Here you find an overview of all issues. You can click on an issue to see your repsonses and responses from John Edwards as well as the sources on which they are based.
Gun control
Proposition 1:
People should have a background check and obtain a license before they can buy a gun
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
neutral |
|
Proposition 2:
Stricter gun control will not reduce crime
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to disagree |
 |
Debate transcripts |
| |
Q: What federal gun control measures you would propose?
EDWARDS: I think we should extend the Brady Bill, which is set to expire. I think that we need to close forever the `gun-show` loophole, [to avoid criminals] buying a gun. I think it does make sense to have trigger locks for the purpose of keeping guns safe from children.
(Democratic 2004 Primary Debate at St. Anselm College Jan 22, 2004)
|
|
Other websites and news sources |
| |
MSNBC’s CHRIS MATTHEWS: “The Democrats can’t seem to be able to get any votes in the South. How are you going to be able to run as a Democrat in the South on issues like gun control? I mean the South just hates gun control, doesn’t it?” EDWARDS: “No, it’s easy. If what – if the values you believe in are such that they connect – talking about gun control specifically. When I’m asked, because I do at town hall meetings all the time about gun control. I say what I really believe, which is ...” MATTHEWS: “Right.” EDWARDS: “... first, I grew up in a small town here in North Carolina, people around me had guns, people all around me hunted. I think it is very important for Second Amendment rights to be protected. I don’t, however, believe that somebody who’s been convicted of a violent crime ought to be able to ...” MATTHEWS: “Yes.” EDWARDS: “... walk out of prison, walk across the street and buy a gun. I think we ought to keep guns out of the hands of criminals. I think we ought to keep guns out of the hands of kids. I think if you talk about these issues in a way that connects with mainstream southerners ...” MATTHEWS: “Yes.” EDWARDS: “... including the kind of people that I grew up with, they’ll connect and they’ll relate to it.” MATTHEWS: “Do you think a person should be able to buy a gun at a gun show without a background check because they can’t do a background check at a weekend gun show?” EDWARDS: “No, I don’t.” MATTHEWS: “So you’re against – you’re willing to stand up to the NRA on that baby?” EDWARDS: “Absolutely.” (MSNBC’s “Hardball,” 2/6/03)
|
|
Proposition 3:
All semi-automatic weapons should be banned
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
completely agree |
|
Debate transcripts |
| |
Edwards: "What we're going to do is, I believe in the Second Amendment and I think it's important for hunters rights to be protected and it's part of my culture and the way I grew up, but I don't think you need an AK-47 to hunt and I think there are a number of things that we can do including a renewal of the assault weapons ban, closing the gun show loophole so that we make sure that we have the information that we need. I would add to that that in light of what's happened at Virginia Tech that we need to do a better job of making sure the registry that's used for the instant check includes people who've had a history of some mental problems because it's a spotted history but there was certainly some history about this gunman.
http://learfield.typepad.com/radioiowa/2007/04/clinton_edwards.html
|
|
Environment
Proposition 1:
The effects of global warming are grossly exaggerated
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
completely disagree |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
The planet has gotten nearly 1 degree Fahrenheit hotter over the past 30 years and will get another degree hotter due to greenhouse gas pollution already in the atmosphere. The ten hottest years on record have all occurred since 1990. If we don't change course soon, we will see dramatic climate changes and a different planet. The last time the Earth was 4 or 5 degrees warmer -- 3 million years ago -- there was no ice in the Arctic and sea levels were 80 feet higher. [Hansen, 2/26/2007; NRDC, 2007]
Earlier this year, the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change -- an international network of over 2,000 climate scientists -- concluded that evidence of global warming is "unequivocal" and human activity is "very likely" the cause. [NYT, 2/3/2007]
Next month, the panel is expected to report that, without changes, within decades climate change could cause hundreds of millions of people to suffer water shortages and tens of millions to be flooded out of their homes annually. By 2080, hundreds of millions could starve. [AP, 3/11/2007]
http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/energy/new-energy-economy
|
|
Proposition 2:
An additional carbon tax on fuel will effectively reduce pollution
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to agree |
|
Other websites and news sources |
| |
Former Sen. John Edwards (D-North Carolina)
From the Grist/Outside interview:
Q. Do you think we need a carbon tax?
A. Well, I think I accomplished the same thing in a different way. What I have proposed is capping carbon emissions in America, ratcheting the cap down each year to eventually achieve the goal of 80 percent reductions by 2050, and then auctioning off the right to emit greenhouse gases and using that money to change the way we use and produce energy in this country. I think it is just another mechanism for doing the same thing.
