Politics and Change: Obama/Biden or McCain/Palin, you decide?

Politics and Change. Obama or Clinton; McCain or Rominey; Obama or McCain; Obama/Biden or McCain/Palin? America is about to choose their course for the next four to eight years. What are the issues for you? What do you want for yourself, your children, your children's children?



I beleive this election will be the key factor shaping the next 25 years of American History. Please don't be influenced by creative ads for either party, without doing your own research, and finding out the facts. Ask yourself probative questions, and then search credible, unbiased sources. I have decided to start this blog as a forum for my own personal political growth and understanding and hope that it creates that same spark for you. This has really take a life of its own from discussions I have had with friends, relatives and others who have decidedly taken a position on this election based on mainstream media half truths and political inuendo.



The one request I make is that you stop allowing the media to think for you, and hold you emotionally hostage. I know if you are reading this you are too smart and work too hard to just take my word or that of a very good slogan. We all have our own beliefs and expereinces which shape our core. I would like to keep this as non-partisan, but I'm sure I will expression my opinions that may point in one direction. So the question before you and I is: Which ticket is better for theses United States of America for not only the next four years but for the next 25 years. Which ticket will deliver the reform (change) that we all seek so desperately. Is the Obama/Biden ticket or the McCain/Palin ticket.



So what is one to do. Well for me I am still looking at each candidates platform (but leaning right) and acknowledge that each have positive and negative aspects to them. In fact I am providing you with a few links that hope you will take the time to educate yourself and then argue or educate me.



Comparing the Leading Candidates



OBAMA & MCCAIN ON THE ISSUES


ABORTION
BARACK OBAMA: Favors abortion rights.


JOHN MCCAIN: Opposes abortion rights. Has voted for abortion restrictions permissible under Roe v. Wade, and now says he would seek to overturn that guarantee of abortion rights. Would not seek constitutional amendment to ban abortion.


CAMPAIGN FINANCE
BARACK OBAMA: The presidential campaign's fundraising champion has brought in nearly $265 million. Has signaled he will raise private money for his general election, despite his proposal last year to accept public financing and its spending limits if the Republican nominee does, too. Obama refuses to accept money from federal lobbyists and has instructed the Democratic National Committee to do the same for its joint victory fund, an account that would benefit the nominee. Obama does accept money from state lobbyists and from family members of federal lobbyists.


JOHN MCCAIN: The co-author of McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, he plans to run his general campaign with public money and within its spending limits. He has urged Obama to do the same. He turned down federal matching funds for primaries so he could spend more than the limits. Federal Election Commission letter said he needs FEC approval before withdrawing from the primary public financing system, but FEC has not had quorum to act. McCain says he needs no such approval. McCain accepts campaign contributions from lobbyists.


CUBA
BARACK OBAMA: Ease restrictions on family-related travel and on money Cuban-Americans want to send to their families in Cuba. Open to meeting new Cuban leader Raul Castro without preconditions. Ease trade embargo if Havana "begins opening Cuba to meaningful democratic change."


JOHN MCCAIN: Ease restrictions on Cuba once U.S. is "confident that the transition to a free and open democracy is being made."


DEATH PENALTY
BARACK OBAMA: Supports death penalty for crimes for which the "community is justified in expressing the full measure of its outrage." As Illinois lawmaker, wrote bill mandating videotaping of interrogations and confessions in capital cases and sought other changes in system

that had produced wrongful convictions.


JOHN MCCAIN: Has supported expansion of the federal death penalty and limits on appeals.


EDUCATION
BARACK OBAMA: Encourage but not require universal pre-kindergarten programs, expand teacher mentoring programs and reward teachers with higher pay not tied to standardized test scores, in $18 billion plan to be paid for in part by delaying elements of moon and Mars missions. Change No Child Left Behind law "so that we're not just teaching to a test and crowding out programs like art and music." Tax credit to pay up to $4,000 of college expenses for students who perform 100 hours of community service a year.


JOHN MCCAIN: Favors parental choice of schools, including vouchers for private schools when approved by local officials, and right of parents to choose home schooling. More money for community college education.


GAY MARRIAGE
BARACK OBAMA: Opposes constitutional amendment to ban it. Supports civil unions, says states should decide about marriage.


JOHN MCCAIN: Opposes constitutional amendment to ban it. Says same-sex couples should be allowed to enter into legal agreements for insurance and similar benefits.


GLOBAL WARMING
BARACK OBAMA: Ten-year, $150 billion program to produce "climate friendly" energy supplies that he'd pay for with a carbon auction requiring businesses to bid competitively for the right to pollute. Joined McCain in sponsoring earlier legislation that would set mandatory caps on greenhouse gas emissions. Supports tougher fuel efficiency standards.


JOHN MCCAIN: Broke with President Bush on global warming. Led Senate effort to cap greenhouse gas emissions; favors tougher fuel efficiency. Favors plan that would see greenhouse gas emissions cut by 60 percent by 2050. Supports more nuclear power.


GUN CONTROL
BARACK OBAMA: Voted to leave gun-makers and dealers open to suit. Also, as Illinois state lawmaker, supported ban on all forms of semiautomatic weapons and tighter state restrictions generally on firearms.


