, dividend and savings, payroll, estate and corporate taxes ... Supports eliminating taxes on Social Security benefits, capital gains and tips for service workers ... Supports legalizing gold and silver as currencies ... Supports freezing nondefense, "nonentitlement" spending at current levels ... Supports making Bush tax cuts permanent

Iraq — Voted against authorizing Iraq invasion in 2002, saying it unconstitutionally transferred the "congressional authority to declare war to the executive branch" ... Supports withdrawing all troops immediately ... Maintains that withdrawal is in national self-interest and security

National security — Supports making secure borders top defense priority ... Supports refocusing military and intelligence efforts on locating terrorists ... Introduced legislation to allow president to authorize "private sources" to capture or kill enemies ... Supports a foreign policy of nonintervention ... Supports closing Guantanamo prison

Healthcare — Supports eliminating federal regulations that discourage small business from providing coverage ... Supports making all medical expenses tax-deductible ... Supports making every individual eligible for Health Savings Accounts ... Voted against 2003 Medicare prescription drug law for seniors

Immigration — Supports building border fence and increasing physical security along border ... Opposes amnesty and social services for illegal immigrants ... Opposes birthright citizenship ... Supports detaining and deporting illegal immigrants

Energy and environment — Supports repealing federal regulations and taxes that "impede development" of new energy sources ... Maintains that the "key to sound environmental policy" is strict enforcement of property rights ... Supports drilling in Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ... Co-sponsored legislation to encourage development of alternative energy sources

Education — Supports abolishing Education Department, returning functions to states ... Supports funding schools with local taxes ... Introduced legislation to create tax credit of up to $5,000 per student per year for elementary and/or secondary school - including private, parochial, religious and home schools ... Introduced legislation to make undergraduate college tuition, "reasonable" living expenses and interest on qualified student loans fully tax-deductible

Abortion — Believes Roe vs. Wade should be overturned ... Believes states should have authority over abortion issues ... Sponsored legislation that would prohibit federal courts from interfering with state abortion legislation

Gun control — Opposes federal gun-control laws ... Opposes reinstituting assault-weapons ban; sponsored legislation to repeal assault-weapons ban before it expired in 2004 ... Sponsored legislation to allow individuals to carry firearms in national parks

Economy — Supports cutting corporate tax rate to 20%, from current 35% ... Supports letting firms deduct 100% of new equipment costs for two years ... Supports reducing lowest individual income tax bracket to 7.5%, from current level of 10% ... Supports eliminating estate tax ... Supports eliminating Social Security payroll taxes for workers older than 65 ... Supports making Bush tax cuts permanent ... Supports eliminating taxes on savings, dividends and capital gains for those earning less than $200,000 a year ... Supports expanding FHA loan limits to assist homeowners "in trouble"

Iraq — Supports Bush troop buildup ... Supports keeping troops in Iraq "until we have brought success" ... Supports Gen. David H. Petraeus' assessment

National security — Supports increasing military by 100,000 troops ... Supports dedicating at least 4% of gross domestic product to defense ... Supports strengthening global alliances and working with Middle Eastern allies to support moderate Muslims ... Supports keeping Guantanamo open (he has suggested doubling its size)

Healthcare — Supports expanding and deregulating the private health insurance market to extend coverage to all ... Supports instituting tax reforms and encouraging state-level reforms ... Supports full deductibility of qualified medical expenses ... As governor of Massachusetts, signed legislation requiring near-universal coverage for state residents

Immigration — Opposes pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrants ... Supports building border fence and securing other entry points ... Supports an employment verification system that uses biometric identification cards ... Supports tougher penalties for employers that hire illegal immigrants ... Would punish "sanctuary cities"

Energy and environment — Believes carbon emission reductions must be enacted globally ... Supports making energy independence a top administration priority ... Supports increasing federal spending on energy-related research ... Supports accelerating construction of nuclear power plants ... Supports increasing domestic production, including opening Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil and gas development

Education — Supports local control of schools ... Supports school choice and charter schools ... Supports a federal tax credit for home-schoolers ... Proposes to "enhance" No Child Left Behind ... Supports tax cuts to help families save for college

Abortion — Believes Roe vs. Wade should be overturned ... Supports leaving abortion laws to the states ... Previously supported abortion rights

Gun control — Believes individuals have the right to bear arms under the 2nd Amendment ... Supports appointing judges who will "strictly interpret" the Constitution to guard the 2nd Amendment ... As governor, supported state's gun control laws; signed a measure permanently banning assault weapons; supported federal gun-purchase waiting periods