http://www.grist.org/feature/2007/07/31/edwards/index.html
|
|
Proposition 3:
The US should never sign international treaties on climate change that limit economic growth
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to disagree |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
• Lead the World toward a New Global Climate Change Treaty: Climate change is an international problem and the U.S. can never solve it alone. China is building the equivalent of one large coal-fired power plant a week and is expected to pass the U.S. as the world's largest polluter of carbon dioxide in 2009. [NYT, 3/17/2007; WSJ, 3/3/2007]
To lead the world toward a new, effective climate change treaty, Edwards will:
o Make Our Own Commitments to Restore Our Moral Leadership: The U.S. has 4 percent of the world's population but produces a quarter of its carbon dioxide emissions. It is one of only three developed nations that has refused to limit its greenhouse gas pollution. By adopting caps, Edwards will help the U.S. regain credibility in the world without sacrificing American competitiveness. [Irish Times, 2/14/2007; Greenwire, 10/31/2006]
o Involve Developing Economies: Anyclimate change treaty must include developing countries, which emit significant amounts of carbon and could otherwise serve as a haven for polluters. However, these nations are poorer than the U.S. and emit far less carbon per capita. To bring them to the table, Edwards will share America's clean energy technology in exchange for binding greenhouse reduction commitments. If necessary, he will insist that strong labor and environmental standards in our trade deals include commitments on climate change. This new deal will require global participation, promote shared responsibility, and let American workers and businesses compete on a level playing field.
http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/energy/new-energy-economy/
|
|
Iraq
Proposition 1:
The US had every right to invade Iraq
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to agree |
|
Debate transcripts |
| |
"I think I had the information I needed. I don't think that was the question.
I think one difference we do have is I think I was wrong. I should never have voted for this war.
And this goes to the issue that Senator Obama raised a few minutes ago. He deserves credit for being against this war from the beginning. He was right. I was wrong."
New Hampshire Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate
June 3, 2007
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0706/03/se.01.html
|
|
Proposition 2:
The US is safer because of the invasion of Iraq
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
completely disagree |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
Clarify the Lack of Legal Foundation for the War
The 2002 authorization did not give President Bush the power to use U.S. troops to police a civil war. Edwards believes that Congress should make it clear that President Bush exceeded his authority long ago. The president now needs to end the war and ask Congress for new authority to manage the withdrawal of the U.S. military presence and to help Iraq achieve stability.
Take Additional Steps to Stabilize Iraq
Edwards believes we should intensify U.S. efforts to train the Iraqi security forces. He would also step up U.S. diplomatic efforts by engaging in direct talks with all the nations in the region, including Iran and Syria, to bring a political solution to the sectarian violence inside Iraq, including through a peace conference
http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/iraq/
|
|
Other websites and news sources |
| |
The argument for going to war with Iraq was based on intelligence that we now know was inaccurate. The information the American people were hearing from the president -- and that I was being given by our intelligence community -- wasn't the whole story. Had I known this at the time, I never would have voted for this war
Because of these failures, Iraq is a mess and has become a far greater threat than it ever was. It is now a haven for terrorists, and our presence there is draining the goodwill our country once enjoyed, diminishing our global standing. It has made fighting the global war against terrorist organizations more difficult, not less
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/11/AR2005111101623.html
|
|
Proposition 3:
The new president should begin to bring home all US troops from Iraq immediately
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
completely agree |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
"Stop the Escalation and Immediately Start the Drawdown
Edwards opposed President Bush's "surge" and supports immediately drawing down 40,000 to 50,000 combat troops"
"Withdraw Combat Troops within Nine to Ten Months
Edwards believes we should completely withdraw all combat troops from Iraq within nine to ten months and prohibit permanent U.S. military bases in Iraq. After withdrawal, we
should retain sufficient forces in Quick Reaction Forces located outside Iraq, in friendly countries like Kuwait, to prevent an Al Qaeda safe haven, a genocide, or regional spillover of a civil war. "
http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/iraq/
"John Edwards' plan for Iraq is very simple: No combat troops. No combat missions. No combat, period. And not by 2013, by 2009."
http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/iraq/20071030-debate-question-iraq/
|
|
Economy
Proposition 1:
The best way to reduce the federal deficit is to raise taxes
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to disagree |
|
Other websites and news sources |
| |
Then, at a campaign stop in Des Moines, when a man asked him what about reducing the deficit, Edwards replied pointedly, "You may not like my answer." He went on to say that his plans on energy, reducing poverty and expanding health care were higher priorities than balancing the budget and that "it's make believe" when pols say they can solve all these problems and reduce the deficit at the same time.