JOHN MCCAIN: Voted against ban on assault-type weapons but in favor of requiring background checks at gun shows. Voted to shield gun-makers and dealers from civil suits. "I believe the Second Amendment ought to be preserved -- which means no gun control."


HEALTH CARE
BARACK OBAMA: Mandatory coverage for children, no mandate for adults. Aim for universal coverage by requiring employers to share costs of insuring workers and by offering coverage similar to that in plan for federal employees. Says package would cost up to $65 billion a year after unspecified savings from making system more efficient. Raise taxes on wealthier families to pay the cost.


JOHN MCCAIN: $2,500 refundable tax credit for individuals, $5,000 for families, to make health insurance more affordable. No mandate for universal coverage. In gaining the tax credit, workers could not deduct the portion of their workplace health insurance paid by their employers.


HOUSING
BARACK OBAMA: Tax credit covering 10 percent of annual mortgage interest payments for "struggling homeowners," scoring system for consumers to compare mortgages, a fund for mortgage fraud victims, new penalties for mortgage fraud, aid to state and local governments stung by housing crisis, in $20 billion plan geared to "responsible homeowners."


JOHN MCCAIN: Open to helping homeowners facing foreclosure if they are "legitimate borrowers" and not speculators.


IMMIGRATION
BARACK OBAMA: Voted for 2006 bill offering legal status to illegal immigrants subject to conditions, including English proficiency and payment of back taxes and fines. Voted for border fence.


JOHN MCCAIN: Sponsored 2006 bill that would have allowed illegal immigrants to stay in the U.S., work and apply to become legal residents after learning English, paying fines and back taxes and clearing a background check. Now says he would secure the border first. Supports border fence.


IRAN
BARACK OBAMA: Favors direct direct presidential diplomacy with Iran without preconditions, believing it would give U.S. more credibility to press for tougher international sanctions. Will offer incentives if Iran abandons its nuclear program and support for terrorism, and a move toward normal diplomatic relations. If Iran continues its troubling behavior, will step up our economic pressure and political isolation.


JOHN MCCAIN: Favors tougher sanctions. Says unconditional dialogues with these two dictatorships from a position of weakness not the answer and says U.S. should bolster its regional military posture. Has stated military action is "not off the table."


IRAQ
BARACK OBAMA: Spoke against war at start, opposed troop increase. Will immediately begin bringing troops home if elected and plans phased withdrawal, with combat brigades out within 16 months. Will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda.


JOHN MCCAIN: Opposes scheduling a troop withdrawal, saying latest strategy is succeeding. Supported decision to go to war, but was early critic of the manner in which administration prosecuted it. Key backer of the troop increase. Willing to have permanent U.S. peacekeeping forces in Iraq.


SOCIAL SECURITY
BARACK OBAMA: Proposes raising cap with an unspecified "small adjustment" that would subject a portion of higher incomes to Social Security taxes.


JOHN MCCAIN: Would consider "almost anything" as part of a compromise to save Social Security, yet rules out higher payroll taxes for now.


STEM CELL RESEARCH
BARACK OBAMA: Supports relaxing federal restrictions on financing of embryonic stem cell research.


JOHN MCCAIN: Supports relaxing federal restrictions on financing of embryonic stem cell research.


TAXES
BARACK OBAMA: Raise income taxes on wealthiest and their capital gains and dividends taxes. Raise corporate taxes. $80 billion in tax breaks mainly for poor workers and elderly, including tripling Earned Income Tax Credit for minimum-wage workers and higher credit for larger families. Eliminate tax-filing requirement for older workers making under $50,000. A mortgage-interest credit could be used by lower-income homeowners who do not take the mortgage interest deduction because they do not itemize their taxes.


JOHN MCCAIN: Has stated "No new taxes" if elected. Twice opposed Bush's tax cuts, at first because he said they were tilted to the wealthiest and again because of the unknown costs of Iraq war. Now says those tax cuts, expiring in 2010, should be permanent. Proposes cutting corporate tax rate to 25 percent. On February 15, 2008, promised balance budget in first term. On February 19, 2008, McCain's economic advisor told press McCain's overall goal is to balance the budget by the end of his second term. In April 2008 that cutting taxes and stimulating the economy are more important than balancing the budget.


TRADE
BARACK OBAMA: Seek to reopen North American Free Trade Agreement to strengthen enforcement of labor and environmental standards. In 2004 Senate campaign, called for "enforcing existing trade agreements," not amending them.


JOHN MCCAIN: Free trade advocate.



***Disclaimer*** I reserve the right to correct and inadvertant errors or omissions.

**** Links Added 09/13/2008 at 1155am****

http://www.factcheck.org/

https://www.cia.gov/library/reports/general-reports-1/iraq_wmd_2004/index.html.

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/publications/url.cfm?ID=411693 , please note that this data is from June 20, 2008. There is an update which was completed after the DNC and there will be another one next week. These updates have revisions and calculations based on what each candidate said during their speech.

http://www.taxpolicycenter.org/numbers/displayatab.cfm?DocID=1840