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1573215,00.html
We need to shut down special loopholes and abusive tax shelters, collect the taxes that are owed, and use the savings to pay down the deficit and cut taxes for hardworking families.
http://usliberals.about.com/od/theeconomyjobs/p/EdwardsTax1.htm
|
|
Proposition 2:
The tax cuts for people with a higher income should be reversed
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
completely agree |
|
Proposition 3:
The government has no responsibility to provide retirement funds
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
completely disagree |
|
Income
Proposition 1:
Mortgage lenders should be more tightly controlled
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
completely agree |
|
Proposition 2:
People with higher incomes should receive less Medicare benefits
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to agree |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
Offer New Health Insurance Tax Credits: Edwards will create a new tax credit to subsidize insurance purchased through Health Care Markets, making premiums affordable for all families.
The tax credit will be available on a sliding scale to middle class families and refundable to help families without income tax liability.
Expand Medicaid and SCHIP: Medicaid and the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) play essential roles in helping low-income Americans getting the health care they need. Edwards will strengthen the federal partnership with states supporting these programs, committing the necessary federal resources to allow states to expand Medicaid and SCHIP to serve all adults under the poverty line and all children and parents under 250 percent of the poverty line (about $50,000 for a family of four).
(http://johnedwards.com/about/issues/health-care-overview.pdf)
|
|
Proposition 3:
The federal government should reduce income inequality
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
completely agree |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
· Cut poverty by one third within a decade, lifting 12 million Americans out of poverty by 2016.
· End poverty within 30 years, lifting 37 million Americans out of poverty by 2036. [Census Bureau, 2007]
The poverty measure excludes necessities like taxes, health care, child care and transportation. It also fails to count some forms of aid including tax credits, food stamps, Medicaid, and subsidized housing. The National Academy of Science has recommended improvements that would increase the count of people in poverty by more than 1 million. Edwards believes we need to measure poverty honestly, evaluate our performance, and hold politicians accountable for policies that change the number of people suffering hardship.
(http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/poverty/ )
|
|
National security
Proposition 1:
The US should reduce its financial contribution to the UN
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to disagree |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
We must also strive to maintain our strong partnerships with longtime allies, including the United Kingdom, Japan, and the transforming European Union, as well as work to rebuild the long-neglected relationships with our neighbors throughout Latin America.
Edwards believes the U.S. should make a clear public statement of support for the Juba Peace Talks and for the efforts of the U.N. Special Envoy and dispatch a high-level American presidential envoy to work with the U.N.
(http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/reengage/)
|
|
Proposition 2:
Iran is not an imminent threat to world peace
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to agree |
|
Proposition 3:
The US should decrease its spending on defense
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to disagree |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
Build the military we need to meet the mission we have defined -- no more, no less -- basing future troop levels on a careful assessment of the post-Iraq threat environment.
Double the budget for recruiting and raise the standards for the recruiting pool.
Invest in maintenance of our equipment for the safety of our troops.
Create a Marshall Corps of up to 10,000 professionals, modeled on the Reserves systems, who will work on stabilization and humanitarian missions.
Modernize our forces, so we do not keep spending money on systems that only meet the needs of todaynot tomorrow. Greening the military to increase innovation, save millions of dollars, reduce reliance on vulnerable supply lines.
http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/military/
|
|
Family
Proposition 1:
Same sex marriages should be made legal
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
neutral |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
"Edwards believes that all couples in committed, long-term relationships should have the same rights, benefits, and responsibilities, whether they are straight couples or same-sex couples. He supports civil unions to guarantee gay and lesbian couples the same rights as straight couples, including inheritance rights, hospital visitation rights, equal pension and health care benefits, and all of the 1,100 other legal protections government affords married couples. Edwards supports the full repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act. He also believes same-sex families should be treated in the same manner as other families by our immigration laws. Edwards believes the right president could lead the country toward consensus around equal rights and benefits for all couples in committed, long-term relationships and he opposes divisive Constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriages. "
http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/lgbt/
|
|
Debate transcripts |
| |
"QUESTION: I'm Reverend Reggie Longcrier. I'm the pastor of Exodus Mission and Outreach Church in Hickory, North Carolina.
Senator Edwards said his opposition to gay marriage is influenced by his Southern Baptist background. Most Americans agree it was wrong and unconstitutional to use religion to justify slavery, segregation, and denying women the right to vote.
So why is it still acceptable to use religion to deny gay American their full and equal rights?
(APPLAUSE)
EDWARDS: I think Reverend Longcrier asks a very important question, which is whether fundamentally -- whether it's right for any of our faith beliefs to be imposed on the American people when we're president of the United States. I do not believe that's right.
I feel enormous personal conflict about this issue. I want to end discrimination. I want to do some of the things that I just heard Bill Richardson talking about -- standing up for equal rights, substantive rights, civil unions, the thing that Chris Dodd just talked about. But I think that's something everybody on this stage will commit themselves to as president of the United States.
But I personally have been on a journey on this issue. I feel enormous conflict about it. As I think a lot of people know, Elizabeth spoke -- my wife Elizabeth spoke out a few weeks ago, and she actually supports gay marriage. I do not. But this is a very, very difficult issue for me. And I recognize and have enormous respect for people who have a different view of it."
Democratic Debate Charleston CNN YouTube 23-7-2007
http://edition.cnn.com/2007/POLITICS/07/23/debate.transcript/
The question is this: Is it time to move beyond that and let gays and lesbians get married?
"EDWARDS: Well, first of all, I think what the governor did and what New Hampshire's done is a great example for the rest of the country. Not only civil unions, but all the partnership benefits, including, Senator Clinton talked about getting rid of this "don't ask/don't tell" policy.
I don't think the federal government has a role in telling either states or religious institutions, churches, what marriages they can bless and can't bless. I think the state of New Hampshire ought to be able to make that decision for itself, like every other state in the country. I think every church ought to be able to make that decision for itself."
New Hampshire Democratic Presidential Candidates Debate June 3, 2007
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0706/03/se.01.html
|
|
Proposition 2:
Abortion should be made completely illegal
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
completely disagree |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
Chapel Hill, North Carolina – Senator John Edwards released the following statement about today's 5-4 Supreme Court ruling upholding the federal abortion ban.
"I could not disagree more strongly with today's Supreme Court decision. The ban upheld by the Court is an ill-considered and sweeping prohibition that does not even take account for serious threats to the health of individual women. This hard right turn is a stark reminder of why Democrats cannot afford to lose the 2008 election. Too much is at stake - starting with, as the Court made all too clear today, a woman's right to choose."
http://johnedwards.com/news/headlines/200700418-federal-ban/
|
|
Debate transcripts |
| |
"Now, on the issue of abortion, I think -- I believe in a woman's right to choose, but I think this is an extraordinarily difficult issue for America. And I think it is very important for the president of the United States to recognize, while I believe the government should not make these health-care decisions for women -- I believe they should have the freedom to make them themselves -- this is a very difficult issue for many people. And I think we have to show respect for people who have different views about this."
South Carolina Democratic debate. April 26, 2007
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18352397/
|
|
Proposition 3:
Using embryos for stem cell research is acceptable as it enables us to find cures for diseases
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
completely agree |
|
Immigration
Proposition 1:
To prevent illegal immigration, the US should complete the fence along the entire Mexican border
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to disagree |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
"Strengthen Our Borders
The first step in overhauling the immigration system is to secure our borders and stop illegal trafficking. Edwards supports doubling the number of border patrol agents and investing in surveillance technology to police the borders. We also need to crack down on employers that hire undocumented immigrants. Edwards supports more vigorous workplace enforcement and increased fines for businesses that knowingly break the rules. "
http://johnedwards.com/issues/immigration/
|
|
Proposition 2:
All illegal immigrants without a criminal record should be given the right to stay in the US legally
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to agree |
|
Proposition 3:
Illegal immigration threatens our national security
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to agree |
|
Debate transcripts |
| |
"Do you believe Americans will work on a farm 10 hours in 105- degree
weather for only 8.50 per hour? He would like to know if undocumented
immigrants are necessary for the U.S. workforce?
MR. EDWARDS: Well, first of all, we should be proud of the fact that because we've had so many workers come into this country who deserve a path to earn citizenship and who are working to support their families have made America richer, culturally more diverse, and they are in fact performing jobs that, in some cases at least, would be difficult to find others to perform. So for that reason they're -- they are an important part of our economy, and I do believe they're an important part of our economy.
But the other thing that we need to do is not just recognize the
economic benefits of these workers, but understand in many cases they are being abused, they are being taken advantage of, their rights are not being protected.
And it is enormously important that we have comprehensive immigration reform so that those who in fact are working 10 hours a day in 105-degree heat have the same sort of worker rights that other Americans have.
They are no less human, and no less value as human beings, and they deserve those same rights, which is why there needs to be a comprehensive immigration reform and path to earn citizenship. (Applause.)
UNIVISION NETWORK DEMOCRATIC PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE
09/09/2007
http://media.miamiherald.com/smedia/2007/09/09/23/English_transcript.source.prod_affiliate.56.pdf
|
|
Health care
Proposition 1:
Providing health care is not the responsibility of the government
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
completely disagree |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
"New Health Care Markets. The U.S. government will help states and groups of states create regional Health Care Markets, non-profit purchasing pools that offer a choice of competing insurance plans. At least one plan would be a public program based upon Medicare. All plans will include comprehensive benefits, including full mental health benefits. Families and businesses could choose to supplement their coverage with additional benefits. The markets will be available to everyone who does not get comparable insurance from their jobs or a public program and to employers that choose to join rather than offer their own insurance plans. The benefits of Health Care Markets include:Freedom and Security: Health Care Markets will give participants a choice among affordable,quality plans. Americans can keep Health Care Market plans when they change or lose their jobs, start new businesses, or take time off for caregiving.Choice between Public and Private Insurers: Health Care Markets will offer a choice between private insurers and a public insurance plan modeled after Medicare, but separate and apart from it. Families and individuals will choose the plan that works best for them. This American solution will reward the sector that offers the best care at the best price. Over time, the system may evolve toward a single-payer approach if individuals and businesses prefer the public plan."
(health care plan Edwards http://johnedwards.com/about/issues/health-care-overview.pdf )
|
|
Proposition 2:
US law should obligate all companies to provide health care insurance for their workers
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
completely agree |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
"First: Business Responsibility. Businesses have a responsibility to support their employees’ health. They will be required to either provide a comprehensive health plan to their employees or to contribute to the cost of covering them through Health Care Markets. In return, the Edwards plan will make it easier for businesses to offer insurance by reducing costs and creating new choices. Covering all Americans will eliminate the cost of uncompensated care. Businesses can also choose to purchase care through Health Care Markets, which will offer quality plans at low prices and with minimal administrative burdens."
(health care plan Edwards http://www.johnedwards.com/about/issues/health-care-overview.pdf )
|
|
Proposition 3:
The government should provide health care coverage for the millions of uninsured Americans
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to agree |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
? Require businesses and other employers to either cover their employees or help finance their
health insurance.
? Make insurance affordable by creating new tax credits, expanding Medicaid and SCHIP,
reforming insurance laws, and taking innovative steps to contain health care costs.
? Create regional Health Care Markets purchasing pools to give every American the bargaining
power to purchase an affordable, high-quality health plan, increase choices among insurance
plans, and cut costs for businesses offering insurance.
? Once these steps have been taken, require all American residents to get insurance.
http://johnedwards.com/about/issues/health-care-overview.pdf
|
|
Law and order
Proposition 1:
The death penalty helps deter crime
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to agree |
|
Debate transcripts |
| |
Edwards took the opposite position. He said states should be free to review their use of the death penalty, in light of DNA evidence, but said that would not change his overall view on the issue.
"Those men who dragged James Byrd behind that truck in Texas -- they deserve the death penalty. And I think there are some crimes that deserve the ultimate penalty," he said.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A10620-2004Feb26.html
|
|
Proposition 2:
The government should spend money on keeping drugs off the streets, not on treating drug addicts
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
completely disagree |
|
Debate transcripts |
| |
And then, finally, it's about creating an infrastructure for success so that if, in fact, a young man or young woman has a brush with the law that we actually help them turn their lives around. How can we be surprised when somebody gets into trouble, goes into prison, comes out, and we send them right back to the same environment that got them in trouble to start with?
We need to help them with drug and alcohol counseling and rehabilitation. We need to help them with job training. We need to help them with education. We need to do all the things that support them and support their families.
It is America's moral obligation to do that, if we believe in an equal and just America.
THE IOWA HEARTLAND PRESIDENTIAL FORUM
DECEMBER 1, 2007
FORMER SEN. JOHN EDWARDS, D-N.C.
|
|
Proposition 3:
For each crime there should be a fixed minimum sentence
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to disagree |
|
Debate transcripts |
| |
EDWARDS: [...] Second, we're going to do something about these mandatory minimum sentences. How long does it take for America to understand that we can't build enough prisons to solve this problem?
The problem is one of opportunity, fairness, equality. It's about creating jobs in poor communities. It's about real universal health care for every man, woman and child in America. It's about raising the minimum wage, not just to $7.25 an hour, but to $9.50, which is where it ought to be.
It's about strengthening the right of unions to organize, so that working people can actually support their families. It's about changing the laws to get rid of the disparity between crack and powdered cocaine that has a direct impact on the African-American community.
THE IOWA HEARTLAND PRESIDENTIAL FORUM
DECEMBER 1, 2007
FORMER SEN. JOHN EDWARDS, D-N.C.
|
|
Education
Proposition 1:
Better teachers should be paid higher wages than their colleagues
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to agree |
|
Proposition 2:
Creationism should be taught in science classes in school
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to disagree |
|
Debate transcripts |
| |
Soledad O'Brien: There was quite a little dust-up that the Republicans had in their debate over the question of evolution. So I'll put the same question to you. Do you believe in evolution or do you believe in creationism?
John Edwards: I believe in evolution.
[...]
O'Brien: There are people who say, well it's actually - isn't it mutually exclusive? I mean, either man was created by, you know, Adam's rib, or in fact, that man came, evolution-wise, from apes. Aren't the two mutually exclusive?
Edwards: No, I don't think they are. Because the hand of God was in every step of what's happened with man. The hand of God today is in every step of what happens with me, and every human being that exists on this planet.
CNN Special Edition: Sojourners Presidential Forum. June 4, 2007
http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0706/04/sitroom.03.html
|
|
Proposition 3:
More government funding should go into public schools, not to education vouchers
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to agree |
|
Terrorism
Proposition 1:
Anti-terrorism legislation, such as the Patriot Act, unacceptably violates civil liberties
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to agree |
|
Debate transcripts |
| |
MS. MALVEAUX: Senator Edwards, we'd like you to take that. You obviously voted for the Patriot Act, which gives the government extended powers of surveillance. What do you say to people like Mr. Khan, who say he's been abused by that power?
MR. EDWARDS: I say he's right, he's right, and this administration has done more than abuse the Patriot Act. And the Patriot Act needs to be dramatically changed, by the way.
Democratic Debate Las Vegas CNN 15-11-2007
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/16/us/politics/16debate.html?ref=politics&pagewanted=print
|
|
Proposition 2:
Some form of torture is acceptable if it can prevent terrorist attacks
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
completely disagree |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
"The Bush-Cheney Administration has undermined our standing in the world and endangered our own troops by sanctioning the use of interrogation techniques long considered torture. Edwards will protect our troops and our values by upholding the Geneva Conventions anywhere American security forces—military or civilian—are engaged. He will issue an executive order setting clear guidelines for interrogations and prohibiting torture. He will also ban the shameful practice of outsourcing torture to other countries through "extraordinary rendition."
http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/civil-liberties/
John Edwards believes we must stop the Bush administration's trampling of basic freedoms in the name of the war against terror. As president, Edwards will prohibit surveillance of Americans’ phone calls and emails without a warrant, close down Guantanamo Bay, restore habeas corpus, and say no to torture.
(John Edwards, http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/homeland-security/ )
|
|
Proposition 3:
Iraq is just one front in a broader fight against Islamic terrorism
| Your opinion: | You have not answered that question. |
| Opinion John Edwards: |
tend to disagree |
|
Issues and plans from candidate's campaign website |
| |
" Get over-the-horizon Quick Reaction Forces up to speed. Under the Edwards plan, combat troops should be withdrawn from Iraq within the next year. Even though the presence of U.S. troops has served as an attractive target for terrorists, our withdrawal will not remove the threat. As president, Edwards will deploy troops in Quick Reaction Forces in friendly countries including Kuwait, to perform targeted missions against Al Qaeda cells in Iraq. "
http://www.johnedwards.com/issues/terrorism/
"We must replace Bush’s so?called ?war on terror?
doctrine with a real strategy to unify our intelligence and security efforts through closer international cooperation. John Edwards will ensure that intelligence is used to root out and shut down the scourge of terrorism and unite the world against
violent extremism."
http://johnedwards.com/issues/plan-to-build-one-america.pdf
pagina 34
|
|
|
|
|
